Rules Question: Accidental Contact With Ball

The following question was asked to me by a reader:


What is the ruling if you strike the ball in a practice swing. The first time, this happened to me was in a high school golf match. I was taking a practice swing with my putter and hit the ball by mistake. I never addressed the ball. I was making a practice swing a few inches inside the ball.

Does the same ruling apply when making a practice swing with a club? I have mistakenly hit the ball in a practice swing when I was too close to the ball.

The last part is what happens if you nick the ball in your waggle?

The Rules

This is a great question. There are two Decisions that cover the situation, with the difference being whether the ball was in play when it was moved:

Rule: 18-2a/19
Ball Moved Accidentally by Practice Swing Prior to Tee Shot
Q. Before playing from the teeing ground, a player took a practice swing, in the course of which he accidentally struck and moved the teed ball with his club. Did the player play a stroke or incur a penalty?

A. The player did not make a stroke - see Definition of "Stroke." Since the ball was not in play - see Definition of "Ball in Play" - he incurred no penalty under Rule 18-2a. The player must put a ball into play from the teeing ground.

Rule: 18-2a/20
Ball in Play Moved Accidentally by Practice Swing
Q .A player makes a practice swing and accidentally moves his ball in play with his club. Has he made a stroke?

A. No. He had no intention of moving the ball - see Definition of "Stroke." However, he incurs a penalty stroke under Rule 18-2a for moving his ball in play, and the ball must be replaced.

The same rulings apply if you move the ball while waggling.