Dropping
Dropping is the rule-compliant way of releasing the ball to put it back in play after relief or a penalty stroke.
Dropping is the standard procedure with which you put a ball back in play at a new spot without striking it. The rulebook prescribes the process exactly: you hold the ball at knee height and let it fall straight down, without throwing, rolling or placing it. The ball must land in the defined relief area and stay at rest there. Dropping comes in two versions: as a free drop without penalty, for example from a path or ground under repair, and for penalty stroke, for example with an unplayable ball or after water. In both cases the procedure stays the same.
An example from practice: your ball flies into a red-marked Penalty Area. You determine the point where the ball last crossed the boundary, measure two club-lengths sideways from there and mark out the relief area. Then you drop from knee height into that area, count one penalty stroke and play on. If the ball rolls out of the area or nearer the hole, you drop again; if it still fails to stay at rest the second time, you place it on the spot where it first touched the ground on the second drop.
Typical mistakes are old habits. In the past the ball was dropped from shoulder height with the arm outstretched — that has been wrong since the 2019 rule change and will, if in doubt, cost a penalty stroke for dropping in a wrong way. Carefully placing instead of releasing is also forbidden, as is dropping outside the allowed area. Anyone unsure where to drop is better off asking the local rules or fellow players one more time than playing from the wrong place out of uncertainty.
FAQ
How do I drop the ball correctly under the current rules?
You hold the ball at knee height and let it fall straight down — without throwing, rolling or placing it. It must land in the allowed relief area and stay at rest there. The old dropping from shoulder height with an outstretched arm has been against the rules since 2019 and can cost you a penalty stroke.
What do I do if the ball rolls out of the area after dropping?
Then you drop a second time into the same area. If the ball still fails to stay at rest on the second attempt or rolls out again, you may place it on the spot where it first touched the ground on the second drop. So you do not have to keep re-dropping forever.
Does dropping always cost me a penalty stroke?
No, that depends on the situation, not on the dropping itself. For immovable obstructions such as paths or ground under repair, the drop is free. Penalty strokes apply, by contrast, for an unplayable ball or after a ball in a water hazard.