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Mastering the Art of Golf with Coach Erik Schjolberg
I’m Coach Erik Schjolberg, and welcome to the EJS Golf blog—Scottsdale’s authority on science-driven ball-striking. Here you’ll find in-depth analyses of swing mechanics, data-backed breakdowns of impact and launch dynamics, and actionable practice routines designed to rewire your muscle memory from day one. Each post peels back the curtain on cause-and-effect in your swing, whether you’re chasing Tour-level precision, collegiate consistency, or lower weekend scores. Dive into our deep-dive articles, master the drills that drive real improvement, and transform your game with proven science and strategy.
But let’s be clear: golf isn’t only about perfecting swing mechanics. The mental battle you fight on each tee is often the one that determines whether you stay in the game or walk off the course. Here, we’ll tackle the psychological hurdles—the pressure of a tight leaderboard, the frustration when a swing fails under stress, the self-doubt that creeps in after a bad hole. You’ll learn evidence-based mental strategies—visualization routines, pre-shot rituals, stress-management techniques—that fortify your focus and resilience. Mastering these mind-set tools is just as critical as dialing in your impact position, and I’ll show you exactly how to integrate mental training into your practice for lasting confidence on every shot.
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Scratch Golfer vs PGA Tour Pro: The Real Data Behind a 5-Shot Gap
Scratch Golfer vs PGA Tour Pro: The Real Data Behind a 5-Shot Gap
I often hear when I play golf with others,"are you going to play professionally one day?" This is after playing a round of golf with them and shooting right around par, a little below or a little over. I don't know how to tell them that I am not even close to them right now, My 72 on the course I played would be a 63 or 64 by them. Way different.
Hi. I am Coach Erik Schjolberg of EJS Golf, The Science of Better golf. I am writing this blog post so golfers can get closer to seeing how really great the greats are on the PGA Tour and that the average and even the scratch golfer is nothing like them. This is in hoped that the average golfer learns to play their game, what they need to do at the level they are. If you shoot in the 90s or above, no. 1 should be more greens in regulation, simple. Please feel free to reply to this post with your thoughts.
When I strip this down to numbers only and look at large-sample datasets (Arccos, Shot Scope, ShotLink/PGA Tour, MyGolfSpy), the gap between a “typical” PGA Tour professional and a scratch golfer is very clear. Below, “pro” refers to the PGA Tour average male professional; “scratch” is a 0-index player tracked by Arccos or Shot Scope.
1. Scoring and course setup
Scratch golfers in the Shot Scope database average about 2.01 shots over par per round for the season, which on a par-72 layout comes out right around 74.0. (National Club Golfer)
The overall PGA Tour scoring average in recent seasons sits just over 71.0 strokes per round (71.09 is the published “Tour Average” scoring figure). (PGA Tour)
A 2025 MyGolfSpy analysis using Shot Scope data reports essentially the same thing from another direction: scratch golfers averaging about 74 from roughly 6,200 yards, versus Tour pros averaging about 71.4 from roughly 7,200 yards. (MyGolfSpy)
So, in raw scoring terms, Tour pros are roughly 2.5–3 strokes per round better than scratch while usually playing about 1,000 yards more course.
A classic study comparing 2015 Tour scoring and scratch data went a step further: it found Tour players were 2.25 strokes better in scoring average, and their courses were 3.2 strokes harder by Course Rating, for a normalized gap of about 5.45 shots per round when you put everyone on equally rated tees. (GolfWRX)
2. Driving: distance and accuracy
Using Arccos and PGA Tour stats compiled by Golf Monthly:
Driving distance
– Scratch: 259 yards average off the tee
– PGA Tour: 299.9 yards average off the tee (Golf Monthly)
That’s a ~41-yard advantage for the pro on every par 4 and par 5 where both players hit driver.
Fairways hit
– Scratch: 51% of fairways
– PGA Tour: 59.09% of fairways (Golf Monthly)
So pros are not only roughly 40 yards longer, they also hit the fairway about 8 percentage points more often.
TrackMan’s “Tour Averages” back this up on the pro side: PGA Tour players average about 115 mph club speed, 171 mph ball speed and roughly 280+ yards of carry with the driver. (Golf Monthly)
3. Approach play: greens in regulation and proximity
From the same Arccos/PGA Tour comparison:
Greens in regulation (GIR) – all holes
– Scratch: 56% GIR (≈ 10.1 greens per round)
– PGA Tour: 66.32% GIR (≈ 13.4 greens per round) (Golf Monthly)
That is a gap of about 10 percentage points or roughly 3 extra greens per round for the pro.
