My Flagstick In vs. Out Data

[billchao]

On 2/6/2019 at 7:43 AM, iacas said:

Basically, putts that graze the flagstick but are still going at a speed at which they might be holed can be kicked out of the hole occasionally. Which makes sense, really - at speeds where the ball would go in the hole every time, the flagstick can only match at best and hurt at worst if the bar is set at "100%."

This happened to me today. The ball didn't hit dead center on the flagstick, but slightly off to one side, and it deflected away from the hole. Had the flagstick not been there, the ball would have bounced off the back of the cup and dropped.

[SloopDanB]

Take the pin out. Always. Gotta hear that sound of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup. 

[sjduffers]

18 hours ago, SloopDanB said:

Take the pin out. Always. Gotta hear that sound of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup. 

And? How does having the pin in prevent the ball from hitting the bottom of the cup and making that sound? Only if the flagstick is learning towards you, in which case there is agreement to take the flagstick out. Otherwise, the ball falls to the bottom and not only makes that sound that you covet, but as a bonus can make another sound, hitting the flagstick first!  

[deadon500]

All year the guys I play with have left it in on putts 15 - 20 or more out, When its under we pull it,,,,,,,,,

[rehmwa]

On 4/27/2019 at 4:20 PM, sjduffers said:

And? How does having the pin in prevent the ball from hitting the bottom of the cup and making that sound? Only if the flagstick is learning towards you, in which case there is agreement to take the flagstick out. Otherwise, the ball falls to the bottom and not only makes that sound that you covet, but as a bonus can make another sound, hitting the flagstick first!  

C'mon - "Click-phunk" is not even close to "clatter-clatticky-clack-rattlerattle"......it's a completely different sound.  completely different.  there's no comparison at all.  I love that sound.  It's the only downside to leaving the pin in.  if it's slow or I'm by myself, I might, on occasion just pull the flag and putt just to get that sound.  Let's be clear - it is NOT not for any practical reason......just the sound

it's also why I always would putt out before the rule change.  hand me my ball and say 'it's good'....I'll put the ball back down and putt out.  Not for the  'purity of the game' 🤮 or anything like that, just the sound

I'm going to program an app that makes that sound and just play it during rounds.

Edited September 23, 2019 by rehmwa

[Cantankerish]

I have learned to take note of the stick itself.  If it is leaning toward the ball (due to wind for example) I take it out.

[iacas]

10 minutes ago, Cantankerish said:

I have learned to take note of the stick itself.  If it is leaning toward the ball (due to wind for example) I take it out.

Unless it’s leaning a ton, that makes a putt even more likely to drop. It deflects the ball downward.

[Bonvivant]

I had a flagstick Mutombo a long birdie putt yesterday. It was quite a long putt (50+ft) and I didn't want to leave it short. Hit the flagstick at a pace that would probably take the ball 4 ft passed the hole on a flat. It felt like I was aiming at a smaller cup, not side to side, but front to back. That being said, I will continue to leave it in if I am by myself or with others that prefer it in. The faster the better. The only other time I think it has affected me is when the shadow of the flag is near the putting line and only if the shadow reaches somewhere around the ball. I will pull it for this reason.

[iacas]

56 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

I had a flagstick Mutombo a long birdie putt yesterday. It was quite a long putt (50+ft) and I didn't want to leave it short. Hit the flagstick at a pace that would probably take the ball 4 ft passed the hole on a flat.

It’s unlikely. People routinely estimate this poorly.

[Bonvivant]

Just now, iacas said:

It’s unlikely. People routinely estimate this poorly.

The only reason I think it would have gone is that it literally came straight back at me and only way 1 ft from the hole afterwards. It made me think about the .84 inches it needed to drop (I am loving the book btw), and would the stick not being there have given the ball that chance. 

[iacas]

1 minute ago, Bonvivant said:

The only reason I think it would have gone is that it literally came straight back at me and only way 1 ft from the hole afterwards. 

If the ball hit the stick and still went one foot away then I double what I said earlier.

[Bonvivant]

15 minutes ago, iacas said:

If the ball hit the stick and still went one foot away then I double what I said earlier.

Fair enough. I'm leaving it in regardless, as long as my fellow players are ok with it.

[Cantankerish]

21 hours ago, iacas said:

Unless it’s leaning a ton, that makes a putt even more likely to drop. It deflects the ball downward.

Perhaps I am talking about "a ton".  Twice I have had the ball hit the pole close to center at sufficient speed to carom off, and not drop. Afterward I noticed that the effective size of the hole was not as large due to the stick leaning into the shot.

I think of myself as a decent putter for my handicap.  But it is possible that with high handicappers who have less control of the pace of the ball, the odds of this sort of thing goes up.

Plenty of room for dumb in my game. Twice means I did not learn from the mistake the first time.

[iacas]

All I’m saying is that science says it’s highly unlikely and a flagstick leaning toward you helps. Of course there’s less room but the collision takes off a LOT of speed.

[ChetlovesMer]

On 9/23/2019 at 11:35 AM, rehmwa said:

C'mon - "Click-phunk" is not even close to "clatter-clatticky-clack-rattlerattle"......it's a completely different sound.  completely different.  there's no comparison at all.  I love that sound.  It's the only downside to leaving the pin in.  if it's slow or I'm by myself, I might, on occasion just pull the flag and putt just to get that sound.  Let's be clear - it is NOT not for any practical reason......just the sound

it's also why I always would putt out before the rule change.  hand me my ball and say 'it's good'....I'll put the ball back down and putt out.  Not for the  'purity of the game' 🤮 or anything like that, just the sound

I'm going to program an app that makes that sound and just play it during rounds.

[Lihu]

12 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

Perhaps I am talking about "a ton".  Twice I have had the ball hit the pole close to center at sufficient speed to carom off, and not drop. Afterward I noticed that the effective size of the hole was not as large due to the stick leaning into the shot.

I think of myself as a decent putter for my handicap.  But it is possible that with high handicappers who have less control of the pace of the ball, the odds of this sort of thing goes up.

Plenty of room for dumb in my game. Twice means I did not learn from the mistake the first time.

It’s not like you’re not allowed to reseat the flag so it doesn’t lean as much, and I suppose pulling it is also still an option?

I would pull it if it looks harder...

[topoftheline89]

I had a par putt from the fringe about 20 feet out yesterday, uphill mind you, that hit the pin just off center rolled around the edge of the cup and then past the hole about a foot. I had never felt so robbed.

[saevel25]

I didn't have one putt this year were I thought the pin cost me.