The ball drop has gone from back over the shoulder to the new "knee height" rule. Just the USGA and R&A committees keeping busy. The knee drop to me seems silly.

It simplifies the game. Far fewer times to drop twice and then determine the spot where it landed the second time. It certainly won't affect my scoring one way or the other.
The other big time waster is going back to the original point of the shot if a ball rolls past an out of bounds. It should be like a yellow stake but a 2 penalty stroke/concede match hole if played OOBs, 1 stroke to return to the field of play.

As a rules official... if the goal was to simplify the rules then it should have been place the ball. That eliminates the ball rolling out of the drop area - and yes it would be fair if that is how everyone does it. Or they could have just simply said the ball must be dropped from the knee or above.

I also think we are going to see the flag stick out all the time again while putting because an unintended consequence is the hole is being damaged while the ball is being removed with the flag stick in.

Just bend over, drop it and keep it moving!

I think it’s nice and easy don’t understand why some pros have a problem with it surely they know where they’re knees are?

I do not care for the new dropping rule. Lets go back to shoulder height.

Have to say, it can look pretty undignified.
I tend to think that the new rule is a bit vague for the pro's liking.
They seem to want things very specific so that nobody gets an edge, possibly part of the paranoia that goes with playing competitive golf for a living.
JT

I think it should just be placed, simple.

I don't know if it wasn't broken, why try to fix it. OK if you're going to drop from knee height, as it's better than the first proposal to drop from 2 inches off the ground. But obviously one isn't going to gain an advantage from dropping the old way up higher from shoulder height, so don't penalize a guy who can't bend over to get it to knee height trying to save his back. And John B, I hope you're right and we end this leave the flagstick in nonsense. Jim Furyk's put that bounced out this past weekend was enough for me. It would only take one of those for me to never leave it in again.

Tom,
Don't you believe in Karma???
If Furyk had holed that put then maybe the Irishman wouldn't have won on St Patrick's Day...
JT

I'm not sure what all the negativity is surrounding the new drop rule. I think it is easier to do and I've been getting better lies with it. I personally think a lot of the hatred and negativity towards it is because its new. Some people just hate change and it makes them anxious.

The game has survived several ball drop changes and I have no doubt it will change again.

Shoulder to knee option would be better.
Placing the ball would give everyone the chance to make it a good lie...not a fan.

I don't mind the knee height drop. However, I do not like the flag remaining in the hole.

Is it really that difficult to find your knee and drop the ball from there? I did not like Rickie Fowler's attempt at humor with his "dump-drop". Call me old but I that it was crass.

Just place the ball. They end up doing it half the time anyhow after 2 drops and the ball not staying. Let's stop wasting time.

I think Knee to waist would have been just as good but I don;t think the knee drop is a terrible thing. It does save having to drop more than once which under the old rule would then have a talk about where it hit and the ball would get placed more or less?? As for the flag being in, have not bothered leaving it in and I have had 2 co-partners bounce off the stick and then have to tab in for bogey & par during a round & I couldn't help but laugh at them getting mad about it. Sorry but you left it in the hole........

DM

Between the shoulder and the knee should make most everyone happy
I would think. I would think that everyone can find a comfortable spot
to drop from that way.

TITLEISTUSER........You are indeed correct and we'd all be saying, "......boy isn't it great we can leave the pin in now1......" i wanted to see Furyk win too, but did enjoy seeing a fellow Irishman win. (even though the put the wrong flag in front of his name. But that's for another argument in a 19th hole somewhere).

It was good the way it was. Im sure folks have tweaked body parts because of it. Lots of strange ways to hurt your back.