Strokes Gained Putting Calculator
Measure your putting performance against the PGA Tour benchmark to find and fix weaknesses.
Enter the initial distance of your putt from the hole.
Enter the total number of putts you took to hole out from that distance.
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Calculations are based on a PGA Tour benchmark dataset.
Performance Chart: Your Putts vs. Tour Average
What is a Strokes Gained Putting Calculator?
A strokes gained putting calculator is a powerful tool that measures the quality of your putting performance relative to a specific benchmark, typically the average performance of PGA Tour professionals. Instead of just counting total putts, it tells you how many strokes you gained or lost compared to the pros on any given putt. A positive value means you performed better than the benchmark, while a negative value means you performed worse.
This metric was pioneered by Professor Mark Broadie of Columbia University and has revolutionized golf analytics. It accounts for the fact that a two-putt from 60 feet is a good result, whereas a two-putt from 3 feet is a poor one. The strokes gained putting calculator gives golfers a precise, contextual understanding of where their putting strengths and weaknesses lie.
Strokes Gained Putting Formula and Explanation
The core concept behind the strokes gained putting calculator is simple. The formula is:
Strokes Gained = Expected Putts (Benchmark) – Actual Putts Taken
Where:
- Expected Putts: This is the average number of putts a PGA Tour player takes to hole out from a specific distance. This data is collected from millions of putts using systems like ShotLink.
- Actual Putts Taken: This is simply the number of putts you took to get the ball in the hole.
Variables Table
| Variable | Meaning | Unit | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putt Distance | The starting distance from the ball to the hole. | Feet or Meters | 1 – 100+ feet |
| Expected Putts | The benchmark average putts to hole out from that distance. | Strokes (unitless) | ~1.0 to ~2.8 |
| Actual Putts | The number of putting strokes you made. | Strokes (unitless) | 1, 2, 3, etc. |
For more insights on how to improve your putting, check out our guide on reading greens like a pro.
Practical Examples
Example 1: Sinking a Mid-Range Putt
- Input Distance: 15 feet
- Input Putts Taken: 1
- Calculation: From 15 feet, the PGA Tour average is approximately 1.77 putts. Your strokes gained would be 1.77 – 1 = +0.77.
- Result: You gained +0.77 strokes against the field. This was an excellent putt.
Example 2: A Frustrating Three-Putt
- Input Distance: 40 feet
- Input Putts Taken: 3
- Calculation: From 40 feet, the PGA Tour average is approximately 2.04 putts. Your strokes gained would be 2.04 – 3 = -0.96.
- Result: You lost -0.96 strokes against the field. While a two-putt would have been average, the three-putt was costly.
How to Use This Strokes Gained Putting Calculator
- Enter the Putt Distance: Measure or estimate the distance of your first putt on the green. Enter this value into the “Putt Distance” field.
- Select Units: Use the dropdown to choose whether your distance is in ‘feet’ or ‘meters’. The calculator will handle the conversion automatically.
- Enter Putts Taken: Input the total number of putts it took for you to hole the ball from that starting position.
- Analyze the Results: The calculator will instantly update. The main number shows your strokes gained (or lost). You can also see the benchmark ‘Expected Putts’ and a chart comparing your performance.
- Reset for Next Hole: Use the ‘Reset’ button to clear the fields for your next putt.
To better understand your overall game, consider using our golf handicap calculator to track your progress over time.
PGA Tour Average Putts by Distance
| Distance (feet) | Average Putts to Hole Out |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.00 |
| 3 | 1.01 |
| 5 | 1.12 |
| 8 | 1.50 |
| 10 | 1.61 |
| 15 | 1.77 |
| 20 | 1.89 |
| 30 | 1.98 |
| 40 | 2.04 |
| 50 | 2.16 |
| 60 | 2.28 |
| 80 | 2.49 |
| 100 | 2.71 |
Developing a consistent pre-shot routine is key. Explore our tips on building a solid golf pre-shot routine.
Key Factors That Affect Strokes Gained Putting
- Distance Control: This is arguably the most important factor. Leaving your first putt close to the hole dramatically reduces the chance of a three-putt. A player who consistently two-putts from 50 feet will have a much better SG: Putting score than someone who is erratic.
- Make Percentage Inside 10 Feet: The “scoring zone” in putting. Tour pros are exceptional from this range. Improving your conversion rate on these shorter putts provides a significant boost to your strokes gained metric.
- Green Reading: The ability to accurately judge the break and slope of a putt. Misreading a green leads to missed putts and lost strokes, even if your stroke mechanics are perfect.
- Start Line: A player’s ability to start the ball on their intended line. Poor alignment or a flawed stroke can cause you to miss putts, directly impacting your score.
- Avoiding Three-Putts: Every three-putt is a significant loss in strokes gained. From 40 feet, a two-putt is an average result (0.00 SG), but a three-putt is a loss of a full stroke (-1.00 SG).
- Putting Under Pressure: The mental game is huge. The ability to execute your routine and make a confident stroke when it matters separates great putters from average ones.
Many of these factors are covered in our deep dive on the mental game of golf.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
For an amateur, any positive number is excellent, as it means you are outperforming the PGA Tour average. A consistent value around 0.0 means you are putting like a Tour pro on average. Most amateurs will be in the negative, and a good goal is to get that number closer to zero.
This strokes gained putting calculator is designed for single-putt analysis. To analyze a full round, you would need to calculate the strokes gained for each putt individually and sum the results. Apps like Golfshot or Arccos can do this automatically.
No, the calculator handles both. Simply select the correct unit from the dropdown, and the tool will convert it to feet internally to match the PGA Tour benchmark data.
This is the beauty of the stat! You might have had only 28 putts, but if all your approach shots left you with 3-footers, you were *expected* to one-putt most of them. Taking two putts on a few of those would result in negative strokes gained. Conversely, you could have 34 putts but gain strokes if your approaches were all 60 feet away and you consistently two-putted.
It comes from extensive data collected by the PGA Tour’s ShotLink system, which tracks every shot from every player in competition. Professor Mark Broadie analyzed this data to establish the tour average putts from every distance.
Strokes Gained: Putting only measures shots taken once the ball is on the putting surface. Shots from off the green (like from the fringe, a bunker, or the fairway) are measured by Strokes Gained: Around the Green or Strokes Gained: Approach.
Focus on the two most important skills: distance control to avoid three-putts, and holing more putts inside 10 feet. Drills that work on lag putting and short-putt consistency will have the biggest impact.
No. A one-putt from 3 feet gains you very little (~+0.01 strokes) because it’s expected. A one-putt from 30 feet is a huge gain (~+0.98 strokes) because it’s rare. The strokes gained putting calculator correctly weights these different achievements.