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When it comes to performance the most important equipment in your arsenal is your body. Divine Nature is a product and a company that can help you get the most out of yourself. If you do not function correctly your performance will also suffer. Divine Nature can also help you understand your body and what it needs. Not just a random trial and error of products. Randy and his company have helped over 60 of the regular tour players and at least that many on the Ladies Tour. Not to mention many sports teams and organizations around the sports world. So if you want to know what they are doing look at Divine Nature.

Divine Nature

The lever system is the source of one of the biggest if not the most important speed producers in the swing. It is also the source of most of the control of the ball. Because your hands are your only contact with the club. So how your hands are placed on the club and how they work determines your ability to reach your potential. Not only with speed but with control.

Lever System

The concept of GreatLIFE is what my entire career has been around. More of Human development and how sports cross over. But not just that a business model that allows almost anyone access to golf and sports in general that they otherwise could not afford to take part in. Especially what it does for kids and families. It is without question the business model of the future for communities to come together for the overall good.

GreatLIFE

Mike's gives Nocy, his guitar teacher, a golf lesson - and Nocy returns the favor.

Nocy Karkour

Milo answers the most common question: how to hit far

Golf Instructor Milo Lines

Wrist action stays at a 90 degree angle of your swing arc.

WRIST ACTION

Your eyes are an essential part of the game. Developing the correct vision and seeing the right things is critical to hitting good shots.

Most players and teachers don't even talk about the eyes. Your eyes perceive something, giving your brain a picture, then your body reacts. Your brain must understand the picture that it sees. Because you are playing to the side of the ball and not on top, many things happen. It is called parallax. Training your eyes to see the line and path begins with putting and chipping.

Mike demonstrates by making chip shots using alignment sticks, aiming the face of the club down the path. His eyes turn and track down the line. Setting up, pointing your eyes parallel to your target line, and rotating your head down the track is crucial.

Use alignment sticks with putting and chipping to get used to seeing what it looks like to be set up correctly and the exact path your ball must follow to get into the hole. It doesn't look the same as it does when standing behind it. Train your eyes to see the line and where to hit the ball.

LEARN THE CORRECT VISION

Set the ball down with the line pointing up. Then the goal is to hit the ball in the center of the face with the path correct so the line rolls perfectly. If the line wobbles then either the path of the face are off. To control distance you need to be able to roll the ball. If it is off learn to roll the line first. Trail arm is a big part of the stroke us it first.

ROLL THE LINE

The momentum of the club will create the alignments you want at impact.

FACE CONTROL AND STABILIZATION

Chris is an LPGA Class A instructor with over 30 years of experience. Born in Washington, D.C., she started playing golf at age seven at NAS Barbers Point in Oahu, Hawaii, and later competed in high school. She went on to play for the Lady Gators golf team and graduated from the University of Florida with a business degree.
After college, Chris played on the Futures mini-tour and caddied on the LPGA Tour, where she was on the bag for three wins with Sherri Turner &ndash; including the Mazda LPGA Championship, a major title.
As her teaching career grew, Chris learned from some of the best in the game, including Ted Sheftic, Mike Adams, Jim Hardy, and Chris O&rsquo;Connell. Their influence shaped her teaching philosophy, and she remains grateful for their guidance.
Now a Malaska Golf Certified Coach, Chris is excited to extend Mike Malaska&rsquo;s knowledge and the M-System to her students. She believes the M-System is spot on &ndash; and that she can help players of every level improve every facet of their game.

Malaska Certified-Chris Lebiedz

Once you set up to the ball on balance and with your trail forearm in line with the putter shaft. Now as you swing your arm back and forth and your forearm pushes the shaft through the impact area. Now your trail wrist allows the putter head to swing with no twisting in the wrist. Wether you hold the angel in your wrist or let the putter head swing. The wrist and or forearm do not twist. The club head swings on a perfect 90 degree angle to the swing arch.

