Forget about foot faults and run-up on my fairway drives?

[agibson]

The only time I would call someone for being 6" to the side is if they're gaining an advantage by leaning out around an obstacle. But on an open field run-up, 6" to one side gives the player no advantage whatsoever.

Yeah, I agree in part: their run-up fairway drive isn't going to be a lot better because they went 6" to the side. An approach where he gets to lean out another 6" around the tree might otherwise be impossible.

_But_ I'm thinking of this situation:
1)Player One runs-up, knowing that he'll hit 6" to the side of his marker 50% of the time, but also that noone will call it. Throws 300 feet.
2)Player Two. Same lie. Knows he'll hit 6" to the side 50% of the time, knows probably noone's going to call it, but still doesn't want to break the rule. Takes a shorter run-up or throws from a stand still. Throws 250 feet.

That's not such a small advantage.

 

[mikk]

Some players will call you on any infraction they can, and for no good reason. Why?? this is the way they will "play" their game, to mess with YOU. If you know the rules, stick by them, for better or worse. The only rule infraction I will ever call on anybody is poor sportsman like conduct. Don't be, or act like a fool/ducher while golfing with me
The best advice I can offer with the run-up to mini issue is this==== FIELD PRACTICE!!! Go and find an unused soccer/football/baseball field, place mini on the ground, have a friend spot you. This way you will find out the best way, and most comfortable way for you to hande with confidence!! Besides good foot work can only help you become a better player anyways!!!

 

[Pwingles]

I worried about this when I first started playing tournaments. Took me out of my element when I was so worried that I'd commit an infraction that I was not playing my game.

To fix this, I went home and video taped my run up at my lie. After watching the video, I was only faulting maybe 15% of the time. I fixed this by putting my mini in front of a curb and practicing my run up. If I over stepped, I was off the curb. To fix the distance behind it, I marked a second mini 30 cm behind it. If my plant foot was between the two minis, I knew I was good. Practiced it for about a week and now it's automatic.

Hope this helps

I like this idea but wouldnt suggest using a curb to step off of or onto, could twist ankle,knee or whatever, the two mini idea is good tho

 

[foo_g]

I like this idea but wouldnt suggest using a curb to step off of or onto, could twist ankle,knee or whatever, the two mini idea is good tho

You are also allowed to follow through past your marker. Going over a curb is probably not the best way to that.

When I use a run up on the fairway, I almost never put down a mini. I like having the more pronounced visibility of the full-sized disc.

 

[cmchavis]

The guy had been making 5's and 6's on many holes, so I ended up letting it go because he wasn't a threat to my score... and, honestly, I didn't want to get into an argument that would make my game suffer.

Sometimes you have to let people cheat if they're not getting an advantage score-wise on you... otherwise you may end up screwing your head up thinking about their foot faults and not your game.

I'm sure, unless he was in dead last place, he was getting an advantage over someone. It's not always about what only affects your own game. I figure either we're self officiating or not - if you aren't going to call obvious faults, then don't call anything.

Letting someone else cheat? No thanks.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

I'd follow the rules and if you can make suggestions to others in a non threatening manner do so. Sometimes people just don't know the rules or don't know that what they are doing are against the rules. I have recently had to adjust my jump putt form because it was too close for a buddy of mine to always call it legal, even though I have seen much worse.

 

[ForTheGlory]

I line up my fairway throws like a extra-point kicker gets ready to kick. I start off standing where I'm going to release it from then take three paces and a half-step back. (that seems to work for me).

I like leaving the full sized disc on the ground, easier to see than a mini.

 

[DavidSauls]

One option is to give an unofficial warning. Count to 5 and tactfully tell the player, "I'm not calling anything but, just to let you know, you missed your mark on that shot." You get to straddle between being a rules stickler and a rules ignorer, and the player gets to save pride by not taking a warning or penalty stroke. If he continues, then you can call it.

Not saying this is the best way---but it is an option.

 

[DSCJNKY]

I'm sure, unless he was in dead last place, he was getting an advantage over someone. It's not always about what only affects your own game. I figure either we're self officiating or not - if you aren't going to call obvious faults, then don't call anything.

Letting someone else cheat? No thanks.

Sure... I'll concede that.

But once the other players in my group decided not to 2nd my call, I was basically forced to drop it, or create a scene that would have messed with my game... which wouldn't have been fair to me.

DSCJNKY

 

[Crooow]

Too Far Back?

