What is the Strokes Gained Analyser?

Short answer: It’s a free tool that tells you exactly where you’re losing strokes during a round — by comparing your stats against what’s normal for your handicap. Most golfers blame the wrong part of their game. This tool gives you the honest answer.

The longer explanation

Every golfer has a theory about why they shot 92 instead of 85. “My putting was awful.” “I sliced everything off the tee.” “I couldn’t find a fairway all day.” Most of these theories are wrong.

Strokes Gained is the analysis method used on the PGA Tour to measure exactly where players gain or lose strokes compared to a baseline. It was developed by Columbia University professor Mark Broadie, and it’s the reason commentators can now say “Rory gained 2.4 strokes on approach play this week” — they’re using real, mathematical data, not opinions.

The problem is that strokes gained analysis usually requires expensive shot-tracking tools like Arccos ($129/year) or Shot Scope ($200 device). For most amateur golfers, that’s too much commitment for a piece of information they only want occasionally.

This tool gives you the same analysis for free, using just five numbers from your scorecard.

What you’ll learn from it

After you enter your rounds, the tool tells you:

Where you’re actually losing strokes. A handicap-15 golfer might assume their putting is terrible. The tool will show them their 33-putt average is completely normal for a 15 handicap — and the real problem is they only hit 4 greens in regulation when they should hit 7. That’s the stroke leak.

How much you’d improve if you fixed the right thing. The tool calculates a specific projection. “If you improved your approach play by 2 strokes per round, your handicap would drop from 14 to 11 — without changing anything else.”

A specific 3-step action plan. Not generic advice like “practice more.” Specific changes tied to your weakness — what to do at the range, what kind of lesson to take, what equipment change might genuinely help.

What stats you’ll need

Five numbers from each round you want to analyse:

• Score — your total for the round
• Fairways hit — out of 14 (only par 4s and par 5s count)
• Greens in regulation (GIR) — out of 18 (on the green in expected number of shots: 1 shot on a par 3, 2 on a par 4, 3 on a par 5)
• Putts — total putts for the round
• Penalty strokes — count of OB, water, lost balls, unplayables

These are stats that almost every golfer already tracks on a scorecard. The tool works with as few as one round, but five rounds give a more accurate picture.

What the tool won’t do

A few honest caveats so you know what you’re getting:

It’s not a replacement for a launch monitor or a proper fitting session. It’s a diagnostic tool that tells you where the problem is, not exactly why or how to fix every detail.

It can’t see your swing. It works from stats alone, so it can’t tell you whether your approach play struggles are due to poor contact, wrong club selection, or distance control. That’s where a lesson with a coach comes in — but knowing approach play is the issue means you spend that lesson on the right thing.

It’s only as accurate as the numbers you put in. If you guess at your putts because you didn’t track them, the analysis will be off. Honest stats give honest answers.

Why it matters

Most amateur golfers spend their practice time on whatever feels broken — usually the driver, because slicing one out of bounds is memorable. But the strokes lost per round to a poor driver are almost always less than the strokes lost to poor iron play between 100 and 175 yards.

Knowing this changes how you practice, what equipment you consider buying, and what kind of lessons are worth paying for. It’s the difference between getting better and just hitting more balls.

How to use it

Pick your handicap range from the dropdown. Enter as many rounds as you have stats for (one is enough — five is ideal). Click Analyse my game. Read the result. Be ready to be surprised.