Rules: Grounding club / ball movement

kiercoll

If you ground the club and do not touch the ball but notice that the ball moves slightly what is the ruling on this? I'm not talking about the ball rolling but rather when the ground is wet the ground around the ball often moves or 'gives' and the ball 'gives' accordingly.

I don't even know if i'm making sense here!

whatawaster

kiercoll wrote: »

If you ground the club and do not touch the ball but notice that the ball moves slightly what is the ruling on this? I'm not talking about the ball rolling but rather when the ground is wet the ground around the ball often moves or 'gives' and the ball 'gives' accordingly.

I don't even know if i'm making sense here!

I think if you have addressed the ball it's a penalty if the ball actually moves.

I remember last year in the open Harrington had several instances where he was very cautious about addressing the ball because of the wind.

Myksyk

kiercoll wrote: »

If you ground the club and do not touch the ball but notice that the ball moves slightly what is the ruling on this? I'm not talking about the ball rolling but rather when the ground is wet the ground around the ball often moves or 'gives' and the ball 'gives' accordingly.

I don't even know if i'm making sense here!

If you have addressd the ball (taken stance and grounded club) you incur a penalty stroke if the ball moves from it's original position. This movement can be vertical or horizontal. If the ball oscillates and returns to its exact original position it is deemed not to have moved and does not incur a penalty.

billy3sheets

Saw it recently. Windy day, guy addresses ball for short putt, ball moves slightly. Not sure if he had grounded the putter or not, so I didn't call it - would expect him to call it himself anyway.
Do you have to have grounded the club to be considered to be addressing it?

Big Red Stick

ASAIK you have to have grounded the club. I remember at a British Open a couple of years ago seeing the pros putting without ever having placed the putter on the deck behind the ball.

FlutterinBantam

If you take your stance and ground your club and the ball moves from its original position, then a penalty accrues.

Remember if this happens to replace the ball in it's oroginal spot otherwise you have played from a wrong position and incur another penalty.

kiercoll

as a follow on question, if when grounding the club you accidentally touch the ball but it doesn't move, is there a penalty here?

Myksyk

No. The ball must move (Decision 18/2).