Manage Account

Manage Subscription

Elite Content

A Malaska Golf Member has a question pertaining to a video Ashley did about tipping the club out and ‘L to L.’ The member thinks this looks contrary to what Ashley talks about because your arms are rolling over.Mike’s answer to that is that they are crossing over. First, Mike demonstrates the tipping of the club, where most people tend to drag the handle forward instead of bringing it down.Once the club runs into the ball, you let the club rehinge on the follow-through. The club is working up, and your arms aren’t rolling over. There is a big difference between the two.Mike explains that Ashley is exaggerating to get people to let the weight of the club break up on the follow-through. Her right hand is not rolling over at impact.&nbsp;Mike demonstrates the hand action where the clubface works up without turning down. Make sure your forearms aren’t rolling over. They are crossing over after you hit the ball. This is the same way you hit a baseball.

Don't Twist the Forearms

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based here in the UK. This is a great question from Mike Witkowski, asking: When should you hinge the wrist? Is it at the start of the swing or at the top of the swing?That's a really good question because, as with many things in golf, there are so many different variations on this, especially if you watch tournament players.Our recommendation is to start hinging the wrist as soon as possible—almost immediately. The way I like to feel it is by imagining that I'm pushing the handle down while pulling the clubhead up. This really helps get the club swinging on the correct path.And that's the key feeling—you definitely don't want to hinge only at the top. You don’t want that sudden "snap" motion. Some coaches teach that, but in my experience, it can cause a rebound effect, and I don’t like that. I’ve tried it, and it didn’t work well for me. So, setting the wrists early is crucial.The feeling you want is that, as you take the club back, the handle is being pushed down and the clubhead is going up. Ideally, the full wrist set might happen around the halfway point of your backswing, then you complete the swing and follow through.So, the key takeaway is to hinge the wrists as soon as you can. Focus on the feeling of "handle down, clubhead up." Say it to yourself: "handle down, clubhead up"—and swing through. It will help you complete the swing consistently every time.It’s a gradual motion as you're swinging back—gradually pushing the handle down and lifting the clubhead up. It’s not a snap motion, but a smooth, continuous movement.I hope this helps answer your question, and good luck with it!

When To Hinge The Wrists

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based in the UK. I'm filling in for Mike this week on "Ask Mike" because he's a bit busy.Now, we have a great comment from a gentleman named Michael Brand. Michael mentioned how helpful Mike’s advice was in the video where he talks about taking the left thumb off the handle and holding the club this way.For Michael, this tip helped free up his wrist hinge, which is exactly what we want. It's a drill that most golfers should practice regularly. Why? Because golfers often place their left thumb on the side of the handle, which turns it into a pusher. This can cause the handle to be pushed during the downswing, resulting in a loss of wrist freedom. And that freedom is key to improving your swing.Interestingly, Butch Harmon’s father, Claude Harmon, won the Masters playing without his left thumb on the handle because this freedom helps you release the wrists. This is exactly what we want: free wrists that hinge, unhinge, and rehinge during the forward swing. This creates clubhead speed and better control of the club.After a few swings, once you've developed that sense of freedom in the wrists, you can place your thumb back on the handle. At that point, the thumb serves more as a stabilizer, particularly at the top of the swing, preventing the club from going over your shoulder while still maintaining freedom in the swing.This drill helps with releasing the wrists and using the hands correctly. Practice it as much as you can, and you'll generate better clubhead speed and have the freedom in your hands to release the club properly, leading to better, more relaxed golf.

Left Hand Off The Handle

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based in the UK. This is a great question from Russ John. His question is whether you should hold the angle in the right wrist at impact or throughout the swing.The answer is no, you shouldn’t forcibly hold that angle. Doing so creates tension and can cause you to lose speed and power by dragging the handle through impact. Instead, you want your wrist to hinge and unhinge naturally, with proper timing.At impact, there should still be a slight flex in the right wrist, but after hitting the ball, the momentum of the club will cause the right arm to extend and form a straight line, followed by the wrist hinging up. This slight wrist flex at impact is due to correct use of the club's momentum, and it's all about timing the hinge and unhinge properly.A key tip is to practice the pivot drill, which helps time everything correctly. Some golfers tend to stop their hips, releasing the wrists too early. By tying the swing to proper body movement—pushing the hips back and away from the target—you can create the right release at the right time for a solid, compressed shot.Instead of focusing on holding the angle, work on pushing the left hip back and through. Practice with smaller shots to get the feel, ensuring the wrists hinge, unhinge, and rehinge, along with the proper hip movement. This will help you strike the ball cleanly and generate more distance.

Don't Hold The Angle At Impact

In this on-course Player Lesson, Mike Malaska works with golfer Kenneth Garcia to improve the quality of his strike and overall ball contact. Like many players, Kenneth is making solid swings but struggling with inconsistent contact, sometimes hitting behind the ball and sometimes catching it thin.
Mike begins with the foundation of all good ball striking: the grip. By adjusting Kenneth&rsquo;s lead hand position and placing the club more securely in the fingers, Mike helps him create better face control and a more stable connection to the club.
From there, Mike explains the three essential impact skills every golfer must learn: face control, path control, and angle of approach. While most golfers focus on face and path, Mike explains that controlling where the club bottoms out, the low point of the swing, is often the real key to consistent contact.
Through simple practice swings and visual feedback drills, Kenneth learns how to train the club to brush the ground in front of the ball. Mike demonstrates how great players monitor where the club contacts the ground and use that information to improve their strike.
This lesson introduces the critical relationship between grip, strike, and swing arc. By improving his setup and learning to control where the club meets the ground, Kenneth begins building the foundation for consistent ball-then-turf contact, the hallmark of solid golf shots.

Kenneth Garcia-Player Lesson Series

Hi, my name is Brian Gott. I'm a certified Malaska coach, and I'm filling in for Ask Mike this week. This question comes from Jamie, who asked about the position of the right arm at address—how it faces slightly downward—and what happens to it at the top of the swing.Well, Jamie, one of the most important things to remember is that we need to focus on where the clubface is at impact. I think some people get too hung up on where everything is at the top. I once heard Mike mention a comment Jack Nicklaus made when someone asked him, "Where’s your clubface at the top?" Jack responded, "Well, the ball’s not up there, so I’m not really concerned about where my clubface is at the top."Now, there are certain fundamentals we want to maintain to avoid excessive rotation of the clubface. You mentioned that as you reach the top, you’re getting a bit of a cup in your wrist because you’re trying to manipulate the right hand. Remember, as you start your takeaway, you want the right palm to stay down towards the ground to keep the clubface square.As you move to the top, the right arm internally rotates in the shoulder, making it feel like the palm is facing upward. People often use the analogy of holding a tray on either side, but that’s just a feeling, not an actual position. When you take the club back, ensure that the right palm stays in line, and as you reach the top, let the shoulder rotate naturally. As you begin your downswing, the shoulder rotates again, bringing the face back to square so you can release it properly.So, instead of trying to become a positional player, focus on the feelings that create these positions. Ensure that during your takeaway, your right palm moves away from you, keeping the clubface square. As you approach the transition—remember, there isn’t a defined "top" position—don’t be overly concerned about where everything is at that moment. The most important part is achieving a good position at impact, with the right hand and forearm aligned on the back of the ball for a square impact.

Right Arm Address

A Malaska Golf member has been working on M1 from the M-System, line of compression, and putting and chipping. 
He wants to know when chipping if he should feel a little pushback from his left hip to his left heel.

Mike says that this depends. Usually, there isn’t any motion in your lower body when putting or chipping. If there is 
then you have to push your left hip back, and the weight goes toward your back heel.

Mike demonstrates this by hitting small chip shots. If you have rotation, then you should push back on your hip.

When you move from chipping to a bigger swing, then it is important to understand address and impact. Then, hit some little shots from impact.

As you start to build your swing, you will continually program the line of compression and impact. The little shots will pay
big dividends for your full swing because they give you the right task. Your brain is a taskmaster.

Body Action

The latest additions to the Ask Malaska Golf Collection.

Ask Malaska Golf-What's New

How does force actually move through your feet and what helps it work.

HOW DO YOU MOVE FORCE THROUGH YOUR FEET

Renowned 2024 Golf Digest Legend of Golf Instruction Mike Malaska has crafted the M-System Lite, which stems from the world&rsquo;s premier golf swing process, the M-System.
Mike has distilled the M-System's main concepts into 5 concise, impactful, game-changing videos designed to simplify and improve your game quickly.
Mike understands that many people may not have the time or commitment to invest in or commit to a lengthy training program like the full M-System, and the M-System Lite is the answer.
With just 5 videos, you&rsquo;ll witness remarkable improvements in your swing and see your score drop dramatically on the course.
The M-System Lite starts with an overall introduction video from Mike. Then, videos on M1: Line of Compression, M2: The Lever System, M3: How the Body Works, M4: Combining Skills, and M5: Practice. This all aligns with the original M-System M1-M5, and these are the most important concepts to understand from the M-System.
The M-System Lite is a fast track to a better golf swing, and mastering these 5 videos will undoubtedly pay off in lower scores and increased confidence.
Once you have mastered the M-System Lite, you can continue your golfing journey and augment it with the full M-System.

M-System Lite

In this lesson, John Lang works with Mike Malaska to address the challenges of playing golf after losing vision in his right eye due to a stroke. As a former right-eye-dominant golfer, John must adapt his swing and develop new techniques to maintain his performance despite issues with depth perception and spatial awareness. The lesson focuses on helping John modify his head positioning, adjust his approach to the game, and utilize targeted drills to build consistency and confidence.The session begins with John explaining how his vision loss has affected his ability to gauge depth and follow the ball, particularly under certain sunlight conditions. With peripheral vision playing a more critical role, he now relies entirely on his left eye to track the ball. Mike highlights that this adjustment requires a change in head positioning during the swing to ensure the dominant eye stays focused on the ball. Drawing on the example of Jack Nicklaus, who is colorblind and relies on feel rather than sight to track the ball, Mike advises John to slightly offset his head to maintain focus. This simple yet essential adjustment is crucial for overcoming the limitations caused by his vision loss.The conversation transitions to the M-System and its extensive library of drills. John expresses his appreciation for the system but notes that the library’s wealth of information can feel overwhelming. Mike emphasizes the importance of the drills, sharing a story from his teaching experience in Japan, where golfers focused on seven basic drills to address their weaknesses. Over 11 weeks, the group made significant improvements by mastering each drill without directly working on their swings. Mike encourages John to approach the library in the same way: selecting a drill, identifying challenges, and working through them to strengthen specific aspects of his swing.To wrap up the lesson, Mike observes John hitting a few shots. John shares that a previous suggestion to drop his back foot has been particularly helpful in stabilizing his swing. He also mentions focusing on the mental and psychological aspects of his game, paying close attention to how his hands and body work together during practice. Mike praises this approach and encourages him to continue refining his fundamentals, reinforcing that targeted adjustments and deliberate practice will help him adapt and improve.