HAND ACTION

This is such a good golf course, and I want to make sure you can see some of it. They've just top-dressed the greens, which is what they have to do here in Utah during the summer. So there's a little bit of sand on top of them, which makes them look a little white. It's a maintenance procedure.Unfortunately, we couldn't get the greens to look perfect, but I can tell you that even with the sand, these greens putt great. Walking on this course, the property, the shots, the visual concepts—there’s a lot of golf here. I love trees, I love holes where the angles and trees and all that stuff come into play.Even though I live in Arizona, which is desert golf and doesn’t have the same dynamics with big trees, it’s a different type of golf. But I want you to see how beautiful this course is. And if you’re ever here and know someone who’s a member, you’ve got to come and play it. It’s one of the best golf courses in Utah, for sure.Now, relative to the last day, this is the 18th green here. The members don’t play it this way, though. This is part of the front nine, and they finish on a par three as their 18th hole. But for us, this was the 18th hole in the final round. The pin was right here. It's a huge green, with the pin placement at the back. I hit my best tee shot of the week—a nice high draw—and ended up right here, with about 82 yards to the front edge of the green and around 100 yards to the flag. They’ve thinned out a lot of trees since I was last here, which is interesting.This hole is tough for driving because the trees hang over the tee, which is set up for a cut. But I was drawing the ball consistently. So the question was, do I hit driver? My caddie, who was excellent and helped me a lot, said, "Mike, you haven’t hit a driver offline all day. Let’s just get on the right side of the tee or way over on the left and go right over the top edge of the trees." So I hit it perfect—the best drive I hit all week. I had a two-shot lead coming into this hole, so I knew that if I just hit the fairway, I wouldn't make worse than bogey.But the pin was clear in the back, which I think is the hardest pin placement on the green. If you miss the fairway to the right or hit it left into the trees, getting the ball back there is almost impossible. This club doesn’t really have a full driving range. You can see they’ve put the tees way up, and they can hit up to those flags, which are only about 150 yards away.When we played the Utah Open, the practice tees were set much farther back, near the cart path, so you could hit up to a 200-yard shot. But even then, we just used it to warm up. In fact, every day, the first full driver swing I made was off the first tee. I’d hit a couple of drivers on the range, but they wouldn’t go past the tees. I was making big swings, just trying to hit it solid and get a feel for the swing.It’s interesting practicing like this, where you can’t hit the ball far and are just focusing on hitting it solid and controlling its flight. That’s actually better than standing there and rifling your driver, which is what most people do. So, even though this is a restricted area, it actually sets you up for a better warm-up.Again, we're up here on the range. They’ve got maybe a 120-yard shot, and I suppose you could hit into the rough and get it up to 180 or 190 yards. Back in the day, this tee was cut all the way back to the cart path, so it was probably another 50 yards longer. But you couldn't just stand here and rifle drivers out. They wouldn’t let you. In fact, a lot of times, they wouldn’t even let you hit drivers. During the Open, they let us, but you were only supposed to hit it to the trees over here, which from the back tee was only like 200 yards.For me, I didn’t know what I was doing; I just made long, smooth swings, hit the ball solid, and got a feel for how it was curving. I’ve never been in a rush to hit it far. The biggest problem I see, which I instinctively avoided, is swinging too hard and hitting the ball randomly. When I was a kid, we practiced with a shag bag, and we had to pick up the balls after hitting them. So, I was always concerned with where the ball went, rather than how far.I’m confident that’s one reason I got so good so quickly—I never swung so hard that I’d lose control of the ball. I didn’t want to lose a golf ball.So anyway, this is the practice area. It’s pretty much the same as it was back then, maybe 40 yards shorter. It’s just a place to warm up.For the members, they play this as their 10th tee, but for the tournament, they wanted to finish on 18, so they used this spot. There was a lot more room for the galleries here than at the par three, which is where the members usually finish.The first day—or the fourth day—when I came up here, it was just a gorgeous hole. It drops down, comes up one level, then another, and finally up to the top. For me, at the time, every ball I hit had a slight draw. That's another reason this course is so great: about 75 percent of the holes set up perfectly for a draw. I just set up on the left side of the tee, aimed at the left edge of the right-hand trees, and swung. It was so comfortable, and I felt so good.The two best tee shots I hit during the final round were on the first hole and the 18th. I hit them all well, but these two stood out. The adrenaline, the atmosphere—it all played a part. This tee shot on the first hole was crucial because when I hit it compared to the other two guys I was playing with, I was way past them. I ended up making birdie on the first hole, which increased my lead and made me feel like, "Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go."

