Strokes Gained Categories and Calculation

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.