Putts Gained by Mark Broadie

What is putts gained and how do you calculate it? Read on to learn about the one and only metric to measure how well you are putting.

What is putts gained and how do you calculate it? Read on to learn about the one and only metric to measure how well you are putting.

Mark Broadie is a professor of Economics at the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. On top of that, he's an avid golfer and has spent a lot of time analyzing the causes of golfers' success.

After his first article, "Assessing Golfer Performance Using Golfmetrics", which revolutionized golf metrics with the strokes gained metric, he published another article about measuring putting on the PGA Tour.

As in his previous article, he starts by telling us the limitations of current stats for putting:

  • Putts per round: it doesn't take into account putt distances and the samller number of putts is due to a superior short-game shot, not superior putting.
  • Putts per green in regulation: it doesn't account for putt distances
  • Length of holed putts: changes dramatically when a long putt is holed

So, Broadie says we need a better measure of putting skill, and that is putts gained.

Putts gained measures the number of putts better or worse than the field from a given distance.

Putts gained = PGA TOUR average putts to holeout from the distance - Actual putts to holeout

If we add the putts gained for each hole we will get the putts gained for a round, which is a very sound metric of the quality of the putting in that round.

You can calculate your putts gained for any round using Golfity and you can also use our simple strokes gained putting calculator for a quick calculation, free and no sign up needed.

local_offer
Mark Broadie
local_offer
Strokes gained
local_offer
Putts gained
local_offer
Putting

Related posts:

We calculate your strokes gained for each shot in a hole, to help you better understand this new metric
Example of strokes gained calculation

We calculate your strokes gained for each shot in a hole, to help you better understand this new metric

You can see your strokes gained by category for each hole in the new scorecard stats we have at Golfity.
Scorecard with strokes gained

You can see your strokes gained by category for each hole in the new scorecard stats we have at Golfity.

golfity introduces customizable benchmarks, allowing golfers to compare their skills against PGA Tour players, scratch players and 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 handicaps, for a more relevant and encouraging analysis.
Your golf scores, your strokes gained benchmark

golfity introduces customizable benchmarks, allowing golfers to compare their skills against PGA Tour players, scratch players and 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 handicaps, for a more relevant and encouraging analysis.

Bryson DeChambeau hit a 417 yards drive at the 2020 Ryder Cup, how many strokes did he gain with that?
Bryson DeChambeau's strokes gained for his monster drive in the Ryder Cup

Bryson DeChambeau hit a 417 yards drive at the 2020 Ryder Cup, how many strokes did he gain with that?

We have a new chart and table to tell you how many putts you do from different distances. Are you struggling and two putting short putts? Three putting too often from medium distances? Come to golfity and find out!
Putts by distance

We have a new chart and table to tell you how many putts you do from different distances. Are you struggling and two putting short putts? Three putting too often from medium distances? Come to golfity and find out!

Ready to feel like a pro?
Sign up now for a free account and improve your golf!