Visualizing The Course

SMASH FACTOR-IMPACT POSITION

In this video series, Mike Malaska looks back on his return to the Utah Open, 50 years after his remarkable victory as an amateur, providing valuable insights into both the mental and physical aspects of competitive golf. He revisits key moments from that final round, beginning with the surprising calm he felt on the day of the tournament, despite the pressure of trying to achieve something unprecedented. Mike explains how reading an article that underestimated his chances helped remove the pressure, allowing him to focus on playing freely and with confidence.
Mike goes on to highlight the importance of trusting his natural shot&mdash;a draw&mdash;especially on a course that played to his strengths. He emphasizes that, rather than forcing a fade or other shots outside of his comfort zone, he relied on the draw he had perfected over the years, which gave him the consistency he needed under pressure. Mike shares how this trust in his own abilities allowed him to navigate challenging situations and maintain control of the game.
As the series progresses, Mike reflects on his ability to manage crowd pressure, recalling how entering a packed tunnel full of spectators made him feel claustrophobic but also helped him focus once he emerged onto the course. He speaks to the mental strategies he used to turn pressure into performance, keeping himself composed in critical moments.
Mike also recounts a pivotal recovery shot during a par-5, where instead of using an iron, he chose a 7-wood to escape from the rough and hit a remarkable 50-yard slice to the front of the green. This decision proved to be a turning point in the tournament, and Mike highlights the importance of making smart shot selections under pressure. He explains that knowing when to take risks and when to play it safe is a key factor in competitive success.
In the final section, Mike discusses how he closed out the tournament, holding onto a narrow lead and staying true to his strategy. He reflects on the critical decisions he made, including opting to stick with his driver on the final hole, even though a safer choice might have been tempting. His decision to trust his instincts and stay aggressive helped him secure the victory.
Through this series, Mike provides an in-depth look at his thought process during one of the most significant moments of his career, sharing valuable lessons about mindset, decision-making, and self-confidence on the golf course. The series is not only a reflection on a past triumph but also a masterclass in how to handle pressure and play to your strengths in competitive golf.

Mike's Winning Mindset

Force transfer is more important than weight shift, but it is crucial to understand when and why.

WEIGHT SHIFT

Before you go out and play, what you do before hand is very important. If you find yourself comfortable with something, don't stop doing it.

GETTING READY TO PLAY

Having fun is one of the most important parts of the game. Learn how to take some pressure off.

HAVE FUN WITH THE GAME

The first thing in a bunker you are throwing sand. Use the face angle to determine how much sand. Force stays on your front foot. Length is determined by amount of sand, Length of swing, and loft in club.

BUNKER REVIEW

Mike Malaska talks about learning to understand the teeing ground. Golf architects challenge golfers with how they design the teeing grounds, the angles and tricks they play on your eyes, and the ability to aim the ball.

Mike sets up some alignment sticks to show where the teeing ground is aimed. It almost lines up with a house on the right. If you look at the tee markers, they're aimed toward the golf cart. Your brain is trying to line up to 90-degree angles.

If you get out of your golf cart and come up to the teeing ground letting it dictate where you aim, then you will be so far right on your shot.

You need to pay attention to the teeing ground. Mike has an alignment stick set up to where you should aim the ball, and that's different from the tee markers.

Mike looks for a parallel line to create a 90-degree angle, and the alignment stick in front of the ball becomes his line. Mike uses the line on top of the ball to aim where he wants it to start relative to his curve, so the ball ends on the fairway.

When Mike sets up to the ball, he has a 90-degree angle to aim. Mike makes a nice swing down the left of the fairway.

Don't be fooled by the beautiful tee markers. They are not doing you any favors with alignment. The teeing ground and tee markers aren't necessarily pointed in the direction you want your ball to go.

Study the teeing ground to find the right angle to hit your ball onto the fairway.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEEING GROUND

Practicing into the wind gives you the best idea of how much curve and control you have of the clubface.

IDEAL PRACTICE CONDITIONS

The Backswing is a resistance of offsetting forces. Learn what this means and how to use it to your advantage.

LEARN TO FEEL THE FORCE

Mike talks with the head coach of the women's golf team at the University of Arizona, Laura Ianello.

Laura Ianello

Using the big club and ball gives you a great visual of where to hit the ball and how the face works relative to the target line and the swing arc.

FACE & HAND ACTION - BIG BALL

Mike Malaska discusses instinct and grip. A member wants to know if you can get it too strong. Mike says yes, it is possible. 

Starting with your left hand, take a club and act as if you were going to hit something. Where you place your hand is about where you want your grip. Repeat with your right hand and then put both hands together. 

The joints should line up to where you have the most amount of force and where it is most stable. The thumb should go on the side of the shaft, not on top. Instinct will tell you not to put the thumb on top because the club would pull out of your hand when you hit.

If your grip is too strong, you would have to turn it far underneath, and then your hand would want to turn back to line your fingers and joints up where they were. 

Again if you take the club and act like you’re going to hit something, instinct will tell you where you place your hand and thumb.

INSTINCT AND GRIP

Most all sports cross over. 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.

Ask Malaska Golf-Sports Connect

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

Creating force and speed without creating injuries.

Rotation and Power

Using an impact bag with an alignment stick will help you feel how the hands work and swing through impact.

USING AN IMPACT BAG

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

It is important to play a round before the tournament. This will give you a sense of what your weak spots are so you know what to focus on practicing. Honesty is key.

