This Malaska Golf Member question is about the Line of Compression and Impact. Mike explains that 90 percent of his teaching focuses on this concept and how Impact is the only position that counts. Regardless of the club, you want to maximize the amount of force that gets into the shaft and the back of the ball. Your right arm must be lined up with the club shaft when the club runs into the ball. It doesn’t matter if you putt, make a chip shot, a pitch, or use your driver; the same applies. When the club shaft is lined up with your right arm, and when you run the clubface into the ball, it stabilizes the shaft and compresses the ball at Impact. If your arm is a little high when you run the club shaft into the ball, the shaft will give. When people in the industry talk about the golf swing and about having your hips 23 degrees open and your shoulders a certain way, Mike believes you should first look at Impact. Mike would rather have you run the club into the ball and have a good impact position with their arms. If you were to slow that down and watch the swing, your hips would be closed to the target line. Others would say that you need to get your hips more open. When you do that, you will begin to twist your hips, and your shoulders will get involved. If this happens and you run the club into the ball, your right arm is now above your left. Photos of Tour Players show that their right arm is below their left at Impact. Their hips are open, but they are highly flexible. That ensures the Line of Compression, which stabilizes the shaft, and when the club runs into the ball, it compresses the ball. You have all this force with your right arm and shoulder hitting the ball at Impact. Getting Impact correct with arms, right arm, and the club shaft is important. You will play a lot better golf.