I've been thinking about this lately, and I actually think most golfers spend way too much time practicing the wrong thing.
A lot of people go to the range and hit ball after ball after ball. The problem is they're focused on hitting the ball, not improving their swing.
To me, golf improvement comes from intentional practice.
When I watch professional golfers, one thing stands out. They finish their swing and hold their finish. Some people think it's just for show, but I think it's because the swing itself is the goal.
A balanced finish tells you a lot about what happened before impact. Good tempo, good sequence, and good balance usually produce good shots.
One drill I've been experimenting with is taking 10 practice swings for every ball I hit. My only focus during those swings is balance, tempo, and finishing in control.
Then I try to repeat that exact same swing with a ball in the way.
It's amazing how much harder it becomes once a ball is present. The urge to "hit" the ball takes over.
For me, some of my biggest improvements have come when I stopped trying to hit the ball and started focusing on repeating a quality swing.
I also think mobility plays a role. It's hard to make a good swing if your hips and back don't move well enough to get into the positions you're trying to achieve.
I've found that hip and spine mobility work helps me move better, but I'm curious what has helped everyone else.
What's the fastest improvement you've ever made in your golf game, and what caused it?