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Matt Baker, a Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. A Malaska Golf Member has a question about playing in wet, soggy conditions, especially in the UK, where there is a lot of wet weather. This question also happens to be Matt’s question to Mike!

Mike’s first answer to Matt was to move. All kidding aside, Mike told Matt that he needed to change his angle of attack to be more shallow with the club.
Matt mentioned some great golfers who played in the UK would shallow the club nicely into the ball. This will have a dramatic effect on how you strike the ball.
If you come down too steep, you will catch the ball fat. The key is to practice swinging the club nice and shallow.

Working on the arm action loop will help you strike the ball better. You won’t hit those muddy lies if your swing is shallower.

WET SOGGY FAIRWAYS

Brian Gott stresses the importance of getting fit for the right putter. Learn how to use it and stick with it. There are many options, such as putters with different lengths, head styles, and grips. Visit a local club fitter and make sure you get fit for the right putter that works the best for you to help your game. 

On Day 1, Brian covers putting setup, stance, and grip. At setup, you want to have a good shoulder width stance, push back at the waist and let your arms hang down. When you set up, most people’s arms hang at different lengths, so the most important aspect is putter length in relation to your arm length. 

There are many ways to grip a club, and a lot of it is a personal preference. Ensure your putter shaft moves up with the forearms in your setup. Brian also uses a mirror and a chalk line to help visualize. You can also use tees to accomplish this. When you set up to the ball, ensure your shoulders and hips are square. Use the mirror to look down and see where our eyes are. They don’t necessarily have to be over the ball. Good posture and visualizing the line straight to the hole will improve your putting.

DAY 1 SETUP

Picking a secondary target can be value for parallax, but there is still a visual context you have to understand, because it doesn't look right even with a secondary target.

PARALLAX AND THE USE OF A SECONDARY TARGET

Fewer than 2 or 3 people I have worked with have had a correct grip. A correct grip is one that fits you and your body. Everything in golf is done with your hands so having a correct grip is critical.

INTRODUCTION TO GRIP

In golf for most shots you want the back of the ball to hit the center of the face. So place a dot on the club face. Four groves up from the  lowest grove and in the center of the face. Now put a dot on the back of the ball. The game is to connect the dots. This visual is critical to the Task your brain believes the game is. It is not to get the ball in the air. It gets in the air because of the loft in the face. Then hit some practice shots starting with one arm. Place the dot on the face on the back of the ball. Then make a small swing and connect the two dots. 

DOT ON THE FACE DRILL

Mike continues to help Austin understand how his right foot, leg, and hip impact his swing. Getting your body working together helps your add stability to your swing.

CONNECT YOUR HANDS TO YOUR FEET

Your wrist plays a hige factor in trajectory. Learn how to get your wrist working the right way.

TRAJECTORY CONTROL

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Matt Baker reviews the M-System M2: Arm Action Loop Drill.

Matt uses the M-System daily. It is one of his favorite drills. He also uses the drill with his clients online or in person. The Arm Action Loop Drill is focused on the golfer who tends to swing from the outside in, or “come over the top,” as it is called.

There are misconceptions about shallowing the club. Some golfers will shallow the club shaft down instead of shallowing the arms. The arms work on a different path going down as they do going up.

Matt likes to make the sports connection with tennis. He is holding a tennis racket in his hand to demonstrate this drill. When you bring the tennis racket back, it always starts high, and then your hands and arms loop under. This motion is an “up to under,” and the hands work in a slight loop. This drill helps Matt shallow the golf club down on the right path. Tennis is a great sport to feel this.

Matt illustrates this looping motion with the tennis racket, then holds the racket with the golf club to recreate the same swing.

Now you can see the tennis racket looping or shallowing with the golf club. When Matt or his clients feel confident with this drill, he has them do it with just the club. It is ok to exaggerate this loop action first and then dial it back down.

Matt concludes that you will begin to strike the ball well when you learn this drill.

MATT BAKER M2: ARM ACTION LOOP

Brian Gott, Malaska Golf Certified Coach is answering members questions. This question comes from a Malaska Golf member, who asks about using different clubs to achieve various distances.There are two ways to approach this: you can either maintain the same swing and change clubs to get different distances, or you can adjust the length of your swing—either longer or shorter—to vary the distance. The second approach is more challenging because it requires a lot of touch and practice. So, I recommend getting out on the range and learning how far each of your clubs carries. Remember, we’re focusing on carry distance, not total distance. Practice hitting different distances with each club.For instance, my pitching wedge goes about 155 yards on a full swing. If I want to hit that same 150 yards with an 8-iron, I’d use a half to three-quarter swing, which gives me the same distance with a shorter swing.To improve, pick a target and try hitting it with different clubs using various swing lengths—full, 80%, 60%, 70%. I often teach my students the clock system, where when your lead arm is parallel to the ground (around 9 o’clock), you see how far you can hit the ball with three different clubs.It’s easier to control one swing with different clubs, which is why you have a variety of clubs in your bag. Avoid taking too much off a club like a pitching wedge, as this can lead to chunking or blading the shot. You want good acceleration at the bottom of your swing, so shorten the swing slightly and change clubs to control distance.The key is to get out there, pick a target, and practice hitting different clubs at various distances. You’ll become a better player and have more tools at your disposal on the course.

