When it comes to taking golf lessons, the goal is always improvement, whether that be in general or related to specific areas that have been targeted.

James Gilley was an excellent player, but an occasional ill-timed hook and a desire to add more power to his game were among the reasons he decided to seek out help from SwingFix instructor Christian Czaja.

The two have collaborated since April of 2012 and the results have been nothing short of outstanding.

Gilley has routinely been shooting in the low 70s the last few months, he regularly posts sub-par rounds and he even won his club championship.

“I was at a point where my game was stagnant and my lessons with Christian on SwingFix have revitalized my desire to learn and practice golf,” Gilley said. “Christian has a unique ability to notice the slightest issues and provide easy-to-follow instruction that will produce an improved golf swing, a better understanding of the golf swing and ultimately lower scores.”

Some might assume that creating this sort of relationship, which takes place from a distance and through an online teaching platform, might make the lesson process more difficult.

But Gilley said that hasn’t at all been the case for him.

“I wasn’t skeptical about how effective SwingFix would be, but it has exceeded any expectations I did have,” he said. “It has been very simple to take the online instruction and apply it to practice, and I especially enjoy that I am able to review my online lesson as often as I choose and ask questions about each lesson.”

In the video above, Czaja takes a look at where Gilley’s swing was when they first started working together and where it is now, while pointing out some of the major changes that they have worked on and some of the great things that Gilley does in his swing.

And when it comes to getting better, everyone can always learn from other good players, so enjoy this before-and-after analysis and you just might pick up a few tips that will help make you a better player.

Take an online lesson with Christian Czaja.

Jason Sedan is currently the Director of Instruction at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J., in the summer, while he winters at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Jason has more than 10 years of teaching experience, and in 2003 entered the PGA's PGM Program to pursue his goal of becoming a PGA Master Professional of Instruction.

Since then, he has earned his Class A PGA Membership, completed six PGA Career Path Certifications, was appointed to the PGA President's Council for Growing the Game and joined Titleist as a Staff Member.

Jason was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer Five Questions about his teaching philosophy and other subjects:

1. First off, talk briefly about your golf instruction philosophy and how you preach it at your facility.

SEDAN: My teaching philosophy revolves around something I call the “Four Doors to Success.” Door No. 1 involves learning how the club works to create a golf shot. This includes understanding how a club can be applied in a variety different ways with different speeds to create the shot the hole calls for. Door No. 2 involves learning how your body works in the golf swing. This means we need to understand how to coordinate movement with different parts of the body that require either stability or mobility and train players accordingly. Door No. 3 involves learning how your swing works. There are 12 biomechanical features of every golfer that must be taken into account in order for their swing to hold up under pressure and prevent injury. Door No. 4 involves learning how the game works. There is such a focus these days on playing 'golf swing' rather than golf. It is important to remember there are a lot of ways to get the ball in the hole.

2. What attracted you to the SwingFix platform and how effective can this method be for golfers?

SEDAN: I was attracted to SwingFix because of the opportunity to reach so many more people outside of my home club. Many golfers simply do not have the time or money to have a full-time coach. With SwingFix, the ability to communicate quickly and easily with the student makes my job as the instructor really effective.

3. In your opinion, what is the secret to taking the "range game" to the first tee?

SEDAN: I find far too many players beating balls as a form of exercise thinking they are going to be getting better because they have increased repetition. In reality, most have only ingrained poor habits, often with ill-fit equipment. In order to improve on-course results, it is important to focus on the correct drills during practice. Additionally, it is important to practice not only golf shots, but also your routine and evaluation of each shot you hit on the range. It is easy to create games on the range that incorporate pressure and expectation levels to get the competitive juices flowing and ultimately see improvement on the course.

4. Is there a particular training aid that you tend to use most regularly and with the most effectiveness?

SEDAN: A half foam roller has been an unbelievable help in assisting my students with lower body stability. A golfer must create power from the ground up and when there is instability in the feet and knees, we often see the club travels off plane and the body will sway and lift. Standing on a half foam roller with the flat side down is a great starting point. As you progress, you can try the round side down for an even greater challenge. Start with your arms across your chest, turning back and through while maintaining balance. Then extend your arms in front of your body and feel the increased difficulty. Lastly, you can progress to either a weighted ball or holding onto a golf club swinging back and through.

