How to Use Strokes Gained in Golf Betting

Strokes Gained Betting

Betting on golf provides many opportunities to receive payouts. With multiple large tournaments yearly and smaller events always being played, bettors have many chances to wager on golf and enjoy the thrill of the sport. To have an advantage when betting on golf, it is important to be aware of all statistics. The advanced statistics offered will become beneficial for those who are looking to gain a slight advantage over an online sportsbook. One way to do this is to know how to analyze strokes gained and apply those statistics to your sports predictions.  

Here, we take a closer look at how stroked gained can be used when determining bets. Beginner bettors may not be completely aware of how this stat can be used when selecting betting options. Read on to find out how to use stroked gained to have a more successful experience when placing wagers online.

What is Strokes Gained?

The strokes gained stat is one of the important things to consider after evaluating the layout of the course being played. This is a way to see just how well a player is striking the ball compared to a professional golfer. For example, an average pro player may take three strokes to hole out when playing a 4 par hole from 200 yards. If the player can do this in two strokes, they will gain one stroke. 

Not only do strokes gained help those who are placing bets on golf, but it can also help players identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Strokes gained is a stat that was added by the PGA Tour in 2011. The PGA began by measuring the total strokes gained as well as putting. In 2016, the PGA added a few additional categories that provide bettors with detailed statistics that can be used when wagering.

These stats are based on the ShotLink system, which is a system that makes use of radars, lasers, and cameras. These are used to track all aspects of every shot that is taken during a tournament. When considering strokes gained, there are four main different categories that are included. These provide a complete analysis of how the player is performing on each hole and can indicate their chance of winning a tournament.

Strokes Gained Data: How it Works.

To get a complete idea of how strokes gained work, it is important to understand the data that is collected. Professionals use this data to determine how golfers are performing and how bets should be placed. Below, bettors can see how the data is used when considering strokes gained in golf events, especially on the PGA Tour.

  • Benchmarking – This is a special database that includes information on the average number of strokes that any player takes to sink the ball from different locations on the course. It also includes data on the distances of shots taken. The average score then becomes the benchmark.
  • Shot Evaluation – The next step is to evaluate shots and compare the performance of each golfer on a specific shot to the benchmark that was created.
  • Calculation – After determining the benchmark, the difference between this and the actual strokes will result in the strokes gained. When there is a positive value after doing the calculation, it indicates that the golfer is playing better than average. A negative result shows that the golfer uses more strokes than average to achieve completion of the hole.

This data is a great way to collect information on how players are performing, where they excel, and where improvement is needed. It compares how well a specific golfer is playing compared to others who have played the same course. Not only do strokes gained help those who are placing bets on golf, but it can also help players identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Strokes Gained Categories

Understanding what each category represents will provide bettors with an edge. Using strokes gained when placing wagers can significantly improve betting results, so these stats are essential for the experienced bettor. Take a look at these six categories to get a better understanding of the information they offer.

Stroked Gained: Off-the-Tee

This is a pretty basic statistic to understand. It is the measurement of the performance of a player on their initial shots. While it mainly focuses on the drive, it can also measure par-3 first shots. 

Approach

This will measure the approach shots taken by each player. This will include all shots that are taken that are not from the green on any par 4 or 5 hole. These stats are not included with the putting or around-the-green stats.

Around-the-Green

Around-the-green provides an insight into how players perform when they are closer to the edge of the green. The measurement will include performance on shots that are within 30 yards of the green, however, it does not include any shots that actually land on the green.

Putting

The Strokes Gained putting will provide information on how well a golfer is putting during a specific tournament. Any shot that is hot and lands on the putting green will be tracked under this statistic. 

Strokes Gained Total

This number shows the sum of all four categories and provides an overall strokes gained statistic. This can be a useful stat when quickly comparing different players in an event. However, it is important to focus on each category individually to become the most educated bettor.

Conclusion

Using strokes gained is a great way for bettors to place educated wagers and find betting value. Using these stats, bettors are able to measure player quality. Since strokes gained measure every shot that is made by a player, it offers the best way to use statistics to place wagers on who will win a tournament or who will be the strongest player during an event. Taking time to use SG information will prepare bettors for wagering and will help them understand the kind of player as well as how their skills match up on a specific course.

Those seeking a good betting strategy will find that the information from strokes gained is a perfect starting point. This data is very useful when placing bets on any golf tournament or even when betting on daily fantasy sports. Overall, it is one of the best ways to determine how any player is performing at any time. 

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