Improve Your Golf Game. Golf Pad GPS Tutorials/FAQ

What forms these categories?   I can't find a definitive explanation of each stokes gained category.  I would like to understand what they equate to s I can better use the statistics to inform my practice requirements.

Best explanation I could find is from pgatour.com.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2016/05/31/strokes-gained-defined.html

Just a way to slice and dice data from your round beyond GIRs, number of putts, and fairways.

Think of strokes gained as a predetermined "par" for each shot and each shot type.  Each drive you take is rated against a "standard" drive (or "drive par", if you will).  The same for each approach and each putt.  The "par" for each of these shot types is based on where you start and where you finish on each shot, including not only the distance from the hole, but also the type of lie that you had when you took the shot and the lie when you finished the shot.  The "par" is essentially the number of shots from that position that a tour pro would take to hole out.  If you are in a better position that the average tour pro off the tee, you have gained strokes (and have a positive number) for that drive.  If you are not in as good of a position, then you will have lost strokes (and have a negative number) for that drive.  The same is applied to your approach shots and putts, so that each are given a number either above or below the "shot par" (and remember, that is based on what an average tour pro's shot).

From within the app and here on the website, you can find the following explanation of how it works:

http://support.golfpadgps.com/support/solutions/articles/6000129991-what-is-the-strokes-gained-statistic-

I don't think that completely explains things unless you already have a decent understanding of Strokes Gained, but it's not easy to explain in words (I'm not sure my analogy above helps either!).  The following articles from elsewhere on the internet give a littler better explanation of what and how the stat is measured:  

http://www.strokesgainedgolf.com/How-Strokes-Gained-Works.html

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2016/05/31/strokes-gained-defined.html

Basically, the strokes gained stat that is the the lowest for each shot type (i.e., most negative) is an indication of where your scoring is weakest and, theoretically, where you should focus your practice to improve your overall scoring. 

Just some final questions Cindy.

Is approach based on a fixed distance as approach shots which can reach the green  vary tremendously, i.e. is this calculated based on club selection and its median distance thus assuming you should hit the green with it?

Are the putting stats affected by distance to the pin when I am using TAGS and locating the pin position?

Phil -   Here is a site that explains STROKES GAINED:    http://strokesgainedcalc.com/

 Has nothing to do with club selection.   It has to do with the beginning and ending values of your approach shot.

Example:   Longish par 4 (416 yards).   Your ball sitting on the tee has a shot value of 4.01 (meaning it takes the average tour pro 4.01 shots to hole out from this position (the tee at 416 yards)).  You hit a mediocre, pull-slice 220 yard drive but it stays in the fairway.   Your ball is now 196 yards from the pin and in the fairway and now has a new shot value of 3.17.

 -  your TEE shot Strokes Gained can now be calculated.  

      4.01 (Start value) - 3.17 (End value) - 1 (the stroke you took) =     -0.16 (strokes lost)  TEE

Your next shot is an Approach shot and has a value of 3.17, since it takes the average tour pro 3.17 strokes to hole out from 196 yards in the fairway.   You pure a 4 iron and put it on the green 20 feet from the cup, drawing applause from your playing companions.  The ball on the green 20 feet from the cup now has a shot value of 1.88

 - your APPROACH shot is now calculated

     3.17 (start value) - 1.88 (end value) - 1 (stroke you took) =   0.29 (strokes gained) APPROACH