Strokes Gained is a measure of a golfer’s ability relative to a group average (benchmark). Each stroke is measured using an initial expected score to hole out from these benchmarks, and compared to the resulting expected score after a stroke is made. This is expressed as a positive (+) number if the shot gained strokes versus the benchmark, or a negative (-) number if the shot lost strokes versus the benchmark.

Most shots will gain or lose fractional strokes which are then aggregated and compiled into categories (Off The Tee, Approach, Short Game and Putting).

Strokes Gained applies an expected score to hole out based on a player’s current lie and distance to the hole. After making a stroke, a new expected score is applied based on the resulting lie and distance to the hole.

(Expected Score) – (New Expected Score) – 1 = Strokes Gained

Example 1

A player has 160 metres to the hole from the fairway. The expected score to hole out is 3.06. After the stroke is made, the ball is now 30 feet from hole on the green. The expected score is now 1.98.

3.06 – 1.98 – 1 = +0.08. The player has gained 0.08 strokes.

Example 2

A player has 200 metres to the hole from the tee. The expected score to hole out is 3.17. After the stroke is made, the ball is now 15 metres from the hole in the rough. The expected score to hole out is 2.51.

3.17 – 2.51 – 1 = -0.34. The player has lost 0.34 strokes.

Precise Performance Assessment: Strokes Gained provides a much more comprehensive measure of a golfer's performance compared to traditional statistics like fairways hit or greens in regulation. It accounts for the impact of every stroke, giving a clearer picture of strengths and weaknesses.

Identifying Areas for Improvement: By analysing Strokes Gained data, golfers can pinpoint specific aspects of their game where they are losing strokes relative to selected benchmarks.

Strategic Decision Making: Coaches and players can make more informed decisions based on Strokes Gained data. We can develop tailored practice plans, course management strategies, and equipment choices to optimise performance based on specific strengths and weaknesses.

Goal Setting: Strokes Gained metrics provide a clear benchmark for tracking progress over time and setting performance goals. Golfers can monitor their strokes gained statistics across different time periods, courses, or competition levels to assess improvement and adjust their goals accordingly.

There are numerous advantages of using Strokes Gained benchmarks to improve your golf game, however it does come with some disadvantages.

• Course Layout/Setup: A golf course with many hazards and native areas will naturally play much harder than a layout with wide fairways and lack of penalty areas. A hole of the same distance at each of these courses will use the same expected score for Strokes Gained purposes. Mostly Off The Tee and Approach categories will be affected in this scenario. Furthermore, a course with thick rough will play harder than somewhere with light rough. Approach and Short Game would be most affected here.

• Accuracy: Especially when putting, calculating the correct distance to the hole is imperative. For example, a 40ft putt vs a 45ft putt has a difference in expected scoring by 0.04, this may seem like a minor change however this can add up of an 18 hole round. As we move closer to the hole, the gaps in expected scoring become much larger. An 8ft putt vs a 10ft putt has a difference of 0.11 and a 7ft putt vs a 6ft putt has a difference of 0.12 strokes.

• Shot Context: Strokes Gained does not account for difficulty of a stroke. Benchmarks will only take the average of all strokes from that distance. Some strokes from the same distance will be much harder than others.

  Example: A stroke from 150 metres into the wind has the same expected score as that same stroke downwind.

  Example Two: A ball plugged in a greenside bunker has the same expected score as a ball sitting favourably in a bunker from the same distance.

  Over the long-term a player will face a similar number of easy and difficult shots so SG numbers will even out.

Tee - The tee box, where the ball is struck from a tee between two markers, which indicates the start of the hole.

Fairway - The fairway is the closely mown area of grass between the teeing ground and the green.

Rough - An area on a golf course covered with tall grass that makes it difficult to make clean contact with the ball.

Sand - A man-made area filled with sand strategically placed to challenge players.

Wasteland - A wasteland lie refers to being in an area of the course that is left uncultivated or wild, usually sandy with scattered rough grass, bushes and trees.

Green - An area of specially manicured grass surrounding the hole, excluding the fringe.

Recovery - Lies from which a clear shot to the green is not possible. Recovery shots include lies that have obstacles between the ball and the green, requiring the golfer to change their typical shot type to avoid the obstacle. It may also include extreme lie types from which there is virtually no chance of reaching the green and the purpose of the next stroke will be to put the ball back into a more favourable lie.

Minor Recovery - Any shot that has an obstacle, but your intention is to advance it more than 100 yards or hit it close to or on the green.

Examples are as follows;

• Shaping a ball around an overhanging tree branch from the rough.

• A stroke made from the trees where the intention is to advance the ball more than 100 yards towards the hole.

Major Recovery - A shot where you are unable to advance the ball more than 100 yards and must attempt to put the ball back into play.

Penalty - Any time the golfer is required to add a penalty stroke to their score.

There are four shot categories relating to Strokes Gained.

Off The Tee (OTT)

All strokes from the tee on par 4s and par 5s.

Approach

All strokes made from 100 yards and above, including tee shots on par 3s.

Short Game

All strokes made from inside 100 yards that are not on the green.

Putting

All strokes made on the green.

Purely distance to the hole should be used to deliver the most consistent results.

On average, slope and wind will be accounted for as a player will likely have as many uphill strokes as downhill strokes and into the wind vs downwind strokes etc.

Club types can only be selected for tee shots. A player’s performance off the tee with a Driver, Wood, and Iron can differ substantially and is important to quantify so strengths and weaknesses can be identified. Using this data we can create optimal strategies for circumstances where decision-making is important or a player is unsure on club choice.

The difference between irons is minimal and distances for each club can vary dramatically based on wind, slope and other factors. With club tracking for every stroke, data could show a player’s 8-iron performs better than their 7-iron so they begin using their 8-iron on shots where it is not the optimal choice or lower the player’s confidence with 7-iron.

Example

A player takes 8-iron from the fairway with 170 metres to the pin with the hole playing straight down wind. The ball comes to rest on the green 40 feet from the hole and is considered a “poor” shot. The player has gained 0.05 strokes with their 8-iron.

A player takes 7-iron from the fairway with 130 metres to the pin with the hole playing directly into the wind. The ball comes to rest on the green 40 feet from the hole and is considered a “good” shot based on the difficulty of the stroke. The player has lost 0.14 strokes with their 7-iron.

The 7-iron from 130 metres was superior after considering shot difficulty, however the 7-iron is rated 0.19 strokes worse per stroke than the 8-iron.

Pin positions can be selected based on which sector of the green they are located.

FL - Front Left

FC - Front Centre

FR - Front Right

CL - Centre Left

CG - Centre Green

CR - Centre Right

BL - Back Left

BC - Back Centre

BR - Back Right

Pin position data will be broken down as follows:

• Strokes Gained per attempt and Strokes Gained per round vs pin position

• Proximity to hole vs pin position with distance breakdowns

• Missed green tendencies vs pin position

This data is only available on the Specialist package.

Essentials and Premium users are able to track this data but are unable to view unless upgrading to the Specialist platform.

Putts that are 3ft or greater can be tracked as follows.

NB - No Break

LR - Left to Right

RL - Right to Left

SU - Straight Uphill

ULR - Uphill Left to Right

URL - Uphill Right to Left

SD - Straight Downhill

DLR - Downhill Left to Right

DRL - Downhill Right to Left

DB - Double Breaker

Putts will be categorised by distance and data displayed as follows:

• Make percentage by break

• Miss tendencies by break

This data will be provided to Premium and Specialist users.

Essential package users will be able to track putting breaks but can only access the data upon upgrade.