Are you giving yourself the best chance to improve when you take golf lessons? Here are some suggestions to make the best use of those lessons.

Improvement is a process. Look for progress, not perfection.

Make sure your instructor is someone you trust and can easily understand.

Your instructor does not possess a magic wand but does have the knowledge to help you improve through change, but you must be willing to change.

Lessons alone will not make you improve. You must be willing to take the time to practice between lessons.

The more we do something, the better we do it and the easier it gets to do it. I tell my students that a minimum of three times a week is needed to improve. Once a week pretty much assures you will stay the same and not progress.

The longer you have had a habit that you are changing, the longer it takes to change it. Be patient.

Get to your lesson early and warm up. Don't waste your lesson time warming up; be ready to start when the lesson starts. Getting there early also allows you to get into the proper mindset.

Be sure that you are clear on what the lesson was about before you leave. Ask for clarification on anything that seemed confusing or vague.

Come away with a swing key that has meaning to you. We all learn differently, so find a thought or feel that is appropriate to what the lesson is about.

Statistics tell us that we will forget 75 percent of what we heard within 24 hours. Take detailed notes to increase the likelihood you will remember. Read the notes before your practice sessions to refresh your memory.

Practice after your lesson to internalize what you learned.