Before you drop the joke, check the faces. Timing is just paying attention out loud.

Comedy that lands is mostly reading rather than writing. The same line can be a relief or a small wound depending on what the room is already carrying, and the only way to know is to look up before you speak. Timing gets talked about as a gift, but it is closer to a habit of noticing who is tired, who is raw, who just got bad news.

Give yourself one beat before the funny thing arrives. Scan faces, not only the person you are aiming at. If the read says wait, the joke keeps, and it will be better later anyway.