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A Malaska Golf Member wants to know whether or not to keep her left arm straight.

Mike’s answer to that question is that it depends, and really, it’s not that important. If you have locked your left arm and are trying to keep it straight, then you will have tension in your arm. Your shoulder will lock up as well. This makes it impossible for your arm to move faster than your shoulders to create speed.

There are many Tour Players that have their left arm slightly bent. The only place your left arm needs to be straight is at impact. Your arm stays straight because the lever system starts to work when you swing the club back. 

Your wrists hinge, and your right arm constantly tries to straighten out on the backswing. Your right palm pushing against your left thumb keeps your left arm straight.

Now, if your left arm bends because your wrists don’t hinge, then you need to learn to lever your wrists, but if you lever your wrists and your left arm bends a little, don’t worry about it.

Your left arm stays straight because the lever system hinges, and your right arm pushes, keeping your left arm relatively straight.

LEFT ARM STAYS STRAIGHT

In this second video of the Player Lesson series, Mike Malaska works with Jimmy Pearcy to tackle a key issue hindering his swing: excessive grip tension. Jimmy, eager to improve both power and consistency, discovers how his tight grip is restricting his speed and efficiency, preventing him from reaching his full potential on the course.The session begins with Jimmy warming up by hitting a few shots, allowing Mike to observe his natural swing. Jimmy shares details about his practice setup at home, which includes a mat, a net, and a Flightscope Mevo in his garage. Mike praises this setup, explaining that practicing indoors can be highly effective. Without the distraction of watching ball flight, players can focus solely on improving their swing mechanics and striking the ball solidly. Mike encourages Jimmy to take advantage of his setup, emphasizing that consistent, purposeful practice is more important than frequent visits to the driving range.As Mike studies Jimmy’s swing, he identifies a critical issue: Jimmy is overly reliant on his shoulders, while his wrists and arms contribute very little to the motion. This lack of engagement from the wrists and arms limits Jimmy’s ability to generate speed, forcing him to work harder and achieve less distance. Mike explains that the majority of speed in a golf swing—84%, according to biomechanical research—comes from the lever system in the wrists and arms. By gripping the club too tightly and not allowing this lever system to function, Jimmy is sacrificing a significant amount of potential power.To illustrate the concept, Mike uses an analogy from tennis. He explains how a tennis serve relies on a relaxed grip and the natural snapping motion of the wrist to generate speed. By contrast, a tight grip and stiff motion result in a loss of power. Mike demonstrates the similarities between a tennis serve and a golf swing, highlighting the importance of allowing the club to release naturally through impact.Jimmy begins practicing with a looser grip, following Mike’s guidance to feel the lever system in his wrists and arms. As he does, he immediately notices a difference—his swing feels freer, more fluid, and more powerful. Mike reinforces the idea that relaxation is key to generating speed in any sport, whether it’s hitting a baseball, serving a tennis ball, or swinging a golf club.Mike also emphasizes that the amount of grip pressure required varies depending on the situation. For example, a forehand in tennis may require slightly more tension due to the ball’s momentum, while a serve relies on maximum looseness for speed. In golf, maintaining a light grip during the swing allows the club to move naturally, enabling the player to generate power without overexerting.By the end of the session, Jimmy gains a new understanding of how to loosen his grip and effectively engage his wrists and hands in his swing. He learns that speed and power come from allowing the club to work in harmony with the body, rather than trying to control it through force. With this knowledge, Jimmy is better equipped to improve his swing speed, consistency, and overall performance on the course.This lesson marks an important step in Jimmy’s journey to becoming a more efficient and confident golfer. By addressing the root cause of his tension and introducing practical solutions, Mike sets Jimmy on a path to unlock greater power and control in his game.

GRIP TENSION KILLS SPEED

Mike Malaska looks at controlling trajectories for this Mulligan Monday.

Mike takes a wedge and hits three shots. One low, one a little higher, and the last very high. What Mike is doing is controlling the clubface with different trajectories. You can practice this with any club in the bag.

Mike takes a 7 wood, and he repeats the same process, and it's all about controlling trajectory, which controls distance.

This exercise focuses on getting a feel for your clubs and understanding the different trajectories which dictate the ball's distance.

CONTROLLING TRAJECTORIES

Tight calves and hamstrings lead to tension in your lower back - which is especially bad for golfers.

CALF AND HAMSTRINGS

Maintain your favorite club tempo with longer clubs.

