Forums

flagstick or no?

• JFidanza 1,676 Posts

  Sat, Nov 30 2013 1:48 PM

  Does anyone know from experience if the NON-putt shots are more likey to go in with or without the flagstick in place?

  I'm seeing that on drives and chips it might have been better if the flagstick was removed as the ball shoots off the FS.

  Optional question:

  What about putts? Long ones? Short?

   

  t.y.i.a.

   

• spdemon 1,588 Posts

  Sat, Nov 30 2013 7:22 PM

  i usually take it out on the shorter pitches but on putts i dont think its really in just a aid 

• MBaggese 15,378 Posts

  Sat, Nov 30 2013 8:31 PM

  JFidanza:

  Does anyone know from experience if the NON-putt shots are more likey to go in with or without the flagstick in place?

   

  I recal a good player a year or two back making a post about '1000 flagsticks hit"...

   

  Avery, very good player responded and said "nice"-or similar-but I pull the flag stick...although I only have 300 or 400 hit sticks, I have 1500 hole outs"---now I was quoting by memory, numbers will be off...but point being, the very, very good player felt pulling the stick was best.

• MainzMan 9,593 Posts

  Sat, Nov 30 2013 10:18 PM

  JFidanza:

  What about putts? Long ones? Short?

  It doesn't make any difference on putts, the stick is always out anyway.  You can have it appear to help you line up long putts but think of it as a hologram.

  Next time you play hover the mouse over the remove flag icon when playing approaches and when putting.  When you're off the green it says remove the flagstick, when putting it says hide the flagstick.

   

  JFidanza:

  Does anyone know from experience if the NON-putt shots are more likey to go in with or without the flagstick in place?

  I almost always remove the stick if the hole is in range, I think you have a better chance of the ball going in with it removed.  The exception is when I'm playing an approach to a green sloping away from me.  Then I figure the stick might just stop the ball running miles past if I can't get enough back spin on.  An example being CCC #2 if you go long and left and hit the rough behind the hole.

• ZioMio 4,680 Posts

  Sun, Dec 1 2013 1:06 PM

  .... putts off the fringe, the stick is in the hole unless it is removed by you.

• fatdan 3,379 Posts

  Sun, Dec 1 2013 3:07 PM

  I have a few goals on here...a HIO, a Dbl. eagle, shoot a 54...

  On Kiwiah tourny from the whites, hole #3 par 4 I took the shortcut, landed on the green, rolled and rolled only to hit the pin and end up 2 in. away...almost had my HIO and Dbl. eagle on 1 shot....later in that round I'm sitting in the fairway on #9 at -9...approach hits the flagstick and bounces off the green....

  #10 approach hits the stick AGAIN on 1 hop but sits there for a birdie...

  a couple of holes later my approach hits the stick dead center yet again and bounces off the green...I flop the next shot and it dead centers the stick and rolls 30ft away....

  needless to say I pull the flag now for 2 reasons...#2 reason is I'm just not that f;n good or accurate so when the game decides it is your day to knock the flags down I don't want them in the way...

  @1 and main reason is 1 of the recognized best players here posted a video of his round to prove he doesn't cheat and he ALWAYS pulls the flag....

• patriciawilliams 3,273 Posts

  Sun, Dec 1 2013 3:37 PM

  JFidanza:

  I'm seeing that on drives  it might have been better if the flagstick was removed as the ball shoots off the FS.

  Would you drive your cart up in real golf on a drive and take the flag out? Personally, I try and play this game on wgt as the same….:-))   IMO

• alosso 21,092 Posts

  Sun, Dec 1 2013 4:25 PM

  We have a caddy for this task, don't we?

  I remember Lefty sending his caddy to the green to tend the flag on a shot from 70(?) yds out - why not do the same if it's so near?

  Apart from that you can't claim "as the same" until you've had a ball fall into the hole from the flagstick. These granite poles do make a difference!

• DrussTheLegend 1,043 Posts

  Mon, Dec 2 2013 3:19 AM

  My take (ignoring putts - pretty much been covered in posts above) - I can't say for certain whether leaving the flag in or out means more hole outs or not, but leaving it in opens you up to some of the nastiest WGT wtf results out there.  Hitting that flagstick on approach can stuff up a hole big time. (happened to me RSG open, round 2 on #9, hit the stick from 110 yds out and the ball ended up 50 yds away from the hole).

  In all my rounds, leaving the stick in has maybe once saved me from a longish putt - but leaving it in has caused many Tiger Woods at Merion moments - so, if I can remember I try to take it out every time.

• Jimbog1964 8,378 Posts

  Mon, Dec 2 2013 3:43 AM

  DrussTheLegend:

  but leaving it in opens you up to some of the nastiest WGT wtf results out there.

  Been OB after hitting it StAs #5....best pulled IMHO.