x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Rules Guy: Can you ground your club with a practice swing in a bunker when your ball is outside of it?
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf
Rules

Rules Guy: Can you ground your club with a practice swing in a bunker when your ball is outside of it?

By: Rules Guy
February 9, 2021
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
club hitting sand

What do the Rules say about taking practice swings in the sand?

Getty Images

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.

My ball rolled through a hard-packed fairway bunker and came to rest outside it. I needed to stand in the bunker to play my next shot. Since my ball wasn’t in the bunker, I took a practice swing, hitting the wet sand, which stayed on the clubface. This proved useful, as the sand wound up adding spin to the shot, helping keep it on the green. But is it legal to take a practice swing in a bunker and ground the club? And can you purposely leave sand on the clubface?
—Jim Smith, via email

Be forewarned, Jim: Reading this answer is going to make this the last time you can legally put sand on the clubface.

Rules
bunker splash
Rules Guy: Is there a penalty for accidentally hitting a buried ball in a bunker?
By: Rules Guy

The bunker restrictions as set out in Rule 12 only apply when your ball is in a bunker; when your ball is outside it, there’s no issue with going into the sand and making a practice swing, grounding the club or not. (Remember to rake when you’re done, of course.)

That said, Rule 4.1(a)3 prohibits the player from deliberately applying material to the clubface in order to affect its performance characteristics. If you ignore that prohibition and then play a stroke that way, you’ll be disqualified at the first offense. Knowledge isn’t just power, it’s responsibility, too. And, no, you can’t claim never to have read this column!

Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.

Stock up on game-improvement gear

Explore GOLF’s Pro Shop
Golf Buddy aim W10

Golf Buddy aim W10

$199.99
View Product
Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor

Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor

$399.99
View Product
Izzo 1x2” Hitting

Izzo 1×2” Hitting

$24.99
View Product

Latest In Instruction

1 hour ago

A clever (& legal!) trick to check your grip during the round

8 hours ago

Drew Stoltz's favorite bunker trick to fool your unsuspecting buddies

1 day ago

The mental habits that win major championships

2 days ago

A step-by-step guide to chip with your hybrid

generic profile image

Golf.com

Related Articles

Rules
golf ball behind fence

Rules Guy: Are you allowed to take a swing through a fence?

By: Rules Guy
Rules
golf balls

Rules Guy: In a four-ball match, do you have to share a wrong-ball penalty with your partner?

By: Rules Guy
Rules
two men standing on a green

Rules Guy: What do you do when your match is interrupted and you forget to mark your ball?

By: Rules Guy
Rules
golf cart driving

Rules Guy: What do you do when your ball lands on a golf cart that drives away?

By: Rules Guy
Rules
Rory McIlroy headcover

Rules Guy: Is it legal to take a practice swing with the headcover on?

By: Rules Guy
Rules
tree stump

Rules Guy: Can you move a loose impediment like an old tree stump to assist your stance?

By: Rules Guy
Rules
upset golfer

Rules Guy: What is the penalty for holing out with the wrong ball?

By: Rules Guy
Rules
aeration plugs

Rules Guy: Is it legal to remove a loose impediment behind your ball if doing so improves your lie?

By: Rules Guy
Rules
Golfers marking balls on green

Rules Guy: How do you decide who putts first when two players are the same distance from the hole?

By: Rules Guy
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version