A few things that I've been doing that seem to be working well for me:
1) While at Metroflex in Texas, my Bench all of a sudden started feeling fantastic/ really grooving. A few things seem to have contributed to this. Firstly, the bench there is lower than what I normally train at, I was able to get a more comfortable set up/ better engage my legs automatically. Therefore, I think in order to simulate that-- I'm going to try benching with plates (or something) under my feet at my gym here in Boston. Secondly, I moved my grip out and turned my feet outwards. I find that I'm able to keep my butt on the bench (usually a problem for me) and still get leg/hip drive this way.
2) For my Squat set up, I normally press my upper back into the bar, and then kind of set up against the bar (sort of roll/grind the bar into my back) then unrack. However, a training partner of mine pointed out that when I do this, I unrack the bar while it's still rolling-- and as a result I'm not as stable/tight as I could be. A really simple fix that seems to have made a huge difference is continuing with my normal set up, but once I "grind" into the bar-- making sure the bar has stopped moving before I pop my hips through to unrack the bar.
3) Engaging my lats and bracing my core are things that I always knew I was supposed to do-- but never quite figured out how. I began doing a few bracing/breathing exercises during my dynamic warm up, and this seems to be really helpful in remind my body/mind what it's supposed to do during the lifts. By incorporating just a few reps of conscious bracing/breathing exercises, and sometimes a few banded ab pull downs-- it's become a lot easier to breathe into my belly and bring that rib cage down as I brace before initiating the lift.
These are things I've made notes of, and will continue to play with/practice.
