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Access the Malaska Golf app for M-System golf instruction, training videos, drills, member content, and coaching resources designed to help golfers simplify their swing and play with more confidence

Malaska Golf App | M-System Golf Instruction & Training

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

Golf should be easy. It should be fun. That&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;ve put together this&nbsp;21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing&nbsp;program &ndash;to help you finally&nbsp;own your own swing.&nbsp;For just $21, you&rsquo;ll follow the same world-class swing process I teach my students, step-by-step, one day at a time. What do you have to lose&hellip; except your slice?&nbsp;This program will help you&nbsp;Master&nbsp;the fundamentals,&nbsp;Maximize&nbsp;your potential, and&nbsp;Maintain&nbsp;your edge &ndash;the same 3 M&rsquo;s I use with every player I coach.

21 Days to YOUR Best Golf Swing [Purchase]

This series goes far beyond simply "swinging harder." Instead, it takes a methodical, athletic approach rooted in biomechanics, sequencing, and real-world experience. You&rsquo;ll learn the Five Gears of Speed&mdash;a progressive framework that starts with basic hand control and gradually builds to explosive full-body movement and maximum speed generation. With each step, you&rsquo;ll learn to layer new swing elements while maintaining control and efficiency.

7 Days for MORE Driver Distance PRODUCT

Mike Malaska is working with former MLB pitcher Garrett Richards. In this video lesson, he is showing Garret the sports connection between baseball and golf.Mike gets Garrett to swing with a baseball bat and wants him to feel what his left hand does when it releases on the follow-through. Mike comments that Garrett’s left wrist doesn’t twist when he swings a baseball bat. It is the same when he swings a golf club and hits a ball. Your wrists should not twist, but that’s what is currently happening in his golf swing.&nbsp;Mike said Garrett would hit grounders if he rolled his wrists with a baseball bat. Mike holds the bat with Garrett and demonstrates the hand and wrist action, which is the same as the golf swing.Garrett now goes back to his wedge, and Mike adjusts his grip. He also shows him how to release the toe of the club on the follow-through. It goes up, not over.Mike just wants Garrett to make an easy 100-yard shot. He does, and Mike says that Garret didn’t hook the ball. Mike explains to Garrett that he had so much twist in his arms that it was hard for him to be consistent. However, Garrett was athletic enough to swing the club from the inside and to catch his hands and clubface up. Being a few degrees off in having the clubface square at impact can cause miss-hits.Mike gets him to hit the ball again, imagining him hitting a baseball bat with his left hand. It's more of a chop action with no twist. Garrett hits an awesome shot. Mike laughs and tells him how easy it will be to hit it straight. Garrett says it feels like hitting a cricket bat and hitting the ball square.Mike shows how the clubface works, demonstrating the swing path with Garrett’s club. The clubface is open relative to the target line; however, it is 90 degrees to your body on the swing arc. What the club doesn’t do is rotate and turn over. Garrett describes it like a pinball flipper. Mike explains this is how the Tour Players swing. The clubface hardly rotates relative to their swing arc.Mike tells Garrett that his right hand is his pitching hand, and he is aiming at the ball to throw it. His left hand is like hitting a baseball. Garrett describes to Mike that he feels like he is reaching up and ringing a bell on his backswing. He says that it feels like a more direct path up and directly to the ball than swinging out and hoping the timing is right back to the ball.Mike wants to work with Garrett on his short shots, which will help him significantly improve his short game and also his long game.&nbsp;Mike is trying to get Garrett to trigger something his body already knows how to do, and he says this is where golf went wrong. The golf industry decided to turn the clubface down because they didn’t want the ball going up in the air. This came about because of how golf started historically: the balls were expensive, the players wore suit coats, and it was windy in Scotland. As the game progressed, it became less important to keep the ball low.The new balls that players have used in the last 15 years don’t spin very much. You have to hit the ball higher. You have to stop the ball with ‘angle of descent,’ than you do with spin. Therefore, all the rotation of the arms and turning the hands down is gone. Mike explains that the new Tour Players swing so fast, but the clubface doesn’t rotate much. They can hit the ball pretty far because the clubface isn’t twisting.Garrett feels that what he is doing now with Mike with his swing is compressing the ball versus hitting the ball. Mike says that this is awesome.Mike explains to Garrett that a good way to get the correct grip is to hold the golf club like he is holding and swinging a baseball bat. Adjust the thumb slightly and lower the club down behind the ball. This is the correct grip you should have. Mike says that he had this grip coming from baseball, and after college, he was talked into another grip by his instructors, which ruined his career. With the grip Mike had, they said he wasn’t a golfer and had a shut face with a throw release. The irony is that’s what everyone wants today.Mike works with Garrett’s grip again to get it on correctly, and he talks about force going into the hand. Mike wants Garrett to make small pitch shots. Mike notices his ball flight is now lower, with a slight draw. This is what Garrett wants.Again, Garrett says it feels like hitting a cricket bat. Mike says he has never heard that before but says to Garrett that if that is what it takes to get a feel to hit the golf ball correctly, then to go with it.

