There was a time in Star Wars where lifting an X-wing was seen as the most powerful ability. Since then, the prequels, sequels and everything in between have painted a much wider picture of the Force, showing that the mysterious power has limitless potential. From Force-push to Force-lightning, there are a number of abilities to aid the Jedi and Sith. And easily one of the most powerful is the ability to hold a starship in the air, as an escaping craft can be brought down with a move of the hand. But it also raises the question, why didn't the Jedi use this ability?
Despite how useful it is, very few people have ever held a starship in place. Before Disney's acquisition of Star Wars, the most notable instance came from the character Starkiller, who brought down an entire Star Destroyer with the Force during the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed games. Since then, the character has been kicked out of canon, and the more recent examples of the power are far more restricted.
Chronologically, Anakin's ex-Padawan Ahsoka is the first to use the ability during the final arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As Maul attempts to escape the chaos of Order 66, Ahsoka grabs his ship in the air and holds it in place, but is unable to bring it down. Then most recently, Darth Vader is seen using the power during Obi-Wan Kenobi, as he brings down an entire passenger ship and rips it open. And finally, Rey is able to hold a First Order ship during Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, believing that Chewbacca is a captive onboard.
In the grand scheme of Star Wars, these moments are few and far between. However, there are many points where the power would've been incredibly useful for the Jedi. Such as holding Count Dooku's escaping ship at the end of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, or even Jango Fett's ship as he escaped from Kamino. These moments of escaping ships continue all throughout The Clone Wars, and would've changed the outcome of numerous battles.
On the one hand, it could be seen as something too overpowered from a storytelling perspective, as every chase with a Jedi would end with the escaping ship being held in place. However, with each time the Force-power has been used, it shows exactly why it's rarely seen: the power requires a tremendous amount of emotion.
With Ahsoka pulling Maul's ship, she was surrounded by her own men shooting at her, and it was her only means of escape. And later with Vader during Obi-Wan Kenobi, nothing made him more emotionally angry than his old master scurrying away, and so he brought the ship down with ease. Then finally, with Rey holding the troop-carrier, she was so emotionally unstable at the time that she accidentally blew it up.
This level of emotion was forbidden by the Jedi, and so their calm demeanor meant they couldn't tap into the ability. If any Jedi tried holding a ship mid-air, it would purely come down to their connection to the Force. It's likely Yoda could do such a thing, as he lifted Luke's X-wing through the air as if it were nothing, but very few are as powerful as the old master. And so, whenever a ship is held in Star Wars, it remains a rare and exciting moment.