The recent situation with Kevin Na got me thinking about its effect on amateur golf. As the golfing world knows now, since he did not intend to hit the ball (i.e. swung over the top of it by a foot or more) it was neither a stroke nor a penalty. No intent to hit the ball means no stroke.

I suppose in amateur play the onus will be on the player to convince others that his or her swing was not intended to hit the ball. I could believe a 10 handicapper missed on purpose if he or she is on the tee and does a Kevin Na. Once you are on the turf, however, I am not likely to buy into the idea of an intentional whiff. And certainly not if one's swing is obstructed. If someone standing under a tree takes a violent swing and contacts nothing but air, they better have a good story for me.

I remember watching Joe Pesci play in the Hope a few years ago, and all of his practice swings were the intentional whiff, i.e. he took a practice swing over the ball.

I do this a lot when I'm in hazards where I'm not allowed to ground my club.