Are you good or bad at dropping a ball?

[bkuehn1952]

An incident near the end of the Valspar Championship got me thinking about the process of dropping a ball.  In the pro tournament, Bill Haas took a fair amount of time discussing with his caddie the best place (and worst) to drop his ball after taking relief from a cart path.  I could probably benefit from his example.  I seem to frequently drop "out of the frying pan into the fire" when I take relief from cart paths, immoveable obstructions, etc ...

The area in which one may drop is often fairly large, roughly 12 sq feet to 50 sq feet (or more) depending on whether one or two club lengths is allowed, the position of the condition from which one is getting relief and the length of one's driver (or long but unanchored putter ).  Inevitably I seem to drop my ball such that it rolls into a divot hole or some other odd or awkward lie.  I understand that one must not attempt to influence the result by putting spin or not extending one's arm, etc...  

Maybe I need to practice dropping?  (right, like that is going to happen).

Anyone else have the same problem?

[DaveP043]

5 minutes ago, bkuehn1952 said:

Maybe I need to practice dropping?  (right, like that is going to happen).

Lots of people, including me, have said that the rules can be your friend.  The choice of exactly where you decide to drop a ball is one of those times where you can really influence your next shot by making a good or bad choice.  I try to always evaluate the condition of the grass, the slope, and the angle of play before I make my choice.  You can't control the bounce of the ball, of course, but by dropping the ball in an area with very few divots, or with less deep rough, or a spot from which you don't have to curve your next shot, you give yourself a better chance.  This can be even more important when you've hit a ball into a hazard.  Don't drop a ball on the downslope in the rough close to the hazard, go back 10 or 20 yards and drop it on a level area in the fairway.  If you're in a lateral hazard, look at the OTHER side of the hazard as an option, or consider playing further back with the entry point between you and the hole, instead of automatically going within 2 club lengths of the entry.  Whenever the rules give you some flexibility, consider all of the options.

Of course, you can practice dropping the ball too, it can help if you know where the ball will land.  More important, in my mind, is choosing that landing spot wisely.

[Patch]

I just take what ever the rules give me, drop the ball, hit the ball, and move on. No big, long drawn out deal for me. Quicker I get out of the mess I put myself in, the better. 

[Elmer]

I try to drop the ball within the rules without much thought afterwards. If I end up with a lousy lie or in a bad spot that is just further punishment for hitting my ball OB.
I have a golfing buddy who will drop and improve his lie and spot, with the rules to, to his advantage.

I understand both points of view, I just dont have the patience or time!

[DaveP043]

35 minutes ago, Patch said:

Quicker I get out of the mess I put myself in, the better. 

 

29 minutes ago, Elmer said:

I understand both points of view, I just dont have the patience or time!

To me, the decision process doesn't take very long.  If its simply a free drop from GUR or a cart path, I can define the "legal" area within just a few seconds.  If I'm only looking at a foot or two this way or that, again its just a few seconds to decide.  Its generally more timely overall if I'm well and truly out of the trouble, with the best chance of success for my next shot.  For the hazard discussion, I'm sizing up my options as I'm walking to the ball.  Once I get there, most of the evaluation process is done, I'm only looking at the details, like where is the nicest patch of grass in this general area.  To my mind, its small bits of time spent productively.

[Club Rat]

A reminder for everyone, in situations where the ball will roll beyond the limit and a player must re-drop, pay attention to the spot the ball first contacts the ground as you may need to place the ball on that spot when the ball rolls beyond the limit. So, basically pay attention to the area which you are taking the drop as sometimes one can either be a bad result or better result.

Also, when dropping on a side hill, I see many players stand above the ball. Usually the ball will bounce and roll further due to the higher distance the arm is above the ground level. Standing below the area to drop should result with the ball landing softly and sometimes a better lie.

 

[colin007]

i lie down when i drop so shoulder height is then less than 8 inches.

