How to take a drop
Normally, you must release the ball straight down from the height of your knee when standing, without throwing or spinning it.
By Fore Alarm · Updated October 31, 2026
Normally, you must release the ball straight down from the height of your knee when standing, without throwing or spinning it.
- Drop in the required relief area, or on the line for back-on-the-line relief. It must finish in the relief area.
- If two correctly dropped balls finish outside the area, place a ball where the second drop first touched the ground.
A wrong-height drop must be corrected and does not count as one of those two drops. Rule 25 has modifications for certain disabilities.
Official R&A / USGA Rules · Rule 14.3 ↗
On-course example
A shoulder-height drop is not correct under the standard procedure. Correct the procedure before making a stroke.
Before you act
Identify the area of the course, check the relevant Local Rules, and establish your reference point before lifting or moving a ball. Ask the Committee or a referee when a competition ruling is unclear.
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