# What is strokes gained?

Strokes gained measures one shot against the average from that exact spot: expected strokes before the shot, minus expected strokes after it, minus the one stroke it cost. It was published by Mark Broadie in 2011 and is the framework professional golf uses.

## Key figures

- A tee shot on a 420 yard hole starts at 4.020 expected strokes.
- From 150 yards in the fairway the average player is 2.945 strokes from holing out; from the rough at the same distance, 3.190.
- Eighteen feet averages 1.840 putts.
- On any hole the shot by shot values sum exactly to expected strokes from the tee minus strokes taken.

## Scope

- The baseline is a tour field, so nearly every amateur strokes gained number is negative. That is the scale working, not a verdict.

Full page: https://pinflag.io/strokes-gained