Preparing for a Tournament

Welcome to M2, the next phase of the M-System Coaching Series, focusing entirely on the lever system. According to Mike Malaska, this segment is the most important for golfers seeking consistency, distance, and longevity in their game. The lever system&mdash;the hands, arms, and shoulder rotation&mdash;is the primary speed producer in the golf swing. While the core and body movements are vital, they are ineffective without a correctly functioning lever system.
Drawing inspiration from technology like TaylorMade's Iron Byron machine, M2 highlights how proper mechanics allow the club to square itself at impact, leveraging momentum to generate power and precision. By mastering this lever system, golfers can achieve effortless power, improve their consistency, and reduce strain, leading to greater longevity in the game.
Mike encourages golfers to embrace the learning process, using exaggeration to better understand mechanics before refining their swing. Through dedicated practice and attention to the lever system, players can unlock their full potential, making golf both easier and more enjoyable. M2 serves as a critical step in the M-System, ensuring a strong, repeatable swing foundation that enhances every aspect of the game.

M2 Coaching Series-Introduction

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

Before you start to swing, your grip must be correct.

GETTING YOUR GRIP RIGHT

The main Malaska Collections are just the start of what we have planned for Malaska Golf. Here in Malaska Originals, we highlight our curated video series with more to come on the horizon.

Malaska Golf Originals

Almost every club has a life-long participant of the game. Superstition is fortunate to have Mr. Peterson, who has been playing 72 years.

Mr. Jim Peterson

The first mistake golfers and drivers make is holding on too tight.

Holding on Tight

Invisible Swing: Swing Concepts

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

In this key episode, Justin James introduces a powerful set of golf swing speed drills designed to help players of all levels generate more force using the ground and body. These exercises include the Drop Step Drill, the Rocking Drill, and the Double Step Drill, each designed to train the player&rsquo;s transition, sequencing, and energy transfer. The goal is to develop maximum clubhead speed while maintaining body control and reducing injury risk. Justin explains how using different weighted clubs&mdash;heavier and lighter&mdash;can help the nervous system adapt and optimize fast-twitch muscle recruitment. He recommends a progression that builds up gradually through the reps, emphasizing high intensity and low volume for effective speed training.
 Importantly, Justin breaks down how elite long drivers use footwork to generate speed. These movements reinforce patterns found in other sports like baseball, tennis, and hockey&mdash;where stepping, loading, and pushing off the ground are key to performance. Mike Malaska builds on this idea by showing how moving your feet during warmups and drills makes it easier to swing dynamically. He offers modifications to help players progress from full-motion drills into static-feeling swings without losing the athletic sequencing. The drills also emphasize launch optimization through attack angle and center contact, helping players improve both efficiency and ball speed.
 For golfers serious about hitting longer drives, this is one of the most actionable episodes in the series. You&rsquo;ll walk away with an entire speed routine that includes exercises, tools, training frequency, and volume guidance. The segment also touches on using speed training tools like the Stack System and SuperSpeed Golf and emphasizes nervous system recovery&mdash;a crucial component often overlooked in amateur training programs. Justin and Mike reinforce the point that speed is built over time through intentional, correct movement, and this lesson provides the blueprint to do just that.

Speed Drills

Dan Quayle has been around golf for his whole life. Learn how Dan has kept up with golf his whole life.

Golf Talk With Dan Quayle

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

Exercises such as the golfer's grip help strengthen your fingers, loosening your wrists and forearms.

PITCHING FITNESS

In this eight-part on-course Player Lesson, Mike Malaska joins Jeff Coburn and Jeff Krull for a real-world learning experience. The range is closed, so there&rsquo;s no warm-up and no time to fix anything&mdash;just golf the way it&rsquo;s actually played.
 Mike begins by showing how to prepare the body in minutes, then guides both players through every stage of the round: putting, chipping, driving, fairway shots, approach play, and finishing on the green.
 Throughout the series, Mike reveals a simple truth: great golf isn&rsquo;t about changing your swing; it&rsquo;s about learning your swing. Each shot follows the same process used by tour players: Program &rarr; Execute &rarr; Evaluate &rarr; Fix or Reinforce.From center-face contact to tempo, distance control, and shot awareness, the lesson shows how small adjustments lead to consistent play.
 By the end, both Jeffs understand that the real key to scoring is mindset. Golf is a learning process, and when you treat every shot as feedback, improvement becomes automatic.

Jeff Coburn and Jeff Krull Player Lesson

Mike Malaska talks fitness with Dr. Joe LaCaze, Owner and Managing Partner of Rotex Motion. Joe, a former Navy Seal and avid golfer who has worked with elite athletes over the last 26 years, is an expert in the motion fitness arena. His company sells products that will help you with flexibility and better movement patterns.

