How do you drop a golf ball correctly?

The situation

You're taking relief — from a cart path, casual water, or a penalty area — and need to drop the ball. The 2019 rules changed how drops work. Here is the current procedure.

The rule

Under Rule 14.3b, you must drop the ball from knee height, letting it fall straight down without throwing, spinning, or rolling it. It must be dropped by you or your caddie, not by anyone else. The ball must then land in the relief area and come to rest in the relief area. If it lands outside the relief area on the way down, that's a wrong drop — re-drop. If it lands inside but rolls out before stopping, re-drop. After two correct drops that both roll outside the relief area, you place the ball at the spot where the second drop first touched the ground.

Real example

You're taking free relief from a sprinkler head. You identify the nearest point of complete relief, measure one club length, and hold the ball at knee height directly above a spot in the relief area. You let it fall straight down. It lands in the area and stays — you're good. If it rolls out, drop again. If it rolls out a second time, place it where it first hit the ground on that second drop.

What to do on the course

• Hold the ball at knee height — roughly level with your knee when standing upright
• Release it straight down, no arc, no spin
• If the first drop fails (lands outside or rolls out), re-drop immediately
• After two failed drops, place the ball — don't keep dropping

Penalty

No penalty for re-dropping. 1-stroke penalty if you play from a ball dropped from the wrong height or method and the mistake is not corrected.