Golf’s saucer pass
Thursday, March 31st, 2011
James Lepp, a former Team Canada member and amateur golf standout has made this shot famous, but is it legal under the Rules of Golf?
James Lepp, 26, is a former NCAA champ and two-time winner on the Canadian Tour. A few years ago, the former member of Golf Canada’s national team program sidelined his golf career away after his passion for the game hit bottom.
Lepp, who was full of talent, then turned his sights onto a career in footwear manufacturing and started Kikkor, which brands themselves as footwear for younger players who don’t want to wear their dad’s shoes. Lepp has done a great job building his product and brand.
Golfcanada.ca ran a story on him and Kikkor’s booth at the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show and can be found here.
To help many amateur golfers and garner some publicity for Kikkor, Lepp released a few videos online demonstrating a stroke he calls the saucer pass.
The saucer pass is meant to be utilized while chipping. Instead of bringing the club off the grass during a back swing, the club is dragged along the turf and brought back forward without ever leaving the ground. You can watch a few of Lepp’s amazingly clever videos at the bottom of this blog.
Just one more thing, is it legal? You bet it is.
The rules require you to fairly strike the ball with the head of the club and must not be pushed, scraped or spooned.
A number of questions arose wondering if Lepp’s technique was considered to be a violation of Rule 14-3. After review, it was clear that there was no breach and that the ball was being fairly struck. One of the principles behind the decision dealt with the moment of impact – and the fact that as with other shots, the contact time between club and ball was virtually the same.
There’s no question that it’s not the prettiest shot in the world and you’re sure to get a few weird looks if and when you try it – but if it helps you get up and down for a skin, isn’t it worth it?
http://www.golfcanada.ca/blogs/rcga-rules-of-golf/article2840.ece