Master Your Swing After Vision Loss

(Build a Better Swing from the Ground Up with Mike Malaska&rsquo;s Proven Process) What if you could rebuild your entire golf swing in just three weeks&mdash;step by step, with a system that actually works? 21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing isn&rsquo;t just a lesson plan&mdash;it&rsquo;s a structured transformation. Led by Hall of Fame coach Mike Malaska, this series guides you through the exact process he&rsquo;s used to help thousands of players break bad habits, simplify their motion, and gain total control of their swing. Each day introduces one key concept or drill that builds on the last, so you're never overwhelmed&mdash;and never left guessing. You&rsquo;ll train your hands, feet, body, and mind to work together as one. This is how the swing becomes repeatable, powerful, and built to last. Each day targets a key component of the swing: from grip, face control, and balance&hellip; to footwork, momentum, and impact. You&rsquo;ll learn how the body and club work together, how to generate effortless speed, and how to train smarter&mdash;not harder. Whether you&rsquo;re a weekend golfer or a serious player, this series will reshape your game from the ground up.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn Over 21 Days: Why your grip is your swing&mdash;and how to fix it How to feel and control the clubface without guessing How to train with L-to-L motion for speed and consistency Why your feet and lower body control swing path and power The truth about impact&mdash;and how to make it automatic How to stop early extension and maintain posture naturally How to separate Practice from Play for real improvement And how to build a long-term process to Master, Maximize, and Maintain your swing
Key Takeaway: Real improvement doesn&rsquo;t come from isolated tips. It comes from following a proven process that simplifies your swing and builds your instincts over time. 21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing is that process. Train one day at a time, and you&rsquo;ll never go back to guessing on the course again.

21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing

Welcome to Malaska Golf Elite&mdash;and congratulations! You&rsquo;ve just made an incredible investment in your game&mdash;one that&rsquo;s going to pay off in a big way.
What sets the Elite level apart is your access to the M Coaching Series. Why is that such a game-changer?
I took the M-System&mdash;which is already a powerful tool&mdash;and expanded it to show you how to coach someone through itor how to coach yourself through it. Instead of simply saying &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s the skill we&rsquo;re working on,&rdquo; I walk you through the why, how, and where it fits in the full swing. This added depth and detail make the M Coaching Series a truly next-level experience.
You&rsquo;ll not only improve your own game, but if you help others, you&rsquo;ll start to see how everything connects. Teaching deepens your own learning&mdash;and I&rsquo;ve experienced that firsthand. Every time I teach the M-System, my swing gets better. Contrary to what some instructors say, teaching has made me a better player, not worse.
The better you understand how the swing works and why each piece matters, the more the confusion disappears. Everything becomes simpler and clearer.
Director of Distance &ndash; Featuring Justin James. Everyone wants to hit the ball farther. So we went straight to the best: Justin James, World Long Drive Champion.
I&rsquo;ve known his dad, Jerry James, since the 1980s&mdash;we played in tournaments and clinics together, and he could launch the ball. When Justin struggled with injuries, Jerry sent him to me. We tapped into his baseball background and helped him rediscover natural movement patterns. With just a few grip and hand action changes, Justin gained speed with less effort&mdash;and avoided further injury.
Now, he&rsquo;s a part of our team&mdash;and teaches you how to create speed. His swing aligns perfectly with the M-System, adding a few of his own speed-building tweaks along the way. Even the best are using the M-System framework.
21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing
This program gives you 21 guided practice sessions to actively work through the M-System.
Each day, you focus on a segment. But the secret? You don&rsquo;t forget previous days&mdash;you build on them. Day 2 includes Day 1, Day 3 includes Days 1 and 2, and so on. This compound approach mirrors how tour players practice. Eventually, pros can run through all 21 segments in 10&ndash;20 minutes. I can do it in 6 or 7. It becomes a daily routine that reminds your body what your swing is about, keeping you consistent and clear.
Just like any successful job has a checklist, your swing needs one too. That&rsquo;s what the M-System is.
Inside Jack Nicklaus&rsquo;s MindJack Nicklaus graciously allowed Phil Blackmar and me to interview him in his home. I&rsquo;ve known Jack for over 40 years&mdash;played against him, partnered with him, and even worked with him on physical fitness. Our team helped him avoid back surgery, and he&rsquo;s still doing the exercises we gave him in the 1980s.
This interview isn&rsquo;t about his swing. It&rsquo;s about how Jack became Jack&mdash;how he thinks, how he made adjustments, and how he learned. We asked the right questions, and from years of conversations, I&rsquo;ve pieced together how one of the greatest players in history developed his game&mdash;and how you can apply the same principles.
Meet Your Elite-Level Coaches Every Malaska Golf coach involved with Swing Check is a high-level player&mdash;college, mini-tour, or professional competitor. They know what it&rsquo;s like to play for a score, not just teach theory. Swing Checks are available to Elite Members as an add-on product based on instructor availability.
I&rsquo;ve known them all for years. Each of them understands the M-System&mdash;because at some point, I helped them with their own games. They&rsquo;ve lived it, and now they teach it. I&rsquo;d trust any one of them with my own swing. That says everything.
Now, Here&rsquo;s What Matters Most You now have access to more information and tools than most golfers ever will&mdash;but what really matters is this: What are you getting out of it? Are you hitting roadblocks? Are you seeing breakthroughs?
We want to hear from you&mdash;so we can share your success and help you through challenges. Sometimes a roadblock is just a matter of the explanation not clicking. When you tell us, we can fix that&mdash;for you and for others.
Your feedback makes you a key part of your own improvement. That&rsquo;s a big deal&mdash;and we&rsquo;re honored to be part of your journey.

Welcome To Malaska Golf- Elite

M-System Max

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

Lower Body

The drill library is a collection of several drills to help your game. To begin, familiarize yourself with what is in there. Depending on what you are working on, guide yourself to drills that will help with your game. These drills all relate to some part of the M-System. If you have a problem with a particular part of the M-System, you can find additional drills in the drill library. These will help you navigate your game through that system. Just have fun. Try the drills. There is not a drill in the drill library that will hurt you. Suppose you find a drill that is hard to do. Work on it. It will make you a better player.

Drill Center

The M4 Coaching Series by Mike Malaska dives into the critical concept of change of directions, teaching golfers how to synchronize the club&rsquo;s transition with the body&rsquo;s motion for a more efficient and powerful swing. Mike emphasizes that the transition of the club and the body should not occur simultaneously; the body should start its forward motion before the club reaches its natural "top" position. This sequence, already intuitive in sports like baseball and tennis, allows for smoother and more dynamic movement in the swing.
Mike critiques traditional static drills that disconnect the body&rsquo;s motion from the swing&rsquo;s natural flow, such as holding the top position before starting the downswing. Instead, he encourages golfers to embrace movement, using drills like stepping motions to train proper sequencing.&nbsp;
By understanding the role of inertia and opposing forces, players can maximize ground force and create more speed while maintaining balance and control.
The lesson also highlights the importance of dynamic footwork, dismissing the outdated notion of static feet in golf. Incorporating purposeful foot and hip movements not only helps with sequencing but also enhances proprioception&mdash;your body&rsquo;s awareness of its position and movement.&nbsp;
By practicing these principles slowly and consistently, golfers can build a fluid, natural swing that leads to significant and lasting improvements.

M4 Coaching Series-Change Of Direction

With the driver you want the club to catch the ball on the up swing. So the ball goes up off the inside of the lead foot. Or off the lead toe. Your weight is more on your trail foot than on your lead foot. This creates more tilt and an upward strike on the ball. This works because the ball is on a tee.

DRIVER AND ANGLE OF APPROACH

This is M1. The M-SYSTEM is a complete training system for your whole game. Start with M1. Learn the fundamentals, advance through M5. Then start learning about individual skills specific to Driving, Bunkers, Short Game, Putting, Chipping and Irons. Welcome to Malaska Golf.

M1-Swing Concepts

First set up without a club. Make a backswing. Let your shoulders turn then just let your arms drop without moving your shoulders. Once you can do that then as your arms drop let your shoulders follow your arms. Then take your club and copy the same routine. Set up in a closed stance. That gets your trail hip out of the way. It makes it easy to turn. Then let your arms just drop and then as the club swings down let your arms pull your shoulders into impact.

ARM DROP WITHOUT TENSION

Most of the time, you are not necessarily your best swing coach. Often it is better if you can have somebody watch, review, and give you feedback on your golf swing. You are usually not your best critic. Getting another set of eyes to look at what you are trying to accomplish will help in this process. 

Mike Malaska had PGA golf instructor Billy Fitzgerald recently review his golf swing in our ”Teach The Teacher” video. Billy noticed that Mike was getting a little twisty and ahead of the ball. The lesson was all about getting the club back out in front of Mike. Having the club a little behind you on the downswing only causes you to try to catch the clubface up at impact. Billy’s feedback was to try to tip the club out on the downswing, get the club going and turn with it. 

Joe Nichols always said that when the club is halfway down on the downswing, you want to feel that you are facing the club, and as when you go through the ball at impact, your chest is constantly facing the ball. Joe Nichol’s referred to this as leveling out. Mike was able to recall this lesson from him and apply this fix to his swing based on Billy’s observations. 

Make sure when you have someone review your swing and ask specific questions for feedback. This will help you to narrow in on the problem so you can focus on fixing the problem and achieve positive results. You can also use your phone or iPad to record and evaluate your golf swing.

YOU ARE NOT ALWAYS YOUR BEST COACH

Day 21: Swing Left-Handed (Balance Your Body. Sharpen Your Awareness. Finish Strong.) In the final lesson of this series, Mike Malaska introduces a surprising but powerful tool: swinging left-handed (for right-handed players). It may sound strange, but there&rsquo;s a reason this drill has been part of Mike&rsquo;s personal training for years. When you swing one direction over and over, your body becomes imbalanced, and your feel for motion starts to fade. Day 21 shows you how switching sides brings everything back into alignment. By swinging left-handed&mdash;even without hitting balls&mdash;you activate muscles on your non-dominant side, restore balance in your body, and heighten your proprioception (your awareness of where your body is in space). It&rsquo;s not about performance&mdash;it&rsquo;s about feel. When things start to feel &ldquo;off&rdquo; during a practice session, this drill resets your body and refreshes your motion. You&rsquo;ll be amazed at how much better your swing feels when you go back to your dominant side.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn from Swinging Opposite-Handed: &bull; How swinging the other direction rebalances your body &bull; Why your dominant-side motion creates physical and neurological imbalances &bull; How left-handed swings improve feel, face control, and tempo &bull; The best way to reset your practice when things go off track &bull; Why this final step will keep your swing sharp for the long haul Mike doesn&rsquo;t just teach this&mdash;he lives it. He&rsquo;s taught himself to swing left-handed using every drill in this series. If you&rsquo;re serious about long-term improvement, this might be the best &ldquo;secret weapon&rdquo; you&rsquo;ve never used.
Key Takeaway: Swinging the opposite direction resets your system. It balances your body, enhances feel, and gives you a fresh start. Whether it&rsquo;s the end of a practice session or a mid-round reset, a few left-handed swings can reconnect you to your motion&mdash;and help you play better, longer.

Day 21-Swing Left-Handed

How is tee time in under 24-hours? Use this tip to quickly prepare for that match with your friends.

