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Bunkers are the easiest shot in golf to be fairly good at. That is if you understand what you are actually trying to do. The first task is to throw sand not hit the ball. Once you see what is the correct task and how the sand wedge works you can become fairly good fast. It is the only shot in golf where you want to miss the ball. And you can miss it by a 1/2 inch or 4 or 5 inches and still hit an acceptable shot. Again it is about tasks and skills. This one is the easiest to be good at because it has the most room for error and still hits an acceptable shot.

SKILL PATHWAYS: BUNKERS

Mike Malaska works with MLB Baseball Players, Kevin Pillar, Kevin Plawecki and Ryon Healy about how the golf swing and baseball swing are similar.

CROSSOVER SPORTS 2021 WITH RAPSODO MLM

Your hands control the club face. Practice so you can feel how your hands work.

ROLLING THE BALL ON THE GROUND

Mike analyzes Josh’s swing and discusses grip, posture, alignment, dynamic swing plane, and clubface.

BREAKING DOWN THE SWING

I saw Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer doing this at an expo. They looked so cool doing it, I went home and copied them while looking in a mirror. Here is what this pivot teaches you.

PIVOT WITHOUT EFFORT

When you are in a bunker you set the face based on the lie of the ball. If the ball is on top of the sand the face is open. If the ball is half buried you share the face. If the ball is buried you close the face. The face angle makes the club work correctly for the lie.

THREE DIFFERENT LIES IN THE SAND

This Quick Fix Friday focuses on improving hitting the ball square on the clubface. On the putting green, put down four tees in a box shape slightly wider than your putter head. Get set up, and practice hitting the ball without hitting the tees. 

The goal is to hit the ball in the center of the clubface. If you do not, you can see if you are hitting it more to the toe or heel of the putter. 

Next, set up the tees toward the hole and bring that into play. This drill is a great way to practice before you go out to play a round of golf.

PUTTING TEE DRILL

THE BIGGEST CHANGES IN WOMENS GOLF

Mike and Alice discuss common swing flaws.

SWING FLAWS ARE BAD TASKS

M-System Lite M4: Combining Skills. This video is about putting the golf swing together.&nbsp;Mike has a practice station set up on a tee box. Now that you are combining skills, focusing on one thing at a time before combining drills is important.First, you want the Lever System to work. This starts with the ‘L to L.’ Make swings and get a feel for how the hands, wrists, and Lever System work.Next is the Step-Back Drill. The biggest problem in golf is that people tend to have early extension in their golf swing. Mike explains that golf is the only sport where you don’t move your feet. To teach you to move correctly, Mike uses this drill to get your hips moving.Mike has two balls on tees set up in front of each other. He sets his club in front of the first ball. As he swings back, Mike steps back his left foot, then his right foot, and hits the ball on the second tee. This drill teaches you to get your hips out of the way as you step back. It is impossible to get up into the ball when you do this. The key takeaway is that it teaches you to move away from the ball.The most important thing that ties everything together is Impact Position. Mike sets up with his driver and then demonstrates the impact position. He toggles back and forth from Setup to Impact Position. Set up to the ball, move to your impact position, and just make small hits. This drill helps you feel where you need to get to.Mike is putting this together in full swing and copying his impact position. The impact position ties everything together and is the most important position to understand.Once you understand what the task of the impact position looks and feels like, your golf swing will start to eliminate anything irrelevant to impact. This is a better way to think about your golf swing than focusing on different positions in the backswing.Mike reiterates that impact drives everything you do. This topic is discussed in M1, Line of Compression. M1 to M4 ties everything together and is task-oriented. Do your tasks correctly, and you will see incredible results in your golf game.

M-SYSTEM LITE M4: COMBINING SKILLS

In this lesson, the focus is on utilizing momentum to improve the golf swing. The instructor emphasizes the importance of directing the club’s momentum in different arcs relative to the hands, helping to push the handle and keep the swing fluid. By relaxing the hands and allowing the club to move back, the arms naturally follow, creating the desired movement.The key to success lies in allowing the clubhead to move behind and slightly away from the body before transitioning into the downswing. This ensures that the arms and hands stay in sync with the club’s momentum, which leads to more consistent shots. A proper takeaway sets up this motion, reducing tension and promoting a smoother swing.The instructor also compares this technique to Sergio Garcia’s swing, particularly how Sergio shallows his arms while keeping the clubhead from dropping too quickly. Instead of letting the clubhead fall, it stalls and moves upward, maintaining the proper position relative to the hands, allowing for better control.An important aspect of the lesson is learning to trust the change of direction in the swing. By allowing the club to continue moving away as the body changes direction, the golfer can maintain momentum without forcing the arms to drop prematurely, which leads to a more powerful and accurate swing.Finally, the instructor reflects on past personal experimentation with various swing techniques. While he had previously tried different methods, he emphasizes that finding the right balance in momentum and direction is key to mastering the swing, even if it takes time and adjustment.

