Strokes Gained for Amateurs: A Plain-English Guide
TL;DRTour players use it. Most amateurs misread it. Here's what to ignore and what to act on.
Strokes Gained takes every shot you hit and asks: how does this compare to what a benchmark player would have done from the same spot? Add the differences up and you get a number per category — driving, approach, short game, putting — that tells you exactly where your strokes are leaking.
The four categories
- SG: Off the Tee — every tee shot on a par 4 or par 5.
- SG: Approach — every shot that's not a tee shot, putt, or shot from inside ~30 yards.
- SG: Around the Green — chips, pitches, and bunker shots from inside ~30 yards.
- SG: Putting — everything on the green.
Benchmark numbers worth remembering
| Handicap | SG: Off Tee | SG: Approach | SG: ARG | SG: Putting | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | -0.8 | -1.6 | -0.9 | -1.0 | -4.3 |
| 10 | -1.2 | -3.8 | -1.9 | -2.4 | -9.3 |
| 15 | -2.1 | -5.7 | -2.8 | -3.5 | -14.1 |
| 20 | -3.0 | -7.4 | -3.6 | -4.4 | -18.4 |
Source:Mark Broadie, Every Shot Counts — strokes-gained framework and handicap-level baselines. Sub-category splits are illustrative; totals match published Broadie tables.
How to read your own numbers
Step 1 — Look at your biggest negative.
Not biggest as a percentage. Biggest in absolute strokes. If your SG: Approach is -4.2 and your SG: Putting is -1.8, approach play wins your attention this month — even if your putting "feels worse."
Step 2 — Compare to your handicap's benchmark.
A 10 with SG: Approach of -3.5 is actually slightly better than average at approach. Same player with SG: Putting of -3.1 is well below the 10-handicap baseline (-2.4) and should prioritize putting. Context matters.
Step 3 — Trust the trend, not the round.
Five rounds is the smallest sample worth reading. Below that you're reading noise. A bad SG: Putting number from a single round on bumpy greens is information you should throw out.
What Strokes Gained doesn't tell you
- Why you lost the shot. SG tells you the symptom, not the cause. A bad SG: Approach can be aim, club selection, or strike — only video and a coach untangle that.
- Whether the strategy was right. Going at a tucked pin and missing short-side will tank SG: Approach even if your swing was fine.
- Anything reliable below 5 rounds of data. Don't refactor your practice plan from one bad Tuesday.
Your next step
Log five rounds with shot-level data. Look at the four category numbers. The biggest negative is your single best practice target for the next month. That's it. The rest is execution.
FAQ
What is Strokes Gained in golf?+
Strokes Gained measures every shot against the expected number of shots from that location to hole out, based on a benchmark (tour, scratch, or a handicap level). Positive numbers mean you played that shot better than the benchmark; negative means worse.
Do I need a launch monitor to track Strokes Gained?+
No. You just need to log lie, distance, and outcome of every shot. Apps like Coach by ATX, Arccos, and Shot Scope handle the math. A launch monitor measures ball flight; Strokes Gained measures decisions and execution combined.
What's a good Strokes Gained: Approach number for a 10 handicap?+
Roughly -3.5 to -4 versus scratch per round. Anything better than -3 puts you in the top quartile of 10 handicaps. Anything worse than -5 means approach play is your single biggest fix.
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