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AIM AND PRACTICE STATION

The biggest similarity in all sports is the loop that that racket or the bat or stick or club makes. If you take a tennis racket and hit a forehand. The racket goes back on one line and down on a shallower or more from the inside line. A baseball bat does the same thing. A ping pong paddle also. So if you take a sport you know make the motion. Then put a golf club in your hands and copy the motion. You will be really close to a great golf swing. Your body is a pattern machine it does not know sports only motions. So tap into what you already know.

HOW TO PRACTICE - SPORTS CONNECT

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about the backswing. Sometimes, his arms get too far back behind him. The member wants to know a drill that he can use to make the club do what it’s supposed to do.When Mike takes the club back, the club gets behind his hands, and his arms and hands swing back and straight up; that’s okay. That’s how Mike takes the club away. He doesn’t necessarily bring it back and make a loop with it.Mike swings back with the club in line with his hands and then moves it behind his hands, demonstrating this.He is swinging the club on a line (arc), and his shoulders keep this all in sync.The problem most people have is that their shoulders don’t turn on the same arc of the swing, but they turn back. This is what gets most people in trouble.Holding an alignment stick with your golf club is a good drill for feeling how your club works and getting your shoulders steep enough. Mike holds the stick together with his club, and the stick extends up past the handle and the back of his belt.&nbsp;The key to this drill is to take the club back. As you do this, you have to get the stick off your hip and make it swing down on the other hip. When you do this, your shoulders turn steeper. Mike again demonstrates the swing with the alignment stick on the end of the golf club.Again, this is a great drill to help you turn your shoulders steeper instead of turning your shoulders and arms back.

DON'T TURN YOUR SHOULDERS

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

What should your mind be doing when you hit a golf ball? The last thing you want to do is to start thinking about positions and giving yourself
verbal commands.

Mike often makes practice swings off to the side and incorporates a couple of drills for what he wants his swing to do. Then Mike ties this all together with the motion of taking the club through the ball.

Once Mike has a feel for the swing, he has a mental picture of how he wants to execute the shot. Mike has programmed the flow and
motion of the swing when he sets up to the ball. Now it’s about focusing on the motion and hitting the shot.

Mike will also immediately assess how his shot went and, if necessary, make the appropriate adjustments.

When you are over the ball, what is the target? The target is not the destination and where the ball is going, but the ball. If you are focused on hitting the ball correctly, it will go to your destination.

This concept is the same for baseball; you concentrate on hitting and knowing where the ball is going. This feeling also applies to tennis and ping pong.

Mike has a clear picture of what he wants to do with the club, path, and face to make the ball go to the destination.

The ball is the target and what you are going to hit.

WHAT’S YOUR MIND DOING

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about how to make a shot that hooks and fades, but more importantly, what you do with the clubface.

Mike uses an oversized club to demonstrate what the clubface does. If Mike swings the club and the clubface comes into the ball 1 or 2 degrees from the inside and is square to the path, he will hit a slight draw.

If you want to hit a bigger draw, you only need to add more face rotation. Mike doesn't want you to twist your hands. The reality of face rotation is that you only have to move the clubface in small increments to hit a bigger draw or fade. Combining that with changing the club path a few degrees makes the ball curve. You aren't doing much to make the ball curve.

Mike is a former pitcher and could throw a slider, curveball, and fastball. When Mike comes down into the ball and wants to hit a draw, he adds extra pressure from his index finger. He adds extra pressure from his middle finger if he wants to hit a fade. If Mike wants to hit the ball straight, he simultaneously pushes with his index and middle fingers.

Mike demonstrates this with the oversized club. He has been hitting this way for a long time and can feel tiny bits of force on the club by using his fingers.

Mike doesn't understand why some experts in the golf industry tell players to "take their hands out of the game." It's all in the hands. Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and most superstars have phenomenal hand-eye coordination. Bob Toski is also a savant with his hands.

It takes practice to figure out how much you integrate to get the ball to do what you want.

Again, you can make the ball curve, do it with your hands, or make the same swing and set the clubface closed or opened. You must ensure that your eyes and swing stay on the same path when you open or close the clubface.

When making small adjustments to your swing, you must make exaggerations to make the ball curve big. Then you dial it in from there. The key is to work on feel and touch with the clubface to get the curve you want.

HANDS CONTROL THE CLUBFACE

Find the drill that challenges you, and practice it.