Quick Fix Fridays

A Malaska Golf Member who plays a lot of executive par 3 courses wants to know if he should still hit down on the ball with his irons.Mike’s response is a definite yes. To demonstrate this, he has a ball teed up high, and when he hits the ball, he is still going to catch the ball slightly on the downswing. Because the ball is on a tee, when he swings down on the ball, the low point of the swing will be slightly forward of the ball. It’s the swing arc. You will have more control of your irons when you come slightly down on the ball because you are compressing the ball on the clubface.When the ball is on a tee, Mike hits it at different points of the clubface to affect the trajectory and the amount of spin on the ball.Unless Mike is trying to hit some special or crazy shot, he will approach hitting off the tee or the ground the same way.Except for a driver, on all his iron shots, he is still hitting slightly down on the ball because the swing arc is bottoming out in front of the ball.

Irons on a Par 3

Mike discusses the Right Foot Drop Back Drill. Does this drill make it harder to get your left hip out of the way and where it’s supposed to be?

It does slightly, and if you watch many Tour Players as they set up to the ball, they drop their right foot back. Why? It lets them get their right hip out of the way on the backswing. Dropping the right foot back gives them much more space to swing. This is about space and getting to the ball.

Dropping your right foot back helps your right hip learn how it feels to stay back rather than lunging forward with the swing. Your leg starts to feel what it feels like to move forward, making it easier to use your left leg and hip.

It’s more important to set up, drop your right foot back, create space, and swing down to hit the ball. Being able to hit the ball and get the ball in play is more important than worrying about your follow-through.

You don’t want your hip moving closer to the ball on the swing, which is the biggest problem players have. They try to move their left hip by pushing with their right hip.

Dropping your right foot back prevents this from happening. So, create space and get your left hip out of the way.

EASIER TO GET YOUR LEFT HIP OUT OF THE WAY

A Malaska Golf member wants to ensure he is not hitting behind the ball and that his shoulders are staying level and not dipping.

Mike Malaska demonstrates that when chipping and pitching, the level of his right shoulder goes up when he goes back. But when he comes down, it returns to the level where he began and stays level from there. You don’t want it to go lower than where you started.

Pushing away with your hip, which pulls your shoulder forward, is vital. Watch yourself in the mirror and notice the height at which your shoulder starts. As you swing through, ensure your shoulder does not drop any lower. 

If your shoulder goes down, it can also hurt your lower back. Again, make practice pitch shots in the mirror, keeping your shoulder level. Copy that feeling when you set up to the ball, as this is crucial to come into the ball at the right angle and pitch and chip well.

CHIPPING AND RIGHT SHOULDER

Mike places the exercise bands over his ankles. He then crosses over the band with his left foot, so the band is under his instep. Then he lifts his right foot back off the ground. Make sure your knees stay together. This exercise aims to bring your heel up to the back of your leg.

Repeat this with your other foot and bring your left heel up the back of your left leg. This exercise strengthens your hamstrings.

Mike does these band exercises every day, and every time he goes out to play golf.

FITNESS BANDS LIFTING YOUR HEEL OFF THE GROUND

A basic skill is for your arms to work in a circle. They swing back and up. Then they come down on a shallower path. This happens in all sports. Ping pong the paddle works up to under or makes a loop. Tennis the same loop. A baseball bat goes back on one arch and comes down on a shallower path. Hockey also the stick goes up fairly steep then shallows into the ice. The golf club makes the same loop. You already know how to do it.

ARM ACTION LOOP

You need to understand the basics of your own body. How it moves. What it can and cannot do. Every swing is unique. Even though you are trying to make the same moves you will look different doing them. That is Ok. You also need to understand the importance of your health. What you eat and drink has huge consequences on how you perform. Knowing how to control these variables can make big differences in your ability to perform and learn the swing and the game.

Ask Malaska Golf-Fitness and Health

Matt Baker, a Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. Matt answers a question from a veteran who is 
an amputee above the knee. He has an issue with his right leg because it must remain straight. Unfortunately, he is losing distance and contact with strike on the ball. He also feels like he can’t transfer his weight properly.

When Matt practices and plays, he can sometimes practice multiple shots just balancing off one leg. You can pivot around your left leg. You don’t need to rely on your right leg. You can start on your left leg and keep your right leg straight, almost like a post, to help stabilize yourself.

The best thing to work on first is to drop your right foot back while you open your hips, allowing you to get a bigger turn in your backswing. This will help you generate more speed and power.

Second, work on the Lever System, creating an ‘L’ on the backswing, an ‘L’ on the forward swing, and
pivoting around your left leg.

Matt demonstrates the swing and summarizes. Drop the right leg back to open the hip, allowing you to turn more. Hinge the wrist and do the lever system from the M-system.

Balancing off one Leg

The L to L drill and understanding the weight of the club are pivotal in developing a fluid, efficient swing. Mike Malaska demonstrates how to feel the club's momentum and use it to hinge, unhinge, and rehinge the wrists naturally. This technique reduces unnecessary effort and enhances swing consistency.
The L to L focuses on achieving proper wrist positions throughout the swing. Players learn how the left and right wrists alternate between flat and bent positions during the backswing and follow-through. This sequence ensures proper face alignment and a consistent arc. Additionally, Mike emphasizes the importance of practicing shorter swings to build precision before progressing to full swings.
Feeling the club's weight is equally critical. Turning the club around to swing the handle or practicing with shorter motions helps golfers develop a sense of the club's path and face control. By integrating these techniques, players can simplify their swing mechanics, reduce compensations, and achieve greater shot consistency. M2's L to L and weight of the club drills are essential for refining swing fundamentals and elevating performance.

M2 Coaching Series L To L The Weight Of The Club

INTRO TO PITCHING

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Matt Baker, based in the United Kingdom, is answering a member question.A Malaska Golf Member has a question about the Arm Drop video and how it doesn’t get the club parallel to the path on the way down or to the ground. However, when Mike does it, it does.Matt agrees with the member, and he explains that the golf swing is a dynamic motion and there are lots of other things moving as well. The arm drop is just a feel. Matt demonstrates when you take the club back to the top of the swing and you let your arms drop, the club is still behind your hands. What you want to do is learn to have a separation between the arms and the body. You want the club to just fall down. During this motion, other things are happening as well, because the golf swing is a dynamic action. Your body is moving and pushing away from the ball from the clubhead through the shot.Also, at the same time, you are directing momentum on the way down, famously called the ‘Malaska Move’ or tipping the club. Matt demonstrates this move. As he starts the club down, you will see that Matt is ‘tipping’ the club out or forward on the downswing. If Matt had a steering wheel, it would feel like he was turning the wheel to the left.Matt reiterates that as you are changing the direction of the club, you are changing the momentum of the club. Matt’s favorite drill is the 3 Corners Drill. This drill helps you with ‘tipping the club’ out in front of you. When Matt practices the 3 Corners Drill, he feels like he gets everything out in front of him, and the club just swishes through on the swing and takes off.Matt agrees with the member that if you do drop your arms, the club will still stay behind your hands, because of momentum. What you must do is offset that momentum and change that path. This all happens in transition. Performing the 3 Corners Drill and working on changing momentum will transform your golf game.

Master The Arm Drop

Pepe Cortez, a PGA Golf Professional since 1995, has been helping students become better golfers for over 26 years in the Seattle area. Pepe fell in love with the game as a young boy playing golf with his father and went on to play competitively at junior, high school, and collegiate levels. After graduating from the University of Oregon, he went to work at Sahalee Country Club under the Director of Golf, Rick Acton. He taught there for 26 years and is now teaching at Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club. His approach with his students is grounded in the foundational teaching of Jim Flick and Mike Malaska, who both helped him improve his own game. But it was Mike&rsquo;s mentorship over the past two decades that solidified Pepe&rsquo;s understanding of the golf swing and fueled his passion for teaching. Pepe is proud to be a Malaska Golf Certified Instructor and is excited to help you reach your full potential as a golfer. You&rsquo;ll better understand how the golf swing works and how the body works through the swing.

Malaska Certified-Pepe Cortez

Meet Matt Baker, PGA Professional and newest Malaska Golf Certified Coach. Matt is based in the United Kingdom.

Matt has been a golf professional for over 25 years, working his way up from Assistant Pro to Head Pro, and now teaches full-time.

Matt started playing at age 14 and immediately fell in love with the game and how the swing worked. Golf became his passion. Matt was intrigued with the motions of the game, putting the swing together, and helping other golfers, which led him to coach.

Matt, who was looking to improve his game, came across Mike Malaska on YouTube, he loved what he saw, and the videos improved his game immensely. Not only did he improve, but Matt gained a better understanding of the game because it was simple and made sense. The key takeaway was that Mike Malaska’s instruction and coaching just made sense to Matt!

Matt has applied this knowledge to his game and especially to his students. Matt has seen great success from them as they start to play better golf and understand the game.

Matt also loves the sport connect and how other sports relate to golf, making the game more understandable. His goal is not to teach you something you don’t understand but to teach something you already possess and can do.

Matt is excited to be a Malaska Golf Certified Coach and help others play better golf. The M-System is Matt’s favorite, and he does it every day.

Matt Baker 

Mike Malaska introduces the M-System Lite M2: The Lever System.The Lever System is the most important part of M2 and the M-System. This is where you generate distance and speed from your irons and clubs.Mike demonstrates what the Lever System looks like, swinging an iron loosely, horizontally in front of him, from side to side. He looks very flippy with his hands as he swings the iron back and forth. However, this is how the Tour Players swing. Most amateurs tend to drag their hands throughout the swing.&nbsp;Mike explains that people don’t let the momentum of the club go and let the lever system work. This is how you create speed.Mike now drops the club down to the ground, applies the same motion/swing of the lever system, and hits a ball. Mike hits the ball 110 yards with little effort using the lever system.Even though the practice swings look flippy, they take on a different look once you add your body into the equation. The swing looks more fluid. Mike feels like he is doing the same thing. One of the biggest things he has learned in 60 years is what you feel like you are doing and what you see are very different.Mike now shows us a drill that puts the Lever System together, which is the L to L.First, make sure your grip is on correctly. As Mike demonstrates, the grip goes primarily in your fingers. People say it’s a strong grip, but really, it’s how your arm straightens and all your joints line up. Your right palm goes right on the back of your left thumb. Your right hand faces the target because it moves like a throwing or pushing action. Your left hand acts more like a chopping action.Once you get your hands on it, the lever can work correctly. Mike swings the club back and creates an ‘L’ with his arms and club on the backswing, then swings through to create the same ‘L’ on the follow-through. This is the L to L. Mike demonstrates the L to L, and you can see how the swing mirrors itself.It is important to be able to do this drill and let the momentum of the club rehinge your wrists. This should be an easy drill, but most people struggle because they tighten up and let their shoulders pull.This drill is monumental relative to distance, consistency, and the ability to relax and gain a lot of distance and speed.

