How to Take a Drop in Golf

Penalty areas, unplayable lies, and immovable obstructions - sooner or later, every golfer has to take a drop. Knowing how to do it correctly is paramount not just for following the rules, but for playing with confidence and avoiding unnecessary penalty strokes. This guide will walk you through the modern procedure for taking a drop, covering the most common situations you'll face on the course so you can handle any situation with clarity and certainty.

Understanding the Basics: The Modern Drop Procedure

In 2019, the Rules of Golf were simplified, and one of the biggest changes was how we physically drop a golf ball. Gone are the days of dropping from shoulder height. The modern procedure is simpler and more consistent for everyone.

The standard for every drop you take, whether it’s for a penalty or free relief, is from knee-height. It sounds simple, and it is, but here’s the exact way to do it right every time:

1. Stand up straight.
2. Hold the ball out in front of you.
3. Let go of the ball so that it falls straight down from the height of your knee as you were when standing erect. You don't need to be squatting.

That's it. There's no need to spin it or try to influence where it lands. A simple release is all that is required. What happens if the ball hits your foot or your equipment on the way down after you drop it? No problem at all. As long as you dropped it correctly, you just play the ball from where it came to rest. And if you goof and drop it the old way from your shoulder? Don't worry, there's no penalty. Just pick it up and re-drop it the correct way before playing your shot.

Defining Your Relief Area: Your Drop Zone

Before you can drop the ball, you need to know where you're allowed to drop it. This space is called your "relief area." Understanding this concept is maybe the single most important part of getting a drop right. Almost every drop situation involves establishing a reference point and then measuring a relief area from that point.

Your relief area will either be one or two club-lengths in size, depending on the rule you are using. You can use the longest club in your bag for measuring (besides your putter), which for most people is their driver. This gives you the biggest possible relief area, which is always a good thing.

Here’s the re-drop procedure if the ball doesn't behave:

• Your dropped ball must land in and stay inside the relief area.
• If you drop it correctly and it rolls out of the relief area, closer to the hole than your reference point, or into certain conditions (like back into a penalty area), you simply drop it a second time.
• If it rolls into one of those spots again after the second drop, you don’t drop it a third time. Instead, you place the ball on the spot where it first hit the ground on your second drop.

This drop-drop-place sequence removes any frustration or endless re-dropping from the game and gives you a clear path forward.

Common Scenario #1: Taking Relief from a Penalty Area (Red or Yellow)

What used to be called "water hazards" are now known as "penalty areas." They are defined by either red or yellow lines or stakes. They don’t have to contain water - they can be thick woods, desert areas, or ravines. For one penalty stroke, you can get yourself out of trouble.

Yellow Penalty Areas

When your ball finds a yellow penalty area, you have two relief options. Both will cost you one stroke.

1. Stroke and Distance: This is an option for almost all penalty situations. You can go back to the spot of your previous shot and play again. If it was a tee shot, you can re-tee.
2. Back-on-the-Line Relief: This requires a little visualization. Find the point where your ball last crossed the edge of the yellow penalty area. Now, imagine a straight line from the hole, through that point, and extending backwards as far as you'd like. You can take your drop at any spot along that line. From your chosen spot on the line, you establish a relief area of one club-length in any direction (but no closer to the hole).

Red Penalty Areas

Red penalty areas offer much more flexibility. You have the same two options as a yellow penalty area (stroke and distance, and back-on-the-line), plus a third, often easier, option. This also costs one penalty stroke.

3. Lateral Relief: This an incredibly useful option exclusive to red penalty areas. Find the point where your ball last crossed the red line. From there, you get a relief area of two club-lengths. The key here is that the relief area cannot be any closer to the hole than your reference point. You measure out a semicircle-shaped area and drop your ball within it. This "sideways" drop is often the best choice when going back-on-the-line would be difficult or strategically poor.

Most hazards golfers face will be marked with red stakes for this very reason - they give you an extra choice that can often save you strokes and speed up play.

