Strokes Gained

Getting Started with Strokes Gained

Strokes Gained is your secret weapon on the course. It’s a powerful metric that shows you exactly where you’re gaining or losing strokes compared to others so you can gain that little edge over your friends on your next round. 

To take advantage of these stats, you need to track your round using the Strokes Gained Scoring mode. But how does it work? 

At 18Birdies, we’re all about making Strokes Gained approachable and easy to use so every golfer can benefit, no matter their skill level. We will walk you through how to get started so you can spend less time on your phone and more time on your golf game. 

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Setup

Setting up Strokes Gained for your round is easy - just start your round and select “Strokes Gained” as your scoring method. Get your other settings situated and get ready to play!

Marking Shots and Editing Shot Details

18Birdies uses GPS to track your shots to make things quick and easy. When you reach your ball, tap the “+ Shot” button at the bottom of the screen before you swing, and a marker will automatically drop at your location. Each marker is labeled with the shot number to keep you on track. 

To get the most out of Strokes Gained insights, add details to every shot. Tap on the shot marker or the three dots to pull up a quick detail screen. From there, you can select your lie based on where your ball landed. Did you hit a wayward shot? No problem – you can add a penalty here, which will be factored into your score and stats. Select a club to track your shots with TrueDistance.

If you’re short on time at the course, don’t worry! You can always enter these details later, either at the end of a hole or once you’ve finished your round. While optional, we recommend users input all shot details for the most accurate feedback.

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Putting and Hole Out

Dial in your putting stats with ease when you’re on the green. Walk to your ball and mark the location of your first putt by tapping “+ Putt”, and save your shot. 

Once you’ve hit, you need to mark the pin location. 

• Using your phone, you can click and drag the pin to the proper position with your finger. 
• If you’re tracking with an Apple Watch, walk up near the pin to mark it using your GPS location. 

Click “Confirm Pin Location” to finish and prepare for your next putt. If the pin position doesn’t look quite right, you can click “Edit Pin Position” in the top right to update it anytime. 

Continue adding and saving your putts before you hit each one. When you finish, tap “Hole Out” and double-check that everything is correct – you can always edit your shot details at the end of each hole or after your round. Hit save, and you’re all set for the next hole!

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How do Penalties Affect Strokes Gained?

Whether it’s a sliced tee shot or a shanked wedge, penalties happen – we’ve all been there. But if you score with Strokes Gained, how are these factored into your post-round stats? We’ll walk you through how to track a penalty with Strokes Gained scoring and how it affects your stats.

Adding Penalties

To add a penalty using strokes gained, identify which shot caused your penalty. For example, if you slice your tee shot into the woods, then the penalty is assigned to the first shot. Click on the correct shot marker, select the number of penalty strokes, and hit confirm. That’s it! The penalty will be automatically factored into your score.

How are my Stats Affected?

When you’re tracking with Strokes Gained scoring, every shot gets placed into a specific Strokes Gained Category. We handle the math for you – figuring out how many strokes you’ve gained or lost based on your shot outcome and adding that to the correct category. When you add a penalty to your shot, we’ll subtract the total penalty from the shot’s category automatically. Shake it off, and focus on the next shot!

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Using Strokes Gained on the Green 

Tracking shots on the green with Strokes Gained is a breeze, helping you dial in your putting stats with a few quick taps. We’ll walk you through adding putts, marking the pin, and holing out so you can sink them smooth with your flat stick.

When do I add a putt?

With Strokes Gained scoring, you’ve got two stroke options: “+ Shot” and “+ Putt.” Sounds simple, right? But things can get a bit tricky as you approach the green.

A shot is any stroke taken when the ball isn’t on the green. So, if you’re using your trusty Texas Wedge in the rough, it’s still considered a shot, even though you’re using your putter. 

A stroke only counts as a putt if the ball starts on the green – the fringe doesn’t count. If you’re looking for the best results and insights for your game, make sure you track all these shots properly!

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Adding Putts

Dial in your putting stats with ease when you’re on the green. Walk up to your ball and tap “+ Putt” to mark your first putt’s location, then save your shot. A marker will drop exactly where your ball sits, and if you’re on your phone, you can drag it to fine-tune the position.

Once you’ve hit, you need to mark the pin location. Using your phone, you can click and drag the pin to the proper position with your finger. If you’re tracking with an Apple Watch, walk up near the pin to mark it using your GPS location. Click “Confirm Pin Location” to finish and prepare for your next putt. If the pin position doesn’t look quite right, you can click “Edit Pin Position” in the top right to update it anytime.

After that, you’re ready to keep rolling – add and save each putt before you hit it to ensure you track every stroke.