M-System Lite M2-The Lever System

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about forward press, where at setup, you push your hips a little open and then swing back.Mike has studied the history of golf, which started in the 1800s, the original teachers and what they did, and numerous videos. Mike was on a quest to find out what happened to his swing after he finished playing professionally.&nbsp;Mike has studied from the beginning what these guys learned and how the swing developed based on equipment and all the different variables.Mike returned to the member's question about forward press. He said about 90% of golfers up until 1982 had a slight forward press. The reason for this is that they wanted to start the swing with some sort of ‘kick start.’Then someone decided you shouldn’t forward press after getting into the setup position. The new thought was to bounce or take a deep breath to start your swing. According to Mike, this was from someone who wasn’t even a golfer.This new setup didn’t even get you into an athletic motion; it just froze you up.Dr. Kwon, a prominent biomechanist, says when you set up to the ball, you should go left to go right to go left. This concept Mike has been preaching for years.&nbsp;Mike demonstrates the motion. Mike uses the analogy of other sports to reinforce this idea. In basketball, if you are guarding someone and they move right, then you have to go left first to go right, and the opposite is true if they go left. This is how sports work.Back to golf, Mike says if you want your backswing to go to the right, you have to go left to go right. Doing this gets the sequence moving and gets you where you aren’t static.What Mike does is he has a little left to right to go left in his swing. When he does this, it times his swing, and he is not starting from a static position.Having a slight kickstart, like Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Bobby Jones, or Ben Hogan, is probably a good thing. Mike thinks it’s crazy that we stopped doing this, and now everyone is putting it into their swings.Mike is a big proponent of this because it triggers the motion athletically.

Trigger Your Backswing

Mike Malaska shows us how there are three ways to hit a draw.

First, you can set the clubface closed and make your normal swing. That will make the ball draw.

Second, you can put the ball back in your stance, making your swing path come more from the inside, which will also make it draw. 

Third, you can swing and use your hands to make the clubface work. This is ideal for putting you in pressure situations and trying all three ways to hit a draw. The critical thing is that you need what works best for you on the range and then take it to the course.

There is no right or wrong way to make the ball draw or fade and go high and go low. Try some experimenting on the course and figure out which way suits you the best.

BEST WAY TO HIT A DRAW

The M-System is a 5-tier instructional plan designed to simplify the game and build your skills for every type of swing. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if you&rsquo;re just starting out or if you have been playing for years at a high level. We&rsquo;ll go step-by-step through every aspect of the sport from basic setup to advanced theory and swing drills. Each video explores a new aspect of the game to give you a greater understanding of what&rsquo;s happening when your club hits the ball. Every level increases its focus as you increase your ability. I promise you, golf is not overly difficult. You just have to unlock the game that works best for you. And this is exactly what The M-System is designed to do.

M-System

There are two types of swings in golf. The first swing requires timing the club through impact. The second swing is more reliable. Use your instinct to decide what to use.

Two Swing Types

The M4 Coaching Series by Mike Malaska focuses on understanding the impact position and the role of ground force through the feet. This segment highlights the importance of identifying the correct impact position, not as a static target but as a feel that guides the swing. Mike emphasizes that impact awareness reshapes how golfers perceive their body's movement during the swing, leading to greater consistency and efficiency.
A key takeaway is correcting common mistakes at impact, such as rotating hips and shoulders level or misaligning the club&rsquo;s shaft relative to the body. Proper impact requires dynamic hip and shoulder tilts and an understanding of how the feet press into the ground. Drills are introduced to help golfers feel the force in their feet, focusing on pushing through the left foot and rolling the right foot inward, which naturally guides the knees and hips.
By training impact through hands and feet, golfers can develop a deeper sense of control and connection to their swing. This approach leverages the natural sensitivity of hands and feet, making it easier to feel and replicate correct movements. Practicing slowly and building speed progressively allows golfers to integrate these lessons for a powerful and efficient swing.

M4 Coaching Series-Impact And Force In Your Feet

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about Moe Norman and Ben Hogan. Mike has had the opportunity to see them both hit golf balls.

Back in the 80s, Moe Norman hit balls for Mike at the finals of the Tour School. He hit balls for 45 minutes, and Mike was amazed
at how good Moe could hit it. Mike was also able to see Ben Hogan hit balls for about 15 minutes, and that experience was unbelievable.

The Member's question is about hand action. Did they both have the same hand action and lever system? They did not.

Moe had the club more in the palm of his hand as he had big grips on his clubs. He flattened or bowed his left wrist when he took the club away. Then, as he turned into the ball, he hit it and released the club on the follow-through. Moe didn't twist his forearm. Mike demonstrates how Moe sets up and hits the ball.

Hogan had a much weaker grip, and as he took the ball away, he would have a little cup in his left wrist. He wanted the clubface to be on the swing plane with his right palm facing out. Moe Norman's right palm was facing down. Because of this, Norman had much less face rotation in the club than Hogan did.

When Hogan took the club back, he had a lot of rotation in his forearms, palms facing up, and then he rotated his forearms really hard through the ball. This looked a lot looser in his wrists.

Now, Mike demonstrates Ben Hogan's swing.
Mike tried to imitate that same swing for a long time early in his career. Mike had difficulty timing the rotation of the forearms for that style of swing. The benefit of this swing style was that it helped Hogan not to hook the ball. Hogan wanted a hand action, an application that felt like he had two right arms. He wanted to be able to rotate his forearms as hard as he could and not hit a pull hook. This will work for you, but it isn't easy to time the clubface.

The two swings were very different, but where they were similar was if you stopped them both at impact. This is the most important position in the game, and there are many ways to get there. Moe Norman and Ben Hogan were very different but also very proficient in their golf swings.

Ben Hogan and Moe Norman

As you swing step forward with you trail foot. As you reach the top step forward with you lead foot then hit the ball. This helps to stabilize your lower body as your swing. It also loosens up your arms and shoulders. This allows you to swing and step and hit the next ball. If your arms and shoulders are to tight you can not swing and get back to the next ball. Your body moves to much. 

WALK THROUGH DRILL

(Train Your Feet to Move Like an Athlete) Most golfers have been told to keep their feet quiet&mdash;but that advice might be holding you back. In almost every other sport, motion starts with the feet. You step to throw a baseball. You step to swing a tennis racket. You shift and plant your feet when hitting a hockey puck or serving in volleyball. Why should golf be any different? In Day 17, Mike Malaska explains how the golf swing is a full-body athletic movement that starts from the ground up&mdash;and shows you why restricting your lower body causes compensations, early extension, and a breakdown in your sequence. By reintroducing natural, instinctive footwork into your swing, you&rsquo;ll unlock power, rhythm, and consistency like never before. You&rsquo;ll learn drills that simulate athletic motion, including the Step-Step-Hit sequence and the Sit-Down Drill using a chair. These drills help you feel how to properly shift your weight and use your lower body without early extension or collapsing into the ball. By stepping back and sitting down, your hips stay in posture, your hands have room to swing, and you build the instinct to move like an athlete&mdash;not a robot. Whether you&rsquo;re throwing a ball or hitting a drive, your feet are your foundation. This day is about reconnecting with how the body is meant to move.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Foot Action: Why most golfers get &ldquo;top-heavy&rdquo; trying to keep their feet quiet How stepping drills train your body to move away from the ball at impact Why early extension is often caused by the trail hip moving toward the ball How to create a &ldquo;sit-down&rdquo; feeling to keep posture and stay in balance Two powerful drills: the Step-Step-Hit and the Chair Sit-Down
Key Takeaway: Train your feet to move. Stepping, sitting, and pushing away from the ball creates real athletic motion. The ground pushes back when you swing&mdash;and your feet must react. This is how you reclaim speed, stability, and confidence in every shot.

Day 17-Foot Action

A Malaska Golf Member comments about starting with small skills and building them daily.

Mike believes this is the key to golf. Malaska Golf has the M-System that gives you a step-by-step process, and you should learn those steps. It is best to start that same way every time you practice. The Tour Players have the same routine.

If you can't do the small skills, you assume they will show up when you make a bigger swing.
They won't. Then, it becomes compensation after compensation to find the flaws in your big swing when it's actually in your basic skills.

Mike likes to make small shots with just one hand, swap to the other, and then use both hands. If you can't do these basic skills, trying to make big swings may not work.

Those little swings teach you to line the club up with the shaft and push it through the ball. This is called the line of compression, and once you feel that, it will show up in all your shots. The same relationship you make for the small swing shows up in the big swing.

Master the small skills and get a practice routine. Your swing will get so much better.

MASTERING BASIC SKILLS

Once you are set up. Just hinge your wrists until the club is parallel to the ground. The only thing that moves is the club and your wrists. At this point your wrists are in the position you want them at the top. Then take the club and your arms back. The club head stays on the target side of your hands until your arms reach waist high. Then the club head breaks up and over your hands. As you swing to the transition of your swing the club head keeps moving away from the target line. Then as you change directions the momentum of the club will help your arms fall on the correct path into the ball. 

HINGE

ENJOY THE GAME MORE Golf is not a complicated sport when you really think about it. Mike, or one of our certified instructors will answer your question with the M-Sytem learning process at the core to every response. It&rsquo;s been played the same way for hundreds of years. Our goal is to give you a better understanding of why things happen the way they do. So, ask us anything. If one of our videos raises a question, post your question in the comments section beneath it. Every week or so we will be exploring the most common questions, and we post our video responses right here for everyone in the Malaska Golf community to see.

Ask Malaska Golf

Here we are with Ask Mike. I'm joined by Brian Gott and Billy Fitzgerald. Today's question comes from John Geraldo, who wants to know: Billy, when does a chip become a pitch?
That's an interesting concept for most people, and I think a lot of golfers have different ideas about it. I believe we're mostly on the same page, though. So, Billy, why don't you help him understand? When does a chip become a pitch?
First, let&rsquo;s define what a chip is and how it feels. Putting and chipping are almost identical, with a slight difference in ball position and the way we approach the ball.
For a chip shot, I use my putting grip. The ball is positioned slightly farther back in my stance, and I lean forward to ensure I catch the ball on the downward part of the strike. I can only make a certain length of swing with this setup before it starts to feel uncomfortable.
For me, that limit is about hip-high to hip-high. Any longer than that, and I feel like I have to involve my body more, which becomes uncomfortable. That&rsquo;s when it transitions into a pitch for me.
With a pitch shot, I need to generate more speed in the club, so I change my grip. I move from my putting grip to a pitching grip, which is closer to my full-swing grip but still slightly in the palm. This grip change allows my hands to work more, and it enables my body to pivot naturally, giving me the speed I need.
Let&rsquo;s go through both techniques:
For the chip shot, the ball is back in my stance. I lean forward slightly and make a putting motion. For the pitch shot, if I need to go a bit farther, I change my grip to a pitching grip. This allows for a little wrist hinge and some body motion, which adds speed to the club.
The difference between a chip and a pitch varies for each golfer. It comes down to when the chip motion feels uncomfortable or insufficient for the required shot. That&rsquo;s when you need to add speed by adjusting your grip and motion.
So, to sum it up, when you feel a chip is no longer sufficient for the shot, change your grip, add some speed, and transition into a pitch. That should help clarify the difference and improve your short game.

Chip vs. Pitch Key Differences

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Billy Fitzgerald is stepping in to answer “Ask Mike’s” from Beverley County Club in Chicago.A member has a question about what happens when your lead leg doesn’t push away when you swing.Billy says he sees this often with players and that it is a great question. The main idea of having your left leg push away is to give room for your hands, arms, and golf club in sequence when you hit the ball. The clubface is moving out, while your hands can fit in front of you and your left hip and golf club are matching up.It is a matching combination, and it is about giving the golf swing, grip, clubface, and shaft enough room to go into the ball.When you don’t push away, your arms will get too close to the ball when you swing down. Your grip will also run out into the ball, exposing the heel of the club. The club will start to make a mad dash to the golf ball. Billy typically sees many heel shots and a lot of the shots off the hosel of the club.Billy again reiterates that it is about matching the clubface with the left leg. When the left leg pushes away, the clubface can go out, the handle can slow down, and that’s how you want to match the left leg pushing away so you have plenty of room to go into the ball.Billy makes some small swings so you can see how the left leg pushes away, the handle slows down, and the clubface works out.Your grip also squares the face at impact. Billy makes a small chip, and you can see the combination of the club stabilizing the face and giving Billy plenty of room for his arms, golf club, and grip to swing into a great impact position.Remember to push away and give yourself room to make good contact.

