by KYW's Ed Abrams

Need another reason to work on your short game?  Just examine the PGA Tour statistics.

Doug Hendricks, teaching professional at Penn Oaks Golf Club, says don't just focus on the guys whose games are "on" and playing in the final group on Sunday -- look instead at season-long numbers and tour averages:

"To me it's amazing that touring pros, the best players in the world, are only hitting about 70 percent of their greens in regulation. Which means they're using their wedges quite a bit, either in the bunker or around the green."

Which means we should be using our wedges more. So how do we work on them? How do we get the most out of that time?

"In your practice sessions, I would start each session with your wedges, and I would end with your wedges. Use your pitching, use your gap, use your sand, and use your lob wedge. Then, when you're presented with opportunities around the green, you can get up and down."

He says that word "opportunity" is a key -- view a missed green that way, instead of berating yourself for hitting a bad shot. The stats reveal that even the pros misfire -- more frequently than you might imagine.

For more instruction, and a tour of local courses, join us on TV for Golfshots, presented by Buick, Sunday  nights at 6pm on Comcast Sportsnet.