My first steps into the local pro shop in 2019 produced the desired effect: argumentation.
I’m only half kidding. I wasn’t trying to stir up an argument. And it was already going before I got there. And maybe it was closer to a discussion than an argument. But the pot was stirring, and it made double sense here, in the hometown of Bryson DeChambeau.
By now, you’ve guessed the point in question. Should I or shouldn’t I putt with the flagstick in? If you’re in a climate warm enough to be playing golf this time of year, you’ve probably already done some thinking on this. You have, like me, perhaps already played a round where the decision was being made “in real time,” as they now say. But if you’re like DeChambeau, you may still be undecided.
In case you missed it, the five-time PGA Tour winner kept true to his December word by leaving the flag in often during his opening round of 2019, at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. And it seemed to be working. The putts kept going in. Of course, would DeChambeau needed to be convinced of was that at least one of those putts would not have gone in if the flagstick had been out. Apparently, he wasn’t so sure, because as the tournament progressed, DeChambeau was using the flag less and less. He had his reasons, though, and some of them show up on our list of pros and cons that may help you decide whether to keep the flagstick in the next time you’re putting.
First, here’s a quick review of the new rule, which was changed to help speed up play. You now have three choices when putting from on the green. One, you may take the flagstick out before you putt. Two, you may have the flagstick tended (though if the tending party does not remove the flagstick and your putted ball strikes it, you are penalized the same two shots you’ve always been). Or three, you may leave the flagstick in and putt without concern of penalty should the ball strike the flagstick.
Now, consider our pros and cons of leaving the flagstick in.
PROS
– The science seems to prove you’ll make more putts with the flagstick in. Short game guru Dave Pelz wrote a piece posted on golf.com last week where he talked about a study he conducted as far back as 1990. He’s convinced you’ll make more putts with the flagstick in the hole. The leading player in my local pro shop agrees with him.
– The flagstick narrows your focus on the center of the target. This may be especially helpful if you are the type of putter who likes to hit your putts firmly rather than die them in. But it’s true that all of us can become better putters if we visualize a target smaller than the hole itself.
– From longer lagging distance, where the consistency of your speed is less reliable, hitting the flagstick may not keep the ball in the hole but will at least keep it near the hole. This same idea would hold true for severe downhill putts, no matter the length. The principles here may sound similar to those you’ve already been using for chipping from off the green.
CONS
– Your eyes aren’t used to it. You may just be too used to the old way of doing things to feel comfortable with a change. And even guys like Dave Pelz will tell you that comfort producing confidence goes a long way on the putting green.
– The flagstick is a narrow target. If putting with the flagstick makes you more aggressive, the result will be worse if you miss that dead-center target.
– You’re bothered by the flag or its shadow. DeChambeau mentioned this was something that made him uncomfortable in the Hawaiian tradewinds. A windblown flag makes noise and a dancing shadow can mess with your line of flight. If these bother you, you might want the flagstick out.
VARIABLES
There are a couple of variables in making your decision as well.
– The science seems to favor keeping the flagstick in, as long as that flagstick is made out of fiberglass. These fiberglass flagsticks are nearly universal on the PGA Tour, but at home you may have a metal flagstick. Then the science isn’t so clear.
– If the flagstick is moving in the wind, or it doesn’t sit well in the bottom of the cup, you might want to take it out. But not so fast–Pelz’s study notes show that the advantage probably remains even if the flagstick is leaning toward or away from you.
In the end, here’s to making more putts in 2019, however you get it done!