Strokes gained explained

Strokes Gained Explained

What is Strokes Gained?

Strokes Gained is a simple yet powerful tool that provides a snapshot of the key aspects of your game to rapidly pinpoint opportunities for improvement.

Your average performance in each area is compared to a database of performance averages for golfers at a skill level that you choose.
Positive numbers show where you are performing better than the average and gaining strokes. Negative numbers show where you are losing strokes and need to improve.
In this example, the golfer is a good driver and putter but needs to spend more time working on the short game and iron play.

History of Strokes Gained

Over 20 years ago, Mark Broadie, a professor at Columbia Business School and former champion at his club, was at the forefront of a revolutionary approach to how to improve your golf performance and strategy.

As a mathematician, Broadie did not believe that traditional golf stats, such as score, greens in regulation and number of putts were sufficient to understand what made a top player on the PGA Tour better than others. Also, such limited data failed to help him understand, ”what it takes to drop 10 strokes off your golf score?” His research led to the development of “Strokes Gained” and the writing of his renowned book Every Shot Counts in 2014.
Beginning in 2003, the PGA Tour began gathering detailed data on every shot taken by their players at every tournament using about 350 volunteers and a system called ShotLink that cost $millions to develop. Ball locations and distances were measured and recorded on every shot.
The ShotLink data was provided to PhD mathematician Mark Brodie who refined the revolutionary concept of Strokes Gained based upon the distance, location and score for each shot. Today Strokes Gained provides a scientific method to measure the performance of each aspect of a Tour Players game as compared to every other Tour Player. If a player performed better in a measured category he would be “Gaining” strokes on the field and if he was playing worse, he would be “Losing” strokes to the field.
Now every PGA Tour Player can see how he performs in each Strokes Gained category and identify the areas to work to improve his game. GameTraX™ 360 with SuperTags can do the same for recreational golfers without 350 volunteers and without distracting from the enjoyment of your game. JUST GO PLAY and see where you gain strokes or lose them and what it takes to reach your target score.

Why Use Strokes Gained?

Golf is more than just counting shots—it's about mastering different aspects of the game. Strokes Gained is a powerful tool that goes beyond traditional scoring and statistics, providing insights into specific skills that are your key to better golf. It goes beyond simple fairways hit and greens in regulation to pinpoint exactly where you're gaining or losing strokes compared to golfers of similar skill.
Each Strokes Gained category factors in both accuracy and distance for each shot taken, so you can see the whole picture in a simple snapshot. It`s not just about “How Long” or “How Straight” you hit it a shot, it`s about “How Well” you hit your shots compared to your target group.
Unlike other shot tracking applications, GameTraX™ 360 not only provides you with your summary Strokes Gained averages, it also shows strokes gained for every shot on every hole.

How Can I Use Strokes Gained to Get Better?

Strokes Gained Statistics provide a quick snapshot of the area where you need to improve the most.

Find the category with the worst score, even if all are positive (+) or all are negative (-), and that`s where you begin. The specific score doesn`t matter. The worst one of the four is where you`re looking to improve. In this case the golfer is losing -1.88 shots “Around the Green” compared to his peer group.
GameTraX™ allows a deeper dive into your SHORT GAME for a more detailed picture. In this case the golfer is losing the most strokes (-1.56) in the 11–20-yard range from the hole. You can also see that another detailed GameTraX™ statistic FEET REM (proximity to the hole) for that distance is 20 feet. If this golfer were to practice and improve from this distance, scores would improve quickly.
Once you pinpoint the area where you need to improve the most, get help from an instructor or practice that area while maintaining your performance in the others. Having a balanced game allows you to play your best and improve rapidly.

Performance Averages – MyPar Goal

SkyGolf`s MyPar feature allows you to select and compare your capabilities against Tour Professionals as well as with golfers within a given handicap range. Measure yourself against golfers within your current scoring range or pick a lower range to see what you need to work on to get there.

Turn Insights Into Improvement with Strokes Gained + SwingTraX™ 360

Strokes Gained shows where you’re losing strokes—SwingTraX™ 360 shows you how to fix it. Let’s say your short game is holding you back. With Strokes Gained, you’ll see exactly how much. Then, SwingTraX™ 360 goes deeper—tracking key swing metrics and generating a 3D simulation of your motion, so you can sharpen your technique and lower your scores.

For example, shots Around the Green demand a different tempo than full swings. Most short game shots perform best with a 2:1 tempo (backswing:downswing), compared to the 3:1 you’d use off the tee. With SwingTraX™ 360, you can measure:

Swing Tempo
Total Swing Time
Backswing Time
Downswing Time
Backswing Length
Clubhead Speed

If your tempo’s off—say, 3:4 instead of the ideal 2:1—your short pitches won’t land close, and your proximity to the hole suffers. But now, you’ve got the tools to fix it.

Want better distance control? Just lock in a target yardage and track your backswing length and clubhead speed. Dial it in, and start sticking it close.

GameTraX™ 360 identifies where you’re losing strokes. SwingTraX™ 360 helps you groove a fix.

Because you can't fix it if you can't see it. With SuperTags and SwingVue, now you can.

NOTHING ELSE COMES CLOSE.