Garrett Richards-The Baseball Swing

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

M-System

Do sports really connect? Well, your body is a pattern machine. Let's talk about fitness, nutrition, and how it all works together. There are two basic movement patterns: 1. Throw (or Lag in Golf) 2. Hit (Impact) Baseball and Golf Connect Tennis and Golf Connect Basketball and Golf Connect Hockey and Golf Connect Soccer and Golf Connect PickleBall and Golf Connect Bowling and Golf Connect Ping-Pong and Golf Connect Football and Golf Connect Racquetball and Golf Connect SPORTS CONNECT&trade;

Sports Connect-Overview

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

M-System Lite

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

Drill Center

Certified Coaches

Mike Malaska introduces the M-System Lite, a fast-track to the M-System swing process. The M-System contains many videos and information.The purpose of the M-System Lite is to cull down the most important concepts from M1 through M5.Mike says you will improve considerably if you get the M-System Lite down.The Full M-System will help you reinforce with different drills, concepts, and tasks, making it easier.The M-System Lite is a quick version of what you need in your game.If you master the M-System Lite, you should look at the M-System and brush up on all its other aspects.

M-System Lite-Introduction

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

PBA Bowling Pro Josh Blanchard

Place a chair so that the seat of the chair touches the back or your upper leg very close to your gluteus. Then make a backswing when you start the downswing move force up to your lead leg then sit down in the chair. Then as your arms go through the ball then stand up. So you sit down to stand up. This is necessary to create a downward force that you can use to create a lot of force into the club. If you do not load down you will never hit the ball very far.

SIT DOWN CHAIR DRILL

The latest additions to the Ask Malaska Golf Collection.

Ask Malaska Golf-What's New

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

Phil Blackmar-Tournament Play

"So, this Ask Mike comes to us from Tim Masek. He&rsquo;s asking about how, when he hits his wedges, he tends to hit down on them, which causes him to hit them fat. We&rsquo;re all talking about, you know, feeling like you're swinging level rather than 'hitting down.' First of all, I don&rsquo;t know about you guys, but I hate the concept of 'hitting down.'
I mean, unless something happens where you take a club, hold it, and let it go, gravity is naturally going to take it down. If gravity didn&rsquo;t work that way, then, yeah, you&rsquo;d have to help it go down. But since gravity does its job, the club is already going down&mdash;you just have to aim it. So, it&rsquo;s really more about feeling level than feeling like you&rsquo;re hitting down.
It&rsquo;s about feeling more level and letting the weight of the club work for you. Okay, Bill, why don&rsquo;t you take us through what you would do to help Tim avoid hitting the ball fat?"
Billy Fitzgerlad responds:
"Sure, Tim. What I would say is this: Once I swing the club back and through, the weight of the club is going to naturally bottom out on its own. Now, if you&rsquo;re hitting it fat, there are a couple of things to consider. Either you&rsquo;re helping the club down&mdash;which forces your shoulder down&mdash;and suddenly your low point is below the golf ball. That creates a lot of extra force into the ground instead of the ball.
So, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;d suggest: line your shoulder up with the ball, and just allow the weight of the club to go down into the ball without forcing your shoulder downward. All you&rsquo;re doing is letting the club&rsquo;s weight drop naturally so that your bottom-out point is consistent.
To summarize, Tim: Feel the weight of the golf club. Even if you need to waggle it a little to get the feel, make sure you&rsquo;re aware of its weight. Keep some softness in your arms. When you swing, let the weight of the club drop on its own&mdash;don&rsquo;t force it down. As you swing back, let the club&rsquo;s weight naturally go down and do the work for you.
Here&rsquo;s another thing: A lot of players try to 'get under' the ball by tilting their shoulders too much at setup. What Billy mentioned earlier is key&mdash;you want to ensure your shoulders are level, not tilted. Your right arm, if you let it swing freely, will naturally guide the club down to brush the ground.
What I find interesting is this: When I watch players set up correctly and take a swing, their club will brush the ground naturally in the right spot. A good player will notice immediately if their club isn&rsquo;t hitting the ground correctly&mdash;they won&rsquo;t step up to the ball until they fix that. I do the same thing with chipping and pitching. I set up, make a practice swing, and observe where the club brushes the ground. If it&rsquo;s in the wrong spot&mdash;say, behind the ball&mdash;I won&rsquo;t address the ball until I&rsquo;ve adjusted.
Once you get the feel for where the club naturally bottoms out, you can set up, swing, and let the club drop on its natural arc. Like we said earlier, you don&rsquo;t have to help the club go down&mdash;it&rsquo;s going down on its own. The key is to trust the weight of the club and let it do the work for you."

