GRAA TOP 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional
We are truly honored to announce that Mike Fay has been named a Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional from the Golf Range Association of America and PGA Magazine. This is the 4th time in Mike’s career receiving this national award. We want to thank the GRAA and PGA Magazine for this honor which encompasses the work we do at the academy including all levels of play. Thank you members of Walnut Creek Country Club for supporting such programs as the POD Program, FORE Ladies Only, various clinics, and taking advantage of private coaching programs. Your support of social media to keep you engaged in the game as well. Without your support, this would not be possible. Thank you!
It's so important to know when to use the bounce. In this drill Mike shows you how to use some tees to get the bottom of your chip shots just right. Better contact, more control, and awesome short game shots! Pleae...
The center of your pelvis plays a big role in how good your short game is. In this video, Mike discusses how to get your pelvis in a better position to hit more solid golf shots around the green. Please leave your...
Body Weakness & Swing Faults The topic of my latest blog is something that has caught my interest for a while now. As a coach, I see a lot of swing faults that are caused by the golfer’s body inability to move in a...
Backswing Pivot Drill In this video, Brent Davis shows you how to make the proper backswing. Make a better turn with Brent today! Until next time,Brent Davis Training & Education CoordinatorPGA Centre For Learning...
The Golf Grip And Closing The Club FaceIn the following video Mike explains that holding this grip really strong in the trail hand aids in holding the club face too open. Unfortunately this causes this player to aim...
The History Of The Golf Tee The history of the golf tee dates back to the 1500's. The practice of getting sand wet with a towel and mounding up earth to get the ball off the ground a little went on for some 300...
Should You Try To Keep Your Head Down? Walk up and down any driving range and you will at some point hear those famous words, "Keep Your Head Down". Unfortunately, that advice has never worked. Golf could be...
Risk-Reward Is the risk worth the reward? When playing par 5's it's tough not to want to "go for it" every time. You have a access what is really going on with the golf course. Course management alone can help...
The Origins of the Masters Theme Song The Masters Green Jacket has been worn by members of Augusta National since 1937. That year the members used the jackets to identify themselves from the crowd to assist patrons of...
Squaring The Club Face With HackMotion In this video Mike discusses the importance of understanding wrist flexion and extension and the relationship it builds to squaring the club face. Mike is a brand...
Staying Centered Staying centered is very important to your golf swing. Moving too much laterally can cause a multitude of problems. First off, moving your swing center causes the bottom of your swing to be...
In this Virtual Coach session we work on not tilting so much in the downswing, transferring weight better, and being able to hit a fade better. Please leave your comments below!With over 25 years of teaching...
Learn the "Pinkie Curl" Pitch Golf ShotIn this video Mike teaches you the Pinkie Curl shot. A pitch golf shot used when you have to hit a soft landing shot around the green.With over 25 years of teaching experience,...
Energy On The Course In my last post I spoke about the often overlooked part of a golf training program, recovery. Four areas were mentioned in the post and I promised that I would give you some strategies that you...
What makes the tour pro’s great? Anyone... Anyone... I’m sure if you tried to answer and someone was nearby to actually hear you, you’d answer with a list of attributes. The one attribute that I am interested in is...
After several near misses, Dustin Johnson finally closed the deal and won the 2016 US Open at Oakmont Country Club. Added to the pressure of trying to win the US Open was a possible penalty lingering over his head from the fifth green where he was standing over a putt when his ball moved. The ball moved ever so slightly as he got ready to hit the putt. Johnson immediately called in a Rules Official and insisted that that he was not the cause of the ball moving. After listening to Johnson and assessing what he heard, the referee made the judgement that Johnson had not caused the ball to move and no penalty was issued. Play resumed. Seven holes later, Johnson was informed by a USGA official that the incident was still under review.
Rule 34-2 Referee’s Decision states: “If a referee has been appointed by the Committee, his decision is final”, whether or not the decision is correct. Sounds cut and dried. But that is not necessarily correct. The Committee reserves the right to review all infractions. In this case they did just that, they reviewed Johnson’s actions on video tape and they felt his actions may have caused the ball to move. By the time they called in the head Rules Official and the referee that made the call, Johnson was on the eleventh hole. A USGA Official met Johnson on the 12th tee and apprised him of the situation. They also notified the rest of the field.
Rule 34-3 Committee’s Decision, does not prevent a Committee from changing a ruling (See Decision 34-3/1). Based on the evidence furnished, the referee determined that Johnson did not cause the ball to move and he instructed Johnson to play the ball as it lies without penalty. After a player plays, the Committee can assess the the same evidence or additional evidence. In Johnson’s case, the Committee reviewed the tapes of his actions and determined that he had caused the ball to move. He was assessed a one stroke penalty on the completion of his round.
Under Rule 34-3, a Committee’s decision is final. The Rule does not prevent a Committee from correcting an incorrect ruling and imposing or rescinding a penalty provided that no penalty is imposed or rescinded after the competition is closed, except in circumstances set forth in Rule 34-1b.
A current fad in golf is to mark one’s golf ball with a poker chip or a poker chip sized ball marker. This brought up an interesting question with regards to “size” or “type” of object used to mark one’s golf ball. The Note to Rule 20 – 1 (Lifting and Marking) states that “the position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by placing a ball – marker, a small coin or other similar object immediately behind the ball.” A player asked me if they would be penalized for using a poker chip as a ball marker because it did not seem to fit by size under the “small coin or other similar object” outlined in the Note. My answer to player was no, you would not be penalized for using a poker chip as a marker.
