A. The responsibility for playing the proper ball rests with the player. A player may lift a ball from a hazard without penalty to confirm its identity. Before lifting the ball, the player must announce his intention to his fellow competitors and mark the position of the ball. The lifting and replacement of the ball should be observed by the player's competitors and the ball must not be cleaned beyond the extent necessary for identification.

If the ball is the player's he must replace it and if he fails to comply with all or any part of this procedure a penalty is incurred. Each player should put an identifying mark on their ball. The penalties for not doing so are one stroke in general play, loss of hole in matchplay and two strokes in strokeplay.

Rules from 2004 R&A Rules of Golf

GOLF TIP OF THE WEEK

Curing a slice, with Emmanuel Riblet, Golf Pro, Premier Golf Santry A slice is caused by an open or opening clubface at the point of contact. Here are two tips to help you square up the clubface.

Get a stronger grip Rotate hands more to the right and, to strengthen grip, rotate your left hand so that the thumb is positioned to the right of centre (two to three knuckles should be visible). The right hand should also match the angle of the left.

Flatten Your Plane A flatter swing shape will promote a natural squaring of the clubface. To get the feeling of swinging on a flatter plane, make some practice swings with the clubhead moving back and forth at knee-high level. Swinging the club in this position will help you feel the more rounded shape needed to allow the toe of your clubhead to rotate past the heel.