Left Leg Pushing Away

This Quick Fix Friday is about focusing on balance. Pick one foot up off the ground and place it on top of the other. If you feel yourself losing balance, relax and try to steady yourself.

This action starts to simulate motion and prepares your joints to handle forces.

Switch feet and do the same thing. Now put both feet on the ground and move. Your balance will feel much better.

If he is nervous, Mike does this quick exercise on the first tee box. He finds that he has much more stability and control over his golf swing.

FOCUS ON BALANCE

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about Jack Nicklaus's practice of putting the ball in the same position with every club.With a sand wedge, Jack would position the ball off his left heel. The handle of the wedge was right on his left thigh, where his left hand would be and where Jack would always set up.Moving to a 7-iron, Mike’s right foot drops back. It looks like the ball is further forward, but the hands and handle are in the same position off the left thigh.Now, to the driver, It’s the same as the 7-iron, only the right foot is farther back. The hands and handle still come off the left thigh.All Jack does is keep dropping the foot farther and farther back, but the hands and handle are in the same position, regardless of a wedge, 7-iron, or a driver. Jack is very consistent in the way he sets his club up relative to his body.He also has a leg action that allows it to work on all his clubs. Now, some players do that by having everything up off their left heel. Others move as the club gets shorter and goes farther back in their swing. You must find what's best for you and then be consistent with it.

Jack Nicklaus and Ball Position

A Malaska Golf Member wants to know about the Figure 8 Drill, and if you do it, can you hit the number 2 corner? The member is actually combining two different drills.

Mike had a golf teacher named Joe Nichols who talked the corner. He said there were 3 corners in a golf swing. Mike shows us where those corners are. He then places a tee into the ground just on the outside of his right foot. Joe wanted you to get the handle of the club over the tee on the backswing. This was the first corner.

The member wants to know if you do the Figure 8 Drill, can you still hit the corner? Mike demonstrates this drill by making a figure 8 motion with the club as he makes a swing. He says if you watch closely, the club is circling around the handle. It is not the handle that is doing the circling or his arms. Mike shows us how the club goes up and under. The motion of the handle can still hit the corner where the tee is. The club is going around the handle on the downswing. This is the same hand action as hitting a forearm in tennis and hitting a baseball. There is a circle action on the backswing. Mike shows us the continuous action of swinging a figure 8 and hitting the ball.

Yes, you can hit that corner doing the Figure 8 Drill. The purpose of this drill is to feel the club coming under instead of over the top on the downswing.

Figure 8 Drill

The driver and putter are the two most important clubs in the bag. With the driver, it is essential to hit the ball a decent distance and control where it goes off the tee. It is crucial to get started the right way. You can't play the game if you can't hit your driver well. It won't put you in a position to chip or putt the ball because you are out of play all the time. Learning to hit the driver well is paramount to playing the game. Hitting a driver well is the most enjoyable part; everyone likes to see how far the ball goes. The problem is that what people perceive will make the ball go farther and what makes the driver move fast is incorrect. What people attempt to do with tension and effort to make the club move faster actually slows the club down. When you put everything together, you can have fun with how the driver works, how those forces work, hitting the ball farther, and controlling the golf ball. When you go through The M-System Driver series, you will learn different parts of what you are trying to do to get the right feel of swinging the driver. If you get out of sequence and one part doesn't work, and you try to make the ball go far or create more speed, then you are creating speed the wrong way. This is harder to control the clubface and to be able to have fun. Getting off the tee successfully and getting the ball in play can make the driver the most important club in the bag.

Driver

Most all sports crossover. Your body is a pattern machine. It does not know if you are playing golf or tennis or baseball. It is just duplicating or learning patterns. Once you learn a pattern it is transferable to other sports. So any sport that you play has application to golf. And if you play golf it has applications and direct crossovers to other sports. So rather than learn something new why not use what you already know. Most of the motions you make in a swing you already know how to do them. You are doing them every day just moving around and being involved in the universe.

Sports Connect

Your hands are your swing. If you use them in a certain manner. It becomes significantly easier to control the ball. Your lead hand basically hinges and unhinges. Your trail hand flexes and extends. There is very little fact rotation relative to your swing arch. Also if your lead hand is in this hinge position it is very strong. IT is how the lead wrist is designed to hit an object with the most force and the least chance for injury. Your trail hand flexing and extending is how you throw a ball, Shoot a basketball, or throw a bowling ball.

WRIST HINGE

This Ask Mike comes to us from John DeFrancisco. By the way, Matt Baker, hello! Matt does a lot of great work. He’s over in England, and he’d be here today, except the flight was a little too long. So, hey Matt, how are you doing?This question is one that gets asked a lot. It tends to annoy me a little, which is great because I like being annoyed—it gives me a chance to be annoying back! The question is about the Look Cool Drill and how the clubface actually works through the ball. I’m going to take this one because I hear it so often, and it’s about exaggerations and putting circles together.All right, let’s get into it. You guys are going to have to move so I can demonstrate. The Look Cool Drill looks like this.When I’m doing the Look Cool Drill, if you watch the clubface, the face goes from here, comes down to there, and then moves up to here and over there. Through this movement, the face is rotating more than it would in my normal swing because my body isn’t moving. But this little action here—the clubface—is doing exactly what it should. It’s here, here, there, and there.The difference is that the handle of the club isn’t moving very far, so it looks like there’s a lot more face rotation. But if I take this same action and start moving my body—like in my full golf swing—the face does exactly what you want to see. When I take my body out of it and just swing my arm, you’ll see the handle pivoting, which makes it look like the face is twisting faster. However, the face is staying close to a 90-degree angle to my swing arc.The biggest issue I see with the Look Cool Drill and the L-to-L Drill is that people don’t fully understand the wrist movements. For example, when you go from here, your left wrist is flat. Now, if I use only my left arm and move to the other side, what does my left wrist do? It cups.When you add the right hand, on the backswing, your right wrist is in extension, and as you go through the swing, it moves into flexion. During the backswing with the Look Cool Drill, the left wrist is flat, and the right wrist is bent. At impact, and then as you follow through, the roles switch—the right wrist flattens, and the left wrist bends.When you do this with one hand, sometimes there’s more rotation than you want. If I overdo it, yes, the face rotates too much. The goal of the Look Cool Drill is to let the weight of the club drop and pivot naturally. See what I’m doing here?This doesn’t require strength—I’m only holding the club with two fingers. The idea is to let the club’s momentum do the work. As the club pivots, the face naturally moves through the arc. If I let it flip too much, the face closes. But the goal is to feel how loose your wrists need to be and how the club’s weight creates the pivot.If I do this with my left hand and let it flip back, the face might close, but that’s an exaggeration to help feel how much the club’s weight contributes to the swing. The drill teaches you how to relax the wrists and let the lever system work effectively.As simple as this looks, most students struggle to do it correctly when starting. They can’t figure it out because they’re too tense. This motion—this pivoting action—is the same as throwing a ball, serving in tennis, or any similar movement.The Look Cool Drill is all about using the weight of the club to train your hands, relax your wrists, and get the lever system working naturally.

Swing Better With The Look Cool Drill

If you just sit in a chair and take the club set it on your trail shoulder with your arms relaxed. The handle of the club is pointed straight away from you. Then just direct the momentum of the club out away from you and let the arms and wrists react. There is no of very little rotation in your body. The handle will pivot. The club head will accelerate. The lead arm will straighten then fold up. Understanding and being able to do this is what your swing really feels like. IF you add body pivot to this action you will gain a tremendous amount of club head speed.

THROW THE CLUB DRILL

The importance of learning skills over fixes

IFYP-Swing Skills

IMPROVE EVERY DAY Whether you&rsquo;re a Tour Pro or a weekend player, there&rsquo;s always room for improvement. The more you understand about the forces at work in the golf swing, the better you&rsquo;ll be able to control the club face and strike the ball. When I&rsquo;m on the range or on the course as a coach, I do my best to explain these natural forces in a way that reveals the &ldquo;a-ha moment&rdquo; for players. It doesn&rsquo;t matter what your handicap is, seeing how other golfers are applying their understanding to improve will ultimately help you fine tune your swing as well. I&rsquo;m also going to share firsthand experiences at some of the world&rsquo;s finest courses, so you&rsquo;ll know what to expect when you visit and play. This is what the Player Lessons section is all about.

Player Lessons

In this six-part Player Lesson series, Mike Malaska works with Jimmy Pearcy to transform his golf game by focusing on core fundamentals and personalized instruction. Starting with an exploration of Jimmy&rsquo;s &ldquo;golf DNA,&rdquo; Mike identifies how Jimmy&rsquo;s athletic background and natural movement patterns shape his swing. By tailoring the lessons to Jimmy&rsquo;s strengths, Mike provides a foundation for improvement that is both effective and sustainable.
The series begins with grip fundamentals, as Mike emphasizes the critical role of a proper grip in supporting every aspect of the swing. By positioning his hands correctly and reducing tension, Jimmy learns how to maintain control of the clubface and create consistency in his shots. This foundational step sets the stage for unlocking greater speed and power.
In subsequent lessons, Mike introduces Jimmy to the concept of speed generation. Using drills that highlight the importance of relaxation and leveraging the natural hinge and release of the wrists, Jimmy discovers how to create effortless power. Mike reinforces that tension-free motion, combined with proper sequencing, is the key to maximizing clubhead speed with minimal effort.
The series progresses to the concept of leverage, where Jimmy learns to let the club&rsquo;s weight and momentum dictate the swing. Through exercises that focus on feeling the club&rsquo;s natural movement, Jimmy develops a deeper understanding of how to generate power without relying on force. This approach not only improves his swing but also enhances his confidence in controlling the club.
In the final two lessons, Mike focuses on advanced concepts of shot shaping and control. Jimmy practices manipulating the clubface to produce hooks, fades, and straight shots, gaining the ability to navigate different course conditions and play with more versatility. By mastering the relationship between his hands and the clubface, Jimmy unlocks a new level of creativity and precision in his game.
Throughout the series, Mike&rsquo;s personalized coaching helps Jimmy develop a relaxed, efficient swing that capitalizes on his natural strengths. By addressing fundamental issues and progressively building new skills, Jimmy gains the tools and confidence to approach the game with a deeper understanding. This series marks a significant transformation in Jimmy&rsquo;s golf journey, equipping him with a more powerful, controlled, and versatile game.

Jimmy Pearcy-Player Lesson

Joe Nichols viewed the shoulders as a pulley system when it came towards the beginning of the backswing.  He ingeniously linked the hips, the hands, and the clubhead lever system so that it was impossible to get the clubhead behind you.  This is part 1 of Joe's backswing.

PULLEY SYSTEM - BACKSWING - PART 1

The Right Foot Back Drill works so well because you can get your hips out of the way, and it gives you the space for your arms to swing down into the ball.

