What Does Pin High Mean? [How To Do It In Golf?]

There’s plenty of golf terms that you’ve heard and probably thought, what does that mean? Pin high is almost certainly one of those terms.

I remember playing on the golf course with a mate who’d just taken up the game. He’d hit a really well-struck iron shot from about 100 yards, but it had sliced off away to the right, missing the green by 10 yards. I turned around and said to him, “Nice strike, that’ll be pin high”. I was actually being genuine in my sentiment, but he just looked at me in utter confusion/disgust.

So what is pin high in golf? Let’s take a look and find out what does pin high in golf mean.

what does pin high mean golf

What Does Pin High Mean?

Pin High Meaning

It may sound a little strange, but being pin high is just a term used in golf for when a shot finishes up the exact distance of the flag. It’s used if you’ve hit your golf ball well and it’s travelled the correct distance to the hole.

This could be that you’ve hit the perfect length and it’s finished a couple of feet to the right or the left. For example, say you’ve got 150 yards to the flag. You absolutely rip an 8 iron and it lands 147 yards and rolls a further 3 yards forward. This means you’ll have hit it 150 yards and you’ll be pin high.

There are also times when you can be well offline from the flag, but still be pin high. Providing you’ve still got the golf ball pin high and the same length as the flag, you’ll be pin high even if the ball is 20 yards to the right. All are considered pin-high golf shots.

Is Pin High Good?

A lot of the time it’s a good thing when you’re playing golf on the golf course. However, like with most things in golf (and life), it depends on a few varying factors.

If you’ve hit it hole high and it’s sitting pretty a couple of feet away from the flagstick, then, of course, that’s great. But if you’ve hit it pin high and it’s in the bunker on the right of the green, then it’s not ideal and you can still end up making double bogey.

Therefore, as much as hitting the correct distance shows you’ve got your yardages, distance control, and ball striking on point. It also doesn’t really take into account what line the golf ball is travelling on.

With that said, if you can get to a stage where hitting the correct distance becomes second nature and you can trust your yardages for each club, this is an ideal position to be in with your game.

If you’re playing sensible golf, aim for the middle of the greens. If you can hit it the right distance, more times than not you’re going to have a good chance of making birdies and pars.

what is pin high in golf

Why Is It Called Pin High In Golf?

Pin high golf is simply a term used for describing where a ball finishes in relation to the flagstick. Flag high is exactly the same thing and means you’ve hit your ball level with the flag. Despite what the name may suggest, it doesn’t actually mean the height of the shot was the same height as the flag.

Like with a lot of golf terms, it’s more of a slang word used to describe something that’s happened whilst playing. There’s no real origin of the term being used as it’s just come about over time.

Simply hitting your approach shot the same length as the pin, even if it’s in the wrong direction, will mean the shot is referred to as hit pin high.

How To Hit Pin High?

Hitting the golf ball pin high is a good thing most of the time. It shows that you’ve got your distance control dialled in. So if you can, you want to be able to consistently hit the ball to a pin high position as it will give you more chances to make the putt.

To hit the ball onto the putting green, to the same length as the flag is down to a few different factors.

First up you need to know the correct distance to the pin. This can be found out by using a yardage book, looking at a sprinkler with the yardage on or even using a rangefinder or golf watch. Once you know the yardage, you can then choose the right club to get the ball to the correct distance.

Of course, you’ll then also need to know how far you hit your clubs. This can be found by using a golf ball tracking system or an indoor golf simulator. This technology will be able to give you accurate data on how far each club goes so you know which clubs to use on the course.

Now you know how far the hole is and which club to use, you need to know you’ll be able to hit the ball solid enough to get it the required distance. This will come down to the level of golfer you are. How consistently can you strike the middle of the club and get the ball the necessary length?

If you’re an avid golfer and are playing well, this shouldn’t be too difficult. If you’re struggling to do this, getting a PGA Professional to assist and give you a golf lesson would be a good decision.

Final Thoughts

That’s it for this article explaining the pin high golf meaning. Being pin high in golf is a great place to be a lot of the time. However, it can also depend very much on the line of the shot.

Getting the distance exactly right means you’re adjacent to the flagstick, but this could mean you’re 5 feet away or 30 yards so can vary greatly.

Learning how to hit a draw and fade is a great method to help get the ball pin high.

Pin High FAQs

What does pin high mean in golf?

Pin high is when a golf ball finishes up at the same length as the flag stick. It doesn’t necessarily mean the golf ball has finished up on the putting green, but the ball is the correct distance as the flag.

What is considered as pin high?

A term in golf that basically means that your ball has finished up the same length as the golf flag or the golf pins. Your distance on the shot will be perfect and you’ll be the exact yardage. The shot will just be in the wrong direction.

What does pin low mean?

Pin low is when your shot ends up online with the flagstick, but it’s short or the wrong distance. Hitting it pin low is good for greens that slope from back to front because it will leave you with an uphill putt.

What does hole high mean in golf?

Hole high in golf is where your ball finishes up on a different line to the golf flag, but is the same distance. Hitting it hole high is always recommended when you’re playing golf, even if your line is wrong you’ll likely be on the green.

Ed Welton

Founder, Editor

Ed is the founder and editor at EEE Golf. He’s been playing golf for over 20 years, competing in many top amateur events. He’s played courses all over the world and played with some of the best players in the game. His aim is to help educate people about the game of golf and give insights into the sport he loves most.

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