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Every Shot Counts: Using the Revolutionary Strokes Gained Approach to Improve Your Golf Performance and Strategy by Mark Broadie
Columbia Business School professor Mark Broadie’s paradigm-shifting approach that uses statistics and golf analytics to transform the game. Mark Broadie is at the forefront of a revolutionary new approach to the game of golf. What does it take to drop ten strokes from your golf score? What part of Tiger Woods’ game makes him a winner? Traditional golf stats can't answer these questions. Broadie, a professor at Columbia Business School, helped the PGA Tour develop its cutting-edge strokes gained putting stat. In this eye-opening new book, Broadie uses analytics from the financial world to uncover the secrets of the game of golf. He crunches mountains of data to show both professional and amateur golfers how to make better decisions on the course. This eagerly awaited resource is for any player who wants to understand the pros, improve golf skills, and make every shot count.
Unknown Binding
First published October 17, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 8, 2014
Not your typical "How to Golf" book. It rejects the common assumption that since putting accounts for the most strokes in a game (almost half, for pros), that's the part of the game that players should work most to improve. Instead, Broadie looks at the data for answers, in particular at a method that evaluates, not where the most strokes are taken, but which shots will help you improve your score the most.
The book runs through the method Broadie uses to analyze shots, and concludes that approach shots make the biggest difference, followed by tee shots. In other words, 40 percent of the difference between a 90-golfer and an 80 golfer can be explained by approach shots and 28 percent by drives - i.e., two-thirds of the difference is due to the quality of the the long game. (17 percent is explained by chip and pitch shots within 100 yards, and 15% by putting.) Thus, if you want to improve your score the most, focus on those two aspects of the game. (The book even gets down to the detail that 20 yards extra distance off the tee will help your score more than a straighter drive).
The reason putting is not as critical, he reasons, is that most players are reasonable putters - most players (pro or amateur) will one-putt from three feet or less, and will two-putt from ten feet or further (he actually says seven feet). You can't improve on the one-putts, and there's only a small fraction of two-putts (thee-to-seven feet) that can reliably be improved to one-putts. Even 90-golfers, he argues, don't have many three-putts, so there's not much room to save a stroke there either.
I'm hoping this book helps me lower my scores next year as I work more on my long game!
The book runs through the method Broadie uses to analyze shots, and concludes that approach shots make the biggest difference, followed by tee shots. In other words, 40 percent of the difference between a 90-golfer and an 80 golfer can be explained by approach shots and 28 percent by drives - i.e., two-thirds of the difference is due to the quality of the the long game. (17 percent is explained by chip and pitch shots within 100 yards, and 15% by putting.) Thus, if you want to improve your score the most, focus on those two aspects of the game. (The book even gets down to the detail that 20 yards extra distance off the tee will help your score more than a straighter drive).
The reason putting is not as critical, he reasons, is that most players are reasonable putters - most players (pro or amateur) will one-putt from three feet or less, and will two-putt from ten feet or further (he actually says seven feet). You can't improve on the one-putts, and there's only a small fraction of two-putts (thee-to-seven feet) that can reliably be improved to one-putts. Even 90-golfers, he argues, don't have many three-putts, so there's not much room to save a stroke there either.
I'm hoping this book helps me lower my scores next year as I work more on my long game!
March 16, 2014
Should you go for the green or lay up? Putt aggressively or die the ball into the hole? Who scores better, a good driver or a good putter? Quantitative researcher Mark Broadie, a professor at Columbia Business School, member of the USGA handicap research team, and former club champion at Pelham CC, applied the same rigorous statistical methods used by Wall Street’s quants to the game of golf to find the answers to these and other major questions of golf strategy. You’ll be surprised at the answers as he reports them in Every Shot Counts.
Even though there is a foreword by Sean Foley, this is NOT a book about how to swing a golf club.
It is rather an extremely detailed analysis of the game using a measure Broadie developed, "strokes gained." You may have heard the term used on PGA telecasts, particularly in the context of "strokes gained putting," but Broadie has expanded the concept to cover nearly aspect of golf using data from the PGA Tour's ShotLink database as well as one he developed to gather similar data for amateurs, the Golfmetrics system. The result is about as easy to read as a set of IRS instructions, but just like slogging through the tax code, if you stick with it, it will pay off.
