In this video Neil Tappin and Jeremy Ellwood explain your options when you are faced with a plugged lie, or an embedded ball.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Okay, so 16th hole here at West Hill.
00:07 Incredibly wet recently, very muddy underfoot.
00:10 I've pulled my drive slightly,
00:11 and my ball, Jez, I think, is plugged.
00:15 - Well, plugged, the rules call it embedded,
00:16 we call it plugged.
00:18 That is definitely embedded.
00:20 And there's a helpful diagram on page 100
00:23 of the player's edition of the rule book
00:24 to allow you to determine when it's embedded.
00:27 It actually says when part of your ball
00:28 is below the level of the ground,
00:30 so the soil has to be impacted in some way.
00:32 Can't just be sitting down in the grass,
00:35 but at this time of year that we're shooting this,
00:38 there is a lot of soil that the ball would embed in.
00:40 - And we both agree that this is--
00:41 - This is definitely embedded.
00:43 - So in that scenario then, what are my options?
00:46 What can I do?
00:47 - Well, the relief now is available
00:49 anywhere in what is called the general area,
00:51 so it doesn't just have to be on the fairway.
00:53 - So before, in this scenario,
00:55 it would just be bad luck, wouldn't it?
00:56 - It would be, and the rough--
00:57 - If you were playing it friendly,
00:57 I'd have to take a penalty drop,
00:58 but if you weren't playing it friendly,
00:59 I'd have to take a penalty.
01:00 - In the rough, it was tough luck, I'm afraid,
01:01 but now it's not the case,
01:03 which is probably a good thing in fairness,
01:05 'cause you're gonna gouge a massive chunk out
01:07 trying to take a penalty drop.
01:09 - And I'm only probably a metre and a half off the fairway.
01:12 - A metre and a half off the fairway.
01:13 So now you get relief,
01:14 and the first thing to decide,
01:17 well, the first thing to point out
01:18 is that the reference point for taking relief
01:21 is to be the spot directly behind where the ball is lying.
01:24 - Right.
01:25 - So about there.
01:25 - About there.
01:26 - So that's a one club length arc,
01:28 not nearer the hole from there,
01:30 using your longest club that you're carrying that day,
01:34 other than the putter.
01:35 So typically the driver.
01:37 So you can, I mean, you get an arc that shape,
01:40 so you've just got to remember that when you're dropping,
01:42 have you dropped it within the arc?
01:44 - Within the arc.
01:45 So obviously, the best thing to do is mark it out, isn't it?
01:47 - Well, you can do, but you're gonna be dropping
01:49 in a variety, you might choose to drop in a variety.
01:51 - Yes.
01:52 - So mark it out in the area where you're thinking
01:53 you're gonna drop it.
01:54 - Righto.
01:54 - I think the driest, best spot is probably
01:58 over here somewhere.
01:59 - Yeah.
02:00 - So I'd put a second tee in there.
02:02 Get rid of a couple of loose impediments.
02:04 - Yeah.
02:05 - Make sure they're not in the way.
02:05 - I mean, you don't have to put these tees in,
02:06 but it's obviously a very good idea to do so.
02:07 - It's a good idea to do it.
02:08 It just makes it, it just covers you, doesn't it?
02:10 - And you'd also want to remove those twigs probably
02:12 at this point, just to minimize the risk of--
02:15 - Probably drop it around about there.
02:18 - Yeah, look, maybe slightly below knee height,
02:19 but I'm gonna let it go on this occasion.
02:21 (laughing)
02:23 - Oh, skinny.
02:24 - That's gonna work.
02:25 You're always gonna hit it a bit clean
02:28 on soft ground, aren't you?
02:29 - I wasn't wanting to take a massive divot there.
02:31 Hopefully that gives you an idea about what to do
02:34 if your ball is embedded,
02:35 especially if it's embedded off the fairway,
02:37 an area like this where there's lots of loose impediments,
02:40 very wet underfoot, as it is at the moment.
02:42 That should give you everything you need to know.
02:45 (swooshing)
02:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]