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Flagstick In or Out

Leave it in for me. The fewer times I have to bend over, especially to pick up the pin off the ground the better. I can’t remember a time when a putt of mine was kept from going in because of the flag. With the guys I play with, if we are all convinced the ball should have fallen, we count it like it did.
 
Under 10 feet I like it out. Longer putts than that I like it in - for me find it helps me focus in at longer lengths. The guys I play with (including me) are too lazy to tend the flag for you anyway so it usually stays in for long putts.
 
Doesn’t matter to me so I leave it in unless:
The wind is blowing hard enough it keeps the flag from being straight or
Those I’m playing with want it out.
 
War Eagle said:
The youngsters I play with prefer to leave it in, but I prefer it out. It's typically 2 of them and 1 of me, so we just leave it. I think I putt better with it out, but typically putt the same with it in. Mind games.
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With my usual guys, we always leave it in. When I play with others it's a mixed bag - some pull it, some don't. I just go with the flow.
 
I will forever and always say if there's a choice, it should almost always be out. I do leave it in if the group decides that, but I personally would take it out almost every time
 
putting ALWAYS out, chipping Always in
 
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There were two instances recently where partners i was playing with had putts rejected by the flag that would have gone in otherwise. Neither was traveling very fast and were less than 10' putts. Also noticed fewer and fewer pros leave it in anymore. On longer putts i dont mind it in and if my playing partners want it in I'll leave it in though unless its waving around or not standing straight up
 
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I played in a "mediocre" tournament, and we are required to hole the putts. I had one that hit the stick dead center but didn't go in. After that, I've been more likely to remove the stick on shorter putts.
 
BH 43 said:
I leave it in, for faster play.
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Same. I play solo and it absolutely saves time.
If objective studies show that pulling the flag allows more putts to go in, then I’d trust the science. Doesn’t mean it’s going to override the pace of play factor for me. Leaving it in is the easiest choice in golf.
 
Out, except long Putts and downhill.
Found during Covid more times than not Stick would kick Ball back.
 
Don't care what my group does - but if those jokers in the group in front of us pull the pin - I get pissed .....
 
I've gotten lazy and typically leave it in.
 
4hourrule said:
Out, except long Putts and downhill.
Found during Covid more times than not Stick would kick Ball back.
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In our casual rounds where we always leave it in, we play "'Rona Rules". If everybody in the group agrees that it would have been in without the flagstick, it's good.

That doesn't mean one that clanks off the stick and comes to rest 4 feet away - it means one that hits the stick, gets rejected and stops inches from the cup, where it's obvious it would have dropped if the 'stick was pulled.
 
Leave it in. If someone in the group wants the pin out cool I’m good with that.

Hitting the pin and the putt not falling I see the same way as lipping a putt out. Both of those situations the ball was going too fast and wasn’t going to drop anyway.
 
Either is fine with me. But I usually leave it in. I've had more putts hit the stick and drop. Can't remember one that bounced out.
 
leftybob said:
Leave it in. If someone in the group wants the pin out cool I’m good with that.

Hitting the pin and the putt not falling I see the same way as lipping a putt out. Both of those situations the ball was going too fast and wasn’t going to drop anyway.
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Thats not true. Many examples here where people relayed experiences of putts not traveling too fast and hitting the stick and not going in. I've seen at least a half dozen myself in the last year
 
pinger_72 said:
Thats not true. Many examples here where people relayed experiences of putts not traveling too fast and hitting the stick and not going in. I've seen at least a half dozen myself in the last year
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Yeah that putt was going too fast
 
When I play when it's busy with more than a few golfers playing, I'll leave the stick in and move on.

Good Golfing
 
I hit a few that hopped over the cup
Hit the ball with the same speed and it hit the pin and dropped in. So often over 20 feet I leave the pin in
 
My experience is that by keeping the pin the putting goes faster. Also, since the rule changed, I have one, just one, putt that should have gone in get knocked away by a pin, and more putts than I want to think about that approached the pin going way too fast, and hitting the pin saved my bacon.
 
I leave the pin in. That's a factor of my group's laziness and not experiencing more than a couple of putts not falling because of the pin.

The only golf I've played in the last few years where pins were pulled was the Morgan Cup and the Rivalry. There might be a few other instances or rounds when the pin was pulled but it is a pretty insignificant number in the amount of golf I've played over that time period.
 
That post said:
I putt better with it out but it's kinda a pain in the rear.
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Over the past few outings since saying this I've made the effort to pull the pin. I've shaved about 1 putt off my average by doing so. I need to just stick with it.
 
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