I won't go into all the details of how he reached his conclusions, but suffice it to say Broadie convinced me that many of the "truths" about golf I heard and believed for decades are just flat wrong. "Drive for show--putt for dough," for example. WRONG! Broadie's analysis shows that tee shots account for 28% of the shots gained in a round as opposed to putting's mere 17%.
How can that be, you might ask, if putts represent about 50% of your strokes in a round? The answer is that Broadie is comparing performance to the field of golfers, not to par. If you're playing competitive golf, whether on Tour or against your buddies at your local muni, your score relative to theirs will be more strongly affected by your driving than your putting.
That's not the real surprise, though. Broadie's most important conclusion is that the approach shot--not your drive, not your putts, not even your dazzling wedge play--is the most important factor in the game when it comes to beating your opponents. The approach accounts for a whopping 40% of the strokes gained on the field.
Add in the drive, and 68% of the strokes gained can be traced to the long game. This is based, by the way, on his stroke-by-stroke analysis of the top 40 pros during the 2004-2012 seasons. Interestingly enough, Broadie's research shows that the same ratios hold for amateurs at every level, too!
"Contrary to popular belief, this research proves that the long game explains two-thirds of the difference in scores between beginning and skilled amateurs, between amateurs and pros, and between average pros and the best pros. Academics call this a robust result: It holds for many different groups of golfers. It's the closest thing to a universal truth in golf."
Laying up to a full-swing wedge distance is another truism that Broadie proves is a "falsism." Haven't we all been taught that the key to a good lay up is to not necessarily hit it as close to the green as you can but rather to a distance where you can take a full swing with your favorite wedge? Here's what Broadie's research revealed:
"...most golfers will score worse from 80 yards from the hole than from 30, even if every layup to 30 yards lands in the rough, and every layup to 80 yards lands in the fairway."
Actually, I've been a believer in taking my chances with a half-wedge for several years, but felt like I was violating some rule or something every time I did it. Now I know I have been right all along--and the feeling is excellent.
If you can slog through the numbers, Every Shot Counts may well change the way you think about your game. Broadie spends a good portion of the book applying his analysis to strategic choices like where to aim when there's out-of-bounds on the hole and how to read and putt greens. He's got a section on drills, too, although some are perhaps not for the math-impaired.
Even if you need to take off your socks to calculate your winnings on a round-robin Nassau with three presses, you'd be well-advised to spend some time working on your game with Broadie's numbers in mind.
Even though there is a foreword by Sean Foley, this is NOT a book about how to swing a golf club.
It is rather an extremely detailed analysis of the game using a measure Broadie developed, "strokes gained." You may have heard the term used on PGA telecasts, particularly in the context of "strokes gained putting," but Broadie has expanded the concept to cover nearly aspect of golf using data from the PGA Tour's ShotLink database as well as one he developed to gather similar data for amateurs, the Golfmetrics system. The result is about as easy to read as a set of IRS instructions, but just like slogging through the tax code, if you stick with it, it will pay off.
I won't go into all the details of how he reached his conclusions, but suffice it to say Broadie convinced me that many of the "truths" about golf I heard and believed for decades are just flat wrong. "Drive for show--putt for dough," for example. WRONG! Broadie's analysis shows that tee shots account for 28% of the shots gained in a round as opposed to putting's mere 17%.
How can that be, you might ask, if putts represent about 50% of your strokes in a round? The answer is that Broadie is comparing performance to the field of golfers, not to par. If you're playing competitive golf, whether on Tour or against your buddies at your local muni, your score relative to theirs will be more strongly affected by your driving than your putting.
That's not the real surprise, though. Broadie's most important conclusion is that the approach shot--not your drive, not your putts, not even your dazzling wedge play--is the most important factor in the game when it comes to beating your opponents. The approach accounts for a whopping 40% of the strokes gained on the field.
Add in the drive, and 68% of the strokes gained can be traced to the long game. This is based, by the way, on his stroke-by-stroke analysis of the top 40 pros during the 2004-2012 seasons. Interestingly enough, Broadie's research shows that the same ratios hold for amateurs at every level, too!
