Rules Question

irishtoffee

This came up in the clubhouse last night.The ball goes into the trees and you have no swing right handed(if you are a right handed golfer) so you swing left handed and hit the ball with the cavity part of the club to advance it about ten yards.Is this allowed?When i get in that situation i just turn the face of my sand wedge around and swing left handed and hit the ball with the face of the club.

Hobart

irishtoffee wrote: »

This came up in the clubhouse last night.The ball goes into the trees and you have no swing right handed(if you are a right handed golfer) so you swing left handed and hit the ball with the cavity part of the club to advance it about ten yards.Is this allowed?When i get in that situation i just turn the face of my sand wedge around and swing left handed and hit the ball with the face of the club.

What do you mean by the cavity part of the club? The handle/shaft/grip?

Mister Sifter

I think he means the back of the head.

Just having a quick look at the rule book... 14-1. Ball to be Fairly Struck At
The ball must be fairly struck at with the head of the club and must
not be pushed, scraped or spooned.

That would seem to indicate that you can do it. It's certainly ok with the back of the putter so i don't see why not.

I used to have a putter which was flat on both sides which was handy for such situations.

stockdam

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I used to have a putter which was flat on both sides which was handy for such situations.

Is that useful when there's a tree on the green and you can't putt right-handed?

PhilipMarlowe

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I think he means the back of the head.
I used to have a putter which was flat on both sides which was handy for such situations.

I would have presumed that they are not allowed anymore but it seems that it's still ok to have a putter with two striking faces as long as the characteristics are the same)...

Seems to be perfectly ok to hit the ball with the back of the clubhead too.

Par72

The Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009 book from the R & A has the following -

Q:May a player play a left-handed stroke with the back of the head of a right-handed club?

A: Yes. A player may play a stroke with any part of the club head, provided that the ball is fairly struck at (Rule 14-1) and the club conforms with rule 4-1.

Mister Sifter

Licksy wrote: »

I would have presumed that they are not allowed anymore but it seems that it's still ok to have a putter with two striking faces as long as the characteristics are the same)...

Seems to be perfectly ok to hit the ball with the back of the clubhead too.

It looked a little like that. was very handy for the tap-ins and not stepping on lines around the hole. If you were in the trees you could just batter it out with it too.

PhilipMarlowe

Yeah we used to have those putters at home for pitch and putt as kids.... very handy because we had both left and right-handed players in the family.
Wouldn't dream of using one now though, I'm crap enough with all the help from technology I already get

irishtoffee

Ye i meant the back of the head of the club.I said the same thing last night but then another member said that a friend of his has got a letter from the GUI saying that you can't.I will half to look into this more.

Par72

irishtoffee wrote: »

Ye i meant the back of the head of the club.I said the same thing last night but then another member said that a friend of his has got a letter from the GUI saying that you can't.I will half to look into this more.

I'd say that it is rubbish that someone has a letter from the GUI. At any rate the GUI do not decide on rules such as this, rules are set by the Royal and Ancient.

irishtoffee

Par72 wrote: »

I'd say that it is rubbish that someone has a letter from the GUI. At any rate the GUI do not decide on rules such as this, rules are set by the Royal and Ancient.

Maybe but i will wait and see the letter before i decide if it's rubbish.The GUI are there to answer any questions on rules that you are not sure of.

Par72

irishtoffee wrote: »

Maybe but i will wait and see the letter before i decide if it's rubbish.The GUI are there to answer any questions on rules that you are not sure of.

Regardless of whatever you think the GUI's function is they will certainly not contradict the R & A. There is zero chance that someone has a genuine letter from the GUI saying that it is is illegal to strike the ball with the back of a club.

irishtoffee

Par72 wrote: »

Regardless of whatever you think the GUI's function is they will certainly not contradict the R & A. There is zero chance that someone has a genuine letter from the GUI saying that it is is illegal to strike the ball with the back of a club.

Only going on what i was told.

FlutterinBantam

It is not illegal to strike the ball with the reverse side of the club.... end of story.. move on here please.. back up.. nothing else to see here now.

Curran

Or if you dont have 14 clubs in the bag, bring a left handed club, like i do!! :P
I have a 6-iron lefty, never useful!! Keep the arms and wrists straight, back 2ft and punch threw - worst case, it gets you back in play even if you dont advance it very far - and better than using the back of a right handed club!!


........errrr, just thinking, I hope its legal to carry a left handed club, along with all your other right handed - can someone confirm??

copacetic

OP, not really any point in asking the question when everyone gives you the correct answer and then you still ignore them all.

Curran, you can carry whatever 14 clubs you want as long as each is legal. so you can carry any left or right handed ones you want.