From the 2025 MyGolfSpy / Shot Scope analysis:
Overall approach proximity (all approach shots)
– Tour pro: ~37 feet average distance from the hole
– Scratch: ~65 feet average distance from the hole (MyGolfSpy)From 175–200 yards
– Tour pro: hits the green about 60% of the time
– Scratch: hits the green about 37% of the time (MyGolfSpy)From 200–225 yards
– Scratch: only 25% GIR and typically leaves the ball 78–102 feet from the hole
– Tour pros hit roughly twice as many greens from this range (≈ 50% GIR implied) (MyGolfSpy)
So on approach, professionals are hitting more greens and, just as important, hitting them much closer—on the order of 30 feet nearer the hole on average.
4. Short game: scrambling and bunkers
Short-game differences are smaller, but still quantifiable:
Scrambling / up-and-down after a missed green
– PGA Tour pros: save par about 60% of the time
– Scratch golfers: save par about 54% of the time (MyGolfSpy)
A 6-percentage-point edge here is roughly one extra up-and-down every 16–17 misses.
Sand saves (greenside bunkers)
– Tour pros: convert about 58% of bunker shots
– Scratch golfers: convert around 37% (MyGolfSpy)
That’s a 21-point gap in sand performance, which is massive in stroke-gained terms.
5. Putting: one-putts, three-putts, and total putts
Arccos and PGA Tour putting stats (again via Golf Monthly) give a clean comparison: (Golf Monthly)
Total putts per round
– Scratch: 30.7 putts
– Tour pro: 29.02 putts
So pros use about 1.7 fewer putts per round on average.
Three-putts per round
– Scratch: 1.3 three-putts per round
– Tour pro: 0.49 three-putts per round
Pros are three-putting about 0.8 times less per round, roughly one fewer three-putt every 1–2 rounds.
One-putts per round
– Scratch: 5.2 one-putts per round
– Tour pro: 7.07 one-putts per round
That’s almost two extra one-putts per round for the pro.
MyGolfSpy’s 2025 analysis expresses this in percentages: one-putt rates of about 40% for Tour pros versus 34% for scratch golfers, and confirms that bunker and putting performance are where the short-game gap really shows up. (MyGolfSpy)
6. Birdies, bogeys, and scoring profile
Using Arccos scratch data and PGA Tour scoring stats compiled by Golf Monthly: (Golf Monthly)
Birdies per round
– Scratch: 2.2 birdies per round
– PGA Tour pro: 3.72 birdies per round
That’s roughly 1.5 more birdies per round for the pro.
Bogeys per round
– Scratch: 4.6 bogeys per round
– PGA Tour pro: 2.59 bogeys per round
So pros card about 2 fewer bogeys per round.
Par-by-par scoring (PGA Tour vs scratch)
– Par-3 scoring: 3.06 (Tour) vs 3.1 (scratch)
– Par-4 scoring: 4.03 (Tour) vs 4.2 (scratch)
– Par-5 scoring: 4.63 (Tour) vs 4.7 (scratch) (Golf Monthly)
On a typical 4–10–4 par-3/par-4/par-5 layout, those par-by-par gaps translate into about 71.1 for the Tour pro versus 73–74 for the scratch golfer, right in line with the season-long scoring numbers above.
7. Compact numeric summary (per-round averages)
All drawn directly from the sources cited above (Arccos, Shot Scope, PGA Tour, MyGolfSpy, Golf Monthly):
Scoring: Scratch ≈ 74.0 vs PGA Tour ≈ 71.0–71.4 (≈ 2.5–3 strokes better for the pro) (National Club Golfer)
Driving distance: Scratch 259 yds vs PGA Tour 299.9 yds (≈ 41-yd advantage to pro) (Golf Monthly)
Fairways hit: Scratch 51% vs PGA Tour 59.09% (≈ +8 percentage points for pro) (Golf Monthly)
GIR: Scratch 56% (≈10.1 greens) vs PGA Tour 66.32% (≈13.4 greens) (≈ 3 more greens for pro) (Golf Monthly)
Approach proximity (all): Scratch ≈ 65 ft vs Tour ≈ 37 ft (≈ 30 ft closer for pro) (MyGolfSpy)
Scrambling: Scratch 54% vs Tour 60% up-and-down success (MyGolfSpy)
Sand saves: Scratch 37% vs Tour 58% (MyGolfSpy)
Putts per round: Scratch 30.7 vs Tour 29.02 (≈ 1.7 putts better for pro) (Golf Monthly)
Three-putts: Scratch 1.3 vs Tour 0.49
One-putts: Scratch 5.2 vs Tour 7.07
Birdies: Scratch 2.2 vs Tour 3.72
Bogeys: Scratch 4.6 vs Tour 2.59 (Golf Monthly)
That is the statistically documented gap: longer and slightly straighter off the tee, more greens, closer proximities, higher scramble and sand-save rates, fewer three-putts, more one-putts, more birdies and fewer bogeys—adding up to a multi-stroke advantage every round even before you normalize for the extra 1,000 yards and tougher setups the pros face.