IMPROVE YOUR SWING WITH MOMENTUM

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about being too "handsy." Mike says that you play the game with your hands.

You play baseball, cricket, pool, basketball, and many other sports with your hands. Your body is involved, but you control something with what touches it. Your hands touch the golf club.

When Mike starts working on shots, he is doing it with his hands or having his body move to help his hands get into a position to get the clubface to hit the ball the way that he wants.

When Mike hears that you should "take your hands out of the swing," he knows that he doesn't necessarily feel his hands do much when he makes a swing. This is because of the circles of momentum.

Mike has hit a lot of hooks and fades and hit the ball low and high. He can intuitively make his hands do what he wants by thinking about those shots. His hands will make those tiny adjustments. You can also make those adjustments and make those shots with ball position and stance.

The key is that you need your hands to be trained to control the clubface. The better face control you have, the better player you will be at any level.

Players who are superstars are savants with the connection with the hands and the clubface. Their hands and clubface are like one unit. Train your hands to work correctly without thinking about it.

HANDS ARE KEY TO THE GAME

Use head covers as swing guides in order to train an in to in path.  Here's how to do it safely.

HEAD COVER DRILL

Using lakes, rooftops and the horizon to find level.

FINDING LEVEL FROM LANDSCAPES

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.

MENTAL GAME

What you want is a swing that you can rely on under pressure. Shutting the face avoids complicated timing sequences. Here's how to pull it off.

SHUTTING THE FACE

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

Mike continues to work with Danie on fairway bunker play. If you are worried about the lip, taking a club one or two higher allows you to have a buffer zone and take the lip out of play.

FAIRWAY BUNKERS TAKING THE LIP OUT OF PLAY

Creating an indoor practice hitting area for the off-season.

THE INDOOR PRACTICE STATION

Preparing for a tournament can be tricky. Make sure to utilize the time you have with practice that matters.

PLAY YOUR WORST

Hitting a drop shot in pickleball, or a fade in golf are very similar. On the flipside, applying topspin to the ball is very similar to a coming slightly from the inside in golf.

SPINNING THE BALL

Golf has been an effects- driven industry.  Weight shift is a prime example of a concept that misleads almost everybody.

FORCE TRANSFER

In this video, Austin Graham moves from his wedge to his 7 iron and returns to the ROTEXMotion Floor Models. Austin applies what he learned with the wedge, makes practice swings, and then hits some balls. His swing is looking great.

Mike asks Austin if using the longer club feels more magnified going through the swing motion. Austin replies that it does. Mike stands behind Austin, places his left hand on his left hip, and notices there isn’t much lateral movement, which is good. Now Austin should take the feeling of the swing motion with the 7 iron on the discs and repeat it on the floor.

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Austin and Mike discuss how their body feels when they swing with the slight lateral movement. Mike feels force go from his right foot to his left foot and doesn’t feel his pelvis move. Mike makes the analogy of a baseball swing which is the same.

This is Austin’s aha moment, where he realizes there is only a slight lateral movement with his body, not the sliding he has been doing. Mike says your hips should only move a couple of inches before moving into your left side. Your left hip then stabilizes and pushes back as you swing through.

Mike reiterates that when Austin swings with his wedges, he is swinging mainly off his left foot. He still must apply a slight lateral movement.

Mike and Austin finish the video by discussing that there really isn’t any twisting of the hips, a concept many golfers are confused about. Mike says it is the femurs that rotate in the hip sockets.

WORKING WITH A 7 IRON

Twisting can really hurt your swing. Learn how the club will help direct your body.

STAYING AWAY FROM TWISTING

This is a great drill to feel the momentum of the club and where it is in relation to the ball.

LEVELING THE CLUB OUT

Controlling the face, adjusting the path, controlling timing, all come into play when hitting a moving ball. If you can hit a moving ball, you should be able to apply those same skills to a stationary ball.

PICKLEBALL AND COMBINING SKILLS

Spotlight Member, you the member, in the Malaska Golf Spotlight with Mike Malaska.

