When replacing a ball on the green after cleaning it off, I've noticed that the base of my hand rests on the green. I am not trying to do anything other than put my ball back and this just adds stability while lining up the putt. Is this considered testing the surface or am I OK? Nobody has ever said anything or even noticed, just making sure in case someone does.

To be dinged for testing the surface in this case, intent has to be there. No problem.

Kevin

This question made me think of a line or two from the movie "School of Rock" (when Jack Black is singing "his song" to the class. . .

"You're not hardcore,
Unless you live hardcore"

I consider myself quite the follower of rules, but that is, dare I say it, pretty friggin hardcore.

Mark your ball, lift your ball, replace your ball. Unless you were using the putter Al Czervik had in Caddyshck, I would be fine with you putting the ball back down pretty much any way you wanted to.

Cheers,
Kev

i used to clean my hand on the green after putting the ball down. brush the dirt off my thumb kind of thing- previous poster is exactly correct, if there is no intent there is no penalty.

Great Game Golf is.

What other sport leaves the interpretation to the trustworthiness of the competitor?

Oh crap just putting your hand on the green is testing it? I almost always put my left hand palm down on the green when I crouch down to read the putt. I should probably stop doing this if that is "testing" the surface right?

Are you reading a different thread?

Kevin

Don't tell Spiderman Villegas about this controversy!

By the way, while I totally agree with the above description of the rules, I can't for the life of me imagine that I would get anything helpful out of an attempt to test the surface of the green with my hand. I don't know, maybe my fingers aren't sensitive enough. But my eyes are all I even care to rely on, and there's not rule agains looking at the green!

Touching the green would give you the ability to determine direction of the grain.

No the thread is about touching the green with your hand and whether or not that is testing the surface. I said I place my hand on the green when reading putts but was unaware that may be considered testing the surface. Seems relevant to me.

You should already know/be able to see that.

We had established that if there is no INTENT to test the surface, no penalty. In your case, you would be fine.

You are correct, very relevant.

Kevin

continuing on along the line of testing the greens....

if there is a leaf in your putting line and you brush it away with your hand....that is considered testing the green and is a penalty. If you pluck the leaf off the putting surface, that is okay.

Interesting point about villegas. Never thought about his spider monkey move in relation to testing the greens.

Would you consider these to be testing the surface?
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

What a complete load of tosh.

Wow, wasn't expecting to catch some flack on this one... just asking a question because I play against some hardcore golfers that will say some things to get in your head.... especially during a tournament. Never really thought about Spiderman either until now.

Would you reference that decision for us please?

Kevin

Since this is a rules sticklers thread. You are penalized for "improving your line of play" if you brush it with your hand, not for "testing the surface". Rule 16-1. but you are absolutely right about no penalty for lifting the leaf, but penalty for brushing it if it is on your line.

You can use your hand to brush away loose impediments in your line as long as you don't press anything down.

It can get confusing for some. Rule 16-1a clearly states that you cannot touch the line of a putt except:
'The player may remove sand and loose soil on the putting green and loose impediments by picking them up or by brushing them aside with his hand or a club without pressing anything down.
Seems pretty clear. Or is it?
Decision 16-1a/9 does not permit the use of the 'whole palm of the hand.....with about a dozen strokes' referring to it as the 'action exceeding that authorised by rule 16-1a. Not so clear then. But using the 'mop the floor' method does seem a bit excessive to me.
Other strange permissable actions are - rubbing the ball on the green (decision 16-1d/5) and testing the wetness of the green behind the ball (decision 16-1d/4). As long as you are not touching the line of your putt or testing the surface of the green for the express purpose of putting. Testing if a green is wet does not constitute testing the surface.
Neither is rolling your opponents ball back to him in conceding a putt considered testing the surface. Strange stuff, but any player is wise to exercise a certain amount of conservatism whilst lining up their putt. It's enough to make you miss...