Strokes Gained

Every golfer wants to get better, but improvement starts with understanding where strokes are actually being gained and lost. That is why Strokes Gained has become one of the most important performance metrics in modern golf. Learn the fundamentals of Strokes Gained, how the system works, and how you can use it to make more informed decisions about your practice and equipment.

Developed by Columbia Business School professor Mark Broadie, Strokes Gained has changed the way players, coaches and analysts evaluate performance. Instead of relying only on traditional statistics such as fairways hit, greens in regulation or putts per round, it measures the value of each shot against a chosen benchmark - which can be calculated by tracking your shots and seeing how many shots, on average, it will take you to hole out from various distances and conditions around the course.

Strokes Gained is a performance-measurement system that breaks a round of golf into its most important parts: driving, approach shots, short game, and putting. It helps answer questions such as:

• Will I score better if I drive it farther or straighter?
• Are my approach shots costing me strokes? Or is it my putting?
• How does my game stack up against other golfers with the same handicap index as me?
• Which part of my game is holding back my scoring?
• Am I practicing the areas that matter most?

In the video above, we explain the fundamentals of Strokes Gained, how the system works, and how you can use it to make more informed decisions about your practice and equipment. You do not need to be a professional golfer, use expensive launch-monitor technology, or understand complicated statistics to benefit. With a basic understanding of Strokes Gained, you can begin replacing guesswork with useful data.


Free Arccos Air

Exciting news for 2026! As part of our ongoing mission to help golfers get the most out of their game, we’re adding a powerful new Team Titleist member benefit.

We are proud to offer this Team Titleist benefit with Arccos, golf’s #1 game tracking platform, to bring tour-level insights and analytics to your game.

From identifying strengths and weaknesses to uncovering potential equipment opportunities and optimizations—this partnership will unlock smarter decisions to elevate your performance on the course.
As part of this exclusive offer, Team Titleist members can now claim free Arccos Air wearable and a complimentary trial to the Arccos app so you can start tracking your performance and discovering new ways to improve. The Link Pro small enough and light enough to be carried in nearly any pocket, and it’s all you need to seamlessly track every shot.

We’re also working on new ways for Team Titleist to grow and compete together through digital competitions and fun challenges at in-person events—with even more exciting ideas on the horizon.

Learn more: titleist.arccosgolf.com


The data can reveal which parts of your game are helping your score, where strokes are being lost and which areas deserve more attention during practice. A golfer might believe putting is the biggest weakness, only to find that approach shots, pitching or equipment are having a greater impact. 

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Optimization Strokes Gained
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