MASTER CLUB DISTANCE

THE REAL CAUSE OF LAG

Mike received the 2011 PGA National Teacher of the Year award in large part due to his involvement with Fitness, Health, Human Development and helping to create a program called The Swing Game for the PGA. He learned a lot about fitness, the human body, and how it works while developing The Swing Game (a program designed to help kids age kindergarten to 12th grade develop all around athletic skills). In this new Fitness 101 Series, Mike taps into that knowledge and expertise of how fitness applies to the game of golf.

FITNESS 101

Mike discusses a lesson he gave where the member was having problems with hitting behind the ball.

The member on the backswing would return to their right side, and their whole upper body would shift to the top of the swing and stop. Then on the downswing, the member couldn’t get to their right side fast enough and would hit behind the ball.

Mike’s solution was the Left Right Left Drill. This exercise is an important drill because it’s the sequence of a golf swing.

You put weight on your left foot, then force on your right foot, back to your left foot, and then swing from the top transition point. Remember you are already to the left foot at the transition point, so your swing circle moves forward to catch the ball and then the ground.

The problem was when the industry said to swing to the stop and stand on your left foot. Then once you are there and stable, swing forward.
The problem with this is that you are so out of sequence, and it’s hard to get to your left side. You would end up being behind the ball or leaning forward too much to hit the ball.

Practice this drill by swinging the club forward to the left, then right, and back to the left. Your arms will swing and accelerate from the transition point through the ball.

STOP HITTING BEHIND THE BALL

Making the ball roll its line is a great way to practice making the ball go straight.

MAKING THE BALL ROLL ITS LINE

The lower body turns without invading the space.

TURN WITHOUT INVADING THE SPACE

Hear Mike speak candidly on his experience with Joe, what he's learned looking back, and why Joe's wisdom matters.

WHY JOE'S WISDOM MATTERS

The body plays an important role in evrey sport. The golf swing utilizes your body when it works correctly.

LOWER BODY

Being willing to exaggerate is the key to quick changes in your swing. It is very difficult if not impossible to make small changes. You can not feel the difference. So if you want change make big exaggerations. Then do less and less of the exaggeration. If you take the club to much to the inside and come over the top. What is the opposite. To take the club out side to much and come way to much from the inside. If you can do the opposite you will be amazed how quickly you can make changes. Do not be in a rush be patient and have fun with the process. 

EXAGGERATION DRILL

GRIP - Part I

Mike uses his exercise bands to perform chest openers. You can use one or two bands to perform this exercise. It is about a range of motion. People make the mistake of doing too much weight too soon.

Mike holds the band chest high and extends it outward until it touches his chest, then he maintains the stretch.

As Mike stretches the bands, he pinches his shoulder blades back. Do this exercise 8-10 times.

The retraction of the scapula is significant for the golf swing. It happens in the backswing and the follow-through.

CHEST OPENERS

Many people forget that golf is a game. Here's how to most efficiently improve while sharing it with your friends and family.

THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO PLAY GOLF AND HAVE FUN

PERFORMANCE COMBINES - BEAT MIKE

In first lesson, Mike Malaska works with Ashley Huizing to explore two distinct approaches to playing golf while addressing common misconceptions that have hindered many players' progress.Mike begins by explaining why trying to replicate the techniques of professional legends, such as Ben Hogan, is often impractical for the average golfer. Hogan’s swing method, which relied heavily on forearm rotation and grip adjustments, was developed out of necessity to correct his tendency to hook the ball. Starting with a strong grip as a young player, Hogan struggled with low hooks and spent a year refining his swing to eliminate them. His solution involved weakening his left hand grip and positioning his right hand more neutrally to allow for aggressive forearm rotation without hooking.Mike highlights that Hogan’s method, while mesmerizing and effective for him, was highly specialized. Hogan’s precision required relentless practice—hitting at least 500 balls daily to maintain his skill. Even missing one day would set him back two days of practice. This level of commitment and expertise is unattainable for most golfers, yet many view Hogan’s approach as the ultimate standard to emulate, often leading to frustration and inconsistent results.Mike points out that while some of Hogan’s fundamentals have value, much of his technique is overly complex and not practical for the average player. He shares his own experience of trying Hogan’s method for three years. Although he could consistently strike the center of the clubface, he had no control over direction or distance, making it impossible to aim at specific targets. The result was a lack of precision, missed opportunities for birdies, and limited success under pressure.The lesson emphasizes the need for a simpler, more sustainable approach to the golf swing—one that focuses on balance, control, and adaptability rather than rigid adherence to complex techniques. Mike acknowledges that trying to replicate a method that took a "savant" years to perfect and required extreme daily practice is not only unrealistic but often counterproductive.By debunking these myths and presenting alternative methods, this lesson sets the stage for Ashley to develop a more consistent, reliable swing suited to her own strengths and abilities.

