Flagstick Steadying

[nickjdavis]

Given that we are not allowed to touch the flagstick, the guidance from the R&A allows us to steady the flagstick with a club so that it remains centred....possibly useful in windy conditions. However my knowledge of the rules tells me that you are not supposed to deliberately bend/pull the flagstick when doing so.

Obviously I was therefore surprised to see the following image on England Golfs website. I do sometimes worry about our governing bodies knowledge of the sport!!!!

 

[Whereditgo]

Looks to me like the flagstick is simply being pushed against the wind with the putter head?

 

[rulefan]

Given that the ball is on the ground I would suggest that and variance from the vertical would be virtually indiscernible. In effect, centred.

 

[nickjdavis]

You are obviously seeing stuff I'm not.

I can see the girl in the dark shirt, using the head of the club to pull the flagstick towards her, away from the girl who is putting. There is a noticeable difference in the amount of the hole visible to the left of the flagstick compared to the right.

What relevance the ball has I do not know.

 

[Neilds]

You are obviously seeing stuff I'm not.

I can see the girl in the dark shirt, using the head of the club to pull the flagstick towards her, away from the girl who is putting. There is a noticeable difference in the amount of the hole visible to the left of the flagstick compared to the right.

What relevance the ball has I do not know.

I agree, definitely pulled back

 

[YandaB]

I can see the girl in the dark shirt, using the head of the club to pull the flagstick towards her, away from the girl who is putting. There is a noticeable difference in the amount of the hole visible to the left of the flagstick compared to the right.

But still much less than if you were able to take the flag out.

 

[Whereditgo]

not for me - the wind is clearly left to right and the girl in the dark shirt is nearer the camera, the 'bend' in the flagstick is caused by the wind and she is resisting that bend with her putter while not standing on an extension of the line of the putt.

 

[rulefan]

You are obviously seeing stuff I'm not.

I can see the girl in the dark shirt, using the head of the club to pull the flagstick towards her, away from the girl who is putting. There is a noticeable difference in the amount of the hole visible to the left of the flagstick compared to the right.

What relevance the ball has I do not know.

The flagstick has to be centred. The socket is in the centre of the hole. The ball will hit the stick about 4" above the socket as near as dammit to the centre.


However, as said by Whereditgo, the wind is blowing virtually at right angles to line of putt. The girl to the right is pushing the stick against that wind. She is not pulling it towards herself.

 

[Jimaroid]

It’s a left hand putter, it’s not hooked around the flagstick so not being held in tension. It also looks very windy from the way their hair is streaming and the way their shirts are clinging to their midriff.

It’s also a pretty awful quality picture full of JPEG artefacts so you can’t draw a definite conclusion as to whether the flagstick is actually offcentre in the hole, its possible the right side of the hole as we’re looking at it is just compressed badly.

 

[Imurg]

I think you're all overthinking this......

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Disappointing to see that both of them have their shirts untucked - wouldn't have been allowed in my day

As for holding the flag back, are you suggesting she's giving her PP an unfair advantage, or disadvantage - because it looks fine to me!

 

[Swango1980]

To the eye is most definitely looks like the girl on the right is pulling the flay stick towards her (regardless of wind condition and strength, some flags are still pretty rigid in the wind). Why? Because the flag is angled towards her. Also, if she was trying to push it away from her to centre it, then:

1. She is doing a terrible job
2. I'd have thought she'd use the bottom of her putter to do so. In the photo, she has it hooked around the flag, as if she is pulling it towards her.

At end of the day, it is a questionable act, and therefore a poor picture for them to use on their site. What picture follows, Patrick Reed taking a drop?

 

[Robster59]

It's a photo to show a way of holding the flag!

 

[Captainron]

can't tell much from that picture really. I just see 2 females playing golf and theyre on the green

 

[Whereditgo]

can't tell much from that picture really. I just see 2 females playing golf and theyre on the green

And in a Covid safe way, which is all the picture was intended to show - nothing else to see really!

 

[nickjdavis]

I've read all the comments, I'll be honest it seems folks are seeing things that I'm not....I don't see streaming hair (just a pony tail tucked through the back of a cap)....in actual fact I'm not sure its that windy. I see a right handed putter. The flag is clearly not centred and vertical.

If the wind was blowing left to right the most sensible place for the girl on the right to stand would be towards the left where you can counteract the effect of the wind.

I guess we all see things differently. I personally think it is a badly staged photo that might encourage golfers into believing that it is ok to pull the flag away from the putt. We had an issue in the months leading up to Xmas where our handicap secretary played with two different groups over 2 different comps and all the "other" players though it was ok to bend the flag away from the putt by pulling at it with the putter...exactly as the photo on the EG site appears to show (depending on how you interpret the image!!). Imagery like this on the EG site can only serve to reinforce such beliefs....I'd have thought that EG might have been a bit more careful.

 

[Robster59]

We all need to get out to play golf again. REALLY SOON!

 

[LincolnShep]

I think the woman on the right may be anchoring.

 

[Colin L]

We all need to get out to play golf again. REALLY SOON!

Just home from 9 holes which brings my 2021 total to 27 holes. Our course has been open on only 3 days so far this year.

 

[Mandofred]

I regularly do this for people I play with. It isn't so much the flag getting bent over in a stiff wind, it's the flag being loose a bit in the bottom and any wind makes some flags lean to one side (and sometimes they are just plain loose and lean without any wind). Doesn't happen much/any with a new flag stick, but once they start wearing they become loose.

People are reading too much into things. Just an example of how to keep the flag straight if it's leaning and you aren't allowed to hold the flag with your hands. I wouldn't think it's a secret test by the golf association to see if people are paying attention......