The provision in the Note to Rule 20 – 1 is a recommendation of best practice, but there is no penalty for failing to act in accordance with the Note. Examples of methods of marking the position of a ball that are not recommended, but are permissible are as follows: *placing the toe of a club at the side of or behind, the ball; *using a tee; *using a loose impediment; *scratching a line, provided the putting green is not tested (Rule 16 – 1d) and a line for putting is not indicated (Rule 8 – 2b). As this practice may cause damage to the putting green, it is discouraged.
However, under Rule 20 -1 it is necessary to physically mark the position of the ball. Reference to an existing mark on the ground does not constitute marking the position of the ball. For example, it is not permissible to mark the position with reference to a blemish on the putting green.
Frank Guastella
PGA Rules Official | PGA Master Professional
Frank Guastella has over 35 years of golf management experience focused on planning, marketing, operations and administration at leading golf facilities. Currently, Frank serves as a PGA Teaching Professional at St. Clair Golf Club in St. Clair, Michigan
In this post we discuss what a caddie's responsibility is under the rules of golf. Rule 6, The Player, is one of the Rules that deals with a players responsibilities during a stipulated round of golf. Rule 6-1 specifically states: "The player and his caddie are...
For those using the anchored putting stroke, it is getting to the end of the line for you to use this type of stroke. As you may remember, when golf's ruling bodies, the USGA and R&A, announced the ban on anchored putting in 2013, the date of January 1, 2016 was...
While working a stroke play tournament this summer I was called over by a player to make a ruling. At a par - 4 hole, Player A hit his second shot into a dense thicket behind the green. Since the ball may be lost, Player A announced that he was going to hit a...
We are truly honored to announce that Mike Fay has been named a Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional from the Golf Range Association of America and PGA Magazine. This is the 4th time in Mike's career receiving this national award. Thank you GRAA and PGA...
Working on the hooks working both the low point and the path. A former slicer that went a little too far. Looking much better! Please leave your comments below.With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's easy to see why Mike has become a leader in the world of...
Let Your Shoulder Hit Your Chin On Your Backswing Staying centered in your backswing swing is important. Allowing your left shoulder to hit your chin helps you stay centered and to not sway your chest too much off the golf ball. Please leave your comments below.With...
Just Push, Don't Slide Getting foot pressure to the lead side is so important. Lead side foot pressure starts with a push and not a slide. Please leave your comments below.With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's easy to see why Mike has become a leader in the...
Feel That Pressure On Your Thumb Keeping your hands together on the club is super important. If they seperate you lose control. Here we use trail hand thumb pressure to improve impact. Please leave your comments below.With over 30 years of teaching experience, it's...
Move The Handle On The Takeaway It's no good when the hands go out and the club goes in on the takeaway. Here we get the feeling of moving the handle without moving the club head so much. #golf #Detroit #golfswing #takeaway Please leave your comments below.With over...
In this post we discuss what a caddie’s responsibility is under the rules of golf. Rule 6, The Player, is one of the Rules that deals with a players responsibilities during a stipulated round of golf. Rule 6-1 specifically states: “The player and his caddie are responsible for knowing the Rules. During a stipulated round, for any breach of a Rule by his caddie, the player incurs the applicable penalty.”
According to the Rules of Golf definitions, “a caddie is one who assists the player in accordance with the Rules, which may include carrying or handling the players clubs during play. When the caddie is employed by more than one player, he is always deemed to be the caddie of whose ball (or whose partners ball) is involved, and equipment carried by him is deemed to be that players equipment, except when the caddie acts upon specific directions of another player (or the partner of another player) sharing the caddie, in which case he is considered to be that other players caddie.”
So, what is the meaning of “Specific Directions” in the definition of a caddie. Let’s say players A and B are sharing a caddie. Player A asks the caddie to bring him a club. The caddie takes the club out of A’s bag, places both bags behind the green and walks toward A to hand him the club. While doing this, Player B now plays and his ball strikes one of the bags. Player B incurred a penalty stroke under Rule 19-2 (Ball in Motion Deflected or Stopped by Players Equipment).
The definition of a caddie provides that, when a caddie is shared by more than one player, the equipment he carries is deemed to belong to the player whose ball is involved in any incident (in this case, B).
The only exception to the above provision occurs when the shared caddie is acting upon the specific directions of another player (or partner of another player) sharing the caddie. In this case, although A asked the caddie to bring him a club, he did not instruct the caddie, when complying with his request, to place the two bags in a particular location. In placing the bags where he did, therefore, the caddie was not acting on “specific directions” of A within the meaning of that term in the definition of caddie. Before playing, B could have asked the caddie to move the bags if he thought his ball might strike them.
For those using the anchored putting stroke, it is getting to the end of the line for you to use this type of stroke. As you may remember, when golf’s ruling bodies, the USGA and R&A, announced the ban on anchored putting in 2013, the date of January 1, 2016 was declared the implementation date for the change. For those golfers who have used sticking a club against your chest, mid section or any other body part you are on the clock to find an alternative. So after January 1, 2016 if you continue to anchor you will incur a two shot penalty in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.
The USGA and R&A felt that anchoring ran counter to the spirit of what a stroke consists of, which is the club swinging freely. There was the perception that anchoring gave golfers an unfair advantage. If you want to use a long or belly putter you still can. If you are going to use a belly putter the shaft the shaft has to be held so the club swings freely. Resting the but tend of the club against your stomach is an anchor point, which is against the rules. Using the long putter is permissible, just remember that the shaft contacts on the hands and lower part of the arm. USGA Executive Director, Mike Davis said in 2013: “We’re not trying to take away your long putter. All you need to do is hold the club away from your body, where you control the whole club with your hands.”
