{"id":15548641,"date":"2024-09-10T09:13:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T13:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golf.com\/?post_type=article&p=15548641"},"modified":"2024-10-10T14:33:53","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T18:33:53","slug":"allowed-lean-wedge-against-pin-putting-rules","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/golf.com\/instruction\/rules\/allowed-lean-wedge-against-pin-putting-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Rules Guy: Am I allowed to lean my wedge against the pin while putting?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we\u2019ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back<\/a>. Got a question? He\u2019s got all the answers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a stroke-play match, one player chipped up to tap-in range. The green was still wet from a recent rain, and, to avoid getting the grip damp, he leaned his wedge against the flagstick (which was still in the hole) while holing out with his putter. Legal? \u2014Todd Cain, Syracuse, N.Y.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd, please see the recent answer to a similar question<\/a>, with the caveats that the wedge can\u2019t be used for aiming and, with it on the ground, there\u2019s more potential for affecting the stroke and causing a replay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a thought: Leave the stick in peace!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more flagstick-related guidance from our guru, read on …<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n\n
\n
\n \n Rules <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \"Rules <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n
Rules Guy: Can I ask my playing partner to hold the flag, but keep the pin in the hole while I putt?<\/a><\/blockquote>\n By:<\/span>\n \n \n Rules Guy <\/a>\n \n <\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

Thirty years ago, I was playing in a tournament with another player who volunteered to tend the pin while I chipped the ball. As the ball approached the pin, he failed to pull it. At the last second the ball veered off target, but I always wondered what would have happened had it hit the pin. Would I have been penalized for his inaction? \u2014 Paul Boehm, Isle of Palms, S.C.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul, you have been thinking about this for 30 years? It\u2019s been gnawing at you that long, and only now have you decided to find an answer? Either you have the patience of a saint, or you are a procrastinator of truly epic proportions \u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the current rules, it all depends on why he failed to pull the pin. If it was accidental then it\u2019s no harm, no foul \u2014 play the ball as it lies (or if it went in, it\u2019s holed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If instead this player deliberately left the pin in, he gets the general penalty, even though he was attending it at your request. In this non-accidental instance, you wouldn\u2019t play it as it lies; since you were chipping from off the green, you\u2019d estimate where the ball would have otherwise come to rest and drop in a relief area if that\u2019s off the green or place at that spot if on the green, under Rules 13.2b and 11.2c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless it was match play, since your opponent would have lost the hole for his (in)action, and you could just pick up your ball and go to the next tee. We can only hope that explanation was worth the wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book<\/a> from Golf Logix.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won\u2019t throw the book at you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is it permissible to lean one of your other clubs against the flagstick while putting? Rules Guy has the answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15548644,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-09-10T13:13:55Z","apple_news_api_id":"c5dc3e58-9b29-4c19-bd95-b631fb3578b6","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2024-09-10T13:13:55Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Axdw-WJspTBm9lbYx-zV4tg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[52],"tags":[61404,61891],"class_list":["post-15548641","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rules","tag-golfmagazine","tag-rulesguy"],"acf":{"art_author":[{"ID":14046396,"post_author":"235","post_date":"2018-02-10 16:33:43","post_date_gmt":"2018-02-10 16:33:43","post_content":"","post_title":"Rules Guy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"rules-guy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2018-02-10 16:33:43","post_modified_gmt":"2018-02-10 16:33:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.golf.com\/?post_type=golf_person&p=14046396","menu_order":0,"post_type":"contributor","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"art_source":"None","tee_time_button_status":false,"article_template":"standard","featured_image_caption":"What do the rules say about leaning your club against the flagstick while putting?","featured_image_credits":"Getty Images","wsum-gated-content":false,"wsotp_enable_one_time_payment":false,"ad_meta":false},"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nAm I allowed to lean my wedge against the pin while putting?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is it permissible to lean one of your other clubs against the flagstick while putting? 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