LEARN / STROKES GAINED
A more useful way to measure performance, with a clearer way to decide what to work on next.
Strokes gained is the most important statistical framework in modern golf analytics. Developed by Columbia Business School professor Mark Broadie, strokes gained measures a golfer's performance relative to a baseline, typically the average performance of players at a given skill level from every position on the course. Unlike traditional statistics such as fairways hit or greens in regulation, strokes gained captures the full picture of how each shot contributes to your overall score.
Understand performance from the first tee shot to the final putt.
Measures driving performance including both distance and accuracy. A golfer who consistently drives 280 yards into the fairway gains strokes over a player who averages 250 yards with poor accuracy. This category captures tee shot quality on par-4s and par-5s, helping you understand whether your driver is a weapon or a liability.
Evaluates iron play and approach shots from any distance to the green. This is often the most important category for competitive golfers, as approach accuracy determines how many birdie opportunities you create. Strokes gained approach factors in both distance to the hole and the difficulty of the shot.
Covers short game performance including chipping, pitching, and bunker play, as well as putting efficiency. Strokes gained putting measures how well you convert putts from various distances compared to the average player. Short game strokes gained captures everything from 50 yards and in, excluding putts.
The power of strokes gained lies in its ability to objectively identify where a golfer is losing the most strokes. Traditional stats can be misleading, a player might hit 70% of greens in regulation but still lose strokes on approach because they consistently leave themselves 40-foot putts. Strokes gained accounts for the quality of each shot outcome, not just whether a binary target was achieved.
For competitive golfers, college players, elite amateurs, and aspiring professionals, strokes gained analysis is essential for structuring effective practice. Without it, most players default to practicing what feels comfortable or what went wrong in their last round, rather than addressing the areas that consistently cost them the most strokes over time. InwrdsGolf automates this analysis so you always know exactly where to focus your practice time for maximum improvement.
By tracking your rounds in InwrdsGolf and reviewing your strokes gained breakdown, you build a data-driven understanding of your game that removes guesswork from your development. Over time, this approach leads to more intentional practice, faster improvement, and lower scores in competition.
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