Ever look at a pro’s round summary and see stats like SG: Off-the-Tee: +1.2 and SG: Putting: -0.8 and wonder what it really means? The Strokes Gained statistic has changed how professional and amateur golfers analyze performance because it moves past simple data to tell the true story of a round. This guide will walk you through what Strokes Gained is, how it works, and how you can apply its principles to find the real strengths and weaknesses in your own game.
At its core, Strokes Gained measures your performance on every single shot relative to a benchmark, typically the average performance of PGA Tour players. A positive number means you performed better than the benchmark on that shot, while a negative number means you did worse.
Think about traditional stats for a moment. Metrics like "Fairways Hit," "Greens in Regulation," and "Putts Per Round" are useful, but they lack context. For example:
Traditional stats can't answer these questions. Strokes Gained can. It accounts for the lie, the distance, and the situation of every shot. By the end of a round, you don’t just know what you did, you know how well you did it compared to a high-level standard. It identifies exactly where you are gaining an advantage or losing ground to your competition, whether that's off the tee, on approach shots, around the green, or on the putting surface.
To really understand it, let’s walk through a single hole. The concept relies on a massive database that knows the average number of strokes it takes a PGA Tour pro to hole out from any distance and any lie (e.g., fairway, rough, bunker, green).
Let’s say you’re on a 420-yard par 4. The Tour average from the tee box on a hole of this length is 4.1 strokes.
On this hole, you made a par 4. Your total Strokes Gained for the hole would be:
+0.2 (OTT) - 0.1 (App) + 0.0 (Putting) = a total of +0.1 Strokes Gained for the hole.
You played the hole one-tenth of a shot better than a PGA Tour player would have on average. Now, imagine doing this for every shot in your round. That’s how you get a complete picture of your performance.
A round’s performance is broken down into four key areas. By looking at your numbers in each, you can stop guessing where you need to improve and start focusing your practice on the areas that are costing you the most shots.
This category measures your performance on every tee shot on par 4s and par 5s. It powerfully combines distance and accuracy into one number. It recognizes that a long drive slightly in the rough can often be more valuable than a short drive in the fairway. A positive SG: OTT number means your driving is a weapon, setting you up for easier approach shots. A negative number could mean you're either too short, too inaccurate, or both, which puts pressure on the rest of your game.
Many analysts consider this the most important a stat in golf. Itisolates the value of all your approach shots - shots from the fairway or rough aimed at the green. This also includes tee shots on par 3s. It measures your ability to control distance and accuracy with your irons and hybrids. Hitting an approach to 10 feet is obviously much better than hitting it to 40 feet, and SG: Approach quantifies that difference.
This stat covers your short game from within about 30-40 yards of the green, including chips, pitches, and bunker shots. It measures your ability to get the ball close to the hole from tricky spots. SG: ARG tells you how good your "scrambling" really is. A player with great hands and touch around the greens will post a positive number, saving par after a missed green. A player who struggles with chips (leading to fat shots or skulls) will lose a lot of strokes in this category.
Finally, a stat that tells you how good of a putter you really are. It measuresあなたのパッティングのパフォーマンスを指定された距離からベンチマークと比較します。(Measures your putting performance from a given distance compared to a benchmark). Instead of just counting total putts, it analyzes them. Was that a two-putt from 4 feet or from 60 feet? One is terrible, the other is excellent. SG: Putting knows the difference. One-putting a 20-footer gives you a big gain, while three-putting from 10 feet results in a significant loss.
You don't need a PGA Tour-sized statistical team to benefit from this way of thinking. Several consumer-level apps and GPS devices track Strokes Gained for amateurs, but even without them, you can adopt the mindset to guide your practice.
The first step is to change how you evaluate your game. Stop focusing on binary outcomes like "fairway hit" or "green missed." Instead, start paying attention to the quality of the outcome.
Here’s a simple mental checklist you can run after a round:
Your takeaway: Your goal isn't just to hit fairways, it's to advance the ball as effectively as possible to set up your next shot.
Your takeaway: The quality of your iron game isn't measured by GIR, but by the proximity to the hole of your good shots and the "miss" location of your bad ones.
Your takeaway: Identify where the shots bleed away. Is it bad chipping that leaves you with testy putts, or poor putting from inside 10 feet? The answer tells you whether to take your sand wedge or your putter to the practice green.
By asking these context-rich questions, you are adopting the core principles of Strokes Gained analysis. You force yourself to identify not just what you did, but how well you did it, pinpointing the specific patterns holding you back.
Strokes Gained provides a detailed, objective view of a golfer's abilities by adding much-needed context to every shot. It helps you understand the true source of your scores so you can move beyond simple stats and practice with a clear, specific purpose.
We know that tracking this on your own can feel complex, especially when you have a hundred other things to think about on the course. Our goal with Caddie AI is to simplify the strategic side of golf, giving you access to the same kind of smart, targeted advice that a pro-level analysis would provide, right when you need it. We built it to quiet the mental onceover, helping you understand your game and make smarter decisions on the course so you can play with more confidence and enjoy the game more.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