Golf Talk- Joe LaCaze

Being able to combine how your body works with what your hands and arms are doing puts everything together. You learn some skills and tasks serpartly then put them together. The Start to putting it all together comes in the set up, Balance Grip and impact. The Impact portion should be one of the first things taught in the overall golf swing. Everything you do should be based on making impact more consistent and the primary task in the swing. If you understand impact your body will naturally fix things in your swing that do not relate to the task. Your brain starts to become self correcting swing devise.

COMBINING SKILLS - OVERVIEW

This Malaska Golf Member wants to know if the swing plane is the same with different clubs.

To demonstrate whether this is true, Mike holds three different clubs together, angled out to where they would hit the ball at impact. The driver is on the most inclined plane, with the putter having the steepest plane. So they do change a little.

Mike doesn't feel them change much. To him, it feels like he is swinging in the same arc. When Mike sets up to the ball, he takes the weight of the club and lets it drop behind the ball. That sets the club up, and then he hits the ball from there.

Mike does the same thing with a sand wedge; however, the arc is a little steeper. Mike takes the driver, sets ups, and lets the club drop again. The club is on a different arc when Mike swings, but he doesn't necessarily feel much difference.

Relative to his body and upper arms, when Mike swings, he feels like they are the same for the most part. Yes, the clubs swing on a different plane arc, but those angles aren't that drastic, and Mike lets the clubs do the work.

IS THE SWING PLANE DIFFERENT

Malaska Certified Coach Matt Baker from The Manchester Golf Club in England answers a question from Blaine Pryce about the difference between weight shift and pressure movement in the golf swing.
 Matt explains that traditional instruction often emphasized moving weight from one side to the other, but that approach leads to timing problems and inconsistent contact. Shifting body mass laterally moves the swing&rsquo;s center away from the ball, making it nearly impossible to return the club to the same spot twice.
 Instead, he clarifies that the golf swing is about force transfer&mdash;feeling how pressure moves through the feet rather than sliding body weight side to side. The key sensory points for this are the hands and feet, where golfers can sense pressure changes that stabilize the motion and improve balance.
 Using resistance bands, Matt demonstrates how to feel pressure gather in the trail heel as the trail hip moves back, then move into the lead heel through impact. This keeps the body centered and stable, allowing a repeatable, efficient swing without excess lateral motion.
 In this lesson you will learn: &bull; Why shifting body mass causes timing issues and inconsistent contact. &bull; How pressure movement keeps your swing centered and easier to repeat. &bull; Why feeling ground forces in your feet creates better rhythm and sequence. &bull; How resistance bands train correct pressure flow from trail to lead foot. &bull; Why replacing weight shift with pressure movement improves consistency.
 He leaves golfers with a clear takeaway: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not about moving your weight&mdash;it&rsquo;s about feeling pressure through your feet.&rdquo; &mdash; Matt Baker, Malaska Certified Coach This Makes Sense. Own Your Swing.

Weight Shift vs Pressure

A discussion of swing theorist vs. swing realist.

DIVOTS AND SWING THEORY

In the final video of this Player Lesson series, Mike Malaska and Certified Coach Julie Yang bring everything together. Over the course of six sessions, the athlete has gone from struggling with slicing long clubs to building a foundation based on grip, face control, swing plane, and posture.
This concluding lesson emphasizes how to take the new skills onto the course. Mike explains that the golf swing isn&rsquo;t about adding more complexity but about applying a simple process: &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Get the grip right. &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Connect the hands to the face. &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Control the ball&rsquo;s curve. &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Use posture and plane to create consistency and compression. With these fundamentals in place, the athlete can now stand on the range, test which curve he controls best, and take that shot onto the course with confidence. The goal isn&rsquo;t perfection&mdash;it&rsquo;s developing reliable patterns that eliminate the slice, produce compression, and give him a repeatable ball flight.
The session also highlights the Sports Connect philosophy of Malaska Golf: athletes from other sports already have the instincts to succeed at golf. By connecting what they know to the M-System, they simplify the game and accelerate their improvement. This video closes the loop on the series by showing how small adjustments in grip, posture, and face control lead to major changes in ball flight, distance, and consistency. It&rsquo;s a clear reminder that the game starts in your hands, and once you master that, everything else falls into place.
Key Takeaways &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Grip First: Every swing starts with correct grip and hand placement. &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Face Control Wins: Whoever controls the face controls the ball. &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Curve with Confidence: Learn to curve it right, left, high, or low&mdash;then refine for control. &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Swing Plane &amp; Posture: Simple adjustments create consistent alignments and compression. &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Play What You Own: On the course, rely on the curve you control best for scoring. &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp;Sports Connect: Athletic instincts from other sports translate directly into golf success.

From Slice to Consistency

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

STAYING AWAY FROM TWISTING

Using your hands to control the face to make the ball curve the way you want it to curve.

