If you have been playing the game for a couple of years, you would know the mistakes you make, yet you will find it very hard to correct them. Ever wondered why? It may be a great fun hitting hundreds of golf balls at the practice range but practicing the correct swing and getting the fundamentals right is what you want to achieve. Once you ingrain the swing's rhythm and the muscle's memory of motion, it is very difficult to change incorrect movements and the feel of the swing plane. The only remedy is to use drills that break down bad old habits and re-teach the muscles. It can be more useful to practice free hand without actually hitting a ball.

The following drills can help produce good results.

Turn

a)Assume your set-up position, feet shoulder-width apart as for a nine iron and your spine tilted, as you would address the ball. Rest a club horizontally against the upper part of your chest, parallel to your shoulders. From here, rotate your shoulders 90 degrees away from your target.

b) As you turn, your weight will shift to your right leg. You should feel some pulling in your left hip as you do this. Your weight should remain on the inside of your right foot. If you feel your weight on the outside of that foot, it means you have swayed instead of turned.

c) Now begin to turn towards the target leading with your hips and legs. Your shoulders will follow in the same rotational manner.

d) Always finish with your weight on your left leg with your belt buckle and the centre of your chest facing the target. You must use your upper and lower torso to generate speed and power!

Another great power source is using the angles you create between your body and your golf club, otherwise known as leverage. You must make a good extension as you turn by 'pushing' the club back with your left side. Many people make the mistake of picking the club up, in which there is no extension. By making a good extension you will be able to generate power as you swing through the ball and see greater distances with each club.

Leverage

a) Assume your set-up position. Begin by 'pushing' the club back with your left side as opposed to pulling it back with your right. Make a quarter swing with your arms fully extended. The shaft should be parallel to the ground and the toe of the club-head pointing straight up to the sky.

b) Continue your backswing by extending your left arm as you hinge your wrists. Do not lock your left elbow or you will not be able to swing through the ball. Your right arm will fold naturally so the right elbow points to the ground.

c) Now that you are 'wound up', pull down as if you are pulling a chain from the sky. Release at the ball and keep swinging your arms out to the target, finishing with arms over your left shoulder, your belt buckle and the centre of your chest facing the target.

Practice both turn and leverage and I am sure you will begin to feel the improvement in the results of your game.

Practicing in front of a mirror would help you even more.