Should I have the Flag In Or Out For Short Shots Around The Green? (Video) - by Pete Styles
Should I have the Flag In Or Out For Short Shots Around The Green? (Video) - by Pete Styles

The question I get asked a lot when I’m doing playing lessons with clients is should they have the flag in or out when they’re chipping from around the side of the green. Now, the first thing to notice here is that you do have an option. A lot of golfers consider that when you’re off the green, the flag must stay in. But when you’re on the green, the flag must come out. But actually when you’re off the green you can have the flag attended, you can have it left in, or you can have it taken out. You’ve got all three options when you’re off the green.

Now, when you’re a long way from the green, it’s not really practical to ask your playing partner to go and tend the flag. But when you’re up nearer to the side of the green and you got a little bump and run chip shot and you’re thinking, a fancy hole in this one. If the flag is in, it could be easier or harder to get the ball in the hole. So, some people have it taken out, some people have it left in. I actually prefer to have the flag left in. And the reason I do that is the research that Dave Pelz has done, that he comes in as the flag being in, gives the ball a greater chance to either stay in the hole or stay near the hole than having the flag taken out. So my preference is to have the flag left in. The only other issue you got to worry about here is if the flag is very severely leaning towards you. So, if it’s a very windy day and the flag is really leaning towards you and you’re chipping from where the camera is, if that flag is too aggressively leaning towards you, it actually makes the hole a bit smaller, otherwise blocks the ball from going in. So, get up onto the green. Have a look at how the flag is actually sitting in the cup. If it’s straight vertical, effectively the flag works like a bit of a backstop. So, there’s one in ten times when you might actually chip and hit the flag. It might work like a backstop, just to stop the ball, either to let it drop into the hole or maybe tap it. It moves off the hole but it stays quite close because if you’re firing a ball in really low and it shoots over the top of a hole, it’s got nothing to hit, it might roll a bit too far past. So, when you’re near the green, you’ve got a little bump and run chip shot from around the side of the green. If you fancy holing it, it’s actually better to leave the flag in. It’s got more chance of keeping the ball in the hole or certainly near to the hole. 2014-05-06

The question I get asked a lot when I’m doing playing lessons with clients is should they have the flag in or out when they’re chipping from around the side of the green. Now, the first thing to notice here is that you do have an option. A lot of golfers consider that when you’re off the green, the flag must stay in. But when you’re on the green, the flag must come out. But actually when you’re off the green you can have the flag attended, you can have it left in, or you can have it taken out. You’ve got all three options when you’re off the green.

Now, when you’re a long way from the green, it’s not really practical to ask your playing partner to go and tend the flag. But when you’re up nearer to the side of the green and you got a little bump and run chip shot and you’re thinking, a fancy hole in this one. If the flag is in, it could be easier or harder to get the ball in the hole. So, some people have it taken out, some people have it left in. I actually prefer to have the flag left in. And the reason I do that is the research that Dave Pelz has done, that he comes in as the flag being in, gives the ball a greater chance to either stay in the hole or stay near the hole than having the flag taken out. So my preference is to have the flag left in.

The only other issue you got to worry about here is if the flag is very severely leaning towards you. So, if it’s a very windy day and the flag is really leaning towards you and you’re chipping from where the camera is, if that flag is too aggressively leaning towards you, it actually makes the hole a bit smaller, otherwise blocks the ball from going in.

So, get up onto the green. Have a look at how the flag is actually sitting in the cup. If it’s straight vertical, effectively the flag works like a bit of a backstop. So, there’s one in ten times when you might actually chip and hit the flag. It might work like a backstop, just to stop the ball, either to let it drop into the hole or maybe tap it. It moves off the hole but it stays quite close because if you’re firing a ball in really low and it shoots over the top of a hole, it’s got nothing to hit, it might roll a bit too far past.

So, when you’re near the green, you’ve got a little bump and run chip shot from around the side of the green. If you fancy holing it, it’s actually better to leave the flag in. It’s got more chance of keeping the ball in the hole or certainly near to the hole.