My foot fault tendency would be to throw from more than 30 cm behind the marker. Does anyone get upset about that? I'm not talking about moving back so as to get a better angle but just being overly conservative on being behind the marker (to avoid the fault).

 

[Smigles]

Yeah, to be clear, the hard part isn't so much "don't go past the marker" it's "stay rather precisely on the line connecting the marker to the basket". That's the part that's not present when you're only worried about a tee line.

So, I'll see half-decent players (decent MA3?) who seem to be trying to follow the gist of the rules, but take a long run-up behind a fairway drive. They might hit within a 30 cm radius of the market, but are definitely, say, 6" off the line.

Even for standing shots, people seem to follow "behind the marker, maybe somewhere within the width of the disc-as-marker" more than "exactly on the line, behind the marker", as has been discussed elsewhere.

The higher up in tournaments, the more people will watch out for it.

If you ever play a final in open, people will most certainly watch out for it. And call you on it.

So do the right thing. Learn to play properly. Practice the runup till you have it spot on. And call the infractions when you see them. Always.

 

[foo_g]

If a bad player is having a bad day, I'm not going to make it any worse for them or less fun than it already is by calling them on a bunch of technical stuff during a round. I'd be more likely to mention it to them afterwards so they can at least be aware of it and work to correct it without any added pressure.

 

[DGRZ001]

Then you have done a disservice to that player and the rest of the players in that division. Selective enforcement of the rules is never the right answer.

 

[ArcheType]

I've been talked down to for being a "rules nazi" a lot. I've read the pdga handbook cover to cover, and I know it fairly well. When I'm in a sanctioned event, I follow the rules exactly, and expect everyone else to do the same. I call lots of foot faults, and I even play at the MA2 level where I wouldn't expect them that much. People get mad, but I'm out there to compete, not to make friends. Casual rounds, sure, I let things slide, but that's just that, casual.

 

[jtreadwell]

My foot fault tendency would be to throw from more than 30 cm behind the marker. Does anyone get upset about that? I'm not talking about moving back so as to get a better angle but just being overly conservative on being behind the marker (to avoid the fault).

I catch myself doing this occasionally and while it may seem like further away is worse, there are plenty of times I can think of where being a step back would be helpful. This is particularly true in wooded courses where that extra foot of space makes the difference between being able to follow through on your shot or backfisting a tree if you try it. I wouldn't get upset about it but if you did it in a tourney where it gave you an edge you should be called on it. Just my 2 cents. Edit - I see I didn't read your post properly about not getting an advantage. I would still call you on it. =)

 

[foo_g]

Then you have done a disservice to that player and the rest of the players in that division. Selective enforcement of the rules is never the right answer.

Never?
When it obviously has no bearing on the outcome other than to add to someone's frustration and suck out the fun, I'm not going to be the guy to make that call. Again, I'd wait until the round or event is over.

 

[Thumber]

Practice hitting your mark or risk being called. i will normally give the quiet warning to the player before I actually start calling it.

To those who say it makes no difference in the open, I completely disagree. The guy who works to hit his mark has one more thing in his mind while the lazy player who misses isn't worried about their mark and that is the advantage. Its not about the D, its about the rules and what you have to think about. Thus, practice hitting the mark so it doesn't need to be that extra thing to think about.

Casual rounds are different, unless there is money on the table

 

[DGRZ001]

Never?
When it obviously has no bearing on the outcome other than to add to someone's frustration and suck out the fun, I'm not going to be the guy to make that call. Again, I'd wait until the round or event is over.

The Rules of Play cannot defend themselves. They need the players to defend them. re: no bearing on the outcome - unless you are in the last group of your division, and this player is, without a doubt, going to be DFL, then not defending the Rules of Play DOES have a bearing on the outcome.

 

[Omega SuperSloth]

Can spectators of a playoff call violations such as a foot fault? I was in a playoff a few months back and had one called on me while teeing off on the second playoff hole and was told I had to rethrow. Just curious if this was legal or not since I knew no one at the tournament and the other player was friends with everyone watching and it crossed my mind that they were trying to help him out since he threw ob on his drive. Just a note that if they were trying to help it didn't work since I put my second drive 75' past my first due to a nice tailwind that picked up lol

two people need to see it and the first times just a warning , from what i remember.

sounds like bs to me . but good job on making them eat it.

 

[wraithrower]

Call them on it then they will get frustrated and then play bad. It will benefit you.