Ever since the USGA and the R&A amended the rules of golf to allow for flag-in putting, golfers, pro and amateur alike, have debated the issue. Bryson DeChambeau famously espoused the method whilst others adamantly opposed it. The golfers in my casual foursome really don’t mind either way. But we have come to leave it in more often than not as, to our thinking, it can speed things along by just leaving the flagstick alone.
But, does it hurt or help a putt? Turns out there are several factors involved, including the speed of the putt, the angle at which it may hit the flagstick and, believe it or not, the stiffness of the stick itself. Along with reading the grain of the green, astute putters may now wish to assess the nature of the stick!
The curious minds at mygolfspy.com, a website devoted to consumer research on behalf of golfers, have undertaken to test a variety of factors involved in this crucial debate and their findings reveal… well, why don’t you read it for yourself?
Click here to see their results and their testing methods.
As for your putting, just get the speed right, eh?