"Contrary to popular belief, this research proves that the long game explains two-thirds of the difference in scores between beginning and skilled amateurs, between amateurs and pros, and between average pros and the best pros. Academics call this a robust result: It holds for many different groups of golfers. It's the closest thing to a universal truth in golf."
Laying up to a full-swing wedge distance is another truism that Broadie proves is a "falsism." Haven't we all been taught that the key to a good lay up is to not necessarily hit it as close to the green as you can but rather to a distance where you can take a full swing with your favorite wedge? Here's what Broadie's research revealed:
"...most golfers will score worse from 80 yards from the hole than from 30, even if every layup to 30 yards lands in the rough, and every layup to 80 yards lands in the fairway."
Actually, I've been a believer in taking my chances with a half-wedge for several years, but felt like I was violating some rule or something every time I did it. Now I know I have been right all along--and the feeling is excellent.
If you can slog through the numbers, Every Shot Counts may well change the way you think about your game. Broadie spends a good portion of the book applying his analysis to strategic choices like where to aim when there's out-of-bounds on the hole and how to read and putt greens. He's got a section on drills, too, although some are perhaps not for the math-impaired.
Even if you need to take off your socks to calculate your winnings on a round-robin Nassau with three presses, you'd be well-advised to spend some time working on your game with Broadie's numbers in mind.
April 5, 2014
Basically a long, but quite readable paper on statistical analysis and simulation of 10 years of Tour Pro Shotlink data plus significant amateur data. Results in some interesting and sometimes surprising conclusions. I can see many tour pro teachers tailoring their instruction based upon this type of analysis.
There is a short chapter on training games, but I wish there would have been more of a focus on applying this to amateur training. Hopefully some more tools become available in the market in the near future. Ideally taking data gathered from something like "game golf" and analyzing it against appropriate amateur baselines. This book and the data behind it is an exciting starting point.
There is a short chapter on training games, but I wish there would have been more of a focus on applying this to amateur training. Hopefully some more tools become available in the market in the near future. Ideally taking data gathered from something like "game golf" and analyzing it against appropriate amateur baselines. This book and the data behind it is an exciting starting point.
January 22, 2025
This is a super dense book of golf stat analysis. That sounds pretty bad and it IS really dry in some parts but if you wade through it all to what the stats actually show, it’s pretty eye opening. This guy took all of the detailed shot information by pros over a decade of tournaments and he’s invented a stat “strokes gained” to show how each player gains or loses strokes to the rest of the players at each stage like driving or chipping or putting. One the most eye opening take aways is that being a good or bad putter isn’t as huge a part of score as you might think. Stats show that it’s the approach shots into the green way way more than putting that are the most important. Those shots are a big weakness for me now so I got work to do! Book only recommended for golf nerds who like stats.
July 19, 2025
As someone who’s relatively new to golf and eager to improve, Every Shot Counts was exactly what I didn’t know I needed. I really appreciated how data-driven the book is — it takes all the guesswork out of where to focus your time and energy, which is huge when you’re trying to get better but don’t want to waste hours practicing the wrong things.
The breakdowns of different parts of the game — from tee shots to approach play to putting — were clear and super digestible. I liked that it wasn’t just theory, either; there were practical takeaways and routines you can apply right away.
It’s not written like a typical sports book, it’s more analytical than motivational, but that’s part of what made it so valuable for me. I left with a much better understanding of what really impacts scoring and how to use my practice time more effectively.
If you’re into golf and want to get smarter about how you approach the game, this is definitely worth the read.
The breakdowns of different parts of the game — from tee shots to approach play to putting — were clear and super digestible. I liked that it wasn’t just theory, either; there were practical takeaways and routines you can apply right away.
It’s not written like a typical sports book, it’s more analytical than motivational, but that’s part of what made it so valuable for me. I left with a much better understanding of what really impacts scoring and how to use my practice time more effectively.
If you’re into golf and want to get smarter about how you approach the game, this is definitely worth the read.