INTRO TO LONGER CLUBS

Using tennis as a way to practice golf is a great way to get a better feel. Learn what the change of directions feels like.

PRACTICING WITH AN EYE COACH

If you struggle with keeping your hands in the same position from address to impact position, it’s because you start with your hands way too low.

HANDS AT ADRESS

Once your wrists are able to better control the club face, your game will improve.

THE CLUB FACE AND YOUR WRISTS

Know what to keep and know what to let go of.  Enough said.  Experiment.

EXPERIMENT

Malaska Golf Certified Instructor, Pepe Cortez, shows us a fun putting drill you can use to challenge your partner.

SINKS DRILL 

There are many observations about the golf swing. Well intended that they are. Have made the swing very difficult to perform. Not that the ideas are incorrect but what is the cause. You need to understand the cause. If you do not then the effect will most of the time not work consistently.

TOP 10 MISUNDERSTOOD SKILLS IN GOLF

Learning to toss the club effortlessly in space around you not only looks cool, it teaches your hands how to hinge and relax. Try it the next time you are out on the range.

CLUB TOSS 101

Mike works with MLB Hall of Fame Pitcher Goose Gossage.

TECH

Every green can be divided into four quadrants.

MAPPING THE QUADRANTS

If you can’t switch to a club with lower loft, there are several ways you can control trajectory. The first is by setting the ball back in your stance, the second is leaning the handle forward, and the third is shutting the face. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each one.

DECREASE LOFT WITH SAME CLUB

Mike Malaska is showing entry-level golfer Sandy James a new game called 36 or Par. You start on the green, and the goal is to get the ball in the hole in four strokes or less. The overall goal is to play nine holes and score 36 or less. In other words, four strokes or less on each hole.

He wants her to hit a tee shot and then a second shot. If she gets on the green, that is great. If not, Mike wants Sandy to pick up the ball and put it on the green about 30 or 35 feet from the hole. Again, the goal is to get it in the hole in four strokes or less.

ENTRY-LEVEL COACHING PLAY THE GAME 36

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

Practice controlling curve and you can also control straight.

CURVING THE BALL

When I started playing, I was taught a concept that hurt my swing. Stop twisting and start getting your wrist working.

IMPROPER TECHNIQUE

TAYLORMADE PARTNER VIDEO

Here is a deeper look at how to create a bridge, why you do that, as well as an overview on the role of the right hand in gripping the club.

RIGHT HAND PART II

Look well ahead and anticipate the motion - with the club, and with a race care.

VISION AND SEEING AHEAD

The L To L drill is very helpful with showing you how the ninety degree angles in your swing work.

THE L TO L WITH YOUR RIGHT FOOT DROPPED BACK

Mike Malaksa visits the putting green to discuss speed control for this Mulligan Monday. Transferring the speed of the putter head into the ball is crucial.

Mike is using new TaylorMade golf balls with large lines on them. The purpose of these lines is to enable you to see the roll of the ball while putting. You will see many Tour Players use them.

Mike putts the first ball, and it wobbles slightly. This means Mike will lose some distance on that putt. In the following two putts, the ball rolls straight.

The key to using these balls is to practice making the line roll straight toward the hole.

PUTTING SPEED CONTROL

If you are a "five beer a round" player, compete with that. Whoever you are as a player, be you.

BE YOURSELF IN THE ARENA

How "under" affects a player at any level.

THE TROUBLE WITH UNDER 

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I’m a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based here in the UK. Today, we have a great question from Mark Helm. Mark is having trouble relating drills to specific movements in his swing. He also mentioned that others have had similar struggles.The key thing to remember about drills is that they are designed to create certain feelings, patterns, or skill paths, but they aren't always what you’ll be doing during a round. That’s why, for instance, when you see tour players making exaggerated practice swings, like big loopy motions, you don’t see them replicate those swings on the course.There's an old saying: “Feel versus real.” Drills are about creating the right sensations. For example, the "L to L" drill isn't necessarily something you replicate fully in play, but it’s great for feeling the hinging of the wrists in the backswing, unhinging through the ball, and rehinging in the follow-through. It's about the wrists' release pattern.Some golfers, including Mark, mention that forearm rotation feels extreme, but it’s a sensation they’re working on, not something they actively think about on the course. Drills are about building the correct feel.It's important to practice these drills as they create the right sensations and help with the overall swing. For example, the "right foot back" drill helps with hip clearance, creating the right feel for staying out of the way during shots.You don’t need to take drills literally. Even drills like hitting balls off your knees serve a purpose — to improve your golf. By practicing these drills regularly, you can blend the sensations into your full, athletic golf swing.Remember, it’s feel versus real. Drills enhance the speed of your improvement by building functional movement patterns. Keep practicing, and you’ll see improvements over time!