SPOTLIGHT MEMBER

Set up two or three balls. Set up outside the first ball. Now as you take the club back you step your trail foot back. As you reach the transition point of your swing your step your lead foot back. This makes you get your trail hip out of the way. Then your lead hip moves back to meet your trail hip. Then you hit the ball. Then just continue the swing going. Swing the club back again step your trail foot back. Then your lead foot back and hit the next ball. This drill combines many skills. It begins to build your instinct to move away from the ball.

COMBINING SKILLS - CHALLENGE

From the set up take the club back to waist high on the backswing. At this point when your lead arm is parallel to the ground you should have a 90 degree angle between the club shaft and your lead arm. Then swing down through impact and into the follow through until your trail arm is parallel to the ground. Again you should have a 90 Degree angle. 

L TO L

Rescues are longer clubs any player can hit.

RESCUES-EASIER TO HIT

Dropping your right foot back at setup helps get your right hip out of the way. Don't be afraid to play from here.

RIGHT HIP OUT OF THE WAY

Every club has an optimal launch angle. Practice with all of your clubs.

EXPLORING LAUNCH ANGLE WITH YOUR LAUNCH MONITOR

This Driver video zeroes in on creating speed. PGA professional Davis Love Jr. was one of the best drivers of the golf ball. His father had him do a drill which was phenomenal at creating and increasing speed. By creating more and more speed, everything has to stay in sync when you swing. You won't sync with your swing if you generate more speed and your body moves too fast. Your swing doesn't work, your smash factor comes down, and you hit the ball crooked.

Lay down four balls in sequential order. The object of the drill is to swing at each ball while increasing speed as your move on to the next ball. For the first ball, make a full swing and only hit the ball 125 yards in the air. This appears to be easy but is actually challenging to do. The point is to hit the ball squarely in the center of the clubface. At that speed, there is just enough speed to feel the momentum of the club, feel how your body works, and control the clubface. Golf is about different speeds and being able to sense and control where you are in space in time at different speeds.

Make the same full swing for the second ball but add a little more speed to hit the ball about 155 to 160 yards in the air. To create more speed, push away with your legs creating more force.

Then, move to the third ball and increase your speed to hit the ball 200 yards. If you lose control, back off the speed and make sure your swing is in sync with your body before you try to increase speed.

Going to the last ball, Mike swings at what he refers to as his full play swing, which is swinging at about 75-85% of his swing capacity. Mike doesn't usually swing 100% because it's harder to control the ball.

Go through this drill to help you as you start to increase speed making sure your body is in sync with your swing.

INCREASING SPEED

Foot action lets you transfer ground for effectively through your body.  Start to get a feel of this by keeping your feet flat and making swings with the club.

FOOT ACTION

There is a skill development process to max out your driver and get the best distance. 

The first part of this process is your grip and the lever system. Start swinging your driver back and forth with your left hand. Notice the lever created with your left hand, the club on the backswing, and the follow-through. This motion is the L to L.

Your arm should be relaxed going through this motion. Your body nudges and starts your left arm, but your left arm takes off, and your chest goes with your arm. The same levers work with your right hand.

The whole motion is soft; if you combine that and add speed, you have something. If your wrists are tight and you add too much body and swing hard without the lever system, you won’t create as much speed as you can.

One of the first drills you can do is Sitting on a Chair Drill or sitting on your knees and making swings with your driver. Start making easy swings, trying to hit tees, and then move to balls.

Sitting on your knees helps you focus on the lever system and keeps your legs out of play. You will be surprised how far you hit the ball with an easy swing. You will also realize how little effort goes into it.

Once you train the lever system and as your body starts to move faster and faster, then you can potentially create more speed. 

MAX OUT YOUR DRIVER

Mike On Nicklaus Part 3 -- Emotion And Adjustment

EMOTION AND ADJUSTMENT

Using his 7 iron, Austin moves from the ROTEXMotion Floor discs to the floor, applying what he has learned.

Mike says this is how you should practice. Use the ROTEXMotion Floor discs, then transfer that swing motion to the floor. It has been a great coaching aid for Mike and his students. The rotating of the feet on the discs gets your hips to move correctly. This also helps you to feel where the force is going.

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Austin makes more swings with his 7 iron and puts the timing of his swing together. Austin talks about how his backswing felt wobbly a few weeks ago, but now after using the discs, it feels perfect.

Mike also notes that when you are on the discs, your right leg straightens, then pushes your right hip up and tilts your shoulders. This throws your arms up in the backswing allowing your shoulder and hip planes to work parallel. This all should be a free-flowing motion. It’s like swinging on an elevated plane; your swing should feel level.

