Golf-FAQ.com

why golf pros are now leaving flag in hole

by Leonard Sawayn Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Changes brought in the by Royal and Ancient and the USGA, golf's two ruling bodies, amended the rules for 2019. The bodies decided on the alteration because they believe "allowing a player to putt with the flagstick in the hole without fear of penalty should generally help speed up play".

Full Answer

Why does the flagstick lean away from the golfer?

"With the flagstick leaning away from the golfer, the hole becomes effectively larger; when the flagstick leans toward the golfer, the ball rebounds downward, again helping shots find the hole.

Which golfers are leaving the flag in on the Green?

Bryson DeChambeau is among some of the game's top stars opting to leave flag in on green after changes to rules BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU swears by it. More and more golfers are doing it.

What percentage of golfers make the hole with the flagstick in?

At nine and 10 feet past the hole, the make rate drops well below 50 percent with the flagstick out to ultimately zero. With the flagstick in, it generally remains at 100 percent—even at a pace 11, 12 and 13 feet past the hole (see chart below).

What happens if you hit a flagstick left in the hole?

The New Rule: According to the USGA, under Rule 13.2a (2), “There will no longer be a penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits a flagstick left in the hole.” Players will still have the option to remove the flagstick or to have someone tend the pin and remove it after the ball is struck.

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Is it better to leave the flag in when putting?

That's . 01 percent of the time. So that's the only time the flagstick will help a putt go in the hole that would not have gone in otherwise. The rest of the time—99.99 percent—the better play is to putt with the flagstick out of the hole.

Is it a penalty to putt with the flag in the hole?

The New Rule: According to the USGA, under Rule 13.2a(2), “There will no longer be a penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits a flagstick left in the hole.” Players will still have the option to remove the flagstick or to have someone tend the pin and remove it after the ball is struck.

Do any pro golfers look at the hole when putting?

Or practice putting by looking at the hole or at an intermediate target, rather than looking at the golf ball. Colin Montgomerie and Jordan Spieth, among others, have even done this during tournament play.

When did the PGA change the flagstick rule?

The issue of not touching the flagstick was an easy one for golfers: the USGA changes its rules at the beginning of 2019, allowing players to putt with the flagstick left in the hole. While most professional and high-caliber amateurs take the flagstick out, other accomplished players such as Adam Scott leave it in.

How many balls can a PGA player carry?

nine golf ballsUnder the Rules of Golf, a golfer can carry as many golf balls as they want in their bag. Really, they can carry as many golf balls as they're willing to carry around themselves or their caddie is willing to lug around for them. Most PGA Tour golfers carry in the area of nine golf balls in their bag per round.

Why do golfers take off their glove to putt?

Golfers take off their glove when they are putting because they want to have a better feel. The golf glove is used to help give players a better grip and more control when they are swinging a club at a fast speed.

Does Jordan Spieth look at the hole when he putts?

Jordan Spieth, as you might have noticed, looks at the hole on some of his shorter putts. This forces him to react to the target. Remember, you can't follow the putter with your eyes.

Do you look at ball or putter?

It is easier to execute a free flowing stroke when looking at the hole rather than with your eyes down. The idea is that you should look at the hole, not the ball, from the moment you set your putter down until you complete your putting stroke.

Who putts with their eyes closed?

Sergio Garcia provided one of the most bizarre revelations of the season when he admitted he putted with his eyes closed during his 2017 Masters victory.

Who is responsible for putting the flagstick back in the hole?

1. It's important to realise that if the flagstick is in the hole and anyone stands near it, they are deemed to be attending the flag (unless requested otherwise by the player concerned) and therefore responsible for it until the ball comes to rest.

Can you switch golf balls on the green?

You can also substitute a different ball any time you are taking relief, including both free and penalty relief. Unless the one-ball Local Rule is in effect, the substituted ball could be any brand. On the putting green however, when you mark and lift your ball, you must replace that same ball to finish out the hole.

Are you allowed to remove the flag in golf?

Unless the golfer consents, no one should touch the flagstick. It should remain where it is unless specified otherwise. If the golf ball hits the flagstick being tended, the golfer incurs a penalty. If the ball ends up pinned, when the flagstick is removed, if the ball falls into the hole, it counts as in.

What percentage of a putt goes in with a flagstick in?