June 8, 2025
Highlights:
The long game explains two-thirds of the difference in scores between two typical amateur golfers; the short game and putting explaining the remaining third. (Driving 28%, approach 39%, short 19% and putting 14%)
The reason putting is not as critical is that most players are reasonable putters. Most players (both pro and amateur) will one putt from three feet or less and will two putt from ten feet or further. You can't improve on the one putts, and there's only a small fraction of two putts (four to seven feet) that can be improved to one putts.
The putting wheel.
Actionables:
Start tracking GIR (or GIRP)
The long game explains two-thirds of the difference in scores between two typical amateur golfers; the short game and putting explaining the remaining third. (Driving 28%, approach 39%, short 19% and putting 14%)
The reason putting is not as critical is that most players are reasonable putters. Most players (both pro and amateur) will one putt from three feet or less and will two putt from ten feet or further. You can't improve on the one putts, and there's only a small fraction of two putts (four to seven feet) that can be improved to one putts.
The putting wheel.
Actionables:
Start tracking GIR (or GIRP)
September 21, 2025
This book will def help with my golf game and my strategy for every round. Glad I picked this book up! Highly recommend for anyone who is picking up the game of golf.
February 23, 2018
This one is on me, I guess. I thought this was going to be more of a golf advice book on how to (oh, I don't know...) "Improve my golf performance and strategy." Instead, it's mostly an academic paper proving why we shouldn't focus on putting and why certain shots (mostly, approach shots, then tee shots, then putting) impact your score more. Great, and interesting and ... I believed it after the first chapter.
Unfortunately, there were then approximately 5,500 other chapters proving it again (I may have that number wrong)...and then ONE chapter detailing some practice routines you can do to become a better putter, etc.
Again, perhaps a bit more research would have helped me not expect something wildly different than what this book turns out to be - and it's a good, well written book - but it absolutely isn't for me.
Unfortunately, there were then approximately 5,500 other chapters proving it again (I may have that number wrong)...and then ONE chapter detailing some practice routines you can do to become a better putter, etc.
Again, perhaps a bit more research would have helped me not expect something wildly different than what this book turns out to be - and it's a good, well written book - but it absolutely isn't for me.
January 8, 2023
Great, understandable info about Strokes Gained
Great, understandable info about Strokes Gained (SG).
When I first heard the term used...with no more explanation, I didn't see it and wrote it off as "mathematical mumbo jumbo" which meant nothing to me. Even after seeing my SG numbers and how they compare to players of my goal handicap, I still didn't "get it".
I don't fully understand all of it. However, it is making some sense .... and that is something for me.
Thanks for SG and the great book.
Great, understandable info about Strokes Gained (SG).
When I first heard the term used...with no more explanation, I didn't see it and wrote it off as "mathematical mumbo jumbo" which meant nothing to me. Even after seeing my SG numbers and how they compare to players of my goal handicap, I still didn't "get it".
I don't fully understand all of it. However, it is making some sense .... and that is something for me.
Thanks for SG and the great book.
September 22, 2014
Get out of my head, Mark Broadie.
Golf. Statistics. Scatter plots. Regression analysis! Attacking a complex issue with numbers to take on "conventional" wisdom. Almost the perfect nonfiction book for me.
Finished it in a little over a day.
Golf. Statistics. Scatter plots. Regression analysis! Attacking a complex issue with numbers to take on "conventional" wisdom. Almost the perfect nonfiction book for me.
Finished it in a little over a day.
September 23, 2021
The first half is about shots gained and I understand its importance but the math makes it a tough read. The second half on strategy is interesting and more readable. Then he gets into games that you can skip or take to the course.
p. 40: Down the Fairway
p. 51: Putting Categories:
1) Gimme: < 2'
2) Short: 2'-6'
3) Medium: 7'-21'
4) Long: > 22'
p. 56: "Putting performance can now be measured much more accurately using strokes gained putting, and there is little reason to rely on counting putts."
p. 70: Golf is Not a Game of Perfect
p. 76: "Pro putters rarely three-putt and they average about seven one-putts and 11 two-putts in 18 holes."
p. 103: "Longer hitters tend to be straighter hitters."
p. 122: "If you can't putt you can't score, but if you can't drive you can't play."
p. 134: "On short putts, choosing a target beyond the hole is a good strategy."