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Holing Out

Hopefully after one or two putts, you’ll have made the ball into the hole. When you do, make sure to tap “Hole Out”. Double-check that everything is correct – you can always edit your shot details at the end of each hole or after your round. Hit save, and you’re all set for the next hole!

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How do you Calculate Strokes Gained?

Strokes Gained metrics provide plenty of insights to help you zero in on how to improve. But what is going on behind the scenes to bring you these rich and insightful stats? Let’s break down the basics of Strokes Gained categories and calculation. 

Strokes Gained Categories

Understanding where you gain or lose strokes on the course is key to improving your game, and that’s exactly what Strokes Gained is all about. Let’s break it down:

• Total: Your all-in-one metric that shows how you’re performing across every aspect of your game. See the full picture of where you’re gaining or losing strokes and track your overall improvement.
• Tee-to-Green: This covers all the shots you take from the tee box until you reach the green. It’s a big-picture view of how well you’re navigating the course before you pull out the putter.
• Off-the-Tee: Here’s where you can evaluate your driving game on par 4s and par 5s. How’s that big stick working for you? We’ll let you know.
• Approach: These are your shots from the fairway or rough more than 100 yards to the green, including all tee shots on par 3s and second shots on par 4s and par 5s. If you’re looking to dial in those approach shots, this is the stat for you.
• Wedge: See where you’re gaining or losing strokes between 20 and 100 yards. Focus on sharpening your approach with this key metric.
• Around-the-Green: This one’s all about your short game—those chips, pitches, and recovery shots within 20 yards of the green. If you’re a short-game wizard, this is where you’ll shine.
• Greenside Sand: Track your greenside bunker performance and see how you stack up. Improve your sand game and lower your scores.
• Putting: Finally, the moment of truth—how are you doing on the greens? This stat measures how many strokes you gain (or lose) with the flat stick. Whether you’re draining putts or leaving them short, we’ve got the numbers.

Each of these metrics gives you a clear picture of your strengths and where you might need extra work. The best part? It’s all broken down in the Strokes Gained feature on 18Birdies.

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Strokes Gained Calculation

So, how do we calculate Strokes Gained for any shot? It’s simpler than you might think. Here’s the formula:

Strokes Gained = Starting Position Benchmark − Finishing Position Benchmark − 1

Let’s say you’re on the fairway, and the average number of strokes to get in the hole from your spot is 2.5. You hit a great shot that lands you in a position where the average is now just 1.25 strokes. Here’s the math:

Strokes Gained = 2.5 − 1.25 − 1 = 0.25

In this case, you’ve gained 0.25 strokes—nice work! This equation applies to every shot you take, whether it’s off the tee, an approach, around the green, or putting. Each shot gets a Strokes Gained value, and these numbers can be positive (strokes gained) or negative (strokes lost). It’s all about giving you the insight you need to focus your practice and improve your game. 

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Strokes Gained Stats Breakdown

Now that you have tracked your first rounds using Strokes Gained scoring, you may wonder why you did all that work. Lucky for you, 18Birdies turns all those tracked shots into powerful, in-depth stats, making your effort pay off big time. These stats highlight a clear path to improvement through detailed shot breakdowns and performance trends across your rounds. Let’s jump into the visualizations and discover where you can start improving.

Setting your Benchmark

Strokes Gained is inherently a comparison metric, measuring your performance against a benchmark. We’ve analyzed thousands of rounds played by golfers at all different skill levels, allowing you to gauge your performance against golfers with similar abilities. Set your handicap benchmark to see exactly where you need to focus your efforts to improve and reach your next scoring goal.

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Dive into the Details: Graphs and Breakdowns

The Overall Graph gives you a quick snapshot of your game, showing exactly where you’re gaining or losing strokes. If you want to see how you’re doing on everything but putting, check out your Tee to Green stats for a clearer picture.

Want to dive deep into a specific Strokes Gained category? Each one is broken down by distance so you can identify exactly what shots you need to work on. Get even more granular by filtering out specific lie types to analyze your performance in any condition. If you’re struggling with the putter, 18Birdies shows you which distances are causing the most trouble so you can zero in on the ranges that need the most work.

Strokes Gained is a great way to help you set realistic goals and gain that little edge over your friends on the next round. With Strokes Gained stats breakdowns, you’ll know exactly where to focus your practice – whether it’s dialing in your drives, mastering your short game, or sinking more putts. Sure, it takes a little effort to track your Strokes Gained, but the payoff is huge. Not only will you see your scores drop, but you’ll also make the game more fun as you watch those birdies sink. Who knew a little data could bring so much excitement to your round!

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