How Many “Strokes” did You Actually Take?

The USGA defines a stroke as “the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.”

This means you do not actually have to touch the ball for it to make a stroke. Under this definition a “whiff” would count as a stroke. This also means that in the process of your downswing you can “abort” the swing by intentionally missing the ball. It will not count as a stroke because you did not intend to strike the ball nor did you strike the ball. If you strike the ball, regardless of your intentions, it counts as a stroke.

The next time you count up your score make sure to count those “whiffs”.

Videos to Watch

Stanford superstar Rose Zhang to return for sophomore year
Rose Zhang Interview by Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship
Zhang ties Woods for most wins as a Stanford freshman

Testimonials