FULL SWING DRILLS

First put a dot on the club face on the forth grove from the bottom and in the center of the face. Now set up to the ball holding the club in just your trail hand. Place the dot on the face on the back of the ball. Now roll the ball towards the target. The ball should not slide off the face. This helps you feel impact and how you catch the ball on the face. Then do the same with your lead arm. Then put it together and do the drill with both hands. Great for feeling impact and how to compress the ball. 

ROLL THE BALL ON THE FACE - WEDGE

The toe should make contact with the ground, not the heel.  Also your arms should swing to the left.  Watch this video to learn why, as well as to review.

WHERE TO PLACE THE TOE

The topic of this Quick Fix Friday is to get a feel for how your hands work.

According to Mike, the idea that you should take your hands out of the swing is simply ridiculous.

Mike motions with his right and left hands to illustrate how they work. He uses his club to swing back and forth, switching from his left to right hand as he makes a swing. He then uses both hands to hammer home the point, basically the "L to L"  Drill. 

This is your golf swing.

HOW THE HANDS WORK

Nibley Park helped me to become a better player because of its elements.

THE FIFTH GREEN AT NIBLEY

The golf swing is very similar if not close to an exact duplicate too many sports. The way you hit a ping pong ball or a forehand in tennis. Swing a baseball bat or a Hockey stick. The golf swing follows the same motion. The racket or bat or club swings back on one arch and down on a lower arch. It is a loop to the inside of the take away or target line in golf. There is a shallowing out of the club from the backswing to the downswing arch in most all sports. So use your tennis racket. Make a few forehand swings. Then take your golf club and copy the motion.

THE LEVER SYSTEM - SPORTS CONNECT

When you find drills that help you, integrate them into your practice swing. Here's how to blend it all together.

USING DRILLS FOR YOUR PRACTICE SWING

When your arms and body work with the club, you gain more control of your swing. Practice getting a feel for the forces of the swing.

DOUG ROBERTS

Standing on your left foot, while balancing on your right toe when making swings is a great drill to master shots 100 yards in.

LEFT FOOT RIGHT TOE DRILL

If you are not practicing swings with your non-dominant side, you might be creating imbalances within your body. Here’s how to improve awareness of your body and swing better.

NON-DOMINANT SIDE TRAINING

The handle of the club stays fairly level to the ground as the clubhead breaks up. That’s not lifting the club and actually creating width, which is keeping the handle or club level to the ground.

HOW THE HANDLE WORKS LIFTING THE CLUB

Joe Nichols related Mike's background in sports such as baseball into the golf swing.  Of everyone Mike has encountered, Joe knew the swing the best.   Hear Mike recount some of why that was.

THE MAGIC ABOUT JOE

Practice putting and chipping with tempo.

PUTTING CHIPPING AND TEMPO

These are some of the best companies in the world as it relates to Golf, Sports, and Lifestyle. We've partnered with them to highlight how Mike utilizes them through the year and in everyday life.

MALASKA PARTNERS

To get great results on the golf course, focus on impact and follow-through, not your backswing.

IMPACT AND FOLLOW-THROUGH

Playing from your worst shot will help you get an understanding of what your game is like.

UTILIZING YOUR WORST SHOT

In a golf swing like all sports there is no real top. That is a point in time where the club is transitioning from one direction to another. In your swing it works just like a forehand in tennis, hitting a baseball or throwing a ball. As your arm goes back your body starts forward. It is a natural motion. There is no top. That makes your swing static and impossible or very difficult to create the correct sequence. Your instinct is your best teacher.

CLUB TRANSITION POINT

Pickleball is a paddleball sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis for two or four players. Mike demonstrates the cross-over between Pickleball and Golf as another way to relate sports together.

PICKLEBALL & GOLF

Making a golf swing is similar to driving a car. The club head is the car and your are using the club as the stering wheel to turn the corner. As the swing changes directions you need to feel as though you are directing the momentum of the club back out in front of you. This gets the club in the correct arch so you can accelerate the club head into the ball. The picture is that the club head is coming over the top of your hands from inside the target line. As you make this move momentum, Gravity and centripetal force make it look much different than it feel. That is why most players never figure out how to make the positions they have seen actually work in outcome.

TURNING THE CORNER

How you set the club up can help you on miss hits.

HOW TO SET UP THE CLUB PROPERLY

Maintain the swing arc by constantly pushing away from the momentum.

CONSTANTLY PUSH AWAY

When it comes to getting a wedge fitted, the bounce is a very important factor. Learn how different bounces change your swing.

