Harper Lin
Strokes Gained (SG) is a system for analysing a golfer's performance against the field average in specific categories. It was invented by Columbia University professor Mark Broadie, who utilised ShotLink data, a real-time scoring system that captures data points on all shots taken during PGA Tour events. Strokes Gained categories include off-the-tee, approach, tee-to-green, around-the-green, and putting. For example, Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG:T2G) is a metric that measures a player's performance from the tee to the green, including their driving and approach play. SG stats can be used by bettors and fans to gain a deeper understanding of a golfer's performance and make more informed predictions about future success.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Form | Strokes Gained |
| Definition | A method of analysing each facet of a player's game in comparison to the rest of the players in the field or at the same level |
| Use | To understand a golfer's performance against the field using averages in specific categories |
| Calculation | Baseline from where shot was taken minus baseline from where shot ended up minus 1 (to account for the fact a shot was taken) equals strokes gained (or lost) |
| Categories | Off-the-tee, approach, tee-to-green, around-the-green and putting |
| Sub-categories | Strokes Gained Putting (SG:P), Strokes Gained Tee to Green (SG:T2G), Strokes Gained Ball Striking (SG:BS) |
| Use Cases | To determine if a golfer plays well on a certain course, to understand a golfer's current form, to create a statistical model to judge the field each week |
| Limitations | Traditional stats in golf can be misleading, putting is considered a random skill |
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What You'll Learn
Strokes Gained: Putting (SG:P)
SG:P is part of the Strokes Gained system, which analyses a golfer's performance against a field average in specific categories. Strokes Gained offers a more detailed analysis of a golfer's game, allowing them to identify areas for improvement. It takes into account accuracy and length, ensuring that each shot has a unique value. For example, a tee shot that lands on the fairway may be a positive outcome, but if it is still far from the hole, Strokes Gained can help determine if a different shot selection could have been more advantageous.
The formula for calculating Strokes Gained is: Baseline from where the shot was taken minus the baseline from where the shot ended minus one (to account for the shot taken) equals Strokes Gained (or lost). The baselines refer to the average number of strokes it takes a player to hole out from a particular yardage. These baselines can vary year to year and are influenced by factors such as the course setup and playing conditions.
SG:P is one of the key categories in Strokes Gained analytics, along with Tee Shots, Approaches, and Short Game. It is often used in statistical models for golf betting and predicting tournament performance. While SG:P provides valuable insights, some commentators argue that it may not fully capture putting skill due to variations in factors such as lie, stance, ball position, and green undulations.
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Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG:T2G)
Strokes Gained (SG) is a method of analysing each facet of a player's game in comparison to the other players in the field or at the same level. SG: Tee-to-Green (SG:T2G) is one of the main categories of Strokes Gained, along with off-the-tee, approach, around-the-green, and putting. SG:T2G measures a player's performance from the moment they tee off to the moment their ball reaches the green. This includes shots taken with a putter that are not on the green.
The formula for calculating SG:T2G is: SG: Off-the-Tee (SG:OTT) + SG: Approach (SG:APP) + SG: Around-the-Green (SG:ARG) = SG: Tee-to-Green (SG:T2G). SG:T2G provides insights into a player's strengths and weaknesses from tee to green, helping them understand their game better and identify areas for improvement.
For example, a player with a high SG:T2G ranking may have a strong performance from tee to green, but their putting skills may need improvement. By analysing SG:T2G, players can identify patterns and trends in their performance and make more informed decisions about their practice routines and strategies.
Additionally, SG:T2G can be used to compare players' performances on a particular course or hole. By examining the SG:T2G stats of different players on the same course, we can determine which players excel in tee-to-green performance on that specific layout. This information can be valuable for both professional and amateur golfers, helping them develop strategies and improve their overall game.
In conclusion, Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG:T2G) is a valuable statistic in golf that provides insights into a player's performance from the tee to the green. It helps golfers identify strengths and weaknesses, make informed decisions, and improve their overall game. By comparing SG:T2G stats, golfers can also gain a better understanding of their performance relative to others on a specific course or hole.
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Strokes Gained: Ball Striking (SG:BS)
Strokes Gained (SG) is a method of analysing each facet of a player's game in comparison to the rest of the players in the field or at the same level. The statistic can be used to quantify different skills such as putting, chipping, bunker, and driving from the tee. Strokes Gained Ball Striking (SG:BS) is a metric within the Strokes Gained statistic that measures a player's performance in terms of ball striking.
