Golf Glossary
Strokes Gained
In short
Strokes gained is a golf statistic that measures, for every shot, how many strokes it gains or loses compared with a benchmark. The benchmark is the average number of strokes a player needs from that lie and distance to the hole. This lets you rate the contribution of the tee shot, approach, short game and putting separately.
Strokes gained in golf: the meaning explained
Classic statistics such as fairways hit or putts per round only show part of the picture. A player with 30 putts has not automatically putted well. The balls may simply rarely have been far from the hole. Strokes gained solves this problem with a benchmark.
The idea is simple: for every lie on the course there is an average number of strokes to hole out. From the tee of a par 4 of average length it is about four strokes for tour professionals. From three metres on the green it is roughly between one and a half and two. A shot gains strokes if it lowers the expectation for the next shot by more than the one stroke it costs. It loses strokes if it achieves less.
A positive value therefore means better than the benchmark and a negative value means worse. Because each shot is rated individually, a result can be broken down by area, showing where you really gain or lose strokes.
How strokes gained is calculated: a worked example
The formula for a single shot is: expected strokes before the shot minus expected strokes after the shot minus one. The one is the stroke itself. If the result is positive, you have gained strokes.
A simplified example on a par 4 (the expected values are chosen purely for illustration):
- Tee shot: expected value from the tee 4.0. The ball is on the fairway, expected value 2.9. Calculation: 4.0 minus 2.9 minus 1 equals plus 0.1.
- Approach: start 2.9. The ball finishes three metres from the hole, expected value 1.6. Calculation: 2.9 minus 1.6 minus 1 equals plus 0.3.
- Putt: start 1.6. The ball drops, expected value afterwards 0. Calculation: 1.6 minus 0 minus 1 equals plus 0.6.
Together that is plus 1.0. This fits: the par 4 was played in three strokes, a birdie, and the starting value was 4.0. The sum of all shots on a hole is always the benchmark minus the actual number of strokes.
The real expected values come from databases with a very large number of shots. They distinguish lies such as tee, fairway, rough, sand and green, as well as the distance to the hole.
The four categories: off the tee, approach, around the green, putting
Strokes gained is usually split into four categories. Every shot in the round belongs to exactly one of them.
- Off the tee: tee shots on par 4 and par 5 holes. Distance counts here, but so does the lie after the shot.
- Approach: approach shots to the green, usually from more than about 27 metres (30 yards) from the edge of the green, and also tee shots on par 3 holes.
- Around the green: shots close to the green, within about 30 yards of its edge, such as chips, pitches and bunker shots.
- Putting: all strokes on the green.
The four values add up to the overall result. There are also summaries: tee to green combines the first three categories. The tour statistics have used this split for many years.
The advantage is clear. Instead of saying I putt badly, you see whether you really lose strokes on the green or whether the poor putts were a consequence of weak approaches. With amateurs it often turns out that most strokes are lost before the green.
Origin: Mark Broadie and the PGA Tour
The method goes back to Mark Broadie of Columbia Business School. He analysed data from golf shots and built expected values for every lie from it. In his book Every Shot Counts he also describes the method for recreational players.
In 2011 the American PGA Tour introduced the statistic strokes gained putting. It is based on data from the ShotLink measuring system, which records the position and distance of every shot at tournaments. In the years that followed the idea was extended to other areas of the game: tee shots, approaches and the short game.
Today many professionals and coaches use these numbers to find weaknesses. There are also apps and sensors for amateurs that record shots and calculate a benchmark of their own.
One important point: the benchmark depends on what you compare yourself with. On tour it is the average of the tour professionals. For amateurs there are benchmarks by handicap group. A plus in putting therefore means something different depending on the underlying benchmark.
What strokes gained offers amateurs
For recreational players strokes gained is above all a tool to steer practice. If you know in which area you lose the most strokes, you can practise in a targeted way instead of training everything equally.
In his analyses Broadie has shown that amateurs often lose the largest share of their strokes in the long game, that is off the tee and on approach. That includes balls out of bounds, in water and in deep rough. Putting is important, but it is not always the main reason for a high score. For many players it therefore makes sense to avoid penalty-stroke mistakes first.
A practical example: you shoot 90. A look at the data shows that you had a penalty stroke on 6 holes, plus many approaches that clearly missed the green. The putter was not the problem at all. Without data you might have spent two weeks only putting.
Strokes gained does not replace practice, but it shows the way to it.
Limits and misunderstandings
Strokes gained is not a cure-all. A few points are worth knowing:
- Amount of data: the statistic only becomes meaningful over many rounds. A single result can depend heavily on chance.
- Accuracy of data: distances and lies must be recorded for every shot. Inaccurate measurements distort the picture.
- Benchmark: the figure is always relative to a comparison group. Plus 0.5 only means you were half a stroke better than that group.
- No cause: the statistic shows where strokes are lost, not why. Whether swing, club choice or decision making is the cause has to be clarified by a coach.
- Not every shot is equally hard: a putt from eight metres brings a lot if it drops, but costs little if it misses.
The name is also misleading. Strokes gained does not mean that strokes are credited to you at the end of the round. It is a pure analysis figure and affects neither the score nor the handicap.
How to start without technology
To begin with you need neither an app nor a sensor. A simple scorecard can give you meaningful hints:
- Note the number of putts per hole.
- Mark whether the fairway and the green were hit.
- Record penalty strokes and bunker lies.
- Note how often you saved par after missing the green.
After five rounds you will see patterns. Do you lose many strokes through penalties? Then the tee shot is the topic. Do you hit few greens? Then work on your approach play. Do you have many three-putts? Then putting is the lever.
Later you can become more precise with measured data. Radar launch monitors such as TrackMan provide values per shot such as carry distance, dispersion and club head speed. These data help you know your own distances. That is the basis for good decisions on the course.
Try it at Golf Lounge
Good statistics start with measured values. At Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg, TrackMan III provides radar ball flight measurement, as is also used on the professional tour, at every hitting bay and in the simulator boxes. You see launch angle, ball speed, club head speed, carry distance and spin, among other values. If you know your own distances, you make better decisions on the course. The range offers 32 hitting bays on two levels.
Frequently asked questions
What does strokes gained mean in golf?
Strokes gained measures, for every shot, how many strokes it gains or loses compared with a benchmark. The benchmark is the average number of strokes a player needs from that lie and distance to hole out. Plus means better and minus means worse than the comparison.
How is strokes gained calculated?
For every shot: expected strokes before the shot minus expected strokes afterwards minus one. The sum of all shots on a hole gives the benchmark minus the actual number of strokes. The expected values come from large databases and distinguish lie and distance.
What are the four strokes gained categories?
Off the tee for tee shots, approach for shots to the green, around the green for chips, pitches and bunker shots, and putting for all strokes on the green. Together they make up the overall result. This shows in which area you gain or lose strokes.
Who invented strokes gained?
The method goes back to Mark Broadie of Columbia Business School. The PGA Tour introduced strokes gained putting in 2011 and further categories followed. Broadie also describes the method for amateurs in his book Every Shot Counts.
Can I use strokes gained as a recreational golfer?
Yes, with limits. Exact strokes gained values need distance data for every shot, which apps and sensors can provide. To begin with, simple notes on putts, fairways, greens and penalty strokes are enough. They already show in which area you lose the most strokes.
As of: October 2026