FITTING WEDGES WITH BOUNCE

When you stand, your hips and shoulders can rotate safely independent of each other. When you swing a golf club, you reduce the amount of rotation that can happen in your spine. Here is how you can generate speed safely.

GENERATE SPEED SAFELY

A Malaska Golf Member recovering from back surgery is returning to playing golf and wants to know how to get more speed again.Mike first ask what the member did before the surgery to cause that. It may not have happened because of golf, but golf could have aggravated it.In golf, you need to learn that the shoulder and hip sockets are in a box. When Mike turns back, his right shoulder goes down, and then his right hip goes back, maintaining the symmetry of the box. Then, as he comes back, his left shoulder goes up, and his right hip goes down. Or you could think that Mike's right shoulder goes up and his left hip goes down. You come back into the ball, and they switch.What happens when you start having back trouble? Many Tour Players are taught to maintain and rotate their backs, and when they start down, their right hip comes up, and their shoulder goes down. This creates a lot of side bending, which forces you to twist your body to catch up. It is a great way to hurt your back.You don't want to swing this way. As Mike describes, you want your box (shoulders) to turn together.&nbsp;Once you can do that, speed comes from creating a lever system with your hands and wrists. Then, your right hip has to push out of the way to accelerate the club while maintaining the body's position.It's a step-by-step process. First, ensure your swing doesn't put any pressure on your body, and then you can gain speed.

RETURN FROM BACK SURGERY

This is part 1 of a more complicated move. Learn what it is and how it increases distance automatically. Warning: Looking too cool can be dangerous.

RECOIL FINISH - PART 1

Get in a set up position holding on to bands or a pulley system. The goal is to pull the pulleys or bands and create more space with your hips. On the backswing side you push away from the pulley. Your force goes into he heel of your trail foot and on the inside. Then you go back to set up or impact then around on the follow through side. Always pushing away from the force on the bands or the cables. This is how you offset the inward force that the club puts on your when you swing. 

PULLEY DRILL

Mike uses a band to perform tricep extensions. 

He holds the handle with his right hand above his shoulder and lets the band hang behind his back. Reaching back with his left hand, he grabs the band to stabilize it.

Use your right hand to raise the handle up and down to do the tricep extension. Do this exercise on both sides.

The object is to balance and strengthen your triceps and biceps.

TRICEP EXTENSIONS

Here are the four stages of pre-shot routine. 

PRE-SHOT ROUTINE REVIEW

ENJOY THE GAME MORE
Golf is not a complicated sport when you really think about it. It’s been played the same way for hundreds of years. My goal is to give you a better understanding of why things happen the way they do. So, ask me anything. If one of my videos raises a question, post your question in the comments section beneath it. Every week or so I’ll be exploring the most common questions, and I’ll post my video responses right here for everyone in the Malaska Golf community to see.

ASK MIKE

Good swings start by finding your balance.

FINDING YOUR BALANCE

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about getting the most out of a driver relative to speed.

Mike talks about the ‘sweet spot’ on the driver and how most people think you can achieve maximum speed and carry by hitting the ball there. Mike comments that the way drivers are made today, you can gain more distance if you hit the ball slightly off-center, slightly high, and up to the toe.

Mike explains that the clubface is still solid there, and when you hit it high in the face and on the toe, the toe travels faster than the center of the club.

Mike says this sounds crazy, but the outside toe is traveling faster than the heel of the club. You can gain a mile or two clubhead speed if you hit it this way.

Again, the way drivers are built today, you can gain more distance by hitting the ball slightly off-center, slightly high, and up to the toe.

Mike says that this sounds crazy, but the outside toe is travelling faster than the heel of the club. You can gain a mile or two of clubhead speed, if you hit it this way.

Again, the way that drivers are built today, you can gain more distance hitting the ball slightly off-center, a little high and up to the toe.

