When watching the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, played at Firestone CC in Akron, Ohio, I was thoroughly impressed with the play of Tiger Woods. Of course, Tiger won by eight shots, so why shouldn't I be impressed? Well, I know many people marvel at the ability Tiger has to hit the long drives and accurate approach shots.

Without question, he had his "A game" going for him all day long, only having to scramble a couple of times to make par. Once, on hole No. 9 where he chipped in for par, and then again on No. 18 where his 12-foot par put slid in the side of the hole. The long drives and accurate iron play was impressive indeed. However, that was not the most remarkable aspect of this tournament for Tiger.

His ability with the flat stick is what separated Tiger from the rest of the field. At one point in time Sunday, I saw this statistic flash across the screen, "Putting Attempts from 4-8 ft -- 35: Putts Made from 4-8 ft -- 35." For the tournament, Tiger had not missed inside of 8 feet! That is just remarkable.

To put this into perspective, the next time you go to the golf course to practice, see how many putts you can make in a row from 5 feet. My guess is that on your best day you won't even make 10 in a row, and most will be lucky to make 5 in a row. There is no question that a high percentage of greens hit in regulation (ranking 1st this week) helped Tiger win this tournament. But, it is what he did on the green that showed why it is almost not fair to play against Tiger when all cylinders are firing, especially with his putter. While his total putts ranked in a tie for 31st with an average of 28.5 putts in four rounds, today he had 26 putts and never made a bogey, and, again, he never missed inside of 8 feet.

So what is the lesson that can be learned from this World Golf Championship -- Bridgestone Invitational tournament? For those that want to improve their scores, the first place to look is the short game. About 60% of the strokes made in a round of golf occur on -- or around -- the green. For those that practice on a regular basis, how many of you can say that you dedicate 60% of your time to putting and chipping around the green?

My experience tells me hardly anyone dedicates the time necessary to have a good short game. Ironically, this is the easiest and quickest way to bring your average score, and your handicap, down to the place it belongs. I can't count how many times students have come to me wanting to work on their driver or iron play in an effort to score better. My first question for them is always, "How many putts per round do you average, and how often do you three putt in a round?" Typically, the answer will be that their short game is pretty bad and that they average between 36 and 40 putts per round with at least two 3 putts per round. Amazing, isn't it? The answer is right there in front of them. Get rid of the 3 putts and get the total putts down to 32 per round and one can take 4 strokes off one's score! Instead, they want to spend time beating balls. Why is this?

Let's be honest, hitting balls for an hour is fun! Spending an hour on the putting green often isn't. But, that doesn't mean that you can't make it fun. The worst thing one can do when going to practice one's short game is not having any goals or targets set during the practice session. Most people only put 15 minutes into their putting and chipping because they do not practice with a purpose. If you really want to see your scores go down, practice with a purpose by trying some of these drills below:

Putting

1. Take 3 golf tees and push them into the ground on the putting green at a distance of 3ft., 5ft., and 7ft. Make sure you are putting on a flat surface with little to no break in the putt. Then, from each tee placement, try to make 5 putts in a row. Once you make 5 in a row from 3ft, go to the 5 ft distance. If you can make 5 in a row from 5ft, go on to the 7ft distance. However, if at any time you miss a putt, you must start the drill over and go back to the 3 ft distance. This will make you into a better putter from short distances. If you can get past the first two stations, you are doing pretty good. Don't stop until you at least make it to the 7 ft distance. This may take up to 45 minutes the first time you try this. Have patience. The more you do this the better you will be.

2. Lag Putts - At a distance of at least 20 ft, take 5 balls and try to two-putt all 5 balls. Continue this drill until you have made a total of 10 putts or less from 20 ft with 5 balls.

Chipping

Tiger showed today on no. 9 that even a good chipping game can help you save par. Do you know why that wasn't a big deal to him? It is because he has made chip shots hundreds of times before. Therefore, take 20 to 30 balls from 15 to 25 feet and try to chip one in the hole. Keep chipping for at least 20 minutes. If in that time you make a chip, you can stop your practice at 20 minutes. However, if you have not yet made a chip, continue until one finally drops, or until you reach one hour of practice.

By utilizing the practice tips above, I can almost guarantee you will see an improvement in your game. I have just one more thought for you. Believe that you are a good putter. Have confidence when standing over a putt. The more confident you are, the better the putting stroke will be. When doubt creeps in, the putting stroke will suffer. Anybody can be a good putter with practice and proper technique. If you are having trouble with your short game, be sure to see your local PGA Professional. Good Luck!

Dan is the Head Golf Professional and Director of Instruction at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue University. He has been a PGA Member since 1995 and joined the BBGC staff in April of 2004. He and his wife Luci, a graduate of Purdue, have two children, Ally and Jackson. Dan played his collegiate golf at Taylor University, graduating in 1992. Dan is the lead instructor of a Pilot Program started at Purdue University called "Golf: For Business and Life", which reaches hundreds of college students every year. He can be reached at dmross@purdue.edu.