When you drop your right foot back, it makes it easier to time the outside circle of the clubhead with the circle of your center as you go into the ball.

Many Tour Players will drop their right foot back to hit the ball harder. Doing this gets their hips out of the way, gives them more time to hit the ball, and gives them a more significant turn.

Hitting the ball with your right foot back allows you to hit the ball farther and be more consistent. The only downside is that your swing path might might follow your foot line. Whether your feet are open, square, or closed, your shoulders and eye line stay the same.

Moving your feet allows your lower body to do different things, and that’s why players adjust their feet. This lets you do other things with your arms.

The Right Foot Back Drill is excellent; everyone should learn to do it.

RIGHT FOOT BACK WILL CURE YOUR GAME

Brian Gott, Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. A Malaska Golf Member feels like he's hitting all his shots thin because he's not extending his arms.

Brian thinks it's the opposite. He says he is moving up closer into the ball and having to pull the left arm up so he doesn't dig it into the ground and hit the ball fat. This is causing the member to hit the ball thin.

Brian suggests the member move farther away from the ball, make a small swing, and see if that left arm extends out all the way. If that still happens, then you are moving too close to the ball. You will feel like you are running out of room, and your body knows it isn't going to hit the ball, so it starts to pull up.

The key is to get the hip out of the way. The Right Foot Back Drill will help you do this. This will help to extend the arm through impact. Make sure you get the right hip back on the backswing and the left hip back on the follow-through.

Brian says you are getting too close to the ball and crowded when you swing. Your arms will start to come up, and you will hit it thin.

Get farther away from the ball, balance your arm, and extend it correctly.

Hitting the Ball Thin

For this Mulligan Monday, Mike demonstrates that the golf swing is the Lever System. He takes his driver in his right hand and swings the club back and forth, hinging and unhinging his wrists.

Mike then hits a ball, using that same lever system with one hand. With that easy swing, he hits the ball 175 yards.

Mike comments that the swing looked flippy, and this time when he hits the ball, he will let his body rotate with the swing. Mike can also use his left hand, make the same motions, and hit the ball. The ball will go about 200 yards.

When you add both of your hands, there’s your golf swing!

THE GOLF SWING IS THE LEVER SYSTEM

Mike Malaska introduces the M-System Lite M1: Line of Compression. Line of compression goes right into the concept of impact. To hit the ball solid, you need to compress it, which most amateurs don’t. This happens because they don’t have a great line of compression.What is line of compression? If you take a baseball bat and hit something, a tree, for instance, your arms will line up with the bat. This is because the bat stabilizes the force coming back through it.Mike says that you wouldn’t roll your wrists when you hit with a baseball bat. If you did this in golf, it would be considered an ‘over the top’ swing.Mike demonstrates what line of compression is with a baseball bat.Line of compression happens in tennis too. If you take a tennis racket and make a forehand swing, the same thing happens. Your arm lines up with where you hit the ball on the racket, and this stabilizes the force.In golf, line of compression starts with your putter. It is important to get a feel for it with putting and distance. You need to establish line of compression first with putting before you can master it with your full swing.The concept of line of compression relates right to impact, and understanding it will help you.Mike holds his putter level out in front of him so that his arm lines up with the shaft. His arm is slightly angled, a little forward, because his arm pushes the putt.Some people keep the angle in the wrist, and others let it go, but the arm still lines up with the putter.Mike now sets up to a ball with a line on it. The ball needs to roll the line. You don’t want the ball to wobble. You want a center face hit with a good path.Mike demonstrates putting the ball as his right arm pushes the shaft through the ball. Again, the key is to make the line on the ball roll. Mike sinks the putt.It is important to command line of compression first with just one arm so you are stable with the putt before you add your second hand and arm.Mike moves to the edge of the green to talk about how line of compression relates to chipping. He explains that chipping is really ‘off-green putting.’Line of compression is the same with chipping. You can see this as Mike lines up his arm with his wedge. It is on the back of the shaft and pushes the shaft through the ball.&nbsp;You don’t want your arm to twist over or underneath. Again, you are pushing the shaft through the ball.There is one change from putting to chipping, though. Mike has drawn a dot on the clubface. The key here is to put that dot on the back of the ball when you hit it.The ball will get in the air, not because you lift it, but because the loft of the clubface gets it up. Mike reminds us that chipping is a ‘lofted putt with a chipping stroke.’When Mike sets up to the ball, he likes to practice with just one hand/arm first and then move on to both. This is all about feeling the line of compression and how your right arm pushes the shaft through the ball.Mike reminds us that the line of compression starts with putting and chipping. Then, you learn to compress the ball and get it in the air with the club.This is a big concept to master, and it applies to every iron and club in your bag, including a full swing with a driver.

M-System Lite M1-Line Of Compression

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about grip and whether it is the same when using wedges all the way up to the driver.Mike responds that some of it is and some of it isn’t. When Mike grips the club, he makes sure that it is in his fingers, and when he closes his hands, he has the maximum amount of lever potential. This allows his wrists to hinge the way they are supposed to.Mike says, on all your full shots, yes. However, when Mike takes a wedge out, instead of his club being in his fingers, it’s a little more on a diagonal in his hand.Mike does this because he doesn’t want his wrists to hinge as much. The club is now a lot shallower, and you don’t want a lot of up-and-down in the swing. You want to keep it shallower to control the angle of approach and the flight of the ball.Again, Mike does change his grip, adjusting the position of the club in his hand a little bit to accommodate the up-and-down motion of his wrists.You don’t want to do that with the driver. The driver is in your fingers because when you swing back, you want to be able to lever your wrists and get the maximum amount of speed out of his hands and the lever system.

Different Types of Grip

The lever system starts with the proper grip that allows the joints of the wrists to work correctly for the most speed and control. Then it becomes how well can you control the face. Once you have those two it becomes where does most of your speed come from. How do you get your arms into the correct arch to create an angle of attack that maximizes your potential. What are the main drills and or skills necessary to become proficient at these basic skills or tasks.

THE LEVER SYSTEM - OVERVIEW

Joe Nichols is someone you may not have heard about, but is someone you should know.  His knowledge for improving your game is unparalleled and has influenced Mike's teaching and understanding of the golf swing.  Find out more in this video.

INTRODUCTION TO JOE NICHOLS

So what does the body really do in the swing. How do you incorporate it. What are its basic tasks that synchronize the swing. And finally how do you practice how it moves. Once you understand its roll it becomes much easier to maximize its use in your game. Instead of well intended having it just get in your way and create a lot of compensations.

HOW THE BODY WORKS - OVERVIEW

When you set up to the ball your trail wrist is at a 90 degree angle to your swing arch. As you swing back to waist high your trail wrist is still at a 90 degree angel to the swing arch. As your arm swings to the top of your swing your trail arm externally rotates in your shoulder socket. That rotation makes the club face look as thought it has opened up. Then as you swing down the arm internally rotates back so that at waist high the wrist is back to a 90 degree angle to the arch. It then stays in that same relationship until waist high on the follow through. At that point your lead arm continues to externally rotate. 

SWING ARC

Your mind is a muscle just like your body. It needs to and can be trained. The proper mindset is critical to maximizing performance. Your mind controls your body so how do we train it to make the correct decisions. React in a manner that gives us the best chance for success. And how do we train it to process what happens properly so it becomes a constant learning process and roadway to success.

Ask Malaska Golf-Mental Game

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I’m a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based in the UK. Today’s question comes from Mark Hughes, who is asking about the ideal degree of hip openness at impact, and its relationship to the shoulders.The simple answer is that it depends on your flexibility. It’s crucial to work on flexibility not just for your golf game but also for your overall health. As we age, it becomes increasingly important to stay flexible and strong, so incorporating simple stretching exercises into your routine is essential. Mike has some great exercises available on the site, especially focusing on the posterior chain, which includes your hip flexors, glutes, thighs, hamstrings, calves, and lower back. Stretching these areas will help you improve your hip movement and, consequently, your swing.In our current lifestyle, we often spend a lot of time sitting, which reduces flexibility, so regular stretching is critical, no matter your age. Even young people can struggle with flexibility due to sedentary habits.In addition to improving flexibility, understanding how the hips work during the swing is vital. I had a breakthrough when I learned that the hips work in straight lines rather than a turning motion. The concept of pushing the left hip back during the follow-through helped me maintain proper momentum and complete my swing arc. You can also practice drills like the M1 drill with one arm, adding the pivot action for better feel.Regarding how much the hips should be open compared to the shoulders, it varies based on flexibility. Mike said his hips are about 20 degrees open at impact, but it really depends on how flexible you are. Working on your flexibility will significantly benefit your game and help you achieve the desired openness of the hips at impact.I hope this answers your question, and I look forward to catching up with you soon!

Boost Hip Flexibility 

Updates from Mike Malaska about what is happening in the World of Golf.

Malaska Golf News

A Malaska Golf member wants to know how to get a stock shot.Mike stands on the range, hitting multiple shots, and watches what curves are easiest for him. That is usually a draw.That’s the shot he sees, the one he has played most of his career, and the one Mike goes to when he is under pressure.Some days, Mike hits the ball solid, and it fades a little, so that will be the shot he starts with.The Member has an issue hitting a fade and ends up pull-hooking the ball. He wants to know how to hit his driver without pull hooking it.Mike demonstrates a pull hook with an oversized club. He explains that the only way to pull hook is if the club is closed relative to the path.It happens because you are turning your hand and wrist over. If your grip is correct, the motion with your hand is more of a throwing action, so your hand won’t turn over. Then you won’t pull hook!Phil Blackmar, an ex-PGA and Champions Tour player, helped Mike find a go-to shot: a slight fade. At the time, Mike was going to the Senior Tour School and competing that year. Mike needed a shot that he could be aggressive with and knew the outcome of.They decided on a shot where Mike could hit the ball as hard as he wanted without turning the face down.Every time Mike hit his driver, the ball would always fade because he wasn’t twisting his right hand. Mike demonstrates the hand action that makes the ball fade.If you want to get aggressive with your shots, ensure your grip is correct and work your hand through impact like a throwing motion.If you do this, you won’t turn the club down and pull hook the ball. Practice this with small, short shots and then gradually add speed. Do this, and you won’t pull hook!

Be aggressive and Not Hook

Mike has received the highest honor of PGA National Teacher of The Year in 2011. He wrote, “I Feel Your Pain” in 2013 and is proud to announce the new release of this 2nd book entitled, “The Invisible Swing” in 2019. Mike produced his own DVD, You Are Your Own Swing, featuring 2 ½ hours of both golf and fitness instruction in 2004. In 2010 he was selected for PGA Southwest Section Teacher of The Year and went on to be named The National PGA Teacher of the Year In 2011. In 2017 Mike was honored to receive once again, the PGA Southwest Section Teacher of The Year Award for a second time.

Since 2000, Mike has ranked among Golf Digest’s America’s Top 50 Greatest Teachers, and currently listed in the top 20 in the nation. Mike has also been selected as Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America every year from 1995 to 2017. Since 2012 when the Golf Range Association of America started its list of award winners, Mike has been one of the top 50 on that list for his contribution to growing the game of golf. This award called Growth of The Game Teachers in America is yet another of his accomplishments. In 2017 he was voted the Top Teacher in Arizona by Arizona Foothills Magazine.