OFF-CENTER HITS GET MORE DISTANCE

In third video, Mike Malaska works with Ashley Huizing to refine her short game using chip shot drills. These drills focus on training the hands and club to work together efficiently while promoting proper swing mechanics and control.Mike begins by emphasizing the importance of hand mechanics and clubface control. Using only her right hand, Ashley practices small swings, focusing on how the clubface aims at the ball during the takeaway and follow-through. The goal is to let the club release naturally, moving left after impact while keeping the face square. Mike explains that this motion is essential for straight and consistent shots.The drills start with hitting small chip shots of 10 to 20 yards. Ashley learns to avoid over-rotating her arms, a common issue that leads to inconsistency and glove wear. Instead, she focuses on a wrist action similar to a bowling motion, allowing the clubface to remain square to the swing arc. By reinforcing this natural motion, Ashley builds muscle memory and gains confidence in her hand-club coordination.Mike addresses common mistakes, such as routing the club too far inside, which often causes the ball to fly off to the right. To correct this, he advises choking down slightly on the club and focusing on swinging it left after contact. The club should move left naturally without the face shutting down. Watching professional wedge players demonstrates how this technique leads to straighter and more controlled shots.The concept of separation is introduced, where the club moves left after impact while the ball travels straight. This motion allows for a consistent and efficient swing path. Mike highlights that chasing the ball or forcing the swing disrupts this natural separation and results in poor contact or fat shots.As Ashley practices, Mike simplifies the process, steering her away from over-complicating the mechanics. He notes that many traditional swing teachings place unrealistic expectations on golfers, leading to frustration and slow progress. Instead, his approach focuses on repeatable and practical movements that are easy to learn and apply.By the end of the session, Ashley sees significant improvements. Her swing arc aligns correctly, and the clubface remains square, allowing for consistent, straight shots. Mike reinforces the importance of practicing these drills regularly to refine technique and develop a reliable short game. With this foundation, Ashley is better equipped to approach her full swing with confidence and precision.

MASTERING CHIP SHOTS

The most satisfying and the most devastating club in your bag. It really should be the club that is one of the easiest to hit. It creates the most force. So if you know how to react to that force it should be easier. It also is a club that is most of the time hit off a tee. Which makes impact easier. Because it diminishes the importance of angle of approach. Many angles work. It is interesting that what helps you hit the driver your maximum is not necessarily strength but the use of the forces around us. So it is not as much effort as it might seem to hit it plenty far to participate at most any level.

SKILL PATHWAYS: DRIVER

In putting and in all swings you want your trail arm to line up with the shaft and push the shaft through the ball. You do not want any twisting in your forearm. If you put the club in your lead hand again as you swing your arm is in line with the shaft and your lead wrist does not twist. It can flex and extend but should not twist. Practice these independently and together. 

RIGHT ARM - LEAD ARM ONLY

Throwing a ball creates proper body motion and sequence.

BALL TOSS

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based in the UK. Today’s question comes from Lisa Barton, who has been playing golf for about 20 years. She mentioned that she’s struggling with her arms separating from her chest during the swing. Despite working with many golf professionals and trying various techniques, she hasn’t found a solution.This issue shouldn’t be too hard to fix, but it’s important to understand it visually. The problem is likely caused by rolling the club away during the backswing, which pushes the handle of the club further from the body, resulting in the arms separating from the chest. To fix this, we need to change the perception of the swing.A helpful drill involves using an alignment rod or a club. Line it up so that it’s in line with the butt end of the club. Visually, this will help you trace the hand and the club’s movement along the rod. As you swing, focus on pushing the handle down and setting the wrist gradually while keeping the club head outside your hands. This technique will keep the arms connected and prevent the club head from going behind you.Joe Nichols referred to this as the "three corners drill." The idea is simple: the eyes see, the brain receives, and the body reacts. Push the handle down and hit that corner, and the rest of the swing should fall into place. It’s a great visual drill to help keep your arm connected without rolling the arm excessively.

FIX ARM SEPARATION

A Malaska Golf Member who is left-handed has a question about the right thumb. When he swings a club, his right thumb is sore, and he wants to know why. If you are right-handed, then your left thumb will often be sore. Mike explains that your right thumb is one of the biggest killers in golf. Mike uses an analogy of other sports to describe where the thumb is on a baseball bat, tennis racket, ping-pong paddle, and hockey stick. Mike says that the thumb is never on the top of the club because it puts a lot of pressure on it.The tendency in golf is when you put the thumb on top, and in this instance, we are talking about the member’s right hand when he puts his thumb on the back of the shaft, the right thumb should act like a stabilizer as he swings to top of the backswing. As you come down through the ball, if Mike didn’t have his left hand on (as a left-hander), his thumb would float on the club. It wouldn’t be pushing on the club. What happens when you swing down, the right thumb on a left-handed player or the left thumb on a right-handed player, is that your thumb is pushing into the shaft. This slows your wrist down and makes it tight. All the force gets pushed into your thumb instead of your wrist releasing with no pressure on your thumb. This is where the thumb kills you.First, make some swings like a baseball player and take your thumb off the handle. Mike sets up and hits the ball. Because his thumb is off, there is no pressure on the shaft.Now Mike grips the handle again, but this time, he just places his thumb there. He isn’t going to push; Mike is just going to set it there and cover it with his back hand. The goal is to keep the tension out of the thumb.Again, the thumb is there for stability on the backswing and follow-through, and there is no pressure on it.

