The 3 Things You Need To Know About Golf Swing Instruction

Like most weekend golfers I'd love to be able and play every day. Of course it doesn't happen with everything else in life needing attention, I settle for playing on weekends and sneaking out of the office early for the odd weekday 18 holes. If you're reading this then I can only assume that also like me you've struggled to shoot the score you really strive to, and are ready to take action and learn the skills needed to do so. Personally I fought with trying to break nineties for several years, I would shoot the odd match over 100, but most of the time a consistent 92-96. I'd hit bucket after bucket of balls with my driver, just not understanding why I couldn't transfer those beautiful shots on the range to my game. The AH-Ha moment for me was when I finally decided I couldn't teach myself how to get better and I need to find some quality golf swing instruction.

I tried taking golf lessons to help improve my game, although it really wasn't up my alley. How ever when I stumbled on a set of video golf instruction DVDs by a pro who specializes in instructing weekend golfers to reach their max potential I was intrigued. The remainder of this article is dedicated to the three things I realized as I went through learning the DVDs and improving my golf game.

Leave the technical play to the Pros you learn how to swing consistently

The first important point I want to mention is this, golf pros spend a lot of time practicing. They have a mastery over the technique of the game and have a confidence level that they'll make every shot that you and I can only dream of. It's important to realize that it's ok if you don't swing the same as Tiger Woods or other players on the tour. As weekend golfers we need to know our limitations and play within those.

This was very apparent to me when I was being critiqued at my first group golf lesson. The teacher was trying to explain to me how a particular pro would do their back swing, to me it didn't make sense to try and emulate a pro when I was not one. From there forward I set out to find an instructor that could provide me with quality beginner golf instruction for a player at my skill level.

The driver is not the be all end all of the game

Remember how I mentioned above how I would whack an entire bucket of balls at the driving range with my driver, only to discover I couldn't emulate the same swing or drive when I was playing a round with my golf buddies. This is a common issue many of us have, when you swing the same club over and over you will tend to get a consistency about you. The darn thing is when we're playing we don't hit our driver fifty times, hopefully on a par 4 or 5 you hit it once off the tee and then it goes back in the bag until the next hole. So why the heck do we start hitting our driver when we're at the driving range? Personally I think it's an ego thing or at least it was for me.

Next time you're at the driving range give this a try, consider you're playing a hole on your favorite course, imagine the layout and the club selection you'd make for each shot. Hit your driver first, or what ever club you'd normally hit on that hole. Then grab the club you'd use for your second shot. If it's a par 5 maybe a long iron, or a fairway wood. Do this right up to the green then start over. This will give you more practice with your varying clubs rather then just hitting aimlessly when you could be having a great practice session.

Full Swing, Chipping, Pitching, and Putting

When I used to play a round of golf I really only had one swing I used besides my putter of course. Although I never really thought about each shot on a hole as a different part of the game. The fact is though they are different parts of the game. Once I began watching and learning from golf instruction videos I began to see that the setup and mechanics of a pitch or chip shot was very different from that which I used with my full swing 200 yards out. Once I began controlling those short game shots I saw up to a dozen strokes per round fall off of my score. Then I started spending time with my putter at the practice range, making putt after putt after putt. I saw another 4 or 6 strokes per round fade away. Treating the game as separate pieces really helps improve your consistency and score.

As mentioned before don't spend all your time on just your long shots, spend equal time developing your short game and putting. They do make up over 50% of the strokes you take in most rounds, so they deserve the attention.

It was these three realizations that brought me to the next level in my golf game. Once I began treating every hole as separate parts, and learning the required skills to be good at each part my confidence grew. I knew every shot I was going to make (did I make every shot? No but I had the confidence to not doubt myself).

If you're frustrated with your performance, or seem to be stuck and unable to break through a particular barrier with your handicap I suggest looking into golf swing instruction, and if at all possible focus on each part of the game. Your full swing and driver, short game, and putting.