Flag in or flag out.

tayto lover

I have started leaving the flag in on the longer putts and find it helps. My putting has improved as I seem to leave my first putts nearer the hole by judging the distance better with the flag in.
Anyone else think the same or am I just imagining it helps? I haven’t 3 putted in awhile.

Rikand

It definitely helps from distance. Remember before hand, you would have had a playing partner tend the flag, but I think it helps more not having someone stand beside it. Less distraction wondering would they get the pin out in time lol

Pin in from distance
Pin out from up close

thegolfer

Rikand wrote: »

Pin in from distance
Pin out from up close

This us true, good advice

Mantis Toboggan

I've had a few already this year hit the flag and stay out so it's flag out for me especially within 15 feet. Maybe when the greens improve I'll consider keeping it in more.

dan_ep82

Needs to be a poll on these threads.

tayto lover

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

I've had a few already this year hit the flag and stay out so it's flag out for me especially within 15 feet. Maybe when the greens improve I'll consider keeping it in more.

Funny enough I had a putt that hit the flag and dropped in.
I felt that if the flag was out it would have ended up 10 feet past.
Swings and roundabouts probably but I seem to have more confidence with it in on the longer putts. Maybe the flag in gives me the impression that the target is bigger.
I see Adam Scott leaves it in for all his putts.

MG28

Mygolfspy (I think it was) did a big test on this and their conclusion was always have the flag in.
I was leaving the flag in all the time, then had a 10 footer hit and bounce out to an inch. Now I take it out for anything inside 15 or so feet!

Golfhead65

MG28 wrote: »

Mygolfspy (I think it was) did a big test on this and their conclusion was always have the flag in.
I was leaving the flag in all the time, then had a 10 footer hit and bounce out to an inch. Now I take it out for anything inside 15 or so feet!

You can bet that the flags on the pga and all professional tours are condusive to the ball hitting in and staying in, not like the big sometimes steel flags at your local club, Me personally always take it out unless I'm too far away that the eyes can't make out the hole then to save time or have it tended I'll go ahead and putt away

spacecoyote

MG28 wrote: »

Mygolfspy (I think it was) did a big test on this and their conclusion was always have the flag in.
I was leaving the flag in all the time, then had a 10 footer hit and bounce out to an inch. Now I take it out for anything inside 15 or so feet!

Part of the thing with theirs was it was primarily based on straight putts.

I believe Edoardo Molinari did an experiment with some students in a university in Italy & their conclusion was out was more beneficial for breaking putts

CalamariFritti

Practically I play like before the rule change. I just replaced 'attending' with 'leaving it in'.

prawnsambo

Jim Furyk had one bounce off the flag yesterday, on the 17th iirc. But as he said himself afterwards, he'd have likely had a ten footer or more if the flag was out. Instead he had a tiddler of a couple of inches. I think Jim (like many of them) has it in for the long ones only.