Pin in or out? With ball on the fringe

[Golfingdad]

If the putt is long enough that there's a chance I may misjudge speed by a lot, then I'll definitely leave it in, and if I'm using anything other than a putter, then I'll always leave it in ...

but if it's a medium length to short putt, or an uphill putt, in is fine, out is fine.  Whatever, I don't care that much.  I guess it depends on whether or not there is somebody near the hole offering to pull it out for me.  If not, I'll just play.

[dchoye]

I remember chipping off the green and having it clank of the pin. Of course it was cause I was aiming at the pin without regard to distance control and hitting it too hard. Sometimes I think if I can see the hole clearly when chipping then I might take the pin out, as sometimes I get to "pin" focus and lose awareness for distance control. However when Im pitching I leaving the pin in. Some putts off the green, especially on really sticky fringe, I think having the pin to aim at might be an advantage, as Im already aware of speed control with my putter more so than a wedge.

[tristanhilton85]

Yep. :)

Leave the flagstick in, unless it's leaning towards you and can't be straightened.

Hmmm. I've always done as @David in FL has and only left it if it was pretty downhill.

I'm going to assume I was wrong on that one and start leaving it in.

[David in FL]

Hmmm. I've always done as @David in FL has and only left it if it was pretty downhill.

I'm going to assume I was wrong on that one and start leaving it in.

Not sure I'm gonna change that one until I hear more.....

[iacas]

Not sure I'm gonna change that one until I hear more.....

[David in FL]

[MS256]

It honestly doesn't matter much to me one way or the other. I've bounced balls off of the pin and (of course in hindsight) I always think they might have gone in if not for the pin. I've also seen balls go across the center of the hole just a touch too fast and I wish the pin would have been there to give me a chance.

Normally I leave it in just because it doesn't matter enough for me to go to the trouble of taking the pin out and then going back to my ball. If somebody in the group is close to the flag and everybody is on the green (where they don't need the flag) except me I usually tell them to go ahead and pull the flag.

Seemed like when we used the thin fiberglass flagsticks the ball had a better chance of hitting the stick and going in the hole. Now we have thicker and heavier metal flagsticks that seem to repel a ball more often.

[VOX]

When I went to a Pelz clinic years ago, they said to always leave it in if you can. They claim that Dave tested hundreds of putts (uphill, down hill,straight, breaking etc) and his data shows that the pin increases your chances off making the putt.

[thefinlex]

I want it out every time,then I can focus on nothing but trying to hole it,its a confidence thing particularly in matchplay when your opponent stands next to flag and asks "in or out? tended?" I always say firmly "out thanks" so we both know I'm trying to bury it!!

[billchao]

It honestly doesn't matter much to me one way or the other. I've bounced balls off of the pin and (of course in hindsight) I always think they might have gone in if not for the pin. I've also seen balls go across the center of the hole just a touch too fast and I wish the pin would have been there to give me a chance.

I think part of the theory behind leaving the pin in is that if you hit the pin and the ball bounced off and away from the hole, it was going too fast to go in anyway, had the pin been pulled. I'm guessing that the energy taken off the ball during the ricochet would leave you with a shorter putt than if the ball "hopped" the hole and blew on by it?

[iacas]

I think part of the theory behind leaving the pin in is that if you hit the pin and the ball bounced off and away from the hole, it was going too fast to go in anyway, had the pin been pulled.

I'm guessing that the energy taken off the ball during the ricochet would leave you with a shorter putt than if the ball "hopped" the hole and blew on by it?

Yep. Any ball that hits a flagstick which is set straight in the hole and doesn't go in would not have gone in had the flag been pulled, either.

The flagstick can only help (if it's in the hole correctly, or leaning away from where the ball will enter).