p. 136: "Downhill putts: Target should be farther beyond the hole. Uphill putts: Target should be closer to the hole."
p. 137: "Downhill putts: the steeper the green, the farther the target should be beyond the hole. Uphill putts: the steeper the green, the closer the target should be to the hole."
p. 149: Putting Tutor by Dave Pelz
p. 162: The Elements of Scoring: A Master's Guide to the Art of Scoring Your Best When You're Not Playing Your Best
p. 171: "When there is a safe route to play the hole, hitting out of bounds should be avoided at nearly all costs."
p. 177: Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge
p. 2o5: Ben Hogan: "Golf is not a game of good shots. It is a game of bad shots. The who misses the best is going to win."
p. 211: Mark Brooks: "Recognize what your deficiencies are and work on them until they are no longer deficiencies."
p. 253: Search for the Perfect Swing: The Proven Scientific Approach to Fundamentally Improving Your Game
How Well Should You Putt?: A Search For A Putting Standard
p. 253: www.everyshotcounts.com
p. 40: Down the Fairway
p. 51: Putting Categories:
1) Gimme: < 2'
2) Short: 2'-6'
3) Medium: 7'-21'
4) Long: > 22'
p. 56: "Putting performance can now be measured much more accurately using strokes gained putting, and there is little reason to rely on counting putts."
p. 70: Golf is Not a Game of Perfect
p. 76: "Pro putters rarely three-putt and they average about seven one-putts and 11 two-putts in 18 holes."
p. 103: "Longer hitters tend to be straighter hitters."
p. 122: "If you can't putt you can't score, but if you can't drive you can't play."
p. 134: "On short putts, choosing a target beyond the hole is a good strategy."
p. 136: "Downhill putts: Target should be farther beyond the hole. Uphill putts: Target should be closer to the hole."
p. 137: "Downhill putts: the steeper the green, the farther the target should be beyond the hole. Uphill putts: the steeper the green, the closer the target should be to the hole."
p. 149: Putting Tutor by Dave Pelz
p. 162: The Elements of Scoring: A Master's Guide to the Art of Scoring Your Best When You're Not Playing Your Best
p. 171: "When there is a safe route to play the hole, hitting out of bounds should be avoided at nearly all costs."
p. 177: Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge
p. 2o5: Ben Hogan: "Golf is not a game of good shots. It is a game of bad shots. The who misses the best is going to win."
p. 211: Mark Brooks: "Recognize what your deficiencies are and work on them until they are no longer deficiencies."
p. 253: Search for the Perfect Swing: The Proven Scientific Approach to Fundamentally Improving Your Game
How Well Should You Putt?: A Search For A Putting Standard
p. 253: www.everyshotcounts.com
March 24, 2025
Book especially contradicts other books that emphasize the value of putting, and the conventional quote of "Drive for the Show, but Putt for the Dough"
For decades, golfers measured success through simple stats—fairways hit, greens in regulation, putts per round. But in 2014, Columbia professor Mark Broadie turned the sport on its head with Every Shot Counts, introducing a revolutionary concept: Strokes Gained. This wasn't just another golf book; it was all data driven, and mathematically proven.
Broadie's breakthrough came from analyzing millions of PGA Tour shots to answer one fundamental question: How much value does each shot really add? Traditional stats failed to account for difficulty—a 300-yard drive into the rough might be better than a 250-yard poke down the middle, and a 20-foot putt holed is more impressive than two tap-ins. Strokes Gained fixed this by comparing every shot to a benchmark—the average Tour pro's performance from that distance and lie. The formula was elegant in its simplicity: Strokes Gained = (Expected strokes to hole out) - (Actual strokes taken) - 1. A positive number meant you gained on the field; negative meant you fell behind.
The insights were startling. Putting, long considered the holy grail of scoring, was overrated—elite players like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy built their dominance through superior driving and approach play, not just clutch putting. The old saying "Drive for show, putt for dough" was debunked. Broadie also revealed that the best players avoided relying on their short game by hitting better approach shots, reducing the need for miraculous saves.
For amateurs, the implications were profound. Instead of blindly grinding on the putting green, golfers could now identify their true weaknesses—maybe it was approach shots from 150 yards, or driving accuracy under pressure. Course strategy changed too: laying up to a "comfortable" wedge distance often cost strokes compared to aggressive play.
