How to get better at golf without lessons
Are you always busy and have no time to practice golf and improve your golf swing? Maybe you’re short of cash and can’t afford in-person golf lessons with your local pro to re-shape your golf swing and find improvement? If either of these sounds like you then you have probably searched online looking for ways how to get better at golf without lessons. I use the lag shot golf training aid to improve my golf game without leaving my home.
You’ve probably asked yourself is it even possible, or should I just try and figure this golf thing out all by myself?
The truth is it’s not possible to play better golf or perform a consistent golf swing without some form of lessons.
However, you can make significant improvements just by understanding some proven golf swing basics and fundamentals that any golfer can learn and implement.
3 SECRET MOVES I WISH I WAS SHOWN WHEN I FIRST PLAYED GOLF
You can’t avoid the practice
I’m going to assume that if you want to know how to get better at golf without lessons, you’re still prepared to put some time into practice. After all, you can’t get better at anything in life without putting in some time and effort. What’s critical here is how you practice golf that’s critical to find improvement and shooting lower scores.
Quality and deliberate practice that’s targeted at improving certain aspects of your golf game.
Not just smashing golf balls randomly at the driving range with no purpose or goal in mind!
The right way to practice
In case you didn’t know already, there are two ways how to practice golf. Most golfers I know and you could be one of them, will go to the range and begin hitting wedges and work your way up to the driver. You’ll hit at least 10 shots with each until you hit a perfect one or two and then move to the next club. The problem with this routine is you are practicing golf in a situation that will not be repeated during a round of golf.
Unless of course, you plan on playing 10 7-irons in a row during a round … unlikely!
The most productive way to practice is to make it random and perform it like a real golf hole.
For example, you could hit a driver and then a 6-iron. Or try a 3-wood followed by a wedge.
The goal is still to hit multiple shots solid for every club just not in a row, which is how golf is played.
Practice one-armed golf swings at home
A great way how to get better at golf fast is to practice one-armed golf swings at home. Why? If you’ve read any of my other posts you’ll know that I talk about how the golf swing is left side or lead side dominant. In other words for a right-hander, the left side controls most of the golf swing and you should be allowing it to pull the golf club in the downswing instead of letting the right arm/shoulder push against the golf club.
Pulling from the left side not only gets your golf swing on plane but creates effortless speed and consistency in your golf swing.
The right side provides more of a supporting role and adds a bit of speed and that’s about it.
Practice making one-armed golf swings at home by performing 50 reps a day for a week and the results when you return to a full swing will amaze you!
Learn more about pulling and pushing in the golf swing by getting your FREE membership at Rotary Swing here.
A mirror is your friend
Regardless of what part of your golf game you’re trying to improve, working with a mirror is a great way to speed up your progress. The reason is the mirror doesn’t lie. If you think you are or are not doing something in your golf swing, the mirror will tell you exactly what's happening which is great for self-improvement.
With or without a golf club by practicing your golf swing you’ll get instant feedback on whether you’re performing it correctly or not.
Practice changes in front of a mirror for at least 50 reps to ensure you ingrain the muscle memory.
Do this in your backyard or even bringing a portable mirror to the driving range is a great way to improve your golf game.
Practice shots from 100-yards in
It’s probably no secret to you that most of your shots in golf are from 100-yards and in. So it makes sense that if you want to lower your golf scores then this is the first area you need to start practicing. I’m talking about your wedge shots, pitching, chipping, bunker shots, and finally putting.
You still have to practice your driving, fairway woods, and long irons, but make sure you spend more time on those shots closer to the green.
When you get better at these, you’ll find during a round you are able to put together lower golf scores.
Pre-swing is often the starting point for problems
Believe it or not, most poor golf shots are the result of a fault at your golf set up or pre-swing. Fixing this problem is a simple but powerful way how to get better at golf without lessons.
I wrote about this in a recent post about how to perform a more consistent golf swing.
For example, if you are not balanced in your golf set up this causes a chain reaction of problems in your golf swing.
The result is one part of your body makes a compensation to counterbalance yourself and then to make up for that body part change another has to make a compensation to fix that.
It’s a cycle that just keeps continuing over and over in the golf swing.
Spend more time on ensuring your setup is perfect such as your golf posture, axis tilt and you are nice and balanced.
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND DISCOVER THE BEST GOLF TIP YOU'LL EVER RECEIVE TO LOWER YOUR SCORES:
Avoid swing changes during the round
Another good way how to get better at golf fast is to eliminate making swing changes during a round of golf. Swing changes and adjustments should be saved for the practice range. Making any sort of changes to your golf swing during a round is a sure way to golfing disaster regardless of whether it’s in between shots or during a swing.
You need to trust the golf swing you have as any effort to control your body during a golf swing only makes the task more difficult.
Think about this … when you drive a car you don’t think about how to move your foot to apply the brakes or hit the accelerator, do you?
Your golf swing is the same, you need to trust what you have and focus on a precise target and try to hit it.
The power of process goals
One of the best golf swing tips you’ll ever receive is following process goals for your round. I’m not talking about goals of shooting your best score, hitting 5 fairways, or having 29-putts … those are outcome goals. These are goals out of your control and might happen or they might not … you don’t know for sure. Process goals are very powerful because these are goals you have 100% control over every single round of golf you play.
A good process goal might be to make 3 rhythmical practice swing humming your favourite song before every golf shot.
You can achieve this goal every single round of golf you play, and if you make these goals part of a golf improvement plan then all the better.
Learn more about how to create process goals just for you in the Ultimate Mental Game Training program.
The power of video
Recording your golf swing in practice at the driving or backyard is a proven way how to get better at golf without lessons. Watching a video of your swing is an invaluable tool that helps analyse and highlight the strengths and weaknesses.
It’s hard to know sometimes what you’re doing right or wrong in your golf swing, but the video never lies.
Look for golf swing fundamentals in your swing like ensuring you have the correct golf swing plane, maintaining your posture, and creating a sufficient amount of lag.
Combined with the use of a good mirror you can make a significant improvement in your golf scores without any professional golf lessons.
Your next move
Whilst I always recommend some form of coaching whether it’s getting golf lessons online or in person, it is possible to learn how to get better at golf without lessons.
Remember though, nothing in golf comes easy without the right dedication and application of fundamentals.
Practice all of these methods and find the ones that work best for you and your golf game.
Even just 15 – 30 mins a day in front of a mirror can produce some significant improvement in your golf swing if done correctly.
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