re: instruction
I would agree with a lot of the post(s). A good instructor goes a long ways. He/she will be able identify problems in your swing before they become permanent. The golf swing has a lot of moving parts and it's easy to screw it up. It's amazing what we try to do. We are asking our body to move a lever from a static position to the top and then back through until we hit the ball without stopping. In addition, we are asking our body to take that same lever and change directions at the top. Then to make things worse, we must square the club face before it hits the ball and hopefully it's not a inch or two off, which means slices, pushes or hooks, pulls.
However, it's not as bad as it sounds. There specific tips, drills and adjustments you can make to have a solid swing. You may here terms like "one piece take away", "low and slow", "spine tilt at address", "preshot routine". These are all terms that make us as golfers more consistent. Once you figure out your swing, then all you have to do is let it rip.
Go get a lesson and it will help you lot.
Charlie.