GOLF METHOD AND MYTHS

Delofting allows players to hit the same club farther

DE-LOFTING

As you engage the hands and utilize the shoulder action, the knees do something specific.  Here is what they do and, more importantly, what they don't do.  You  can even see this mirrored in Jack's lower body.

PULLEY SYSTEM - BACKSWING - PART 2

Mike On Nicklaus Part 1 -- Golf Does Not Define You

GOLF DOES NOT DEFINE YOU

From set up. Your force or weight is even in your feet. Your toes are quiet. As you go to impact. Force goes to the heel of your lead foot. Your toes on that foot lift. On your trail foot. As you come into impact the force in your trail foot goes first to the inside of your trail foot, then towards the ball off your foot. This will make your toes start to grab. Your feet or how you pressure the ground makes your body move.

FORCE IN YOUR FEET

On Day 5, the final day, Brian Gott puts everything together with all the skills you have learned. Make sure you have mastered setup, tempo, path, and putting speed. Brian emphasizes that you should practice what really matters to become a better putter and not randomly throw three balls on the green and hit the balls towards the hole. 

To mimic real-life putting scenarios, he sets up a practice session with multiple balls around the green at different lengths, from 4 feet to 6 feet. Putt each ball individually like it matters or has a consequence. Once you have completed this drill, move the balls farther out. Doing this will make you a better putter. Make sure that you practice what counts so that you can have putting consistency and do better on the golf course.

DAY 5 HOW IT ALL WORKS

When you play from your lead leg, there shouldn't be any force transfer in your short game.

PLAYING FROM YOUR LEAD LEG

Sammy Slice takes his golf swing to the fairways. This Mulligan Monday, Sammy will work on strengthening his grip and keeping his clubface closed.

Sammy will hit shots until he can make the ball curve to the left. Once Sammy accomplishes that, he will use the same hand action and the same clubface, but the swing path will come more from the inside of the ball.

The ball now starts to the right and curves back to the left.

SAMMY SLICE FAIRWAYS CURVE THE BALL LEFT

Mike connects the relationship with baseball to golf and how the grip is almost identical at impact. Hitting a golf ball and a baseball is essentially the same.

BASEBALL SWING

Mike talks about a new way to swing that he's seen in videos and discusses the idea of arms out in front of you.

Mike says it is universally understood that when you take the club away, the clubhead is in front of your hands, not behind. Most teachers in the industry are on board with this idea.

When you get to the transition point (the top of the swing), that is where there are some differing views. There is an idea out there about how the club works, and there are many ways to describe it: hub path, clubhead path, and center mass. A lot of physics is mentioned relative to forces.

One comment mentioned is that when players' arms come down from the top of the swing, they run their arms into their bodies. They explain this as getting stuck. Their solution when you change directions on the downswing is to put your arms out in front of you by dropping the club behind you. When this happens, you pull the handle down, allowing your arms to swing. Mike agrees that in this swing concept, you want room for your arms to swing; however, he wants to talk about how the body works first.

When Mike sets up, swings back, and goes down, his arms are in front of him. Mike can shallow the club and his arms in the downswing without getting stuck. His hips aren't in the way. Mike doesn't understand why people are getting stuck.

Mike explains that if your right hip is working correctly, the club will be in front of you sooner, in a better swing arc, with less manipulation and less force without the twisting from your body. Mike demonstrates what he is talking about when his hip works. He swings back, his hip moves back up to the transition point, and Mike shows you there is plenty of room for his arms to swing into the ball. Mike can shallow his arms, make a big loop and not get stuck.

Throughout his career, Jack Nicklaus talked about his swing and that his goal was to get his right hip far out of the way to get his arms back down to the ball. Tiger Woods talked about basically the same thing. Tiger wanted his right hip socket as deep as he could possibly get it, and when he came down, he wanted his left hip to do the same thing. This created a massive amount of space, offsetting the momentum of the club. Jack talked about releasing the club from the top. He was trying to get his club in the correct arc so he could push back away from it.

Mike uses the ROTEXMotion Floor Models to demonstrate how old guys like Sam Snead and Ben Hogan moved. They used to do the "sit down" position. When you swing to the top and push your hip back, it looks like you are sitting down. Mike shows you there is still plenty of room for your arms to swing down after you twist your feet.

