Q. When can you ask for advice during a competition?

A. According to rule 8.1, a player must not give advice to anyone playing in a competition other than to their playing partner. Neither can you ask for advice from anyone during the round other than your playing partner, your caddie or the caddie of your playing partner.

Anyone can indicate the line of play when play has not yet reached the green but a player cannot position a person to indicate a speci"c line of play while a stroke is being made.

On the putting surface, a playing partner or either caddie can indicate the line of a putt but the putting surface must not be touched and no mark is to be left on the green to indicate a line for putting.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 8

Match Play Loss of hole Stroke Play Two strokes Rules from 2004 R&A Rules of Golf

GOLF TIP OF THE WEEK

Playing a plugged greenside bunker shot A "fried egg" in a greenside bunker is the nightmare shot for a lot of golfers but here are a few tips on how to achieve a softer type of explosion shot from this dif"cult lie. Lean your weight on your front foot to ensure a steep angle of attack. This shift of weight will also accentuate the necessary clubhead digging action required.

Soft hands and an open clubface are essential to ensure the minimal level of forward velocity on the ball.

Relax your hands and allow the club to naturally follow an outside-and-up backswing path. For a normal "fried egg" you need to follow through to generate the necessary power but in this case you want to leave the clubhead buried in the sand an inch or so behind the ball. This will transfer suf"cient velocity to the ball and ensure the ball comes out of the sand softer and with more height.

With Emmanuel Riblet, Golf Pro, Premier Golf Santry