Any time you drop the ball when taking free relief or relief under penalty you now must drop the ball from knee height.  This means knee height when you are in a standing position.  You now drop the ball in a relief area rather than on a particular spot and this area is measured from a reference point.  So when dropping from temporary water or from a path for example, the reference point is the nearest point of complete relief and the relief area is one club length no nearer the hole from this point.  If you are dropping under penalty from red stakes, now called a penalty area, your reference point is where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area and the relief area is the area within two club lengths of this point no nearer the hole.  When dropping back on the line your reference point should be marked with a tee and your relief area is one club length no nearer the hole from this point and the ball has to come to rest within this area and not forward of it.  Have a look at the video link on our home page which illustrates the new dropping procedure.

If you accidentally drop from shoulder height just drop again from knee height and always make sure the ball has been dropped in the relief area.

A club length now means the longest club in your bag with the exception of your putter and it is this club that defines the relief area even if you use a shorter club in measuring.