SG:BS is calculated using the formula: Baseline from where the shot was taken minus the baseline from where the shot ended up minus 1 (to account for the fact that a shot was taken) equals Strokes Gained (or lost). The baseline refers to the average number of strokes it takes a player to hole out from a particular yardage. For example, if a player starts off on a 410-yard Par 4, the baseline might be 4 strokes. If they hit it to 166 yards, the baseline from that yardage might be 3 strokes. In this case, the player gained nothing off the tee because their drive didn't put them in a position to gain an advantage over the average tour player.
Strokes Gained statistics are considered very useful in golf because they provide insights into a player's strengths and weaknesses. For example, traditional stats might look at the number of fairways hit as a metric for how good a driver of the ball is, but this could be misleading if the player is only driving the ball a short distance. Strokes Gained takes into account the distance and other factors to provide a more accurate analysis of a player's performance.
In terms of ball striking, Strokes Gained can help identify players who are strong in this area but may be weaker in putting. For example, a player like Dustin Johnson, who has excellent driving and iron play but has struggled with his putting stroke in the past. By understanding these strengths and weaknesses, players can focus their practice and improvement efforts on specific areas of their game.
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Strokes Gained: Approach (SG:APP)
Strokes Gained (SG) is a method of analysing a player's performance level by comparing every aspect of their performance with other players within a particular dataset. SG gives golfers a score for every aspect of their game, allowing them to identify strengths and weaknesses and improve their overall scoring average. SG uses a formula to figure out whether a shot was better or worse than average, and then how much better or worse it was, before producing a +/- number for that shot.
SG:APP, or Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, is one of the main categories in which comparisons are drawn. SG:APP measures the number of strokes a golfer gained or lost on the field on all shots taken from the green, except for those taken with a putter. It takes into account the hole length, shot length, lie type of every shot and putt during a round of golf.
SG:APP is considered one of the most important SG stats. Almost every single stop on tour will have SG:APP as where winners gained the most strokes on the field. For example, TPC San Antonio is unique in that SG:OTT (Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee) is almost as high as SG:APP. Augusta is also known as a second-shot golf course, where SG:APP is particularly important.
SG:APP is calculated using the same formula as other SG stats. The equation uses the start and end position of the shot to work out a value. Once it has that value, you need to take off the shot that has just been hit, hence the (-1) at the end of the equation. This equation is used for all shot calculations, whether it is tee shots, approaches, short game or putting. Any shot hit on the golf course is applied to this formula to give it a strokes gained value.
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Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG:OTT)
Strokes Gained (SG) is a method of analysing a player's performance by comparing each aspect of their performance with other players within a particular dataset. SG gives golfers a score for every aspect of their game. The statistic was developed by Mark Broadie, a professor at Columbia Business School, using data from ShotLink, a real-time scoring system that captures data points on all shots taken during PGA Tour events.
SG:OTT stands for Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. It is one of the main categories in which comparisons are drawn, the others being approach, tee-to-green, around-the-green, and putting. Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee measures player performance off the tee on all par 4s and par 5s. This statistic looks at how much better or worse a player’s drive is than the average PGA Tour player. The formula for calculating strokes gained: off-the-tee is as follows:
> (PGA Tour average for the hole) – (PGA Tour average left after your drive) – 1 = strokes gained: off-the-tee
For example, if the PGA Tour average for a hole is 4.1 strokes, and a player's drive leaves them with an average of 2.825 strokes remaining, the calculation would be as follows:
100 – 2.825 = 1.275 – 1 = 0.275 strokes gained: off-the-tee
In this example, the player gained 0.275 strokes off the tee compared to the average PGA Tour player.
The importance of Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee varies from course to course. Some courses require less than driver off the tee or do not penalize players for errant drivers, rendering this stat less useful. However, on courses with long holes where scoring on the Par 5s is pivotal, Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee can be more significant.
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Frequently asked questions
SG stands for 'Strokes Gained'.
Strokes Gained measures a golfer's performance against the field average in specific categories. It takes into account the number of shots taken and the distance from the hole.
Strokes Gained compares a golfer's performance to the average performance of another set of golfers. It calculates the difference in the golfer's score to the field average for that round.
Some examples of Strokes Gained categories include Strokes Gained: Putting (SG:P), Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG:T2G), and Strokes Gained: Approach (SG:APP).