DRILLS AND MOVEMENT

Mike works with player Michael Bergbauer to prioritize swing changes that need to be made.

MICHAEL BERGBAUER

A Malaska Golf Member says he has improved how his right hand works through the ball. However, he wants to know why his dynamic loft has increased. The member’s dynamic loft has gone up 4 degrees, although he is not hooking the ball.

Static loft is when your club sits at a 90-degree angle to the ball. However, when most people hit the ball, there is a bit of forward shaft lean. Mike’s static loft at address is 50 degrees, but at impact, the clubface’s dynamic loft is 48 or even 46 degrees. Dynamic loft is the angle of approach of the clubface at impact.

The key is to monitor your right hand and keep your knuckles behind your wrists at impact. This will take the loft off the clubface. Therefore, you will add loft if your knuckles catch up with your wrist.

Once you start to feel this, you can lean the shaft backward to increase your dynamic loft more than your static loft, and the clubface won’t turn down. This means you can focus on the trajectory of the ball. With different lofts, the ball will carry different distances if you hit the ball straight.

Once you can get your right hand working correctly and you aren’t hitting pull hooks, it’s just monitoring where your knuckles are in relation to your wrists when you run the club into the ball.

CONTROLLING DYNAMIC LOFT

Nowadays, speed is the biggest goal with new players. Learn how the game has changed over the years.

THE GAME HAS CHANGED

Brian Gott, Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. A Malaska Golf Member wants to know how you can tell if someone is dragging the handle in a video.

Brian suggests that when watching, imagine placing a dot where the arms are at the top of the swing. If the arms and hands drop and pull forward, you are dragging the handle.

What should happen is that the handle should go out and away from you and down. If the handle goes down and forward, then you are in trouble.

You should be concerned with this because most people think that at the top of the swing, they should pull as hard as they can and get the lag. They believe that is the way to develop speed. The problem with this is that you are late with the clubface, and you find yourself trying to catch up.

An analogy that Brian has used with his students is towing an innertube behind a boat. The boat goes fast in a straight line, then makes a left-hand turn. What does the boat do? It slows down, and the innertube slingshots around using centripetal force and momentum. This creates a lot of speed.

Brian points to the top of the handle of the club and says this is the boat. Then, he points to the clubhead and says this is the innertube.

He demonstrates the swing at the top and says you should go down and out. As you start to release, your hands and wrists slow down, and the clubhead takes off. It’s a bit like whipping your clubhead through the ball. This is how you generate more speed. Pulling the club at the top of the swing does not create more speed.

The hands and arms move out and away to create a bigger arc with more width, and the clubhead will come through much faster.

DRAGGING THE HANDLE

Mike talks about maintaining the M-System after going through the videos. The most important part of the M-System is the first, and Mike practices this daily. Mike starts with Line of Compression, how your right arm pushes the shaft, and how your wrist works. 

Take your club, hold it with your right hand, and just make small shots. Feel that motion, and then add both hands and the pivot. This is about moving your left hip out of the way. Your right forearm is still on the back of the shaft, with the pivot of your body, and you are running the club into the ball. 

The next step is Impact. Set up to the ball, and move your body and legs to impact position. Again, make little swings and shots. Mike goes through the routine: Setup, Impact, back to Setup, swing, and hit the ball at the impact position. Start there every day and build into the Lever System with more body motion. 

Mike stresses that you must get to the point where you practice certain parts of The M-System daily.

MAINTAINING THE M-SYSTEM WITH IMPACT

Gain insight as to what motivated Hale throughout his career and his life.

