New dropping procedure...

[Imurg]

By now many, if not most, of us will have played to the new rules.
Many of us will have needed to take a drop, free or otherwise.
What's the forum's verdict on dropping from knee height..?

Personally, I think it's daft.
It's actually quite tricky to judge, within a cm or two, where knee height is, increasing the chances of having to re-drop.
Do you stoop, bend from the waist, hang arms down and tilt a little.....?
You're also dropping much closer to your body so the chances of the ball bouncing back onto your foot are increased.

Part of the premise for the knee high drop is to reduce the roll of the ball.
If you're playing on a flattish course the ball's not rolling far even if you drop from head height.
On an undulating or hilly course, especially in the summer, drop from any height and the ball is rolling..
An unnecessary change.

My tuppence worth....

What's yours?

 

[6535]

Yeah I did it today, and it’s a stupid height. Waist height would of been better.

 

[chrisd]

I would have favoured a rule that allows anywhere from shoulder to knee

 

[Deleted member 1147]

What's the rule if you drop & it bounces & hits you?
Just a re-drop I presume

 

[pokerjoke]

As I understand it you have to redrop if you do it the old way,could take a bit of getting used to.

 

[garyinderry]

It did not need changing imo. Knee height is a silly place to judge.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I think its handy, as I normally have to drop a ball out of my pocket after not finding my ball in the rough or trees, so it will be harder to notice when I do it in future, should save me a few shots

 

[AmandaJR]

Feels weird and awkward and kinda cheaty!!

 

[BTatHome]

Can't see any issue. Seeing pics of everybody bending to the side in an awkward position is ridiculous,simply bend from the waist forward and drop. There is just as much chance of someone dropping from the wrong height at shoulder height. You would of thought people could recognised an arm at shoulder height but it appears just as many people can't.

I don't think anybody is measuring the height dropped and I even saw a quote from a rules person saying that they wouldn't be asking for redropping if it was close enough to being knee height.

If the possibility of it rolling or bouncing into you if an issue then place your feet on the higher ground when dropping.

Fuss about nothing

 

[robinthehood]

Feels a bit odd, but it's easier to drop it where I want though.

 

[Grant85]

I don't see the issue and there is also no need for the silly pirouette move that people seem to be doing.

It's true that knee height was chosen because it would be a height that still allows for an element of randomness with regards to your lie, but there is a chance on a modest slope that the ball will hold within a club length.

Problem in many places is that guys are quite happy to drop and see the ball roll several times as it means they then get to place it. Hence the logic of making it knee height, not any height above knee height.

Initially when they started the consultation the drop was going to be from 1 inch. Which would have been open to abuse in terms of getting a nice lie and also could have been seriously problematic in longer grasses.

 

[garyinderry]

Feels weird and awkward and kinda cheaty!!

Hahaha right enough. Does look very suspect.


The old arm out stretched away from the body was quite obvious and official looking.

The new drop is shady. Haha

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I would have favoured a rule that allows anywhere from shoulder to knee

I thought this originally, probably still think it is likely the best way, but someone did point out you could drop from shoulder height if you wanted to deliberately engineer the ball to roll away if on a slight slope so that you can place the ball rather than drop. That is less likely to happen from knee height. That may be an overly paranoid thought but there you go.

Do we know why they went back on being able to place the ball on the ground? That would have solved the problem of what is knee height or not? This seems almost a halfway house.

 

[Capella]

I think it is stupid. Either you want a real element of chance in the dropping process (which is almost eliminated when you drop from knee height) or you don't, in which case they should have just allowed to place the ball and be done with it.

 

[richart]

I would have made the rule from knee height and above. No advantage dropping it from higher, but it would save my back as unfortunately I don't have gorilla arms. Drop it from shoulder height, play your shot and it is a penalty. So much to remember.

Still haven't tapped down spike mark etc on my line, as it just doesn't come naturally.

Personally think the biggest delays on the course are people teeing off. taking for ever to get ready, all having a chat, marking their cards before teeing off etc, and definitely on the greens. Ready golf and pin left in should help both, and if it doesn't you are not doing it right. Reason rounds are not that much quicker is the golfers in front, not taking on board ways to play quicker, and holding up those that do.

 

[robinthehood]

I think it is stupid. Either you want a real element of chance in the dropping process (which is almost eliminated when you drop from knee height) or you don't, in which case they should have just allowed to place the ball and be done with it.

That's the whole point, the drop area has been reduced along with the drop height.

 

[robinthehood]

Well it can't roll up to 2 CLs anymore..

 

[duncan mackie]

What's the rule if you drop & it bounces & hits you?
Just a re-drop I presume

That would be a quick route to a penalty if it had come to rest in the relief area.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I have no problem with it, and think it's better than before.

 

[clubchamp98]

If you can’t bend over to knee height you shouldn’t really be playing golf.
Just looks awkward because it’s new.
It’s a easier option and should reduce redrops.