A graduate of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, Mike was a college All American in 1974. He was then inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in February 1999 and into the Utah Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. In September 2013 Mike was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for his service to the University and his community. Mike is currently the Director of Instruction for the Nicklaus Academies Worldwide, Superstition Mountain Country Club, and a member of the National Advisory Board for TaylorMade Golf since 2002. He has been a summertime guest instructor for the prestigious Maroon Creek Golf Club in Aspen, Colorado in 2017 and 2018. As Director of Instruction for the Jack Nicklaus Golf Centers in Japan from 1992 to 1995, Mike was featured in Golf Digest Japan and was nominated for Japan’s Teacher of the Year in 1993. Then in 1996, he received Teacher of the Year for the Utah PGA Section.

As the continuing Director of Instruction for Nicklaus Academies Worldwide, Mike instructs the teachers at each of the centers around the globe. He continues to be a guest lecturer at countless corporate functions, PGA Section Seminars, PGA National Coaching and Teaching Summits, and as a guest speaker for the World Golf Fitness Summit in 2012. He has appeared numerous times on The Golf Channel as a guest instructor.

Malaska Certified-Mike Malaska

Your body will align itself to create maximum impact as long as you know what concepts to practice.

THE POWER OF ALIGNMENT

This conversation with Eric Cogorno about hip movement in the full swing is one of the most important concepts I think every golfer must understand. The idea of turning vs. rotating is key to building a solid foundation for your swing. 

FULL SWING HIP MOVEMENT WITH ERIC COGORNO

How you set up to the ball makes levering your wrists and the consistency of your swing as easy as possible.

PROPER SETUP ALIGNMENT

AIM AND ALIGNMENT

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about a video that Ashley Malaska Moss did on the L to L Drill.Mike Malaska explains that many of the drills are slight exaggerations. When you do the L to L, you move from the ‘L’ on the backswing to ‘L’ on the follow-through and hold that position. However, if your body stops, the momentum of the club swinging through will cause the club to turn or flip over.Mike demonstrates from straight-on, where you can see the rotation in his arms. This is what they were asking about.When Mike does the L to L, he doesn’t swing hard and holds the ‘L’ on both sides. That way, his arms are stopping, and he is able to do the drill.If he goes to full speed while doing the L to L, then some rotation in the arms will happen. The momentum of the club will take over as it swings through on the follow-through.Again, drills are exaggerations. Mike actually likes to see people do the L to L drill while loosely holding the club in their fingers. Mike explains that this is so that you can feel the momentum and weight of the club, making your wrists hinge, unhinge, and rehinge. This is better than trying to hold the club too tight and start hanging on the club with your shoulders. Drills like the ‘Look Cool’ drill help you create the momentum of the club.Start holding the club loosely, then add a little structure and tension until you find the correct pressure when doing the L to L. That’s how you build it.Remember, the L to L is a slight exaggeration. Some things wouldn’t happen in full swing. Mike also notes that because your body stops, your wrists will rehinge earlier than they would in full swing.The L to L is there for a reason and is a slight exaggeration, but if you master it, it will pay big dividends.

L to L is an Exaggeration

A Malaska Golf Member has a great question for Mike, and it is about how your left wrist works in the swing. There are many swing concepts out there, and some aren’t even close to what you should be doing.

Mike came from baseball to golf and used his baseball swing to hit a golf ball. Mike demonstrates how he swings and hits a baseball with his golf club. You can see what the left wrist does when he swings on the follow-through. You don’t twist your wrists at contact in baseball or other sports.

Mike equated hitting a golf ball to a low outside pitch. Mike demonstrates this. When he hits the ball, his left wrist is fairly flat, and on the follow-through, Mike’s wrist worked the same way it did in the baseball swing.

Mike rapidly got good with his golf swing and game at a young age. The coach at the time took a video of Mike’s swing and said his clubface was shut and that he had a flippy release. The coach said they had to get rid of that. He changed Mike’s grip and introduced a new swing concept: when you hit the ball, you rotate your left forearm and turn your wrists over with your left palm up.

Mike says that from then on and the rest of his career, he was never as good as he was in his late teens. Mike was winning everything back then, and it was really easy.

The ironic thing is that Mike, at age 69, is back to playing the way he did then and is now a more consistent ball striker than in his professional career. Mike attributes that to understanding how the hands work and controlling the clubface.

Mike says that your left wrist goes back and hits the ball, and then the club straightens your arms, and they fold up on the follow-through. You can see what the wrists are doing. Again, the wrists aren’t twisting over at impact.

Mike stresses the concept of hand action and release. Understanding this can either make your game easy or impossible to play.

THE SECRET TO THE LEFT WRIST

A Malaska Golf member wants to know about using your putting grip for chipping and pitching. He mentions Phil Mickelson’s hinge and hold. When he did that, he was hitting pitch shots. Many players, including Mike, will use their putting grip to hit up to 30 yards.

Mike demonstrates using his putting grip, stance, and stroke. He makes a putting stroke, and the ball rolls along the ground. When Mike does the same thing but adds his pitching wedge, the ball gets in the air because he has a lofted face. 

Take the putter away, make your putting stroke, put the ball farther back in your stance, and put your head forward. You don’t want to be catching the ball on the upswing like a putter. Use his method for up to 10 yards. 

For more distance, you need to have more hand action. Add extension and flexion in your wrist and rotation in your body. You are not moving up and down. 

PUTTING GRIP FOR CHIPPING AND PITCHING

A Malaska Golf Member asks about DGF or Death Grip Syndrome. All this means is that golfers grip the golf club too tightly.

Mike explains that gripping the club too tightly is a misunderstanding of the motion of the club and how it works.

Mike demonstrates the "Look Cool" Drill, swinging the club with one hand. Notice how relaxed his wrists are as the club drops through the swing. They are just reacting to the weight of the club. This is also important to feel how your wrists hinge, unhinge and rehinge.

The next aspect Mike discusses is tension. Once you feel the hinging of the wrists, then your grip needs to be correct. When the lever and weight of the club make your wrists hinge and unhinge, it squares the clubface.

If your grip is wrong, you don't have tension, and you let the weight of the club go, making the face wide open at impact. You will slice the ball. Then you think the way to solve this issue is to catch the face up, and end up getting tighter and tighter because you are anticipating this problem.

Tightness and tension exist when you don't use the club's momentum, your grip is off, and the club doesn't square itself.

DEATH GRIP SYNDROME

A Malaska Golf Member has an observation about the downswing. He notices that when you change directions, the handle comes down before you twist.Mike Malaska says that this is ideal. One of the worst things you can do is immediately twist your body before the club starts down as you start down on your swing. People struggle with this in the golf swing.A great drill to learn how to feel the arms drop is to set up to the ball with your right foot back, let your arms drop, and run the club into the ball. Your shoulders need to be relaxed in order to do this.When it comes to your full swing, Mike demonstrates the reason the arms drop. Mike starts his back swing; his shoulders are turned, his wrists are hinged, and his club goes up. When he starts to change direction, Mike’s pelvis starts to move a little laterally, and when this happens, his spine angle tilts. When this happens, the shoulders tilt, and your arms will drop. It is what your lower body is doing that makes your arms drop.Again, you want your arms to drop. Many Tour Players move the club handle away and down, and then everything twists into the ball together. One of the worst things you can do is have your body outrun the club. You want your body and clubface to stay together.

How and Why Your Arms Drop

With Middle Irons the set up changes slightly to change the angle of attack of the club. The ball is in the center of the stance but the weight or force distribution is even in your feet from front to back foot. This creates a little more tilt in your spine angle which effects the angle of approach into the ball. You still hit with a defending angle of attach. Club hits the ball then the ground.

MIDDLE IRONS

Counterbalancing helps reduce the natural movement in the clubhead that inevitably happens while swinging golf clubs. This movement can't be stopped but can be controlled with counterbalancing. You can do this when getting fitted for your putter. 

A club fitter will have you try a putter, and then they can add different weighted sticks inside the top of the club shaft. The purpose is to find an ideal putter weight for you and counterbalance that weight with the weighted sticks in the shaft. 

With the right counterbalance, you will find that your speed control gets significantly better. Counterbalancing offers more stability. The more weight you have in the top of your shaft, the more it will bring you to the center balance of the club. This changes the feel of the club. The extra weight offers more control over the clubs. 

It also allows the momentum of the clubhead to do different things a lot easier. There are, in fact, many players that counterbalance all of their clubs. Jack Nicklaus used lead tape to wrap on the inside of the shaft. Adding more weight to the top of the shaft allows you to pivot the club better when you swing the club. This counterbalance makes that easier to do. 

Mike suggests that the value of counterbalancing comes down to how it feels. It can create a sensation that makes you hit the ball better. Many players counterbalance their putters; some also do their irons and drivers. Mike puts lead tape on the end of his drivers but not on his irons. 

COUNTERBALANCING YOUR CLUBS

(How L to L Generates Effortless Power) Now that you&rsquo;ve learned to generate speed using the lever system in a seated or limited-motion drill, it&rsquo;s time to stand up and put it all together. In Day 15, Mike Malaska introduces L to L Plus&mdash;a full-body version of the lever motion that incorporates posture, pivot, and the natural flow of your hips and shoulders. You&rsquo;re no longer just creating speed with your hands and wrists. Now you&rsquo;re using your entire body in balance to create effortless power. Mike walks you through how to combine arm-driven speed with correct rotation around your spine. He explains how your joints&mdash;hips, shoulders, wrists&mdash;must all work in harmony, staying within a controlled &ldquo;box&rdquo; around your posture. By keeping your trail foot slightly dropped back, you give yourself the room to feel the proper motion and let the momentum of the club create hinge, unhinge, and rehinge naturally. You&rsquo;ll also discover how the arms lead the body&mdash;not the other way around. The result? A powerful, repeatable swing motion used by elite players in golf, baseball, tennis, and more.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn in Day 15: &bull; How to stand up and add body rotation to the lever system &bull; Why your hips and shoulders should turn inside a &ldquo;box&rdquo; around your spine &bull; How to let your wrists hinge and rehinge naturally using momentum &bull; Why your arms should lead the body&mdash;and not be pulled by the shoulders &bull; How this motion builds from the seated drill into your full swing
Key Takeaway: Add your body to the lever system. L to L Plus teaches you how to rotate with balance and let your swing unfold naturally. When arms lead and body follows, speed and control work together&mdash;and your full swing becomes athletic and repeatable.

Day 15-L To L Full Swing in Motion

A Malaska Golf Member wants to know about The Loop Drill and its purpose.

When you watch Tour Players on their backswing, by the time the club gets waist high and parallel to the ground, the clubhead is even with or to the golf ball side of their hands. No one has the club pointed back behind their body. The club must come up over the top on the downswing if you do this. Some players like Craig Stadler and Sam Snead swung their club like that; however, they were able to get the clubhead back on track on the downswing.

As the clubhead goes back, the club is constantly moving away from the ball. Their shoulders and hips are back when they change directions, and the club starts to shallow or loop on the downswing. This allows them to come in at the right angle of approach to the ball. The clubhead is completing more of a circle than their arms. The clubhead is making a good-sized loop.

Mike demonstrates this loop with a wedge, a fairway wood, and a driver. If you get the loop action going, your club automatically shallows the club.

