Strokes Gained

You've probably heard the term "Strokes Gained" during golf broadcasts – but what does it really mean for your game?

Strokes Gained shows you how each part of your game stacks up against other golfers. It goes beyond basic stats to reveal where you’re truly gaining strokes, or giving them away, on the course. It's the secret sauce top pros use, and now it's effortlessly yours.

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

Unlock Strokes Gained with Smart Tracking

To track Strokes Gained stats on 18Birdies, you’ll need to activate the Smart Tracking scoring mode.

Smart Tracking uses your phone or Apple Watch to automatically detect and track your shots in the background while you play — no manual input, no distractions. After each hole, you’ll just confirm your score and a few quick details, and 18Birdies will take care of the rest.

By the time you finish your round, you’ll have:

A complete shot-by-shot breakdown of every hole

True club distances, based on actual on-course performance
Advanced stats and powerful Strokes Gained analysis to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses
Personalized tips designed to help you improve where it matters most

Learn more about Smart Tracking in 18Birdies. {LINK to Main Article}

How Does Strokes Gained Actually Work?

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 a little extra work. The best part? It’s all broken down for you in the Strokes Gained feature on 18Birdies.

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.

Accessing Strokes Gained Stats in 18Birdies

After you’ve tracked your first round using Smart Tracking, 18Birdies turns all those tracked shots into powerful, in-depth Strokes Gained stats. These stats highlight a clear path to improvement through detailed shot breakdowns and performance trends across all of 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, as it measures 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.

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.

Own Your Improvement

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 powered by Smart Tracking, you’ll know exactly where to focus your practice – whether it’s dialing in your drives, mastering your short game, or sinking more putts.

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!