CURVING THE BALL: FACE CONTROL

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

FORCE IN YOUR FEET

INTRODUCTION-BALL BEFORE THE SAND

In the second video, Mike Malaska works with Ashley Huizing to address key issues in her swing mechanics by focusing on proper hip movement, hand coordination, and sequencing. These adjustments aim to improve control, prevent early extension, and establish a solid foundation for her swing.Mike begins by emphasizing the importance of protecting the left knee. He sets Ashley up for a 20- to 30-yard pitch shot with a wedge, encouraging her to focus on a compact stance with her feet closer together. During the swing, Ashley’s left hip needs to move back, naturally lifting her left foot's heel. This motion ensures that her hips maintain proper distance from the ball and stay aligned, reducing strain and preventing her from getting stuck underneath the swing.Mike explains that the hips, arms, and club must work together. The left hip drives the motion, pulling the left heel off the ground and allowing a smooth, balanced rotation. By correcting her tendency to move up onto the ball of her foot, Ashley reduces the risk of knee injury and achieves better control.He addresses a common issue where golfers try to "push" off their right side, causing the right hip to move forward. This creates vertical force, stalls the left hip, and results in the club dropping behind the body, leading to inconsistent strikes. Instead, Mike teaches Ashley to let the left hip move back to meet the right hip, enabling a more natural and efficient rotation.To reinforce this movement, Mike introduces pitch shot drills. He highlights how improper sequencing, such as starting with the arms rather than the hips, disrupts the swing. The focus is on syncing the hips and hands, allowing the club to flow naturally through the motion. Mike demonstrates how the left hip pulling back initiates the swing, pulling the arms and club forward in unison.Mike also explains the importance of understanding the clubface’s movement. He teaches Ashley how the clubface should rotate naturally without forcing or flipping it. By practicing small, controlled pitch shots and focusing on proper mechanics, Ashley begins to develop muscle memory and feel the benefits of balanced hip motion and hand coordination.Through these adjustments, Ashley learns to create a smooth, powerful swing that minimizes strain and maximizes control. This lesson lays the groundwork for integrating these mechanics into longer swings and building consistency in her overall game.

Fixing Swing Mechanics

A Malaska Golf member initially struggled with a hook when strengthening his grip. Then when he started to work the clubface more, he started hitting a push fade.

Mike talks about how many golfers have a weak grip or, as the industry calls it, a neutral grip. The problem with this grip is when your left arm on the swing gets pulled, and the clubface opens, you must add a lot of rotation in the arms to compensate. Mike offers his solution.

Mike would like you to have a stronger grip, and you shouldn’t have to rotate your forearms. However, you may end up still doing it and hitting hooks. There don’t have to be a lot of twists, bowing of your left wrists, and turning your arms over. You want to swing, your right arm is a throwing or pushing action, and your left hand is a chopping motion.

As you swing through the ball, use the levers, and release the club. Your hands swing through like a throwing action.

If you have hit hooks before, you tend to overcompensate and chase the ball to the right on your swing. You will be afraid to let the club swing around to the left because you are worried the ball will go there.

It is typical for someone hooking the ball to stop using their hands and hold off on the clubface, which tends to push fade.

The key is to hit the ball as hard as possible and let the club go, release and lever. Make sure you don’t turn the clubface down.

Once you start moving your hands correctly and swinging around to the left, you won’t hit a pull hook because the face isn’t turning down.

HOOK TO A FADE

Training videos on how to use the Lagshot Wedges.

Lagshot-Wedges

A Malaska Golf member commented on how much The M-System Driver Series and especially the Driver Summary helped him.

Mike discusses how the industry promotes the driver, and it is all about distance. Mike isn't going to disagree with that statement; however, there is a skill development process to achieve that. The first part of the process starts with your grip and the Lever System. 

Mike is adamant and disagrees that you start with people focusing on moving their bodies to control the driver! Yes, the body comes into play at some point in time, but there are specific skills you need to develop before you get to that point.

Mike demonstrates the Lever System, swinging effortlessly back and forth, holding the driver with his left hand. Notice how the wrist hinges and unhinges in the swing and how his arm is relaxed. Mike's body nudges him to start the swing, but the arms take off, and the body follows. It is the same when Mike switches to his right hand. Mike places his hands on his chest to show how soft the upper body is when he swings.

If the relationships with the swing hold and your body starts to pick up speed, then you have something. If your grip isn't correct, the Lever System isn't working. If your wrists are tight and you overuse your body, you aren't going to create the speed you need.

A great drill is sitting on a chair or on your knees and making easy swings to try to hit the ball. This drill is excellent for understanding the lever system and realizing that even by taking your lower body out of the equation, you can easily hit the ball and far.