Mike doesn't disagree that you need room for your arms to swing. But to achieve this by throwing your arms out in front of you with the club dropping back, pulling the handle, and twisting to get the club out to the ball is complicated.

Mike summarizes that working on this is about getting your right hip out of the way. The club is in front of you, and you shallow the club down, leaving plenty of room for your arms and the club to go up and come down. You don't have to swing and deal with multiple loops and forces to get the club to the ball. It's about ease of motion and consistency.

Mike says there are multiple ways to do it, and you can try that swing concept; however, he believes this is a better approach.

ARMS OUT IN FRONT OF YOU

Professionals use less energy with better results.  In this episode, we  talk with Martial Artist Scott about the benefits of body control, awareness of energy, and force transfer for better self expression.

BODY CONTROL

When You swing a golf club the instinct is for your hands to move at the ball from the top. But they do not. Your picture and the reality is that your hands have to swing inside the ball for the club head to move to the ball correctly. So when you start your downswing picture your hands looking like they are going to miss the ball about 10 inches inside the ball. Remember the club head is not on the same arch as your arms. It is a bigger circle. 

HANDS DO NOT SWING AT THE BALL

Sammy Slice tends to slice the ball 40 yards. This Quick Fix Friday is to fix this.

There are two ways to do that.

First, set the clubface more closed because when Sammy swings his driver, the clubface is open.

The other solution is to change your grip. Turn your left hand clockwise and turn your right hand counterclockwise.

Practice this grip on the range and decide what nuances you need to make so that the ball goes straight.

Take this new “Fix” and go out and play.

SAMMY SLICE HOW TO HIT THE DRIVER STRAIGHT

When it comes to pitching, your right forearm is very important. Learn how to keep it in line with the shaft.

PITCHING

Mike tries to break 40 from the worst positions off the tee

IFYP: MENTAL GAME

Jack Jr and Mike discuss what Nicklaus meant by "release."

NICKLAUS AND RELEASE

The correct club setup is vital in pitching. The length of your swing and the speed at the bottom of it control your distance. Figuring out the best combination will improve your pitch shots.

DISTANCE & FACE CONTROL

Getting a feel for how your body works when you swing is very important. Learn how your body pushes away from the club and how this benifits your swing.

PUSHING AWAY FROM THE CLUB

Focusing either on your right scapula or belt buckle to turn through the ball.

THE RIGHT SCAPULA AND/OR YOUR BELT BUCKLE

Every golf experience is a life experience.

GOLF, LIFE, AND ECLIPSES

Rolling the ball down the line sounds stupid, but it's critical. Here's how to be a precise putter.

ROLL THE BALL

Pressure can cause you to make mistakes in your game. Learn how to adjust and correct your errors.

THE PRESSURE OF TOURNAMENT PLAY

The swing is a channeling of ground forces being moved through your body.  It may sound counterintuitive, but the ground is not a bad place to start.

START YOUR SWING WITH YOUR FEET

Sitting on a chair and making swings is a great way to feel how yur arms work together.

WORK YOUR ARMS TOGETHER

The walk through drill can be very helpful in staying balanced and maintaining consistancy.

THE WALK-THROUGH DRILL

You can practice anywhere as long as you have some room. Learn how to use obstacles in your yard to improve your swing.

USING OBSTACLES IN YOUR YARD

Performing the pulley drill creates the same force applied in your left and right foot in a golf swing.

IMPORTANCE OF THE PULLEY DRILL

LAUNCH ANGLE - 7 IRON

Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska Certified Coach, is helping Mike this week. A Malaska Golf Member has a question about distance. Although he hits the ball straighter, he still isn’t getting the distance he wants.
The member lists several ways he is trying to gain speed. First, Billy cautions the member because the golf swing is one fluid motion. Although it is a fluid motion, you do hit some positions.

Another point Billy makes is that working on one thing at a time is essential. If you have too many different things going on in your head, it makes it challenging to maneuver smoothly through the swing. Your swing is a free-flowing motion. Billy advises you to work on one concept at a time before moving on to the next.

Billy talks about the different circles that help you gain more speed. First is the swing circle the club is working on, or the outer circle. Second is the circle the body works on, which is the inner circle. The object is for those circles to match up.

Typically, for the average player, there becomes a point where they can only have so much speed with their hands, wrists, and arms. Tension comes into play when you try to gain more speed and become tighter. This is not a good thing. 

Ensure your outer circle and your hands and levers are working correctly. Feel how the club is swinging. Once you do this, it is time to match up both circles. Actual speed starts when they both work off each other.

Billy demonstrates how this happens. As the club comes down in the backswing, the left leg pushes the left hip out of the way as you accelerate through the ball. With your hands working correctly, it’s ensuring the two circles work together in the swing. This will help you accelerate the golf club.

Billy reminds the member not to have too many different ideas going on in his mind, as that will create tension.

Work with the outer and inner circles to push away and accelerate the club.