Hope this helps with where you are in your golf game. I think it is important for perspective. Knowing that a scratch golfer averages around 30 putts per round and you are a 10 handicap averaging 33, that would be pretty good. Golf comes down to perspective often.
EJS Golf | Scottsdale, AZ
What You Can Expect from Our Blog
1. Expert Insights on Swing Mechanics:
With over 25 years of experience as a PGA Professional Golf Instructor, I delve deep into the nuances of golf swing mechanics. My articles break down complex theories into understandable concepts, focusing on ground reaction forces (GRFs), biomechanics, and efficient energy transfer.
2. Advanced Technological Guidance:
Our academy is equipped with state-of-the-art tools like the Trackman 4 Launch Monitor, 3D Pressure Plates, and Hackmotion, among others. On the blog, I share how to leverage these technologies to gain precise feedback on your swing, helping you make informed adjustments and see measurable improvements.
3. Tailored Practice Routines:
My philosophy is built on the belief that improvement should be evident from the first lesson. I advocate a '15 minutes per day' practice model, designed to fit into your busy schedule while ensuring consistent progress. Each blog post aims to offer practice drills and routines that are easy to implement and effective in refining your skills.
4. Real Success Stories:
Read about the experiences of those who have trained at EJS Golf Academy. These testimonials not only inspire but also illustrate the practical application of our teaching methodologies and the real results achieved.
5. Interactive Learning:
We occasionally feature video tutorials and interactive content that allows you to visually grasp techniques and corrections. This blended approach helps reinforce learning and allows you to engage with the content actively.
How Our Blog Helps Golfers Get Better
Every post is crafted with the intent to educate. We cover everything from basic fundamentals to advanced techniques, ensuring there's something valuable for every skill level. By presenting data and evidence-backed strategies, our blog demystifies the 'why' and 'how' behind effective golf training. This analytical approach empowers you to make smarter decisions about your practice and play. We understand that generic advice does not suit everyone. Our blog posts are designed to help you identify your own needs and adapt our techniques accordingly. Whether it’s adjusting your grip, stance, or swing path, you’ll find personalized tips that resonate with your specific challenges. Beyond just reading, our blog serves as a community hub where you can interact with fellow golfers and share your experiences. This supportive environment encourages learning and improvement through collective wisdom.
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Remember, at EJS Golf, we don’t just teach golf; we craft master golfers. Let’s begin this journey together. Visit us atEJSGolf.com to learn more about our programs and start your training online or at our Scottsdale location. Let’s make every swing count!
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I've taken multiple private lessons with Erik and he's been by far the best swing coach I have ever worked with. He has the ability to dissect your swing and make small changes for big improvements. What I love most about his lessons is they go far beyond the 1 or 2 hours you're with him. He follows up with videos of how you can improve at home and on the range. The value he provides is absolutely worth the cost of his sessions. I would recommend any golfer at any level who truly wants to get better to go see Erik.”
- Reanol H.
Erik is the best! and that is not an exaggeration. There has not been a single lesson where I haven't walked out and felt like a far better golfer than before. What can't be praised enough is the effort and dedication that Eric puts into each of his students, as his approach to fixing and improving my golf swing was specific to me. While teaching, Erik takes the extra time to truly dive into what he is trying to convey rather than just telling you, allowing for a better understanding. Beyond the instruction at the course, Erik sends specific drills to you from an app that allows for slow motion replays, letting you break down everything and work on your game at any time. I genuinely mean it when I say that I would recommend Erik to anyone wanting to improve their golf game, as he is not only a top not instructor but also a top notch person who cares about his students.
- Brennan K.
Erik is flat out a great coach and mentor! I highly recommend him! Working from the ground up, my swing is healthier and smooth! I wanted a coach that shared the same main principles as the late Tony Manzoni and Erik hits the mark! Found Erik by listening to the Golf Smarter podcast by Fred Greene and connected with EJS Golf through the Perfect Motion app. Erik is motivated and incredibly gifted at his craft!
- Bryan B., Indiana, USA
