Knocking the ball off the tee by accident is not intent to hit the ball so it doesn’t count as a stroke. Put the ball back on the tee and hit away with no penalty. The teeing area is a special part of the golf course.
What constitutes a golf stroke?
Stroke play is a form of play where a player (or players) competes against all others in the competition by comparing a total score for one or more rounds. In regular, individual stroke play, you need to hole out on every hole. Each hole score for every hole in the round is added up to calculate your final score.
Why do I whiff the golf ball?
Usually it is caused by golfers who don’t commit their body through the shot. During the swing they start to stand up tall before impact which leads to the club coming through above the ball and therefore you miss over the top.