I have found the secret to making lasting swing changesr

[VegasRenegade]

Ok it is not a secreat but many of you will not want to hear it. It is quite simple.  Good instruction followed by a high volume of purposeful practice.  That is it. After years of chasing secrets my swing has changed from sever over the top to a nice inside out.

The secreat two lessons a week from an instructor who can explain what I need to do in many different ways and give be a practice plan to get there.  Then 20 plus hours a week of quality practice. Changes are incremental and build on each other.

It has taken me 3 months to get to this point still many months to go.

[Harmonious]

I'm not sure it's a secret that good golf instruction, followed by correct practice, will produce improvement.  But it's good that you are following that path.  Good luck!

[MPtheKid]

I'm not sure it's a secret that good golf instruction, followed by correct practice, will produce improvement.  But it's good that you are following that path.  Good luck!

Agreed not exactly finding the holy grail but definitely the correct approach to improving. Stay positive and practice with a purpose!

[Ernest Jones]

Well, most of us can't manage to get 20+ hours a week of practice in so I wouldn't say that 20 hours is necessary, especially if you are practicing correctly. If you are practicing properly and with a purpose you should see some pretty solid progress with 30 mins a day. I would love to practice 20 hours a week but I got a job and two kids so that ain't happening.

[iacas]

I agree that:

• It's not exactly a secret.
• 20+ hours per week is overkill.
• 2 lessons a week is overkill.

I've had students make lasting changes practicing for five minutes per day in a mirror (sometimes not even using a club). But the commonality was that they were purposefully practicing with the correct prioritization/information.

[festivus]

20+ hours might work for some but to be honest "muscle memory" (if you believe in it) doesn't require that necessarily.

Practice at the edge of your ability can really hone your action and make your limited time pay off.  This is deliberately hitting big hooks, big slices, fades, draws, high, low...hitting 4 different clubs to the same flag...and so on.  I enjoy The Inner Game of Golf by Tim Gallwey for great ideas on how the brain and body can work together to maximize your time.

[VegasRenegade]

Well truth be told the twenty hours is not all on the full swing change at least half is short game.

and the second lesson is more like guided practice

[Dave2512]

My instructor wanted to see me bi-monthly. Between lessons he had me work on one thing. I'd say I practice an hour to hour and a half six days a week but very deliberate. I leave my mat and net set up year round and it's mostly for drills. May start doing weight forward drills, then slo-mo swings before finally taking some full swing shots, rinse and repeat. To hit ten balls full swing could take a half hour. Finish with that and pitch a few using a marker on the face to monitor contact since I am hitting into a net before moving to putting. Same thing very specific putting drills. Tomorrow will be my first 2014 lesson, it's been a few months. My guess is he will ask me questions for half of it and I probably won't hit more than a half dozen balls before he reviews the videos. He'll wrap it up with whatever the homework is and email me some voiceover vids.