[Fourputt]

I usually try to make my drop as beneficial as possible, but when dropping in a bad area, it doesn't always work as planned.  Trying to hit a certain patch of grass isn't hard, but getting the ball to stay on the little patch after the bounce is another thing.  When dropping in bumpy, patchy rough, the ball can bounce just about any direction, and is more likely to seek the lowest spot to come to rest, which usually leaves a more difficult lie no matter how carefully I try avoid it.

The one thing that the player can do to greatly improve his chances of a good lie is to remove any nearby loose impediments before dropping.  That way you don't end up with the ball resting against a twig and being forced to play it like that in order not to cause the ball to move by removing the twig after dropping.

[DaveP043]

7 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

A reminder for everyone, in situations where the ball will roll beyond the limit and a player must re-drop, pay attention to the spot the ball first contacts the ground as you may need to place the ball on that spot when the ball rolls beyond the limit. So, basically pay attention to the area which you are taking the drop as sometimes one can either be a bad result or better result.

Also, when dropping on a side hill, I see many players stand above the ball. Usually the ball will bounce and roll further due to the higher distance the arm is above the ground level. Standing below the area to drop should result with the ball landing softly and sometimes a better lie.

On the other hand, a ball may roll up to two club lengths from where it lands and still be in play, even if it rolls outside of the originally acceptable drop zone.  Sometimes this roll can be a positive thing, if it manages to bounce into the fairway, or a more level lie.  You see, old guys like me and @Club Rat have learned a few of the absolutely legal angles that can make your day a little better.

[rehmwa]

I'm a freaking Viking at it.

I'll drop 4 or 5 just fishing one out of the bag.

[boogielicious]

I'm an engineer. Of course I survey the ground and analyze the likely outcome. We're analytical after all. 

I'd probably be better at it if I was a civil engineer like @saevel25 and @Golfingdad. They know more about dirt and grass and stuff than we chemical engineers. But I know how to read ingredient labels and tell you what that weird chemical is in the energy drink you are about to guzzle. So I have that going for me.

[Golfingdad]

To be perfectly honest, in casual rounds I don't even drop properly a lot of the time.  I'll drop it while I'm still walking, maybe even underhand toss it sometimes.  I don't properly measure my one or two clublengths either. 

And similar to if I was frequently taking 2' gimmes, this probably hurts me when it counts because I don't have the practice I should have for the situation.  That said, yeah, when it counts, I will at least try to imagine where it might bounce when I drop it.

I've only fairly recently learned that the ball doesn't have to finish in a drop zone so now I know to go find an edge of the drop zone where there's lots of green grass so I can have a better chance at avoiding divots.

[saevel25]

2 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

To be perfectly honest, in casual rounds I don't even drop properly a lot of the time.  I'll drop it while I'm still walking, maybe even underhand toss it sometimes.  I don't properly measure my one or two clublengths either. 

I am the same. I kind just put it in the general area of where it should be.

If I don't want some stupid lie I sometimes try to drop it such that the ball rolls back into the hazard so I can then place the ball. It's very rare I have to worry about how it's dropped. If you have very heavy rough it's a crap shoot if the ball sits up or down.

[DaveP043]

35 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

I'd probably be better at it if I was a civil engineer like @saevel25 and @Golfingdad. They know more about dirt and grass and stuff than we chemical engineers. 

Yet another civil engineer here, and my area of concentration is actually soils and foundations.  I doubt that helps me even a little bit.

[boogielicious]

Just now, DaveP043 said:

Yet another civil engineer here, and my area of concentration is actually soils and foundations.  I doubt that helps me even a little bit.

You could tell me what type of soil I am dropping into as my ball tumbles down the embankment into the water. 

[DrvFrShow]

In competition I'll drop the ball within my carefully measured two club lengths. In a casual round, I'll place the ball on the ground approximately where it should go making sure I get a good lie.

[jsgolfer]

6 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

Yet another civil engineer here, and my area of concentration is actually soils and foundations.  I doubt that helps me even a little bit.

That makes us a trifecta of Civil Engineer's. Water quality and treatment is my area of concentration and now I'm a Construction Manager.  

[billchao]

I just drop the ball. The only thing I think about is where to drop based on the situation at hand, but never about what spot I am dropping the ball onto. If it lands in a divot, it lands in a divot.