How to improve strokes gained
Strokes gained improves where the strokes are actually lost, and the published table prices each fix: an approach that finishes 25 feet away instead of 40 is worth 0.13 of a stroke, a drive in the fairway instead of the rough 0.25, a lag putt to 3 feet instead of 8 0.46, and one avoided tee shot out of bounds 2.05.
Fix the biggest leak first
The mistakes below each cost a full stroke or more on the published baseline. One fewer per round is worth more than any amount of putting practice, and they are the first thing a strokes gained breakdown makes visible.
Whole stroke mistakes, priced
| Mistake | Cost in strokes |
|---|---|
| A tee shot out of bounds on a 400 yard hole | 2.05 |
| Three putting from 20 feet | 1.12 |
| Three putting from 30 feet | 1.02 |
| Missing from 3 feet | 0.95 |
| Driving into the rough rather than the fairway, same distance | 0.25 |
| Going at the green from a recovery lie instead of chipping out | 0.12 |
Approach: proximity
Approach is the largest category of loss for nearly every amateur, and it improves through proximity, not greens hit. From 150 yards the same green hit is worth very different amounts depending on the leave.
An approach from 150 yards, by finish
| Finish | Expected putts | Approach worth |
|---|---|---|
| 40 feet | 2.058 | -0.113 |
| 30 feet | 1.984 | -0.039 |
| 25 feet | 1.931 | +0.014 |
| 20 feet | 1.878 | +0.067 |
| 15 feet | 1.784 | +0.161 |
Moving the median from 40 feet to 25 is worth 0.13 of a stroke per approach; across ten full approaches a round it is the gap between two handicap bands.
Off the tee: stay in play
The fairway is worth about 0.25 of a stroke against the rough at 150 yards. A penalty is worth close to two. So the tee shot to work on is the one that finds trouble, and the club to work on is the one that keeps the ball in play on the holes where the miss costs two rather than a quarter.
Putting: the lag
A three-putt costs 0.94 strokes from 40 feet, and it is almost always a lag problem. A first putt to 3 feet leaves 1.053 expected putts; to 8 feet 1.515. Distance control from 30 to 60 feet is the putting practice that moves the number.
Around the green: the leave
From 25 yards in the rough a chip to 3 feet is worth +0.58 and a chip to 12 feet -0.05. The short game improves by leave, measured in feet by lie, not by up and down percentage.
In PinFlag
This is what Insights is for: strokes gained by category to find the leak, proximity by distance band and club to find the approach range, three-putt frequency and the leave heat map for the greens, short-game proximity by lie, and Score Killers for the whole stroke mistakes. On the course, the number before the swing turns the fixes into decisions: the safer target, priced.
Frequently asked questions
Which strokes gained category should I work on first?
How much does hitting it closer improve strokes gained?
Does practising putting improve strokes gained the most?
How do I know if I have improved?
Which golf app does this on the course?
Related
Sources
- PGA TOUR statistics
- Mark Broadie, Columbia Business School (Wikidata entity)
- How PinFlag calculates strokes gained
Every figure on this page is computed from the published baselines, the same ones PinFlag prices your shots with. The scope of the figures: Every value is the published tour baseline; the priorities follow Broadie’s published split of where amateurs lose strokes.
Get PinFlag for iPhone
PinFlag shows you this number on the course, for the shot in front of you, before you swing: any target priced with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map, your real shots drawn on the hole, and two taps to log. Golfer is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a 14-day trial on the annual plan through the App Store.