Pin or no Pin?

[g-funk13]

In the first round of the Accenture match play, Phil Mickelson had a 20 yd chip from off the green, and needed to hole out to halve the hole. He took his best shot and didn't pull it off.

What was interesting to me was that Phil had Bones pull the pin.

Just as I was wondering why he would pull the pin, and take away the "back board" effect, the commercial break ended and Tim Clark had a nearly identical shot. Tim decided to leave the pin in, and proceeded to chip in! From my seat in the living room, it looked like Tim's ball hit the pin pretty hard before it went in.

Which would you choose? Why?

[joseywales]

I generally go by the rule that if I think I have a pretty good chance of getting the ball rolling at the pace of a putt by the time it hits the green then I will take the pin out. If I am not very confident about the pace the ball will have by the time it hits the green, (ex: from an funky lie) then I will leave the pin in just in case it comes out too hot and you need the backboard effect the pin provides. If it's a 50/50 deal, I will always pull the pin to try an make something happen because nothing gets good positive momentum going during a stale round better than a chip or pitch in.

[Ben]

If I can see the cup, I pull the pin. When I'm confident I've got a good chance to chip in, I invision it dribbling in. I have no intention of raming chips to the hole. The only instance where I'll leave a pin in is when I've got a short-sided, ultra downhill shot to pull off.

[thor]

I leave it in

[donkba]

leave it in chipping downhill, for that reason above - in case i chip a little strong and the pin can behave like a backstop and when chipping uphill, i take it out because there is less chance of the chip running away

[hawkeye]

i leave it in

my logic is that you have less control over a chip than a putt - more often than not you will require a "backboard" - only a very accurate chip will find the centre of the cup at pace, i'd prefer to have a shorter putt 9 times out of 10 than holing out 1 in 10.

Darren Clarke is the same.

Though I do understand the mentality changes for some people when the pin is out - they focus on the hole alone rather than the pin. Maybe they have sussed - but i like it my way :)

[TourSpoon]

  Ben said:

If I can see the cup, I pull the pin. When I'm confident I've got a good chance to chip in, I invision it dribbling in. I have no intention of raming chips to the hole. The only instance where I'll leave a pin in is when I've got a short-sided, ultra downhill shot to pull off.

I will ditto this.

[JaY_B]

Dave Pelz did a scientific study in to this, I seem to remember saying having the pin out gave a high rate of shots being holed than when the pin was in.

[Big_M]

  JaY_B said:

Dave Pelz did a scientific study in to this, I seem to remember saying having the pin out gave a high rate of shots being holed than when the pin was in.

While I DO think Pelz is a smart guy, I don't buy 100% of his suggestions.

I leave the pin in unless I am fairly confident that I can roll it with the proper pace, and I almost always leave it in for 20ft or more, I like to see the pin.

[CurtisBen]

I take it out. Why not always think positive. "I am going to roll this in like a putt.". I doesn't allways work but everyone is different.

[Eore]

just a little quicky....at my club best ball championship (we finished third) our best shot on the 4th hole, a par three, was about 75 feet away from the pin, off the green. my dad chipped first, and he left the pin in. it hit the pin and bounced away off the green. another player attempted the same thing, pin out. it looked like it was coming in even hotter then my dads shot......it went in the hole, popped straight up, and dropped down into the cup.....but i always leave it in......

[MasterOfTheBogey]

I almost always take the pin out. With the mentallity that I am going to hit a bad shot and might need the pin to stop the ball would mess me up. Always have to go up to a chipping opportunity and think your going to make it.


Unless, you have played a crap round and need everything you can get. Thats why I put it depends.

[mikelz]

I want the pin out on a shot I think can make. Maybe it's just me but I've seen the flag stick knock more balls out of the hole than in.

[allin]

  donkba said:

leave it in chipping downhill, for that reason above - in case i chip a little strong and the pin can behave like a backstop and when chipping uphill, i take it out because there is less chance of the chip running away

My reasoning also.

[raygrinberg]

It depends. More often than not I leave it in. I always take it out when I am putting from the fringe. On a gentle pitch or chip from a fairly short distance (no more than 10 yds or so) I will take the pin out.

[Steaksauce]

  JaY_B said:

Dave Pelz did a scientific study in to this, I seem to remember saying having the pin out gave a high rate of shots being holed than when the pin was in.

I read the exact opposite for Pelz.

I heard that he said to leave the pin in as long as the rules allow you to. And with all the studies he does and after reading The Short Game Bible I tend to agree with him on most things being fact oriented (aside from his former mass advertising rampage).

[Raidermatt]

I leave it in for downhillers, take it out for uphillers. My reasoning being I shouldn't have much of a problem with running the ball well past the hole going uphill, so I shouldn't need the pin to stop the ball.

Going downhill speed becomes tougher to control so I prefer to have the pin just in case.

[Crafty]

If I can control the ball so that it can roll slowly by the hole (if it is possible , whether I will or not is another story), I pull the pin. If the best I could do is hitting the back of the cup and popping out, then I leaave it in. I also leave it in when I am unable to see the cup.