Activities Sports & Athletics What's the Ruling: Accidentally Hitting Golf Ball With Practice Swing Is it a penalty when a practice swing makes contact with the golf ball? Print Let's be careful out there with our practice swings. Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images Sports & Athletics Golf Basics History Gear Golf Courses Famous Golfers Golf Tournaments Baseball Bicycling Billiards Bodybuilding Bowling Boxing Car Racing Cheerleading Extreme Sports Football Gymnastics Ice Hockey Martial Arts Professional Wrestling Skateboarding Skating Paintball Soccer Swimming & Diving Table Tennis Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Other Activities Learn More By Brent Kelley Brent Kelley Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 03/22/19 You take a practice swing. You step a little closer to the golf ball and take another. Whoops — you just accidentally hit the golf ball with that practice swing! What were you thinking? What you're might be thinking now is: Do I have to count that? Is it a stroke? Is there a penalty? First, Answer This Question: Was the Ball 'In Play'? The answer to what happens when you accidentally hit the golf ball with a practice swing depends on whether the ball was already "in play" (or not). Remember: A ball is "in play" from the moment you make a stroke at it on the teeing area until it is in the hole. If the ball is on the teeing area and you have not yet made a stroke at the ball, then the ball is not yet in play. And accidentally hitting the ball with a practice swing in that situation does not result in a stroke or a penalty. You can read more explanation of this scenario in our FAQ titles "Does it count as a stroke if I accidentally bump the ball off the tee?" If the Ball Is in Play, a Practice-Swing Mishap Results in a Penalty However, once you've made a stroke at the ball on the teeing ground, the ball is considered "in play" until you hole out. Then the question of whether a practice swing that makes contact is a stroke or penalty (or both) is covered under Rule 18, "Ball at Rest Moved." And here's the ruling: If you accidentally move a ball that is in play with a practice swing, it's a one-stroke penalty. You must replace the ball to its original position and play it correctly. Unless: The exception to the preceding statement is when the ball is on the putting green before you take your practice swing. If the golf ball is on the putting green and the golfer accidentally moves the ball, it is not, as of the 2019 edition of the rule book, a penalty so long as the ball is replaced. So be careful with those practice swings! If you do not yet have sufficient control of the golf club head during a full swing, then be sure to stand well clear of your golf ball during those practice strokes.