Common Scenario #2: Declaring Your Ball Unplayable

Sometimes your ball is findable and in play but simply impossible to hit. Maybe it's nestled at the base of a tree, in a thick thorny bush, or right up against a boundary fence. The rules give you an out. Anywhere on the golf course, except in a penalty area, you have the right to declare your own ball unplayable. You are the sole judge. Taking an unplayable lie is often one of the smartest course management decisions you can make, turning a potential disaster into a manageable one-stroke penalty.

You have three options, and they should sound familiar:

1. Stroke and Distance: Just as with penalty areas, you can always go back to where you last played your shot, add a stroke, and hit again.
2. Back-on-the-Line Relief: Again, very similar, but this time the reference point is the original spot of your ball. Keep that ball spot directly between you and the hole, and go back on that line as far as you need. From the spot you choose, you create a one club-length relief area to drop in.
3. Lateral Relief: From the spot where your ball lies, you can measure two club-lengths to the side (again, no closer to the hole) and create a relief area. Drop your ball in this area and play on.

Making a smart, quick decision to take an unplayable can save your scorecard from a blow-up hole. Don't be a hero, take your medicine and move on.

Common Scenario #3: Free Relief (The Best Kind!)

Not all drops cost you a stroke! The rules provide for "free relief" from certain conditions on the course. This is designed to be fair to the player and to protect the course itself from damage. These situations are called Abnormal Course Conditions (A.C.C.).

You are entitled to free relief if your ball, your stance, or the area of your intended swing are interfered with by any of these:

• Immovable Obstructions: Artificial things you can't easily move, like cart paths, sprinkler heads, drainage grates, and maintenance buildings.
• Animal Holes: Any hole dug by an animal (except for worms or insects), such as from a rabbit or gopher.
• Ground Under Repair (GUR): Any area marked by the committee, usually with a white line, that is being repaired.
• Temporary Water: A temporary puddle or accumulation of water from rain or irrigation that is visible before or after you take your stance (dew and frost are not temporary water).

Taking free relief has a specific procedure that is essential to get right. Here it is, step by step:

1. Find your Nearest Point of Complete Relief (NPCR): This is the most important step. Don't pick up your ball yet! First, identify the closest spot to your ball (but no nearer to the hole) where the condition (the cart path, water, etc.) no longer interferes with your ball's lie, your stance, AND your swing. So, if your ball is on a path, you need to find the nearest spot where your feet and your club can operate without touching the path.
2. Mark that NPCR spot with a tee. This precise spot is now your reference point.
3. Measure your relief area. For free relief, you always get a one club-length relief area measured from your reference point. Again, this area cannot be any closer to the hole and it must be in the required area of the course (for example, you can't get free relief from a path into a penalty area).
4. Drop the ball from knee-height inside that relief area, and play on without penalty.

A Quick Guide to Dropping Dos and Don'ts

Rules can feel like a lot in the moment. Here's a simple cheat sheet:

The "Dos"

• DO drop from knee-height while standing erect.
• DO know your relief area size (one club-length for free relief and back-on-the-line, two club-lengths for lateral relief).
• DO take free relief whenever you are entitled to it. It's your right!
• DO consider taking an unplayable lie to avoid a double bogey or worse.
• DO feel free to clean your ball when taking any kind of relief.

The "Don'ts"

• DON'T drop from your shoulder or waist - it's an old rule!
• DON'T guess about the rules, ask your playing partners if you're unsure or consult the rule book.
• DON'T drop until you have identified your reference point and measured your relief area.
• DON'T intentionally try to improve your lie or the area where you intend to drop.

Final Thoughts

Mastering how to take a drop is all about understanding three simple concepts: knowing your available relief options, correctly identifying your reference point and relief area, and physically dropping the ball from knee-height. Once you feel comfortable with this process, you’ll not only play by the book, but you’ll remove stress from tricky situations and make smarter decisions on the course.

We know that recalling a specific rule under the pressure of a match or when trying to keep up the pace of play can be challenging. That's why we built our app to act as your personal on-demand rules expert. If you’re ever facing a tricky drop, are not sure if you are entitled to free relief, or just want to confirm your options, you can ask Caddie AI your question for a clear, simple answer in seconds. It a great way to take the guesswork out of the game's toughest situations so you can play with total confidence in your decisions.