Dear Tim,
The stance appears to be legal, so long as neither foot straddles or touches the line of the putt. Rule 16-1e says:
e. Standing Astride or on Line of Putt
The player must not make a stroke on the putting green from a stance astride, or with either foot touching, the line of putt or an extension of that line behind the ball.
Decision 16-1e/1 says:
16-1e/1 Meaning of “Line of Putt” in Context of “Standing Astride or On Line of Putt”
Q. With reference to the sketch above, the broken line is a direct line from the ball to the hole and the solid line is the line on which the player intends his ball to travel. Which line is “the line of putt” for purposes of application of Rule 16-1e (Standing Astride or on Line of Putt)? If the broken line is “the line of putt,” the player will be in breach of Rule 16-1e. If the solid line is the “line of putt,” he will not be in breach of the Rule.
A. The solid line is “the line of putt.”
However, playing the ball in front of your body like that might raise an issue of whether the ball is "fairly struck." Rule 14-1 says:
14-1. Ball to Be Fairly Struck At
The ball must be fairly struck at with the head of the club and must not be pushed, scraped or spooned.
The general intent is to ban certain types of motions found in shuffle board and croquet and similar games. If you take a reasonable backstroke and the putter face and ball are only momentarily in contact, then the ball will generally be deemed to be "fairly struck."
For example, Decision 14-1/4 says:
14-1/4 Striking Ball with Half an Inch Backswing
Q. A player’s ball lies close to an out of bounds fence, but there is room behind the ball to insert an iron club or a putter and leave a space of half an inch between the ball and the face of the club. If the player plays a stroke with such a limited backswing, is he in breach of Rule 14-1?
A. It is possible to strike a ball fairly with a half inch backswing. However, in most such cases the player would be pushing the ball, contrary to Rule 14-1. In the absence of strong evidence to the contrary, it should be ruled that the player has pushed the ball. In order to strike the ball fairly, it must be swung at with the clubhead. If the ball is moved by any other method, it has been pushed, scraped or spooned. If a ball is fairly struck at, there is only momentary contact between the clubhead and the ball or whatever intervenes between the clubhead and the ball.
Similarly, Decision 14-1/6 says:
14-1/6 Player Holds Club with Left Hand and Moves Ball by Striking Shaft with Other Hand
Q. A player addresses his ball lying in high grass on a steep bank. His ball does not move, but the player believes it will move if he takes a backswing. Accordingly, the player holds the club with his left hand and strikes the shaft of the club with his right hand, thereby moving the ball. Is this permissible?
A. No. The player pushed the ball, contrary to Rule 14-1.
Cheers!
Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
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