How to Get Better at Golf without Lessons (TOP 15 Tips & Proven Ways)

Taking golf lessons can be a quick and easy way to get better at golf.

However, it’s not for everyone.

First of all, golf lessons can be expensive.

Then you have to find the right professional who has availability at the times that work for your schedule. It’s just not always a fit.

Getting better at golf without lessons is possible, and I have 15 tips that can help you do it.

Each of these tips requires a little of your time, but when you become a better golfer, it will all be worth it!

How to Get Better at Golf without Lessons (Key Takeaways)

Don’t have time to read all 15 tips and proven ways right now?

Here are the most important things to know about how to get better at golf without lessons.

• Take some time to invest in your game; with or without lessons, it takes time to become a great golfer.
• Your golf game needs more than one shot from some lies and locations. Practice learning how to hit different shots and how to control ball flight.
• Learn from the professionals when possible, read what they write, watch them play on television, and pick up information about their game and their swing.
• Don’t be afraid to use golf technology; there are some great options out there to help you get better without taking a lesson.

TOP 15 Tips to Get Better at Golf Without Lessons

Do Some Research

If you want to get better at golf without lessons, you need to research the game of golf and try to understand it better.

If you don’t know what causes a slice or what causes a hook, it’s time to learn.

All golfers should have a general idea of what the clubface looks like at impact and how that can be manipulated throughout the swing.

If you have never done any research into the golf swing and how it works, start with Ben Hogan. Hogan had a very clear way of showing how the golf swing works and how golfers can benefit from what he did.

Of course, there are plenty of instructional guides out there from a variety of professionals that can help you improve your golf game.

Try to find someone or something that you align with and start to try and learn it.

Golf can be understood by anyone that puts in the time to learn it.

Practice the Boring Parts

Golf can be boring to practice.

Would you rather head out to the golf course with some of your best friends or stand on the range and try to hit your 4 iron slightly higher? Chances are you will choose golf with your friends.

However, the players that focus on the boring parts of the game and put the time in are the ones that can take their game to the next level.

I think one of the major ways to improve is to look at practicing the setup and the grip.

If you watch professionals on the practice tee, they are very particular about how they hold the club, set up, and take the club back.

Very rarely will you see a great player just start hitting shots.

They usually have some kind of alignment aid setup; they aim the ball, tinker with their grip, etc. They are practicing the boring parts!

Start Tracking Strokes Gained

Strokes gained is a unique concept that can help golfers learn a bit more about their game and the areas that need the most improvement.

When you start tracking strokes gained, you will compare your ability to hit a shot on a hole compared to a baseline.

Strokes gained can be tracked using an app that helps you track your positioning and scoring on the course.

At the end of the round, you can look at strokes gained results and know exactly what you need to work on.

For some golfers, this can be short game shots in the 50-100 yard range; for others, it can be 20 ft putts.

The bottom line is that strokes gained tells you how to focus your practice, something you will need to know if you want to get better without lessons.

Learn what Effective Practice is

In the golf business, one of the things we would find most entertaining is when a golfer spends days and days on the range but never get better.

You see that 20 handicappers out there, determined not to take a lesson, but they just keep practicing the same thing over and over again.

Chances are they will stay a 20 handicapper for a very long time.

However, you can learn what effective practice is and eventually learn how to practice effectively and shoot lower scores.

The best way to practice effectively is to make the driving range an extension of the golf course.

If you were to hit a 7-iron shot on the course, chances are you would line up, think about your swing, finish the shot, and then analyze.

This process should be done on the driving range as well.

If you skip all of the important parts of effective practice, then you are just exercising when you are in the range. Hitting golf balls is much different than practicing.

Line up each shot, think about what you are doing, and plan to take that information with you on the golf course.

At the end of my practice session, one of my favorite tips is to make a quick note about what I practiced, what worked, and what didn’t. I give the note a quick read-through when I head to my next round, and it makes a big difference.

Incorporate Golf Technology

Golf technology can help to play the role of the teacher.

If you are hitting golf shots and really don’t know what you are doing wrong, a device like HackMotion could help.

With HackMotion, you can determine the exact position of your wrists throughout the entire swing.

Feedback tools that give you information on your golf swing are essential for improving without lessons.

I also think it’s important to take a video of your golf swing occasionally and consider what you are working on improving.

Golf professionals do this, and they check on the progress that players are making; if you want to get better without lessons, you need to take a good look at what is working and what is not working.

Watch Professional Golf

I love watching the Major Championships and a great Sunday afternoon when some of the top players are competing.

Even if you don’t enjoy watching golf week in and week out, you can learn so much from watching the professionals.

Pay very close attention not just to how they swing but how they play the golf course.

They may have more distance than you do off the tee, but their technique should be closely monitored.

I like to look at putting routines, warm-up, and pre-shot routines; we can learn a lot about what works and what doesn’t. In addition, see what happens when golf professionals hit a shot that has them in a difficult position.

They have a variety of shots in the bag, and you can learn some of them to start improving your score.

Spend Time on Your Game Everyday

You may think that this is a big ask.

I get it; you have kids, a house, a job, etc. How can you spend time on your golf game every day?

You can!

Spending time on your golf game can be practicing your grip for a few minutes, mentally playing through your next round, or practicing your putting in the living room.

Don’t overcomplicate this process.

Golfers can work on their golf game daily and still live a regular life.

Make it easy for yourself to work on golf. Schedule times, have the proper training aids, and invest in a net for your backyard. These are all simple ways to give yourself more time to improve without even being at the golf course.

If you read a mental game book about golf before you go to bed each night, that certainly counts as working on your golf game.