TROUBLE WITH YOUR RIGHT THUMB

Mike Malaska works us through a drill that focuses on driver face control. He likes to refer to the driver as a placement club.

Mike places four balls on tees to hit different shots. He hits a hook, fade, and a low shot while getting control of the face. Mike hits the ball, making the ball curve to the left, and then takes other shots. This drill aims to get a feel of how to control the clubface and find what curve works for you.

You need to find a curve shot you can do comfortably. Making the correct curve can really open up the golf course if you play the correct fade. Many players play with fade and other draws. Mike is more comfortable playing the draw when he is under pressure. It is how Tom Watson played. There isn't a right or wrong way; it's whatever gives you the most control.

Mike once asked Jack Nicklaus, if you are playing a par 4 dogleg to the left, are you going to hit a draw around the corner or a fade? Jack replied that most of the time, he hits fades. Mike then said that if it is a dogleg left, aren't you supposed to hook it? Jack replied with his words of wisdom that he was trying to get the ball from point A to point B in the air and not rolling on the ground. The moral of the story is to play what works best for you and the shot that you have the best face control.

Practice on the range. Start by swinging slow and getting control of the clubface. Then hit big curves, big hooks, and big slices. Hit it low, hit it high, so you start to learn control and get your hands to control the clubface. That will pay big dividends when you go out to play.

FACE CONTROL

This Mulligan Monday can be done on the range or at home. Begin by putting your weight on your left foot and then put your right hand in front of you.

Then take your right arm back and make swings. As you swing down into the ball, your left leg must push the left hip out of the way.

Pushing your left hip back moves your right hip and your shoulders forward, which brings your arm forward.

The key is to feel that overall motion of swinging back with your arm and swinging back to impact. It is important to move your left hip out of the way.

Program this sequence into every swing you make.

RIGHT ARM LEFT HIP ACTION

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.

GRIP IN YOUR FINGERS

When it comes to playing the game and understanding the mind, Mike’s good friend Phil Blackmar is probably one of the best in the world, in his opinion.

Mike was recently talking with Phil about hitting the ball solid and what works for Mike is that he focuses on just that concept. Making sure he hits the ball solid; Mike tends to hit the ball better rather than just thinking about making swings.

This comes down to athleticism, and it’s essential to hit the ball solid. Practice hitting the ball solid and putting the clubface on the ball. You can also practice different stances and takeaways but hit the ball solid.

When you start working on making the clubface hit the ball solid, your body starts making corrections as you swing because your body is focused on making your hands run the club into the ball. Then your athleticism takes over.

Like when you play tennis, when the ball bounces, your body reacts athletically to hit the ball. When you start hitting multiple golf balls your body athletically gets into position.

Practice hitting multiple balls solid. This is a great drill to train your mind and focus on hitting the ball solid with the clubface. It will start to eliminate things that aren’t relevant to your swing, like how your swing looks.

Putting the clubface on the ball is a crucial part of practicing.

HITTING THE BALL SOLID WITH ATHLETICISM

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

Dedicate sufficient working on what you need. This sounds obvious, but it will maximize your practice.

MAXIMIZE YOUR PRACTICE

The one concept that everyone should learn from Joe Nichols, Mike Malaska’s mentor, is the lever system.

Joe would make his students practice the Looping The Club Drill. You would push the handle of the club down on the backswing, and the clubhead would go up and make a circle on the downswing and the follow-through. The club would go up, under, hit, and around and back. It was like making a figure 8.

Joe Nichols was big on the handle of the club and wanted you to feel like, as you took the club away, you pushed the handle down. This would make the clubhead go up and not behind you, as most people do. 

The weight of the clubhead would go up and down and into the ball. Again, you make a slight loop with the club relative to your hands.

If there is any drill you should learn from Joe Nichols, it is the Looping The Club Drill, which works on the lever system.

JOE NICHOLS LOOPING THE CLUB

WADE MILEY

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.