How do you improve your golf swing?

QUESTION:
I have taken lessons, but I want to practice on my own, since I think practice is what I need. What is the best way to practice, to improve your golf swing. Watching videos, practicing “back swing” first, etc..What do you think is the most important thing to pay attention to when you want to improve?

Thanks!

ANSWER:

Answer by warmtoast
Wow, where to start? Ok first you need regular lessons with a pro. Don’t take advise from your friends or people on the driving range. They give you too much to think of, and to be honest not all of them really knows what they’re doing. They only know what works for them. A pro’s job is to build your swing, not little tips to fix little problems. Find a pro you’re comfortable with and listen to them. They should give you a regular practice schedule. Say 15 min with a short iron, 15 with long, 10 with driver, and 20 min chipping and putting. They also need to tell you how to practice. What to focus on when you practice say maybe tempo, staying on plane, etc. Don’t try to do too much at once. Don’t think about correcting 5 things. Stick with one or two each practice round. By practicing you are training your muscles what it feels like to do the correct swing. Muscle memory is the name of the game. If you do it right, when you’re playing on the course and you start to have swing troubles you should be able to feel what’s wrong and then try to fix it. Establish regular lessons with your pro, say once a week. Then tell them how much you intend to practice between lessons, say 3 one hour practice sessions each week. Ask him each week what you should work on. He/She should also give you drills to do. Also, remember not to spend hours on the range and just keep on hitting. Usually 1 hour is plenty. You can easily hit over a hundred balls in an hour. For a beginner, that’s an entire 18 holes. If you spend too much time on the range, your muscles will get tired and you won’t be making the right swings. Thus, you might be committing to muscle memory the wrong swing. Finally, remember to get out on the course and play some holes every week. Remember golf is supposed to be fun. If you enjoy it you will find you practice and play better. Good luck.