Equipment
Forum Thread of the Day: “Brandel Chamblee: Every player should leave the flagstick in the hole while putting”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day was submitted by RMGC_NV and concerns a hot take from Golf Channel analyst, Brandel Chamblee. Whether you love him or hate him, Chamblee is never one to hold back from speaking his mind, and in this particular case, the former pro is confident that it’s in every player’s best interest to leave the flagstick in the hole while putting. Our members discuss.
Here are a few posts from the thread but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- jll62: “Looking forward to doing some of my own testing on this with my Perfect Putter, but I am firmly in the camp of leaving the flagstick in as the default state based on all of the evidence we have to date. The key will be knowing when it’s advantageous to take it out, but I think those situations will be rare.”
- HoosierMizuno: “I don’t think leaving the pin in will hurt anyone’s score. I do think its debatable on how much it will help….especially when it comes to putting. I get leaving it in on chips. I’m predicting that in 3 years there will be only a few if any guys still removing the pins to putt. there just isn’t any reason to take it out other than you think it looks weird.”
- Gautama: “Help or not I can’t say, wind is the big variable in my mind. Regardless, though, personally I hate the way it looks after thirty-plus years of pulling pins, and I’m sticking to my shallow and subjective opinion, lol. Anyone else find it just ugly to see a putt made with the pin in the hole?”
- sbjinx: “Played today with my group and we decided to keep the flag in for all our putts. It was weird at first, but by the 3rd hole, we all agreed that we’ll play with the flag in from now on. We didn’t have any instance where having the flag in helped or damaged a putt, but it’s nice not to have to walk to the hole and pull the flag once we’re on the green. We would just walk to our balls, hit our putts and move on to the next tee. I agree with the above poster that in a few years most people will be playing with the flag in.”
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Rory McIlroy WITB
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3 Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x Buy here.
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
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Shane Lowry WITB
- Shane Lowry what’s in the bag accurate as of the Cognizant Classic.
Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II (8.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 70 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X
Irons: Srixon ZX Utility (3, 20 degrees) Buy here, Srixon ZX5 Mk II (4, 5) Buy here, Srixon ZX7 Mk II (6-PW) Buy here.
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X (3), KBS Tour 130 X (4-PW)
Wedges: Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack (50-10 MID, 54-10 MID) Buy here, Cleveland RTX Full Face (58-8) Buy here.
Shafts: KBS Tour Wedge X Black
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Z Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV Buy here.
The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
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- Steve Stricker WITB accurate as of the Zurich Classic. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, C4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 7.2 X
3-wood: Titleist 915F (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist 816 H1 (17 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (3, 4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (46-10F @55), Titleist Vokey SM10 (54-10S @53), Titleist Vokey SM4 (60 @59)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 w/Sensicore
Putter: Odyssey White Hot No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip Rite
Check out more in-hand photos of Steve Stricker’s clubs here.
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- Alex Fitzpatrick what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 TX
Irons: Ping iCrossover (2), Titleist T100 (4-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 9 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 56-12D, 60-08M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Bettinardi SS16 Dass
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Alex Fitzpatrick’s clubs here.
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Leo Vincent
Feb 19, 2019 at 11:29 am
I usually disagree with everything Brandel Chamblee says but he is correct on this one.Leaving the flag in helps the player and this is an old rule being brought back.A rule requiring the flag be taken out was adopted in the 1950’s i believe.Prior to that the flag could be left in
John
Jan 16, 2019 at 2:09 pm
We are witnessing the dumbing down of golf. Personally, I’d give up the game before I’d leave the pin in to putt. Stupid rule introduced by people trying to justify their existence.
dave
Jan 15, 2019 at 12:43 pm
Its a joke of a rule!!! UsGa is a joke , they are clueless!
Take the flag out, one guy says out next guy putting wants it in. Come on!!!
Agree it will slow play down.
Lastly, drop at knee height. Really? uSgA joke of an organization…
Hamish
Jan 13, 2019 at 1:32 pm
How about local rule.. if it hits the pin its in!
Most Flag pole’s are too fat reducing the width of the cup, ejecting putts that don’t hit the pole dead center. Bring back the thinner old school fiberglass flag pole.
Glftips
Jan 11, 2019 at 5:46 pm
This rule was adapted in order to speed up play. However, in my first five rounds of 2019. it seems to make play slower. One guy wants in out and then the next guy wants it in. Putting the pin in and out a few times on each green adds more time to the game. Maybe it will get better with time but right now it is not good.