It's all about skill development to create speed with your driver. It's not about clearing your hips and swinging as hard as you can! Mike hits the ball 195 yards in the air to prove that point.

Work on your grip and the Lever system, and then allow your body to move faster.

HOW TO MAX OUT YOUR DRIVER

When it comes to grip there are many ways to put your hands on the club. The way that is most taught is what is called a neutral palms apposing grip. That is a way to play but it takes a lot of compensations to make it work. Your lead hand should go on the club the way your arm hangs in front of you. That is how your joints line up. Your trial hand is a thrower and or a pusher. It should be on the club in a manner that pushes the shaft through the ball without having to twist. The club is also for a full swing the club is primarily in the fingers of both hands more than the palms.

Neutral Grip

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

WORK YOUR ARMS TOGETHER

In this player lesson, Mike Malaska helps beginner golfer Sandy James. He tells her to make a practice swing. As she sets up to the ball, Mike has her aim her body to the left. He wants her to lever her wrists, swing and hit the ball without worrying about where it goes. 

Even though the ball ended up in the hazard, Mike was happy because Sandy used her grip, got set up, and made a practice swing feeling the lever system.

Now they go down onto the fairway and take another swing. Mike doesn’t want her to spend a lot of time hitting multiple shots and certainly doesn’t want her to keep score.

After Sandy hits another shot on the fairway, they will go up to the green. Mike is then going to show her a game where she keeps score. It has nothing to do with these first shots. It is about getting used to being on the course, making swings, getting the ball in the air, and having fun.

ENTRY-LEVEL COACHING DRIVER

The shaft fits diagonally in your fingers and the heel pad folds on top of the grip. The thumb is slightly to the side and here's why.

LEFT HAND PART II

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

MAXIMIZE YOUR PRACTICE

A Malaska Golf Member watched a video where Tiger Woods out-drove another golfer while hitting off his knees. The member wanted to know the value of this drill and what it does.Mike says everyone should learn to hit a driver off their knees. It’s not hard on your back and teaches you several good things.Mike gets on his knees the same way Tiger did, and what it teaches you is how to lever the club and create speed with your arms.Mike demonstrates the Lever System. If you are tight when you swing, you won’t be able to hit the ball. Many Tour Players can hit the ball off their knees because the Lever System is the biggest speed producer.Mike hits the ball about 200 yards off his knees with an easy swing. Another thing this drill does for you is help with the club path and angle of approach.Most people who attempt this drill for the first time will hit the ground behind the ball. They are so used to throwing their body out and into it that the club drops behind their hands, and they can’t feel the arc and direct the momentum of the club right into the back of the ball.If you swing over the top, you will stick the club in front of the ball. By making practice swings, you will start to learn the club path. Mike hits another ball off his knees, and he explains the club path.This is the same club path and arc when you stand up and address the ball. It’s just on a different angle. Your hands work the same way.Mike throws his hands around him with the club, and this is where you create speed. You aren’t playing with ‘quiet hands,’ as Mike demonstrates.Your hand might feel quiet for other reasons, and Mike has done videos about this on the website.The drill that Tiger did is monumental and good for everybody in golf.

Hitting a Driver From Your Knees

Getting a feel for impact is very important. Practice making longer swings.

MAKING LONGER PITCHING SHOTS

Setup for putting, chipping, and full swing is essential for the right arm and line of compression.

PUTTING CHIPPING AND FULL SWING SETUP

Your swing is all about control. Get a feel for control before you add speed.

GETTING A FEEL FOR YOUR DRIVER

Golf is all about recreating feelings. Practice deciding what swing you need to make.

FULL SWING PRACTICE

In this pivotal segment, Justin James introduces the structured progression known as the Five Gears for Speed, a core concept that underpins the entire Director of Distance series. Rather than overwhelming the swing with complexity, this step-by-step system teaches golfers how to layer movement and power efficiently. Starting with Gear 1, you focus exclusively on the hands&mdash;learning to hit soft, draw-biased chip shots with the driver to develop control and feel. Gear 2adds the arms, expanding the swing arc while maintaining tempo and clubface awareness. In Gear 3, you bring in shoulder rotation, progressing naturally toward L-to-L motion while reinforcing club path discipline.
 As you shift into Gear 4, Justin teaches you to push the trail hip back, introducing body pivot and deeper rotation into your swing. Finally, Gear 5 unlocks full swing power by activating ground forces and learning how to push away from the ball, not toward it. Mike emphasizes that speed without structure is ineffective&mdash;and potentially dangerous. Skipping steps can create compensations, misfires, and injury risk. Instead, the Five Gears system builds up your swing like a precision machine. With each gear mastered, you stack a layer of efficiency, sequencing, and control that leads to real speed gains. This video is a blueprint for transforming your swing incrementally and sustainably, ensuring you move into high-speed territory with the foundation to support it.