Know what Impact Looks and Feels Like

Do you know what the perfect impact position in the golf swing is supposed to look like?

Do you know what a great golf shot feels like?

You will need to know both of these things to get better at golf without lessons.

I highly recommend working with training aids and studying pictures of professionals to understand the perfect impact position.

The more you know about the impact, the easier it is to hit straight shots that have strong ball flight and fly toward their target.

A golf ball gets up into the air by a player hitting down and through it with a descending blow.

If you are still trying to scoop the ball up in the air, you will struggle to get better at golf. Know what impact looks like, and then do your best to recreate this perfect position every time.

Learn More than One Short Game Shot

Chipping does not involve one go-to shot with your sand wedge.

It’s completely acceptable to have this go-to shot with your sand wedge, but it’s not enough.

You also need to know how to chip with your pitching wedge, the lob wedge, and maybe even an 8 iron.

Can you vary the ball flight on a shot and hit both high and low chip shots?

The key to being a master of the short game is knowing how to hit a variety of shots. In any round of golf, no two lies will be the same. You will need to adjust your game to the lie that you face on the course.

What happens when you only know how to hit one shot, but the ball is on a slope, and you have short-sided yourself with the pin location?

Sometimes golf is about math and analytics, and sometimes you will need to be like an artist.

The short game is where your creativity comes into play.

Work on Physical Strength and Stamina

Ten years ago, you may have convinced some people that golf was all about a hot dog and an adult beverage at the turn.

Physical stamina, nutrition, and even mental clarity were not the game’s most essential features.

This has changed!

Look at all of the best players in the world and the conditions they are in.

In fact, working on physical strength and stamina is one of my favorite ways of getting better at golf because I have seen it work firsthand.

I’ve always been a decent athlete but didn’t need to work all that hard at staying in shape. As I got older and had two kids, that changed a bit.

Now I’m a runner and do strength training; if I get lazy with either of these, my golf game will be impacted.

Simply lifting weights or doing core training can easily get me five more yards off the tee and even with iron shots. In addition, running six miles at a time helps me when I’m walking up the 18th green.

I feel as though I could keep going.

You don’t need a golf professional to help you with this process. Instead, with a little dedication and commitment, you can be well on your way to becoming a stronger and more accomplished golfer.

Mental Game Practice

Can you really practice the mental game?

100% yes!

The mental game can and should be practiced. There are a few areas that I would recommend working on the most.

The first is visualization, and the second is positive thinking.

Visualization allows you to see a golf shot and plan for it.

If you stand behind a putt that will break two feet left and then die into the hole, you need to be able to see this. Without some idea of what that should or would look like, you won’t be able to produce that shot.

Hitting a golf shot without first visualizing it is kind of like a guessing game, and it should be avoided.

Secondly, the negative thoughts need to go.

Many golf professionals will work with you on this when you take golf lessons, but you are the only one in control of your mind.

When you hit a shot into the water, you can still make a bogey. Don’t get overly upset with this concept; simply adjust and do what you can.

So many golfers waste strokes on the golf course because they are not smart about negative thoughts.

Find the Right Combination of Practice and Play

I’m continually being asked what the perfect balance between practice and play is.

The general rule of thumb that I have put into place is the more you play, the more you must practice.

Working on getting better at golf is incredibly frustrating if you are only playing golf. You need to make sure there is time to practice and play on the golf course.

If you play twice a week, try to have at least two short practice sessions twice a week. If you play once a week, do the same.

For golfers that are lucky enough to play three or four times per week, make sure you save at least two days to practice and work on your skills.

If you struggle to find this balance, expect to have issues with consistency in your scoring.

Again, this is another excellent tip that you can use to get better at golf without taking lessons!

Stick to Your Plan

One of my favorite golf tips ever!

Have you gone out to a golf course with a plan in mind about what you will work on?

Maybe you decided that you would work on the tempo that day?

Maybe you have found that your balance needs some work.

When you slice the first shot off the first tee box, your friends start hitting you with all of their advice about straight left arms and heads down.

Do NOT engage!

Politely thank them, do not listen to this advice, and do not implement it.

You had a plan for the day, the slice could have very easily been a simple mistake, and you can get back to your plan quite easily.

Go for a Club Fitting Annually

A golf club fitting is not just about getting new clubs.

In fact, golf club fittings can teach you a ton about your golf game and where there may be weaknesses.

In addition, if you want to get better at golf, you must have the right equipment in the bag.

I recommend going for a club fitting annually.

This process does not need to be expensive; it’s more like an annual checkup to make sure that your equipment is a good fit, you are playing with the clubs that help your game, and you understand where your strengths and weaknesses are.

FItting focus a little more on angles, spin rates, and yardages, something the average golf lesson won’t teach you anyway.

Know the Drills

I’ve always said that making mistakes in the golf swing is not a problem as long as you can fix them. To fix the issues in your golf game, it’s best to know the drills necessary to get this done.

These drills can be as simple as hitting shots with your feet together or a little more complicated, like separating the swing into several different positions.

When I run into trouble on the golf course, I know the drills I can use to help my golf game get better.

This, again, takes a little bit of study and research, but you can quickly come up with a core group of 5 to 10 drills that you know that will help you get your game back on track at any given time.

Final Thoughts

Golf lessons are great, but they are not necessary if you want to get great at golf.

As a young kid, my family did not have the financial means to send me to golf lessons, and I’m a self-taught professional.

It’s possible.

Getting better at golf combines using the right tools and having the right mindset. If you can put these two things together, your chances of making it are incredibly high.

Now get out there are start working on it!