It would be nice if we could have the same golf swing every time; right down the middle of the fairway with perfectly judged distance. This would be a little like having Christmas every day though, and some of the fun aspects of golf's unpredictability would be taken away (although the whole 'winning lots of money at tournaments' thing might never get old). Although we must accept the fact that no two golf swings will ever be exactly the same, there are ways to make the golf swing more 'repeatable' so that one can play with more accuracy and consistency.
It's important to start with the small stuff. In other words, if you're having problems getting the middle of the putter's face on the ball, there is very little chance that you're making good contact on a full swing with a driver. This is one of the reasons that a beginning golfer should start by learning the putting stroke and learn how to hit the ball on the sweet spot of the clubface with some regularity before moving on.
After a beginning golfer has become acclimated with the putting stroke and feels comfortable with ball contact, they should move on to the chip shot (shots just off the green), assuring that they 'brush the clubhead through the grass at the same place every time'. If the clubhead does not 'brush' the grass somewhat aggressively, the ball cannot get up in the air (thin shots that shoot over the green will be the likely outcome). Practice by sticking two tees in the ground and brush the grass between the tees with the clubhead (with no ball present), mimicking a chip shot. Remember to keep the eyes on the target spot until after the stroke has been completed (think 'process, not result').
Next comes the pitch shot (shots between a chip shot and a full swing). Again, the golfer must brush the grass when making this swing, ideally taking a small divot out of the turf (remember that the divot should always come just after ball contact, assuring that a descending blow on the ball has been achieved). At the point of the backswing where the shaft of the club is parallel to the ground and the hands are by the hip, the shaft should also be parallel (right in between) to the target line and the foot line. The toe of the club should point directly up in the air so that the leading edge of the clubface is on a ninety degree angle to the ground. At the point of the follow through where the shaft of the club is parallel to the ground, the same holds true (shaft parallel to the target line and the foot line with the toe of the club pointing directly up in the air. Getting good at pitch shots builds an incredibly good foundation for the full swing.
Finally, the full swing. Fortunately, the pitch shot is just a short version of the full swing, so if a golfer is getting the club in the proper positions on a pitch shot, they are (almost) halfway home, because the toe-up/ toe-up positions remain true on the full swing. So, after the club is brought back to the parallel to the ground 'toe-up' position, the club should continue back so that the butt end of the grip is pointed along the target line behind the ball. The club need not travel much further back than this. However, if the club does continue back so that it is again parallel to the ground at the top of the backswing, then the club should again be parallel to the toe line and target line. If the club points towards the target line at this position it is called 'coming across the line'. If the club is pointing away from the target line at this position it is called 'having the club laid off'. The clubhead should contact the ball on a descending blow for every club except the driver (remember the more lofted the club, the bigger the divot should be). Again, the same positions hold true on the follow through, but at the finish the club is brought further up as the golfer turns towards the target.
It's a good idea to practice the full swing positions regularly. Standing on balance pods and holding each position for a few seconds will impart them into the muscle memory and improve proprioception (awareness of where body parts are at any given moment).
Remember that getting in the right positions means nothing if you aren't hitting the ball on or around the sweet-spot of the clubface, so good contact is always the priority. Get comfortable with making good contact on a small scale and consistent ball striking will be easier to accomplish for every shot.
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