23. Greg Norman & Mark Broadie: Why Golf Beats an Orgasm and Why Data Beats Everything
Apr 10, 2021
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Former top-ranked golfer Greg Norman and data analysis expert Mark Broadie discuss improving the golf swing, the concept of strokes gained as a metric for evaluating performance, randomized experiments revealing the benefits of taking safe shots in golf, and proposing a new scoring system that emphasizes risk-taking and memorable shots.
The stroke gained metric in golf analytics challenges conventional wisdom by emphasizing the importance of putting in determining a player's success, shifting the focus from ball striking.
The stroke gained metric provides an alternative scoring system in golf that rewards remarkable shots, making the game more enjoyable and encouraging golfers to take daring shots and chances.
Deep dives
Importance of Stroke Gained Metric in Golf
The podcast episode highlights the significance of stroke gained metric in golf analytics. The stroke gained metric provides a comprehensive and intuitive way to measure a golfer's performance by comparing their shots to a benchmark. It takes into account the number of strokes gained or lost based on the quality of a shot, whether it's a drive, approach, or putt. By using this metric, insights were gained that challenged conventional wisdom, such as the emphasis on ball striking over putting in determining a player's success. It also allowed a deeper understanding of the distance-accuracy trade-off in driving, showing the potential gains and costs of hitting longer drives. Overall, the stroke gained metric is a valuable tool in evaluating golfer performance and guiding on-course strategies.
The Impact of Stroke Gained on Amateur Golfers
The podcast episode explores how stroke gained metric can positively impact amateur golfers' strategies and experiences on the course. It reveals that many amateurs tend to focus on maximizing heroic shots and memorable moments rather than score alone. Stroke gained provides an alternative scoring system that rewards and prioritizes these remarkable shots, making the game more enjoyable and exciting. By shifting the scoring system to give more points for birdies and eagles, while penalizing double bogeys and worse, golfers are encouraged to take daring shots and take chances. This new approach allows golfers to focus on their best holes and memorable shots, creating a more positive and memorable experience on the course.
Challenging Conventional Strategies for Amateurs
The podcast episode challenges conventional strategies for amateur golfers, highlighting the importance of practicing recovery shots and acknowledging the potential pitfalls of playing it safe. The data showed that many amateurs struggle with hazards and out-of-bounds shots, often resulting in high scores due to penalties. Instead of always opting for safe shots, the episode suggests that amateurs should practice recovery shots, such as chipping back into the fairway, to mitigate the costs of errant shots. Emphasizing the importance of practice and embracing the challenge of recovery shots can lead to overall improvement in scoring and a more enjoyable golfing experience.
The Adoption of Stroke Gained Metric
The episode discusses the rapid adoption of the stroke gained metric by the golf community, thanks to its intuitive and meaningful approach to measuring performance. Initially, data access from the PGA Tour was challenging, but an opportunity arose in 2008 when the PGA Tour sought a new putting statistic. The stroke gained putting concept was met with approval because it made intuitive sense to golf influencers and players. The episode emphasizes the importance of getting buy-in from key individuals in promoting new ideas. Overall, the stroke gained metric revolutionized golf analytics and transformed the way golf performance is understood and evaluated.
Steve Levitt is obsessed with golf — and he’s pretty good at it too. As a thinly-veiled ploy to improve his own game, Steve talks to two titans of the sport: Greg “The Shark” Norman, who was the world’s top-ranked golfer for more than six years; and Mark Broadie, a Columbia professor whose data analysis changed how pros play the game.
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