Strokes Gained Calculator

Strokes Gained Calculator

function calculateStrokesGained() { var avgStrokesStart = parseFloat(document.getElementById('avgStrokesStart').value); var avgStrokesEnd = parseFloat(document.getElementById('avgStrokesEnd').value); var actualStrokes = parseFloat(document.getElementById('actualStrokes').value); var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result'); if (isNaN(avgStrokesStart) || isNaN(avgStrokesEnd) || isNaN(actualStrokes)) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for all fields."; resultDiv.style.color = '#dc3545'; return; } var strokesGained = avgStrokesStart – avgStrokesEnd – actualStrokes; var message = ""; if (strokesGained > 0) { message = "You GAINED " + strokesGained.toFixed(2) + " strokes on this shot!"; resultDiv.style.color = '#28a745'; // Green for positive gain } else if (strokesGained < 0) { message = "You LOST " + Math.abs(strokesGained).toFixed(2) + " strokes on this shot."; resultDiv.style.color = '#dc3545'; // Red for negative gain (loss) } else { message = "You performed exactly at the average for this shot (0.00 strokes gained)."; resultDiv.style.color = '#007bff'; // Blue for neutral } resultDiv.innerHTML = message; }

Understanding Strokes Gained in Golf

Strokes Gained is a revolutionary statistical approach in golf that measures a player's performance relative to the average performance of other golfers (typically PGA Tour professionals) from a given starting position. Unlike traditional stats like fairways hit or greens in regulation, Strokes Gained provides a more accurate picture of where a player is gaining or losing strokes against the field.

How Strokes Gained Works

The core concept of Strokes Gained is simple: every shot has an expected number of strokes it will take a professional golfer to get the ball in the hole from that position. When you hit a shot, you change your position on the course, and thus, you change the expected number of strokes remaining to hole out.

The formula for a single shot is:

Strokes Gained = (Average Strokes to Hole from Starting Position) – (Average Strokes to Hole from Ending Position) – (Actual Strokes Taken for the Shot)

Let's break down the components:

• Average Strokes to Hole from Starting Position: This is the benchmark. It's the average number of strokes a PGA Tour player would take to get the ball in the hole from where your shot began. This data is derived from millions of shots tracked by systems like ShotLink.
• Average Strokes to Hole from Ending Position: After your shot, your ball is now in a new position. This is the average number of strokes a PGA Tour player would take to get the ball in the hole from this new position.
• Actual Strokes Taken for the Shot: This is almost always 1, as you're calculating for a single shot. It could be more if a penalty stroke was incurred on that specific shot.

Using the Strokes Gained Calculator

Our calculator simplifies this process for you. To use it effectively, you'll need to estimate or look up the "Average Strokes to Hole" values for your starting and ending positions. While precise ShotLink data isn't always available for every amateur, general PGA Tour averages for various distances are widely published and can serve as excellent benchmarks.

Example Scenario: Approach Shot

Let's say you're 150 yards from the hole, and you hit an approach shot that lands 15 feet from the hole. You took 1 stroke for this shot.

• Average Strokes to Hole from Starting Position (150 yards): A typical PGA Tour average might be around 3.1 strokes.
• Average Strokes to Hole from Ending Position (15 feet): A typical PGA Tour average might be around 1.8 strokes.
• Actual Strokes Taken for This Shot: 1 stroke.

Using the calculator:

Strokes Gained = 3.1 (Start) – 1.8 (End) – 1 (Actual) = 0.3 strokes gained

This means you gained 0.3 strokes on the field with that particular approach shot, performing better than the average professional from that distance.

Example Scenario: Poor Putt

You're 10 feet from the hole, and you three-putt. Let's analyze your first putt.

• Average Strokes to Hole from Starting Position (10 feet): A typical PGA Tour average might be around 1.8 strokes.
• Average Strokes to Hole from Ending Position (after first putt, ball is 3 feet from hole): A typical PGA Tour average might be around 1.1 strokes.
• Actual Strokes Taken for This Shot: 1 stroke.

Using the calculator:

Strokes Gained = 1.8 (Start) – 1.1 (End) – 1 (Actual) = -0.3 strokes gained (or 0.3 strokes lost)

In this case, you lost 0.3 strokes on that putt, meaning you performed worse than the average professional from that distance.

Why Track Strokes Gained?

Tracking Strokes Gained helps you identify the specific areas of your game where you are performing well and where you need improvement. Instead of just knowing you shot a high score, you can pinpoint whether it was your driving, approach shots, chipping, or putting that cost you strokes. This data-driven approach allows for more targeted practice and strategic course management.

While this calculator focuses on individual shots, professional Strokes Gained analysis often breaks down performance into categories like: Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green, and Strokes Gained: Putting.