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Coaches Want Strokes Gained Insights

Yes, we are going there..will you be ready or not? Golf Analytics is growing and in college recruiting it is the wild west. If you don't understand the basics of strokes gained then you are going to miss out on opportunities.


1. Strokes Gained = Smarter Player Evaluation

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College coaches are moving beyond just scoring average and “coach references.”They want to see how you score — not just what you shoot.

  • Strokes Gained shows whether your strength is driving, approach, short game, or putting.

  • Coaches can instantly see if your 72 comes from elite ball-striking or great scrambling.

  • It eliminates luck and course differences, making performance comparable across tournaments.

In other words, it’s becoming the “analytics language” of modern recruiting, similar to how Trackman numbers became essential a decade ago. 2. Coaches Are Already Using It

Programs using platforms like DECADE (the original used for years), Upgame and Circles are integrating player data into team reports.If a recruit already knows how to interpret that data, it’s a major advantage:

  • Shows that you’re “college-ready” in terms of how you track and plan your rounds.

  • Signals that you think strategically, not emotionally, on the course.

  • Saves the coach time - they can plug you right into the team’s analytics workflow.


3. The Recruiting Edge


If you include a simple Strokes Gained Snapshot in your recruiting emails or PDF:

  • “+0.8 SG: Approach (last 10 rounds)”

  • “Even SG: Off the Tee (consistent dispersion pattern 65–75% fairways)”

…it separates you from players who only share yardages and scores.

It’s proof that you’re a data-literate, self-coached, and process-driven athlete, which coaches value.


4. How Recruits Should Use It


You don’t need to overwhelm coaches with spreadsheets — just highlight:

  • Which platform you use ( Upgame, DECADE, Circles etc.)

  • A short insight on what you learned from it

  • How you adjusted your practice or targets based on that insight


5. Where This Is Heading


What to expect in the next 1-2 years?


  • Recruiting questionnaires and online profiles to ask for basic Strokes Gained summaries.

  • College programs to expect incoming freshmen to know how to use it.

National junior tours to integrate SG summaries into tournament reporting (already piloted in some events).


If you can show you track your performance through Strokes Gained, and know how to use it, you’ll stand out immediately.


 
 
 

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