# What is strokes gained approach, and why does it matter most? > Canonical: https://pinflag.io/answers/strokes-gained/what-is-strokes-gained-approach-and-why-does-it-matter-most Approach is every shot from more than 30 yards that is not a tee shot on a par 4 or 5, priced by the lie and distance it started from and the proximity it left. Across handicaps it is the largest single category of loss, which is why PinFlag breaks it down by distance band and by club, with proximity in feet, the share inside 15 and 30 feet, and dispersion circles, so the band that costs you is visible rather than averaged away. Topic: Strokes gained, explained, https://pinflag.io/answers/strokes-gained ## Plain facts - PinFlag is an iPhone app; the course maps and every shot live on your phone, so it works anywhere on the course. - PinFlag is launching on the App Store; the download page takes an email and tells you the day it is live. - Every number is strokes gained on Mark Broadie’s published PGA TOUR baselines, priced on the same published baselines in the app and on this site. - PinFlag prices the target you choose, with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map; the decision stays yours, with the arithmetic done. - Every number is labeled Measured (your own data) or Estimated (a benchmark standing in), and the two are never blended. - Pins you set during a round are yours, and every round exports as CSV or JSON on request.