The 5 Gears for Maximum Speed

Ashley talks about the three planes of movement and the importance of functional health in your golf game.

FITNESS AND GOLF

On long irons, rescues and fairway woods you want very small amount of downward hit. Weight is more in your trail foot and the ball is slightly more froward in your stance. This makes it easy to hit the ball then jus slightly brush the ground in-front off the ball. You still want a downward hit but very slight.

RESCUES AND FAIRWAY WOODS

Now that you know the most important patterns to the L to L, here's how to turn that into a full swing.

THE FULL SWING

Begin using a club to feel what needs to happen in order to achieve a center face hit.

FEELING CENTER FACE HITS

In fourth lesson, Mike Malaska works with Ashley Huizing to refine her grip and introduce critical swing adjustments, focusing on proper club placement and mechanics to improve control and accuracy.Mike begins by explaining an essential "anatomy lesson" for grip mechanics. Everything on the fingers' side of the hand is where the club should reside, particularly resting in key joints near the base of the fingers and palm. The grip should never cause wear on the upper part of the glove, as this indicates improper placement. Instead, the club should be held more in the fingers, allowing the hands to hang naturally and align with the joints.Mike demonstrates how the back of the club fits snugly in these joints, emphasizing that a proper left-hand grip feels strong but is essential for consistent ball striking. He explains how the right hand complements this grip by positioning the joints securely on the back of the club. The right palm should face the target or apply force directly through the shaft without twisting, enabling precise acceleration of the club.Ashley practices hitting small pitch shots with this adjusted grip. Mike encourages her to focus on the left hip pushing back during the swing, allowing a natural rotation and smooth follow-through. By maintaining this proper grip and hip motion, Ashley achieves a more controlled and efficient swing.To address common swing faults, Mike introduces a training stick to visualize and correct the club's path. The stick helps Ashley understand how to direct the club's momentum and avoid getting stuck in an overly inside path. Mike explains that directing the club's momentum out in front, rather than behind, is crucial for syncing the club with body rotation.Mike elaborates on the concept of "release," challenging the misconception that it involves unhinging the wrists. Instead, he demonstrates how release involves moving the club's momentum forward, matching the body's rotation to achieve consistency and power. He references Jack Nicklaus's approach, emphasizing that release is about keeping the club in front of the chest and turning through impact, not letting it lag behind.Ashley practices these adjustments, working on directing the handle of the club and maintaining proper momentum. Through repetition and exaggeration drills, she begins to feel how the club naturally aligns with her body, reducing the need for compensatory movements.The session concludes with Ashley applying these concepts to live shots. Mike highlights that the refined grip, proper release, and synced body mechanics create a swing with less twist and more consistency. He underscores those traditional methods, such as over-rotating the forearms or holding angles, are unnecessarily complex and rarely effective at a high level.With these refinements, Ashley’s swing shows noticeable improvement, building a foundation for better control, power, and accuracy.

Perfect Your Grip And Path

As you swing the club on the backswing step your trail foot back 6 inches to a foot. This moves your trail hip out of the way. It makes it so much easier to rotate your body. You start to feel very free to swing and rotate. That instead of the coil feeling. This is much easier on your body and creates a much bigger turn and more effortless swing. 

RIGHT FOOT STEP BACK DRILL

The many benefits of practicing in fairway bunkers.

BENEFITS OF BUNKER PRACTICE

Most lies in bunkers are uneven or 'tilted.'

BUNKERS AND UNEVEN LIES

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

Mike Malaska has put together a fitness program that is easy to maintain and doesn&rsquo;t require going to a gym. He uses exercise bands and stretch cords for most of his workout program. You can also add a jump rope for cardio. Fitness is about being consistent, and this program does not require going to a gym six days a week. Using just the bands and stretch cords are handy and versatile. You can even pop them in your golf bag while traveling. All the exercises Mike has put together will help your golf game. He performs several of them to warm up before a round. Mike has been doing these exercises every day for 35 years. He shows you multiple examples for a complete and total body workout.

Fitness and Health

Learning to love practice is learning to love improvement

LEARNING TO LOVE PRACTICE

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

HOW DO YOU MOVE FORCE THROUGH YOUR FEET

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

START YOUR SWING WITH YOUR FEET

Dan Quyale is one of few politicians who is very competitive when it comes to golf.

GOLF IN POLITICS

If you don't use your imagination, you have no chance when playing at Augusta because the speed of the slopes and angles of the breaks are unreal.  Keep that in mind for the Masters.