Golf metrics

Two golfers shoot 30 putts and have nothing in common. One putted out of his mind, the other left strokes on every green. The number alone never tells you which.

Strokes gained off the tee sounds technical, but the meaning is simple: it scores your driver and fairway wood tee shots against what a benchmark golfer would do from the same spot.

Strokes gained approach sounds technical, but the meaning is simple: it grades every shot you hit at a green against what an average player would do from the same spot.

Your handicap index is not a mystery the federation computes in a back room. It is a short formula you can run by hand. Here is the WHS math, step by step, with the numbers worked out.

Three apps. Three approaches to golf analytics. Arccos requires sensors. Shot Scope requires a watch. golfity requires nothing but your phone. Here is what each one actually delivers.

Sensor systems like Arccos and Shot Scope are useful, but you can build a serious analytics picture with nothing but a scorecard, a phone, and a few seconds per hole.