PROVE IT TO YOURSELF

As 2024 comes to a close, I want to express my gratitude to all Malaska Golf members for their incredible support. Your commitment and enthusiasm are the foundation of everything we do.This year, we made significant upgrades to the site, improving the interface and expanding the range of content available. On a personal note, 2024 has been a milestone year for me. In April, I competed at Pinehurst and finished second in a field of talented professionals. Turning 70 also marked an important chapter in my journey, highlighted by my participation in the Utah Open, the tournament that launched my professional career. While I can no longer compete with younger players, I continue to test and refine the methods shared on the site to ensure they benefit golfers of all levels.The Golf Fitness Association of America recognized my longstanding contributions to the fitness side of golf with their Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Fitness has always been a vital part of my philosophy, but in 2025, I plan to emphasize it even more, helping you understand how personalized fitness and tailored techniques can transform your game. The focus won’t be on unattainable model swings designed for elite players, but on creating practical solutions that work for&nbsp;you.Looking ahead to 2025, I am excited to share new and meaningful content. Justin James, the World Long Drive Champion, will lead a series on maximizing distance, showing how his methods align seamlessly with the M-System. Additionally, I’ve secured an interview with Jack Nicklaus, who will share his invaluable insights on the mental game and techniques that can elevate everyday golfers. This session promises to be a treasure trove of knowledge, offering hidden gems that Jack has discovered over his legendary career.To help you start the year strong, I’m introducing a series called&nbsp;21 Days to Your Best Game. This program is designed to guide you through a step-by-step process, where each day builds on the previous, creating a structured path to consistent improvement. Whether you have just a few minutes or a couple of hours, this routine will help you build skills, evaluate progress, and get ready to play your best.The&nbsp;Ask Mike&nbsp;feature has continued to grow, with an increasing number of questions coming in from members. My team of experts has been instrumental in responding to these, ensuring that golfers across the country have access to practical advice and support. This system allows you to benefit from the knowledge of coaches trained in the M-System, even if you can’t access me directly.As we move into 2025, my goal is to make it the best year yet for both Malaska Golf and your personal game. This year will focus not only on golf improvement but also on enhancing your overall quality of life through fitness and nutrition. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey, and I look forward to helping you achieve your goals in the year ahead.

2024 RECAP 2025 REVIEW

In cold weather take one more club and hit it solid.

CLUB SELECTION IN COLD WEATHER

Setting gates down your target line helps you to see line correctly. Once you set the gates properly. Then if when you set up over the ball the gates look wrong. You then correct your eye line until the gates line up. This helps you identify the issues in your stroke. Your stroke might be perfect but you see line incorrectly.

GATE & YOUR ABILITY TO SEE THE LINE

It is imperative to grip the club primarily in your fingers and not in the palm of your hand. Mastering your grip is paramount to having the most leverage and strength in your hands.

CATHY KIM

ACTION OF THE LEFT LEG AND LEFT KNEE

Brian Gott, Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. Many Malaska Golf Members have had questions about the yips. In this video, Brian will explain what causes the yips and how to overcome them.

Brian stands over a ball with his putter, making a quick, jerky swing. He says that everyone was taught to make a short backswing and accelerate through the ball back in the day. This is not what you should do.

Brian explains that when the putter hits the ball, it has reached its maximum acceleration.
The putter is no longer accelerating, but it isn’t decelerating either.

The best putters in the world, their putters are accelerating at .05 to 0 feet per second, which is minimal. Most amateurs, when putting, are accelerating at 5 feet per second. This is a huge difference.

If you want to learn how to control your speed, the backstroke length needs to get longer, and the forward stroke needs to get shorter. The best putters don’t let their putter go past impact.

Great speed control requires good tempo. It’s the same tempo with a longer backstroke and a shorter follow-through. You can count it out in your head, one, two, as you putt.

The key is to avoid accelerating through the ball, giving you better speed control. If you do this, you will get rid of the yips.

OVERCOMING THE YIPS

Practice swinging with a baseball bat. The way the bat stands up, levels out, and the timing of how you change directions is very similar to a golf swing.

FIND YOUR SWING WITH A BASEBALL BAT

Your body learns through patterns. Learn how to start feeling and developing the right movements.

HOW YOUR BODY WORKS

PRACTICE-SETUP

Over the top of your hands, from inside the target line.

BRIAN HOLMES

Mr. Peterson owns a club that helps him make center face hits. This increases his enjoyment of the sport, which keeps him physically active.

CENTER FACE HITS

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

If you turn correctly by moving your hip sockets, you won’t put any pressure on your lower back.

TURNING AND NOT HURTING YOUR BACK 

Set up to the ball. Then drop your trail foot back until the toe of your trail foot is even with the heel of your lead foot. As you swing back now your trail hip will be out of the way. This creates the space you need to swing your arms into. On your down swing leave your trail foot or heel on the ground. Your force or weight moves up to your lead foot but your trail heel is still on the ground. This will help you accelerate your arms faster than your center. 

RIGHT FOOT BACK

Using the simple circle to shallow the club.

SHALLOWING THE CLUB

Learning how to control the club is very important. Learn how momentum effects your swing.