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You're off the green. Do you leave the pin in or take it out?

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Pull the pin or leave it in?

Pull the pin or leave it in?

Ran into a little situation that hasn't been discussed recently but affected me on back to back holes this weekend. I missed GIR on the first two holes of the day, but my ball was just off the green on the collar area on both occasions. I chose to use my AW and run it up to the hole both times, as they were slightly uphill shots. My playing partners asked if I wanted the pin in or out and I said "out" both times. Admittedly, both balls had a tad too much on them (left about 3' and 5' par putts) but they hit the cup and lipped out. I couldn't help but think that if the pin had still been in, one or both might have dropped or at least given me easier par putts.

I have a few questions for everyone: How do you decide whether to putt the pin or not? Is it a gut feeling or is strategy involved or is it all situational? Does it differ if you are going to putt or chip it; uphill or downhill; fast greens or slow greens?

Looking forward to all of your thoughts!
 
I leave it in, but I'm also lazy.

Pelz did a study on this and showed pretty clearly that the pin helps more than it hurts.
 
I leave it in all the time, will help deflect a thin wedge!
 
Always in for me, don't know why so will be interested to see what/why others do.
 
Hawk said:
I leave it in, but I'm also lazy.

Pelz did a study on this and showed pretty clearly that the pin helps more than it hurts.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I'll have to look for that study. Prior to this I'd automatically say take it out, but now I've got something more to think about. Thanks Hawk.
 
Leave it in.
 
If the flag is leaning towards my direction because of wind, then I pull it. Otherwise I leave it in.
 
When chipping I always leave it in. If I were putting from the collar I take it out.
 
I leave it in. It can only help to slow the ball on a hot shot.
 
I leave it in, makes me feel like I have a better chance of staying on if its too hot and seems to help me more than it hurts traditionally.
 
Hawk said:
I leave it in, but I'm also lazy.

Pelz did a study on this and showed pretty clearly that the pin helps more than it hurts.
Click to expand...



Ben Crenshaw says that when you leave the pin in, you're effectively cutting the hole in half.

I'll take the green jacket over that science nonsense.

#TeachTheControversy
 
ATLGolfer said:
Ben Crenshaw says that when you leave the pin in, you're effectively cutting the hole in half.

I'll take the green jacket over that science nonsense.

#TeachTheControversy
Click to expand...


You would.

And that makes no sense.
 
Always in if it can be left in.
 
I definitely leave it in every time?
 
I am thinking about taking it out for the next few rounds I play to see if it makes a difference. I've hit the pin with the ball rolling reasonably slow four times already this year, three of which were rejected after striking the pin. I'm just not entirely convinced, unless I skull a shot, that the pin is doing me any favours.
 
Ken Venturi said take it out on all but the hardest shots. Removing the pin mentally prepares you to hole it out. I like that idea, even if I don't always follow it. But I guess it depends on what you consider a hard shot.
 
Out! I've had too many chips bounce off the flagstick.


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I mostly leave it in. Feel like it'll help stop my shot haha
 
I tend to always leave it in, my tendency is to hit too easy if I don't . I really don't see how it can be a hindrance in any way and feel the benefit of potentially holing out a shot that may otherwise have blown past the hole outweighs any negatives?
 
50wyldeman said:
I tend to always leave it in, my tendency is to hit too easy if I don't . I really don't see how it can be a hindrance in any way and feel the benefit of potentially holing out a shot that may otherwise have blown past the hole outweighs any negatives?
Click to expand...

People say that they have hit the stick and got a bad bounce off of it. I figure if you hit it hard enough to get a bad bounce off one, then it was highly unlikely that it was going to the bottom of the cup anyway, and was going to go way past the hole on the other side.

I rarely hit the stick anyway, and I have had chips and putts from off the green hit the stick on the way to the bottom. When I do hit the stick and it bounces away, I figure it absorbed some of the energy of the shot, so it winds up not as far away as it would have had I missed the stick.
 
Off the green i usually leave it in unless its a pretty short putt off the fringe.
 
I normally leave it in, and it can then be a backstop if you hit it to hard. Then if it does bounce a bit off it not usually to far from the hole.
 
Usually keep it in, unless its a short chip or putt of the fringe.

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Pin out all day! Even if I'm not going to put it in, I want people to think that I believe I can. Plus, me and the flagstick don't get along when it comes to good shots.
 
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