5. Is there a way students who have worked with you most often dramatically improve and achieve that coveted five-shot drop in scores? Power, consistency, short game, management, playing more golf, etc.?

SEDAN: Short game always seems to be a quick route to lower scores. The fact of the matter is very few amateurs know how to practice their short game in a way that is very effective before taking lessons. Every golfer is capable of creating the contact and speed necessary to hit quality shots from a short distance. Many golfers struggle from nerves around the greens because the expectations are to hit the ball close with a technique that has not been refined enough to do so. Once a systematic understanding of creating the shots has been put in place, the insecurities subside, allowing the feel and touch of a player to consistently improve with repetition.

Take a lesson with Jason Sedan.

Bernard Sheridan oversees operations at the impressively equipped and cavernous facilities at Par Breakers Golf Academy in Limerick, Pa. As CEO and Director of Golf at Par Breakers, Sheridan offers instruction in all facets of the game, utilizing golf simulators, FlightScope TrackMan launch monitors, club-fitting, and an expansive indoor short game practice area.

Voted one of the Top 50 Kids' instructors in the nation, Sheridan runs half-day and full-day camps for kids starting at just six years old. For older golfers, Par Breakers' Winter Clinics are renowned for helping golfers fend off both winter rust and winter blues and start tuning up for the upcoming season.

Sheridan was kind enough to take time from his jam-packed schedule to sit down for Five Questions:

1. First off, talk briefly about your golf instruction philosophy and how you implement it at your facility.

SHERIDAN: The style I use to convey the golf swing is built around the physics of the golf club as a tool and the optimum way to use the body to build power and leverage as in all sports. I also try to show my students how the main driver of power and accuracy in the golf swing is the core. Using the core to square the clubface at impact ups the chances of solid contact again and again. I also cover the master dynamic of the swing arc bottom. This allows the student to better understand the forward shaft tilt that must happen at impact to achieve contact like a pro.

2. What attracted you to the SwingFix platform and how effective can this method be for golfers?

SHERIDAN: The SwingFix platform gives all of my students the opportunity to work with me from afar. If they are not in my state or are on vacation, they can upload their swing and get help from their instructor. This has many benefits, the biggest being that they can get feedback from the professional of their choice with ease and in a short time period. I also feel that the platform is very simple to use and is also wonderful for students to review their lessons over and over again.

3. In your opinion, what is the secret to taking the "range game" to the first tee?

SHERIDAN: I have my students warm up then hit no more than three shots with every club in their bag, alternating clubs and always sticking to their pre-shot routine and staying focused on the target. After they hit all of their clubs, I have them pull out an old score card and pretend to play the holes as if they were on the course. This allows them to shape shots and hit targets just as they would during a round. My students have had great success using this method.

4. Is there a particular training aid that you tend to use most regularly and with the most effectiveness?

SHERIDAN: I have all of my students use alignment sticks during practice sessions. There are so many different ways to use them, and they help the student build a constant in their routine. There are so many other great aids that students can use, but many can also be used incorrectly. I feel that alignment sticks are the best buy and the most simple training aid on the market. I am a big fan of drills that revolve around this aid.

5. Is there a way students who have worked with you most often dramatically improve and achieve that coveted five-shot drop in scores? Power, consistency, short game, management, playing more golf, etc.?

SHERIDAN: Almost all of my students see great improvement in a short period of time after working with me. Within a five-lesson period, most strike the ball with better contact than ever before and lower their scores. The best thing is that if they miss-hit a shot, they can recover easier than ever before. This gets scores to drop because their mistakes are not so great. Using the core to square up the club gives them better, more accurate shots and also more power. They are no longer hitting the ball with their hands; they are swinging the club. This makes them enjoy the game more, and that’s all I am trying to achieve: Helping my students enjoy the game they love.