YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

What are the rules regarding the use of training aids and phones on the course? Let us explain...

I was lucky enough to be given a flexible swing trainer for Christmas.

Is it against competition rules to carry this in my golf bag? If not, what is the situation if I were to use it during a round? Just poor etiquette or against the rules? Andy Kershaw, Goodwood

While there is nothing preventing you from carrying a swing trainer in your golf bag (it does not count as one of your 14 clubs), Rule 4.3a restricts the use of training aids during competition. You can use any equipment, including a training aid, for general stretching during a round, but using it to check your alignment or in a practice swing is prohibited.

On the range, I tend to tuck a towel under my armpit and try to keep it there during my swing. Is there a rule which prevents me from doing this on the course? Dan Felgate, Essex

Although we have promoted the virtues of using this drill to improve the connection between your body and arms, under Rule 4.3a “you must not use equipment in an abnormal way in making a stroke” during a round. If you really need to feel the sensation of the drill during a round, you are allowed to tuck a part of the shirt you’re wearing under your armpit.

As I don’t own a GPS watch, I rely on using my smartphone to give me the yardages I need. Can I use it to analyse my stats during my round as well? Anonymous

The first thing to remember is that while you can use any distance-measuring device (lasers, GPS or apps) to tell you how far you’ve got left to the pin, accessing club-recommendation features or yardages which factor in elevation changes or wind is banned. The good news is that there is nothing stopping you from tracking your stats during a round, but analysing them or any information not produced before the start of your round is prohibited. If it helps, you can look up the weather

forecast or swing tips that you or your coach have written down.

How should you proceed if you forget to remove a marker before hitting a putt? Anonymous

Rule 14.1a states that after replacing the ball, the player must remove the ball marker before making a stroke. Failure to do so means you must add a one-stroke penalty to your score.

If your playing partner leaves midway through a round, are you still allowed to submit your score without a marker? Jody Clark, email

Regardless of whether you believe their ‘excuse’ for leaving, the purpose of a marker is to certify that a player’s score for each hole is correctly shown on the player’s scorecard. Without a marker acting as a witness for the entire round, the scorecard cannot be properly certified and submitted. If you are unable to convince the marker to stay for the duration of the round, you should ask another person to perform the role. If this is not possible, Rule 3.3b states that you must stop play and report to the Committee for another marker to be assigned.

I see a lot of amateurs bending the rough or trampling some of it down so they can get their club behind the ball more easily. Is this allowed within the rules? Ian Parsons, Ipswich

Rule 8.1 supports the central principle of the game, “playing the course as you find it”. As a result, you are prohibited from improving the conditions affecting the stroke, which includes the lie of the ball, area of intended stance or swing, line of play, and the relief area where you drop or place a ball. Bending or trampling down the rough to get the club behind the ball more easily would be considered improving the conditions affecting the stroke, which would result in a general penalty (two shots in strokeplay, or loss of hole in matchplay).