Stupid Rules Question

[Jim_Coleman]

  Watching Lexi Thompson at Congressional. Is it a rule violation to tattoo a swing/alignment aid on one’s forearm?

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Watching Lexi Thompson at Congressional. Is it a rule violation to tattoo a swing/alignment aid on one’s forearm?

No.

But man, she just can't get it done.

[Rob Marshall]

Probably the worst short putting professional I have ever seen. It’s painful to watch.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Probably the worst short putting professional I have ever seen. It’s painful to watch.

Gives Ernie at the Masters a run for his money.

[JohnVDB]

  Watching Lexi Thompson at Congressional. Is it a rule violation to tattoo a swing/alignment aid on one’s forearm?

No.  Your glove glove can have visual aids to help with alignment so no problem with tattoos for the same purpose.

[Kalen Braley]

  Watching Lexi Thompson at Congressional. Is it a rule violation to tattoo a swing/alignment aid on one’s forearm?

No.  Your glove glove can have visual aids to help with alignment so no problem with tattoos for the same purpose.

John,

I apologize in advance because this is the one area of the rules I struggle with.

How can it be OK to use alignment devices in your line of sight, basically everywhere, except on the putting surface.  And even then its still "allowed" when players and manufactures draw straight lines on the ball and putter.  If you got a tattoo on your arm, and a line on your glove, and one on your ball, as well as a line on your putter...is it really doing anything more egregious to place a pencil on the green?

Where is Shivas when you need him!

Ok rant over! 

[Rob Marshall]

I couldn't believe that Harrington couldn't rake the bunker before dropping his ball. He made the tracks pulling his ball out of the plugged lie??

[Erik J. Barzeski]

How can it be OK to use alignment devices in your line of sight, basically everywhere, except on the putting surface.

Where is it allowed to use alignment devices "everywhere, except on the putting surface"?

You can't put a club down (or a pencil) on the fairway, either. You can't even move a piece of grass or a leaf or something to help you align.

[Rob Marshall]

Anyone think a cigar in the mouth while you swing is an aid?

[Kalen Braley]

How can it be OK to use alignment devices in your line of sight, basically everywhere, except on the putting surface.

Where is it allowed to use alignment devices "everywhere, except on the putting surface"?

You can't put a club down (or a pencil) on the fairway, either. You can't even move a piece of grass or a leaf or something to help you align.

Erik,

To be more clear, I should have said "When putting, how can it be OK...."  Certainly its more difficult to align when in the fairway...

[Erik J. Barzeski]

To be more clear, I should have said "When putting, how can it be OK...."  Certainly its more difficult to align when in the fairway...

What can you use on the putting green that you can't use elsewhere?

[archie_struthers]

  :'(


Lexi needs to spend some time with Bernhard Langer...most amazing guy ever when it comes to putting bad putting behind you

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Lexie needs to spend some time with Bernhard Langer...most amazing guy ever when it comes to putting bad putting behind you

Bernhard might not want to spend time with her for fear of re-infection!

[archie_struthers]

 




Now that's funny Eric

[Michael Moore]

What can you use on the putting green that you can't use elsewhere?

A line on your ball.

[Pat Burke]

:'(


Lexi needs to spend some time with Bernhard Langer...most amazing guy ever when it comes to putting bad putting behind you

Langers work ethic and determination beating the tips multiple
Times is mind boggling

[JohnVDB]

What can you use on the putting green that you can't use elsewhere?

A line on your ball.

You can on the tee and anytime you have to place or repleace your ball.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

A line on your ball.

That's simply a byproduct of allowing you to lift, clean, and replace your ball. So, it's not just on the green. If you have to lift your ball because it interferes with another player, for example, you could replace it in a different orientation. Or if you have to lift it to identify it. Or in the teeing area, you could use an "alignment line."

Ah, JVDB beat me to it.

[Kalen Braley]

What can you use on the putting green that you can't use elsewhere?

A line on your ball.

You can on the tee and anytime you have to place or repleace your ball.

You can also buy putters with vertical lines on them as well...

Either way the point is the arbitrary nature of some alignments methods being allowed, and others not...

[Erik J. Barzeski]

You can also buy putters with vertical lines on them as well...

Either way the point is the arbitrary nature of some alignments methods being allowed, and others not...

And you can buy drivers with alignment lines on them in all sorts of directions. So…

Of course "some alignment methods are allowed, and others not." You can't have a caddie line you up. You can't lay a club down to align yourself. That's how rules work - you define what is and isn't allowed.

[Rob Marshall]

A line on your ball.

That's simply a byproduct of allowing you to lift, clean, and replace your ball. So, it's not just on the green. If you have to lift your ball because it interferes with another player, for example, you could replace it in a different orientation. Or if you have to lift it to identify it. Or in the teeing area, you could use an "alignment line."

Ah, JVDB beat me to it.

If your ball is on the fringe and your playing partner asks you to mark it, since when can you put down in a different orientation? What if there was mud on the ball where you would strike it. You always had to replace it exactly as it lied. When did that change?

[JohnVDB]

A line on your ball.

That's simply a byproduct of allowing you to lift, clean, and replace your ball. So, it's not just on the green. If you have to lift your ball because it interferes with another player, for example, you could replace it in a different orientation. Or if you have to lift it to identify it. Or in the teeing area, you could use an "alignment line."

Ah, JVDB beat me to it.

If your ball is on the fringe and your playing partner asks you to mark it, since when can you put down in a different orientation? What if there was mud on the ball where you would strike it. You always had to replace it exactly as it lied. When did that change?

The 2019 Interpretation below was a Decision prior to 2019 and wasn't changed when the new Rules took effect.
 14.2c/1 – Ball May Be Replaced in Almost Any Orientation When replacing a lifted ball on a spot, the Rules are concerned about only the location. The ball may be aligned in any way when being replaced (such as by lining up a trademark) so long as the ball’s vertical distance to the ground remains the same.
For example, when using a Rule that does not allow cleaning, the player lifts his or her ball and there is a piece of mud sticking to it. The ball may be aligned in any way when replacing it on the original spot (such as by rotating the interfering mud towards the hole).
However, the player is not allowed to replace the ball in an alignment so the ball rests on the mud unless that was its position before it was lifted. The “spot” of the ball includes its vertical location relative to the ground.

[Jim_Coleman]

 John beat me to it also, but I don’t know how to delete a post, so I erased it.

[Rob Marshall]

Thanks John

[Rob Marshall]

Rob: You misunderstood the rule. If you marked a ball off the green, you could never clean it, but you could always reorient it, if that’s the word. If you would have had to hit mud on the ball before it was marked, you could and still can replace the ball in the same place but with the mud away from where you would strike it.

Has that always been the rule? We had a woman who was a usga rules official at my club. Did a lot of girls tournaments. She was the one who told me you couldn't change the orientation but this was about 30 years ago.