Can you imagine playing basketball without a backboard?

A study of over 1,000,000 simulated basketball shots done by North Carolina State University engineers showed basketball players shot 20% better using the backboard. Or as Natalie Morris of NetBall says, “No contest. A backboard is cheating, in my opinion.”

Thanks to USGA rule change 13.2a(2), leaving the flagstick (aka backboard) in while you putt is no longer considered cheating or breaking tradition.
So, now that you can leave the pin in, naturally, the next question is, should you leave it in? MyGolfSpy put this question to the test!

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the effect that exists when a golfer leaves the flag in vs. the flag out during a round of golf. This was done to determine the make vs. miss % and the resulting distance of missed putts.
How We Tested:

• We tested the two most common types of flagsticks
• We rolled putts with the pin-in and pin-out
• We tested both center strikes and off-center strikes on the flagstick
• We tested with the flag leaning forward and back
• To guarantee the most reliable results, we used a putting machine called the Perfect Putter
• Each test was run at three different speeds
• We tested with putts that would roll 3 ft, 6ft, and 9 ft past the hole
• We collected the resulting distance of missed putts
• We recorded both the make and miss % from all putts at all distances

The Verdict: 

• Leaving the flagstick is always an advantage vs. taking the flagstick out
• Leaving the flagstick in also keeps the ball closer to the hole on misses.