Today, Broadie's model is embedded in the PGA Tour's ShotLink system. Used by top players in the world
For decades, golfers measured success through simple stats—fairways hit, greens in regulation, putts per round. But in 2014, Columbia professor Mark Broadie turned the sport on its head with Every Shot Counts, introducing a revolutionary concept: Strokes Gained. This wasn't just another golf book; it was all data driven, and mathematically proven.
Broadie's breakthrough came from analyzing millions of PGA Tour shots to answer one fundamental question: How much value does each shot really add? Traditional stats failed to account for difficulty—a 300-yard drive into the rough might be better than a 250-yard poke down the middle, and a 20-foot putt holed is more impressive than two tap-ins. Strokes Gained fixed this by comparing every shot to a benchmark—the average Tour pro's performance from that distance and lie. The formula was elegant in its simplicity: Strokes Gained = (Expected strokes to hole out) - (Actual strokes taken) - 1. A positive number meant you gained on the field; negative meant you fell behind.
The insights were startling. Putting, long considered the holy grail of scoring, was overrated—elite players like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy built their dominance through superior driving and approach play, not just clutch putting. The old saying "Drive for show, putt for dough" was debunked. Broadie also revealed that the best players avoided relying on their short game by hitting better approach shots, reducing the need for miraculous saves.
For amateurs, the implications were profound. Instead of blindly grinding on the putting green, golfers could now identify their true weaknesses—maybe it was approach shots from 150 yards, or driving accuracy under pressure. Course strategy changed too: laying up to a "comfortable" wedge distance often cost strokes compared to aggressive play.
Today, Broadie's model is embedded in the PGA Tour's ShotLink system. Used by top players in the world
May 20, 2024
I didn't realize two things. 1) This book is 10 years old already. 2) Only 10 years ago, Strokes Gained statistics were very much still trying to gain traction and win over skeptics. I had taken for granted that Strokes Gained were so widely accepted now. The purpose of this book, despite what the subtitle says, is mostly about proving the legitimacy of Strokes Gained statistics, and emphasizing the findings that putting is not as important as previously thought, and that approach play has the most impact on scoring. I knew both of these, and if I hadn't, two simple chapters would have been enough to convince me. Unfortunately the bulk of the book is about using statistics to prove these claims are true, on repeat. Perhaps enjoyable for a stat geek, but way more than I needed. I kept waiting for the chapter about how to incorporate Strokes Gained into my strategy on the course, but other than a final chapter on some putting games to do, it really wasn't there. I'm giving the book 3 stars for changing the way golf is analyzed, but as a reading experience it was mostly 2 stars for me. I ended up skimming through a lot more than I anticipated.
December 2, 2018
This is a great book to take out of the library, but I’m not sure it’s worth buying. There is a lot of filler. If you want to understand what strokes gained really means this will answer your question, but it could have answered that in 50 fewer pages.
I think this represents a missed opportunity. The book does discuss how SG can be used to change playing strategy, but I wish that section was longer. It’s pretty sparse. There is also a lot of time spent on putting strategy even though a key takeaway from the book is that putting is overrated in terms of actually dropping your score.
Again, reading this book is time well spent. I cannot help but be disappointed, however, because this book could have been so much more.
I think this represents a missed opportunity. The book does discuss how SG can be used to change playing strategy, but I wish that section was longer. It’s pretty sparse. There is also a lot of time spent on putting strategy even though a key takeaway from the book is that putting is overrated in terms of actually dropping your score.
Again, reading this book is time well spent. I cannot help but be disappointed, however, because this book could have been so much more.
February 28, 2020
Conceptually the book is very interesting. Some have said its Moneyball for golf and I would agree with that. Because the title references improving your golf performance and strategy it was a bit disappointing that it took until halfway through the book to get to the part on how to improve your own golf game. It would be hard to track the data that Broadie talks about by hand for your own game but have heard that Arccos Caddie Smart Sensors are able to keep track of the stats necessary to apply Broadie's strokes gained concept to your own golf game. Looking forward to trying it out as I got them recently as a gift.
