Strokes Gained
Strokes Gained Putting, Explained
Strokes gained putting measures your putting against a benchmark by comparing the expected putts to hole out from each starting distance to the number of putts you actually take.
What is strokes gained putting?
It’s strokes gained applied to the green: every putt is scored against the expected putts to hole out from its starting distance, so a holed 30-footer is correctly rewarded and a three-putt is correctly penalised.
Strokes gained putting: the difference between the expected putts to hole out from your starting distance and the putts you actually take, summed across every green.
It was the first strokes gained category the PGA Tour published (2011), because the data — distance to the hole before each putt — is the cleanest on the course. See the full method in the complete strokes gained guide.
How is strokes gained putting calculated?
For each putt, take the baseline for your starting distance, subtract the baseline where the ball finished, and subtract one. Add those up across the round.
| Distance | Expected putts to hole out |
|---|---|
| 3 ft | 1.04 |
| 5 ft | 1.23 |
| 8 ft | 1.50 |
| 10 ft | 1.61 |
| 15 ft | 1.78 |
| 20 ft | 1.87 |
| 30 ft | 1.98 |
| 40 ft | 2.06 |
| 60 ft | 2.21 |
- Make an 8-footer: 1.50 − 0 − 1 = +0.50. Tour players make 8-footers about half the time, so holing one is worth half a stroke.
- Lag a 40-footer to 3 feet, then tap in: (2.06 − 1.04 − 1) + (1.04 − 0 − 1) = +0.06. A good lag plus a tidy tap-in beats the benchmark slightly.
- Three-putt from 20 feet: 1.87 − 0 − 3 = −1.13. One three-putt can erase several good putts.
What is a good strokes gained putting number?
Against scratch, around zero per round is solid amateur putting; the tour’s best gain roughly +0.7 to +1.0 strokes per round on the field. Consistency matters more than the occasional hot day.
Because putting is high-variance, judge it over many rounds, not one. If your strokes gained putting is reliably negative, the fastest fixes are usually lag putting (cutting three-putts) and the 4-to-8-foot range, where makeable putts add up.
Don’t over-index on putting
Putting feels decisive because it’s the last thing you do on a hole, but Broadie’s data shows it’s a smaller share of scoring than the long game. Fix your biggest leak first — it’s usually approach play.
Frequently asked questions
How many strokes does a three-putt cost?
What distance should I practice to gain the most strokes putting?
Sources
Keep reading
Strokes Gained
Strokes Gained Explained: The Complete Guide
Strokes gained measures every shot against a benchmark of expected scores, revealing exactly where you gain or lose strokes versus a chosen standard — instead of guessing from fairways, greens, and putts.
Strokes Gained
Strokes Gained Approach, Explained
Strokes gained approach measures your shots into the green from beyond about 30 yards — and it is the single biggest separator between skill levels.
Strokes Gained
Strokes Gained vs. Traditional Stats (Fairways, Greens, Putts)
Strokes gained prices every shot in strokes against a benchmark, while traditional stats — fairways, greens, and putts — count outcomes without context, so they can hide weaknesses and even punish good play.