Definition of “Stroke”: A “stroke” is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the club head reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.

Rule 14-4: Striking a Ball More than Once

If a player’s club strikes the ball more than once in the course of a stroke, the player must count the stroke and add one penalty stroke, making two strokes in all. The penalty is the same whether the ball was struck two, three, four, or more times during the stroke.