7 IRON OFF THE DISCS

Gott Golf uses technology to see which club will work best for a players swing. 

THE STATISTICS BEHIND IRON FITTING

Putting is about a number of skills. One, how well do you see line. How do your hands go on the putter. What is the correct set up. How to make the line roll. Then once you have these down how do you maintain and continue to develop your skills.

PUTTING REVIEW

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

BLACKMAR ON OUTLIERS

Your body is a very important part of your golf swing. You must understand the basic task that it is trying to accomplish. Once you know what the task is and you have drills to feel how it works, it is not that hard to allow your body to do what it is designed to do. You are making perfect body motions for your swing multiple times per day, and you are not even thinking about them.

M3: HOW THE BODY WORKS

PBA Champion Josh Blanchard demonstrates how body alignment can make your bowling and golf swings easy and consistent.

SPORTS CONNECT: BOWLING

How do you get your arms to straighten naturally, without effort?  Watch Part 2 to strengthen your understanding of Impact.

PUSHING AWAY THROUGH IMPACT

You need to understand your own basic 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.

FITNESS & HEALTH

The swing plane and arc does change from club to club slightly. The driver is on the most incline compared with your wedge, which have the smallest arc.

If you set up a wedge middle iron and a driver together in you hands, you can definitely see that the arc will be different. The putter actually has the steepest plane.

For Mike he feels that it only changes a little bit, because Mike feels that his arms are swinging on the same arc.

When you set up to the ball, hold the club above the ball and let the weight of the club drop in behind the ball. Then you make a swing from there. When you move to a sand wedge, driver and repeat the setup process, you will notice a slight difference in the arc.

THE ARC OF THE SWING CHANGES FROM CLUB TO CLUB

Be consistent with your tempo. Make a swing with your favorite iron, find your tempo, and then use the same with your driver.

FIND YOUR TEMPO

Mike Malaska sits down with the Owner and Managing Partner of Rotex Motion, Dr. Joe LaCaze. Joe is an expert in the motion fitness arena. Mike and Joe met this year at the PGA National Coaching Summit, where they were both speakers. 

Joe, a former Navy Seal of 22 years, had decided to retire due to the damage his body has taken. Thirty-five hundred jumps from planes, landings, concussions, a hurt back, and sciatica have taken their toll on Joe’s body. The Navy wanted to do an intense operation on his back, but Joe decided it was time to move on.

He decided his next step was to become a Dr. of Chiropractic, and Joe spent the next 20 years figuring out everything about the body. In 2007, Joe had a back-related sciatica episode that was nearly suicidal. This was Joe’s tipping point, and he decided he would figure out his injuries. Fifteen years later, Joe has no back problems and can even hit 500 golf balls a day, and this is without surgery!

One of Mike’s mentors and business partners, Pete Egoscue, a former Marine, had a similar story to Joe. He had been shot and was told he would not walk again. Pete, like Joe, became a fitness expert and defied all odds by figuring out how to walk, run, and have no back pain without surgery.

Joe met Pete Egoscue while working with Jack Nicklaus in San Diego. This coincidently was when Mike was working with Pete and his fitness group. Pete has been a big influence on what Joe has accomplished.

NAVY SEAL TO FITNESS EXPERT 

PLAYING WITH A NEW SET

A Malaska Golf Member has a great question about "feel and real."

Mike talks about his mentor Joe Nichols who taught him how to compress the golf ball and gain speed instead of dragging the handle out in front.

The original question is about when you make practice swings and the club circles around your hands. Does this concept depart from what Joe taught? Mike says no.

Joe wanted you to tip the club out because he wanted your hips to stay back as you brought the handle down. When you swing at full speed, the club will land in a perfect position for you to hit the ball.

If you don't tip the club out on the downswing, the club's momentum will drop the club and then push your hands away from you. You'll have to twist your hands to get the clubface square with the ball. This means everything is late.

The key is to keep the club from getting too far behind you. That is why "tipping the club out" gets you in the perfect position to hit the ball.

The club is still circling your hands when you are "tipping the club out”, it's the same thing. It is a feeling of a change of direction and not a reality.

TIPPING THE CLUB

The momentum of the club has the ability to direct you. Begin feeling what needs to happen, and your swing will become much easier.

DIRECTING THE MOMENTUM OF THE CLUB

Shoulders match the slope, and add a club or two.

UPHILL LIES

Practicing in your yard can be fun and improve your swing. Learn how to set up a place to practice.