LOOP DRILL SHALLOWING THE CLUB

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based in the UK. Today's question comes from a gentleman named Mark Hughes. I know Mark—he’s from Wales—and he’s been working on the four-step drill. His question is: when he performs the drill with a driver, it works well, but when he uses an iron, he tends to hit the ball out to the right. He’s checked his grip and says it’s okay. So, he wants to know what might be causing this issue.First, let’s recap the four-step drill before addressing the problem. The four-step drill is designed to help build a good backswing and establish a sense of where the club should be in time and space at the end of the backswing, ready for transition into the downswing.To perform the drill, take your address position over the golf ball. Lift the golf club and rest it on your right (trail) shoulder while maintaining your golf posture. Turn your body by pushing your right hip back and feeling pressure shift to your right heel. This gets you to the end of your backswing position. Push your arms away to achieve the correct top-of-backswing position, then swing through and hit the ball. This sequence—address, step one, step two, step three, step four—is excellent for building consistency and understanding proper club positioning.Now, let’s diagnose what might be going wrong. The first thing we always check as golf professionals is the grip. A poor grip often causes the clubface to stay open, leading to shots that veer to the right. If the grip is too weak (hands positioned incorrectly on the club), the clubface can remain open during the swing. Mark has confirmed his grip is fine, so let’s explore other possibilities.One common issue we see is the left wrist position at the top of the backswing. Sometimes, when performing the four-step drill, golfers create a "cupping" motion in the back of the left wrist. This happens when the wrist hinges upward, leaving the clubface pointing downwards (toe of the club pointing toward the ground) at the top of the swing. This cupping often results in an open clubface through impact, causing shots to go right.To fix this, aim to keep the left wrist flat or slightly bowed at the top of the swing. This keeps the clubface square or slightly closed. Focus on your left wrist position as you swing back. Avoid hinging your wrist excessively upward, and work on achieving a flat wrist at the top, ensuring the clubface is at a more neutral angle. From the front view, the left wrist should align with the forearm, and the clubface should be angled rather than pointing straight down.If the grip and wrist position aren’t the issues, another possibility could be improper hand rotation through the swing. However, nine times out of ten, the problem lies in the cupped wrist. Practice focusing on your left wrist position during the drill, and this should help you immensely.Let me know how it goes!

The Four-Step Swing Fix

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Matt Baker based in the United Kingdom is answering a member question.We've got a question here from Richard Solman, who is talking about parallax and how it's really helped his game and improved his ability to visualize alignment. This is a fundamental aspect of improving your golf game because getting alignment right is crucial. There's an old saying: "What you see, your brain receives, and then your body reacts." What you're seeing at address is often different from what's actually happening or what's correct, and it's important to understand that.Parallax refers to the difference in perception when you're standing behind the ball, aligning yourself towards your target. You can even practice this in a net. When I address the ball, my eyes have a different perception of where my start point is. Where my start line is crucial, and when I look at the target from here, it might appear far left of where my actual target line is due to parallax. However, I know that everything is aligned squarely toward my target.It's very important to get this correct and to work on it. Using alignment aids like lines or sticks down the fairway will help you get a better visual of what you're aiming for. If I'm standing over the ball and perceive the target as left of where I intend to start the ball, my body will naturally react to that perception. I'll end up swinging to the left, thinking I'm correcting the aim, but that's why it's essential to practice alignment.Some people like to use a marker; for example, I can use the end of my stick. Others might use a spot in front of them. However, when I'm standing here and looking at it, it might seem way off to the right, like it's hitting the side of the net, when it’s right online. That's parallax, and it's crucial to work on this so your body reacts correctly at address.Focus on your start point, and your body will react by starting the ball on the right line. Mastering parallax and alignment is essential; it's the basic 101 of alignment that every golfer needs to learn.

Parallax: Key To Accurate Shots

This Malaska Golf Member wants to know what you do on the backswing after hinging your wrists.

Mike Malaska says you must be careful to avoid getting too segmented in your swing; instead, think of it as a blend of motions.

Swing the club slightly forward, then start the club back and toss the momentum backward. When you hinge your wrists on the backswing, your left arm is parallel to the ground, your shoulders are 90 degrees, and force is in your right leg. Once you reach this point, your arms go up and down.

It’s not just about shoulder turn, although some players feel that. Mike feels a more up-and-down motion after the wrists hinge. This up-and-down action also helps load the ground, and Mike goes on the downswing.

When do all these motions all sync out? There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way to do it. Mike’s wisdom is that if you add tension to the equation, then don’t do it.

Start with the club out in front, then push back and let the club swing and hit the ball. The reality of the swing is that your shoulders, arms, and body are moving at different speeds. Nothing is traveling at the same rate, but there is a blend of those circles. A combination of those different swing arcs makes up the swing.

Mike talks about how players feel connected and together. What does that mean? Mike describes this as a feeling, and you must be careful with what you do with it.

In summary, the swing isn’t tight and too position orientated. Just toss the club back and let the arc of the different circles work together in your swing.


BLENDING ARM SWING, WRIST HINGE AND BODY TURN

Golfers everywhere chase the same things: solid contact, effortless power, and consistent results. But for most players, those goals stay just out of reach&mdash;because they&rsquo;ve never been taught the one move that ties it all together. That move is called the line of compression. It&rsquo;s not a trendy tip or swing theory&mdash;it&rsquo;s the core motion that creates real ball-striking consistency. It&rsquo;s what allows the club to strike the ball solidly, compress it against the ground, and send it on a true, penetrating flight. The best players in the world have it. Most amateurs don&rsquo;t. In fact, many golfers practice for years without ever learning how to create it. In this opening lesson of the 21-day series, Mike Malaska breaks it down. He shows you how to feel it by aligning your right arm with the shaft and using simple training tools like a putting track or a tee gate. Your goal is to roll the line on the golf ball smoothly while striking the center of the clubface without clipping the toe or heel. This daily calibration drill ensures that every shot you hit is built from the same solid foundation.
What You'll Learn About Compression in the Golf Swing: How to create the line of compression with a connected, powerful motion Why solid contact starts with center-face strikes How to roll the ball cleanly with no wobble How this motion applies to every shot&mdash;from putts to sand shots
Train the Feel If you&rsquo;re struggling to connect the motion, grab a tennis racket or a baseball bat and swing it. These larger tools exaggerate the feel of compression and make it easier to sense how your hands, arms, and body should work together.

Day 1-Line of Compression

Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. A member has a question about how the hips move and how they time up with the club.

First, your hips move because of what your feet and legs do on the ground. When you swing back, your right hip moves back because your right foot, knee, and thigh push back. You are not twisting your hip back. As you push off the ground, that movement pushes your right hip back up and out of the way.

On the downswing, the same thing happens to your left leg. The left leg pushes the left hip back and out of the way. Your hips are moving, but you aren’t setting up to the ball and twisting your hips back and then forward. Doing this moves you off the ground. You want to stay on the ground.

It also helps you move your center away from the ball, giving you room for your arms to swing back and on the follow-through. This is how your hips work, and this is because of your feet and how they work into the ground. It is a reaction.

When you talk about speed, it’s all about lining the clubface up and timing it as you push off the ground. As you do this, your right hip pushes back, creating speed as you come through the ball.

Again, your feet are what moves your hips, and the timing of the club and how your feet push off the ground is what accelerates the clubface through the golf ball.

How the Hips Move

Brian began Gott Golf in 2008. As he developed his unique approach to fitting clubs for golfers of all skill levels, demand grew.  For 2015 and 2016, Brian was awarded Golf Digest’s coveted “Top 100 Club Fitters in America Award” (new award winners will be announced by Golf Digest in November).  Today, he works with some of Colorado’s most prestigious golf clubs, including The Broadmoor, Cherry Hills Country Club, Castle Pines, Maroon Creek, and others. “I wanted people to know that they could get a tour quality club fitting experience without having to break the bank to do it. They don’t just have to settle for off the rack clubs, either. Give me about 45 minutes in a fitting session, and I can build a custom set that is tailored to your specific needs and abilities.”

Though the current season is winding down, Gott has interesting plans for Colorado golfers and encourages people to visit www.gottgolf.com for new offerings that will be launching next season. Some things to keep an eye on include putting clinics, the launch of a new online store, and the expansion of his current events and relationship with Common Ground Golf Course, the PGA, and golf courses throughout Colorado.

Malaska Certified-Brian Gott

Our Certified Coach, Matt Baker, commented on how good it feels to hit balls with just your left and right hands.

Mike recalls a recent video about Tiger Woods hitting chip shots with just his left hand and then his right hand.
Most Tour players can do this drill, and Mike demonstrates it. However, most amateurs can’t do this.

When it comes to playing golf, both sides of your body are important and have different roles. Mike shows us the motion of what the left hand and the right hand do.

Go to the range and hit shots with your right hand, and then switch to your left hand. Figure out how to do this drill. Every Tour player can do this.

The key is using the small motor skills and controlling what Tour Players have. This is why most amateurs struggle.

Learn how to do this, and your golf swing will get better.

Right and Left Hand Chips

M-System Lite M3: How the body works. This video focuses on this, especially the pelvis, which is an integral part of your golf swing.Mike is holding a cardboard cutout of a pelvis to illustrate how the hip sockets work. A black circle in the center (the center of your pelvis) and two others on either side represent the hip sockets.Understanding how the hip sockets move is critical to understanding how the rest of your body works. The pelvis is the stability and base for the upper body, and your lower body tells the pelvis what to do. Once you understand how the hips and pelvis work, the drills in M3 will make a lot of sense. Mike explains that, at this point, you already have most of the golf swing established.The M-System M3 goes in-depth about the pelvis and includes drills and exercises. This is important because people don’t use the pelvis correctly.Mike takes the cutout representation of the pelvis and places it on the ground behind a golf ball. Mike explains how the pelvis moves and works in relation to setting up to the ball. He notes that the goal is for the center of your pelvis not to move closer to the ball. You want to be farther away from the ball when you hit it.Most people get into trouble when they try not to sway; they kick their knee and stabilize their right hip, but their hip socket doesn’t move.Your pelvis moves closer to the ball on the backswing. Then, you try to push off your right foot again, and your body gets closer to the ball.Mike explains that the Tour Player’s left hip socket moves slightly laterally while the right hip socket moves back. They don’t move their hips much at all. In fact, their hips work away from the ball when they swing, accelerating the club out to the ball. It is important to feel how the hips work this way instead of moving closer to the ball.Next, Mike has a drill to demonstrate how this force feels and how you do that with a golf club. This is a great drill to feel how this force moves and how you offset forces with your golf swing. Mike has a couple of exercise bands with handles on one end. Javier stands on the cord ends while Mike holds onto the handles. The exercise bands are crisscrossed. This exercise is like the cable cross at the gym.Mike demonstrates how pulling the handles back and forth mimics the golf swing and how the pelvis, hips, and feet work. Note the pulling action, which moves your body away from the ball. The force pulling at Mike is the same force a golf club does.Next, Mike takes his driver out to replicate the same motion and hit the ball. Now, you are starting to feel how you are moving force in your feet. Your feet are an important aspect of your swing, and you should focus on that. The feet will tell your pelvis and body what to do.

M-System Lite M3-How The Body Works

Tournament play can be stressful, so being in the right mental state is key. Learn how Phil keeps himself level when under pressure.