Per Round and Per Stroke

All of the strokes gained indicate strokes gained values in two distinct ways:

  • Per Round
  • Per Stroke

In a nutshell, Per Round values indicate how may strokes you are gaining or losing in a typical 18-hole round.  Per Round values therefore show you how each category impacts your round.

Per Stroke values, on the other hand, indicate how many strokes you are gaining or losing every time you make a stroke. Per Stroke values therefore indicate your relative skill level for each category.

To illustrate the significance of the distinction, I (Scott) had a per round Season Average of -5.65 in the 151-200 yards category in 2014.  At first glance it appears to be about what the impact of my Strokes Gained Driving was.  But the reason it impacted my game so little was not due to my skill in that category, but rather because of the relative scarcity of shots.  My per stroke Season Average in the 151-200 yards category reveals this.  That value at -0.69 shots per stroke was by far my worst category, twice as bad as my Strokes Gained Driving!  Thankfully I didn’t have to hit that shot 14 times per round!

For more on the difference between Per Round and Per Stroke values, see our article “’Strokes Gained Per Round’ vs. ‘Strokes Gained Per Stroke.’