Now that we’ve all played a golf season where we were forced to leave the pins in due to COVID, do you plan to continue to leave the pins in even when the virus goes away. I must confess, I really wanted to remove the pin on short putts but now I feel like I’ve gotten used to putting with the pin in. I do t think I will ever go back.
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I became an always “pin in” player when they changed the official rules to allow it (and never took out the pin when I was playing on my own even before). I think it just all around works better for me and the situations where having it in there does more harm than good are incredibly rare.
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I really don’t like the pin in on putts inside 10’, but I’ve gotten used to it. Whenever this is all over I’ll go back to taking the pin out from those distances!
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What does the Shot Link data show? Are people missing more putts with the pin in?
The putting data for all the courses I play probably have to be tossed out the window with all the practice greens closed and condition issues, regardless of the pin. That said, I have found studies that show completely opposite conclusions:
Golf Digest: The science behind why the flagstick should be pulled 99.9 percent of the time
Side note, the author makes some inaccurate statistical arguments IMO to get to that 99.9%, but the data itself does show mildly better results with flagstick out
MyGolfSpy: TESTED: FLAGSTICK IN (VS) FLAGSTICK OUT?
They found keeping the flagstick in is always an advantage
In total, I would say the studies for flagstick out outnumber for flagstick in, but that’s just observation. At the end of the day, the best results are probably going to come from what you’re comfortable doing. For me, that’s definitely pin-in.
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I think the psychological effects far outweigh any actual physical effects, and everyone is different. For me, I can’t WAIT to get the pin out for “makeable” putts. It’s more about the pool noodle though. With the pool noodle and the pin in there, it just feels psychologically like there’s no room for my ball! I also play on crappy greens where they never move the cups and they’re all caved in and look tiny to begin with. When I play a great firm, fast green with fresh-cut cups with sharp edges the hole looks like a peach basket!
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All of the “studies” that came out were kind of funny. I personally don’t think golfers hit the hole enough (especially outside of 10 feet) for it to make that big of a difference one way or another. It’s splitting hairs IMO - so do whatever you’re comfortable with that hopefully doesn’t slow down your playing partners.
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My instinct was to pull the pin, but over the course of the summer I got used to leaving it in. I think I’ll stick with leaving it in, even though it’s minuscule, it speeds up time on the green.
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I think it has always just been my preferred habit. I started playing back in high school, getting to the golf course I worked at before dawn, getting out ahead of the first group and finishing fast enough to still get to my first class on time. I never pulled the pin back then, so I think it just stuck with me.
I like the pin in. Even on short puts. For whatever reason, I’m more aggressive with my pace and bang it off the flag stick. Of all of those puts I have taken this year, only 1 bounced off and came out…and I hit it way too hard anyway…
I love never touching the pin but on putts under 10 feet having the pin in makes the hole look smaller to me and I find myself unable to hit a firm putt for fear of it bouncing off the pin.
I think I’ll stick with pin in. 20 rounds so far this year. 1 putt that hit pin didn’t drop. Rolled about a foot away. I figure it was a bit pacey anyway.
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What does Bryson do? I can copy him and be sure that I’m doing whatever is statistically speaking the right thing to do.
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I’m a noted awful putter… I think the stick in helps me center my aim better on short putts and makes me less likely to miss them.
I have 0 statistical analysis to back this up.
You don’t need analysis. If you believe it, that’s good enough.
Bryson putts pin-in at all events that have standard fiberglass polls. He pulled the pin at the US Open because the pins at that event are always thicker metal ones that bounce the ball off too much (according to him).
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I’ll bring my calipers to the course!
Interesting information. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly - may keep it in more from outside 10 (probably more like outside 30) but inside 10 it’s annoying me (though I’m not putting poorly)
My take-away from all of the studies, and from my personal experience is this. If a ball is going too fast, the pin being in can only help, either making the putt drop or keeping the ball closer. If the putt is the right speed, the pin can only hurt, it might keep a putt out that otherwise would drop. So my intention will be to leave the pin in on longer putts, where really tight speed control is more difficult, and remove it when I get close enough that I know I won’t hit a putt way too hard.