Golf improvement

A red strokes gained page is not a verdict. Here is how to work out whether your numbers are showing a genuine problem, a rough patch, or a data issue you can fix in five minutes.

Everyone believes they play the first hole badly. Your hole-by-hole data can tell you whether that is true, how much it costs, and whether the problem is your nerves or your warm-up.

Aiming at the center of the green is the right default. Pin position tells you which center, and how far you are allowed to shift from it. Here is the data behind that decision.

The stock benchmarks tell you how you compare to a 10-handicap. They do not tell you whether you are better than you were in May. Here is how to build a baseline from your own data.

Most golfers check their stats too often and change their practice too fast. The fix is not tracking less, it is matching what you look at to how much data you actually have.

You do not need a sports psychologist to spot your mental patterns. First-tee nerves, tentative putting, and post-disaster spirals all leave a signature in your shot data.