The average with a flagstick in was 45 percent, as high as 61 percent with the fiberglass pin and as low as 36 percent with the dual-diameter pin. In general then, a putt that would have struck the flagstick off-center is twice as likely to go in with the flagstick out as it is with the flagstick in.

Does a flagstick hurt your chances of a putt going in?

The facts of his study suggest the opposite, that the flagstick does much, much more to hurt your chances of a putt going in than help turn a bad putt into a made one.

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Can you leave the flag in the hole when putting?

One of the main USGA rule changes which came into force in 2019 affects putts – the flag may now be left in the hole when putting. However, this has led to controversy about whether the flagstick is more of a help or a hindrance to holing the ball.

Does leaving a flagstick in the hole help?

If the pin is not leaning towards you, leaving it in the hole always helps to hole the ball. Furthermore, a positive side effect of leaving the flagstick in has also been identified – balls that are not holed come to rest significantly nearer to the hole if the flag has not been removed.

What happens when a flagstick leans toward the golfer?

"With the flagstick leaning away from the golfer, the hole becomes effectively larger; when the flagstick leans toward the golfer, the ball rebounds downward, again helping shots find the hole.

Who said putting with the flagstick in is an advantage?

Respected golf instructor and former Nasa researcher Dave Pelz says putting with the flagstick in IS an advantage. 3. Adam Scott has been putting with the flagstick in so far in 2019 Credit: Getty Images - Getty. He said: "When the flagstick leans either slightly toward the golfer or away, the odds of it helping to keep the ball in ...

Why did the rules change in 2019?

The bodies decided on the alteration because they believe "allowing a player to putt with the flagstick in the hole without fear of penalty should generally help speed up play".

Can you putt with a flagstick in the hole?

As of the start of the 2019 calendar year, golfers of all levels can now putt with the flagstick left in the hole. Caddies can also take the flag out or have it attended - previously the only two options.

Why does a putt lose energy?

The reason for this effect is that a significant amount of energy is lost from a putt’s speed when the ball hits a fiberglass flagstick. The speed-loss enables gravity to pull the slower moving ball down into the hole more often.

How to make you feel better about leaving the pin in?

To make you feel better about leaving the pin in, think about how many long putts and chips you’ve seen crash into the pin and still stay in the hole. If you’re watching golf on TV, you’ve also seen several shots fly into the hole directly from the fairway and stay in.

What happens if you hit the pin in the third scenario?

If your putt hits the pin in the third scenario, there’s no penalty (former ly two strokes or loss of hole). It’s a major change in the name of speeding up play.

Can you putt with a flagstick in the hole?

In a statement on its website, The USGA says there “should be no advantage in being able to putt with the unattended flagstick in the hole.”. It continues by saying that “In some cases, the ball may strike the flagstick and bounce out of the hole when it might otherwise have been holed,” while “in other cases, the ball may hit ...

Leaving it in

You all know you can make a stroke with the flagstick in the hole, whether your ball is on or off the green, and the ball in motion can hit the flagstick, there’s no penalty and you play it as it lies.

Taking it out

Some like it in, some like it out. This is what happens when you opt for the latter under Rule 13.2b. Again, you decide before you make the stroke and either have it taken out or you authorise someone to attend it.

The ball is resting against the flagstick

Well, is it holed or isn’t it? It depends, but Rule 13.2c is pretty clear on the matter. If your ball comes to rest against a flagstick that is left in the hole and “any part of the ball is in the hole below the surface of the putting green” then it is holed – even if the whole of the ball isn’t below that surface.

How fast does a flagstick stop the ball?

The study also showed that the coefficient of restitution for the flagstick is relatively low, and that direct impacts with the stick, regardless of the type, tend to stop the ball fairly quickly, helping it to finish in the hole every time at a speed that sends the ball five to seven feet past the hole.

How many putts are holed in a tapered aluminum stick?

But for the tapered aluminum stick, it got worse: only two of the nine putts were holed. That's a difference of 78 percent between flagstick out and flagstick in. In an earlier test from a longer distance, Mase found that straight-in putts were made 100 percent of the time with both the flagstick out and the flagstick in.

Does a flagstick prevent off center putts?

While Mase’s research is preliminary, the takeaway is pretty clear: The benefits of the flagstick are at best inconclusive and may in fact prevent off-center putts from going in more often than they would if the flagstick were removed. In other words, hold on to your DeChambeau.

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