January 3, 2022
As a believer in the strokes gained metric as the true way of evaluating your golf game, it was great to read about the creation of the statistic from Mark Broadie, the author who helped create the metric used on the PGA Tour. While needing a background knowledge in mathematics, those who read this book will spend less time on the putting green and more time working on ball striking and distance. Broadie also explains just how important it is to identify your weak areas, so you can improve your game faster than ever before.
April 8, 2023
If you like data and golf this is a must read! Broadie does an amazing job applying stats to long term golf stroke data to tease out how lower golf scores are created. As a recreational golfer there were two key takeaways for me. First, there was data from both professional and amateur golfers so I could get a sense of how my shots compared to others. Second, since each type of shot is analyzed (tee, approach, putting) I also got a sense of how each shot affected the score which will hopefully turn into better course management.
January 20, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ - Phenomenal book for golf enthusiasts and data nerds alike. The book does a great job at covering the history of golf statistics, the creation of strokes gained and it’s applied use. Through strokes gained, it’s become a lot easier to understand the impact of specific shots, parts of one’s game, and so on. The book is very approachable, even for non mathematically data inclined individuals and I feel like it has changed how I will approach the game and my practice for years to come.
November 18, 2025
I read several books on golf tactics, and they were very informative. Here you learn real-world techniques for hitting a more accurate shot. I pay attention to this now when I watch the broadcast. I became attentive to details after reading about how to get free bet on 1xbet. As it turns out, you need to know many additional details to make accurate sports predictions.
July 30, 2020
This has been touted as a major leap forward for golfers everywhere since its publication, and now I see why. Broadie challenges every fundamental assumption we have about what it takes to play good golf, and uses statistics based on millions of golf shots to do so. It has immediately shifted my though process and approach on the course, and the way I practice.
February 16, 2024
The book was ahead of its time. It’s well done and not for those who are afraid of math or numbers. But we know so much about strokes gained now compared to 2014, it almost feels at times that this was written 20 years ago instead of 10. The strategy and practice chapters are well done and very applicable today.
August 26, 2019
Informative golf strategy. Once strokes gained was explained it became quite intuitive. Strokes gained is not complex at all, its the big data behind it that determines the estimated strokes from a given location.
July 19, 2020
I enjoy working with numbers and love playing golf. So of course, I enjoyed this book, which provides new logical, intuitive ways to evaluate, analyze, and improve my game without a single sentence on “swing technique.” Enjoyable read and presents an interesting/ impactful new perspective.
October 9, 2020
Loved the book. Broadie makes golf sense using numerical data to assist us hackers with game improvement. Greens in regulations fairways hit and putts per hole are non scientific stats which donor convey true meaning. Broadie explains why and provides an alternative methodology.
February 21, 2021
I struggled to grasp much of the data analysis present within the book, but once I understood how impactful the "strokes-gained" approach was, it makes sense why golf doesn't look how it used to. Trying to use it to my advantage now, that is the real challenge.
November 19, 2021
Exceptional book
Greatly written. I wanted to understand strokes gained calculations on my golf app. I didn't get into the calculations but gave better fundamentals of thank you, Mr. Broadie.
Greatly written. I wanted to understand strokes gained calculations on my golf app. I didn't get into the calculations but gave better fundamentals of thank you, Mr. Broadie.
January 9, 2024
As a beginning golfer and data nerd, I found this book immensely interesting. Not everything in golf can be quantified, but Mark has done a great job of identifying the parts that can be. This book equips players to make better choices backed by real data.
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January 27, 2024An excellent book with helpful ways to think about shooting better golf scores. It's an extremely helpful method. The book does go into extra detail that may be overkill for the average golfer, but the overall concept is great.
December 29, 2024
Interesante para mejorar en el juego, usando una aproximación diferente a las típicas estadísticas de golf. La verdad es que merece la pena utilizar lo aprendido, a ver si le doy como hay que darle de una vez. Lectura recomendable
January 28, 2025
Wonderful insight of the use of statistical analysis of the game of golf. Not a purely theoretical book, but always explained with real world examples.
Must-read if you want to comprehend the concept of 'Strokes Gained'.
Must-read if you want to comprehend the concept of 'Strokes Gained'.
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