Stop Hitting Fat Wedges

How changes fundamentals like posture can lead to dramatic improvement.

CORRECTING POSTURE

Where you hit the ball sixty yards and in will make or break your score. Aim at different targets at different distances to get a feel for this control.

PRACTICING DISTANCE

Golf has a lot in common with almost all sports. Being good at other sports can benefit your golf swing.

CONNECTING OTHER SPORTS TO GOLF

&ldquo;Golf&rsquo;s Biggest Secret is the Swing You Cannot See&rdquo; Unleash the M.A.G.I.C. in your golf swing. I talk a lot about the natural forces at play in your swing &ndash; Momentum, Acceleration, Gravity, Inertia, and Centripetal Force. These natural factors make the golf swing work. Even though you cannot see them. You can feel them. You can develop them and learn to control them to get greater distance and consistency without putting more stress on your body. Golf is a human development game &ndash; one of the best ones out there. Let&rsquo;s get started and see what it can bring out in you. Add 15-Years to Your Game!

Invisible Swing

The Quick Fix this Friday is about rolling your chip shots. A drill where you roll your chip shots is a good idea for chipping and how to get the club correctly on the ball.

Set up four balls evenly spaced in front of you.

First, set up with the ball behind your right foot, hold the club with your right hand, put it behind the ball, and roll it. Then repeat the shot using your right hand and roll the ball. Then with the third ball, use both hands and roll the ball.

For the last ball, take a little backswing and duplicate the same motion as rolling the ball.

This drill will help you to feel what it feels like to hit the ball in the correct club shaft position.

ROLLING YOUR CHIP SHOTS

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

Driver

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

Day 17-Foot Action

Now that you know how to putt, use that same stroke with your lofted wedges.

CHIP USING YOUR PUTTING STROKE

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

M1-Swing Concepts

First 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

Mike has a candid conversation with PGA Professional Austin Graham about the PGA Tour School. Mike shares his experience with the Tour School and compares it to the process Austin will experience this year. The PGA Tour School will be held at TPC Sawgrass, and the Top 5 will make the PGA Tour while the rest will be on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Austin Graham- PGA Tour School

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

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

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

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

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

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

How the Hips Move

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

21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing

This fitness exercise uses a cord to perform upright rows. 

Mike takes one cord and steps on it. Holding the handle with the other hand, he pulls it up to his shoulders, ensuring they are pinched backward.

Lift the cord up and down, which doesn’t require a lot of tension. This exercise aims to strengthen and loosen and get the blood flowing in your shoulders.

UPRIGHT ROWS

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

WRIST HINGE

Take an alignment stick place it on the club shaft so it extends longer than the grip end. Then set up to the ball with the stick touching your lead side. Make your backswing. Once you reach the the end of your backswing. Now make the shaft pivot behind and touch your trail side. This will work the club out into the correct arch to run into the ball. This is a feeling that offsets the change of direction and gets the club in the correct arch. Rather than dragging the handle forward and having to catch the club up. 

ASHLEY - DIRECTING THE MOMENTUM OF THE CLUB

The Director of Distance series is a comprehensive 11-part masterclass designed specifically for experienced golfers who want to add serious yardage to their drives. Presented by World Long Drive Champion Justin James and Golf Digest Top Instructor Mike Malaska, this exclusive series blends long drive mechanics, proven swing fundamentals, and the structured learning progression of the M-System. Together, Justin and Mike provide a powerful system that helps you harness your body&rsquo;s full athletic potential to generate more speed, power, and consistency.
 This series goes far beyond simply "swinging harder." Instead, it takes a methodical, athletic approach rooted in biomechanics, sequencing, and real-world experience. You&rsquo;ll learn the Five Gears of Speed&mdash;a progressive framework that starts with basic hand control and gradually builds to explosive full-body movement and maximum speed generation. With each step, you&rsquo;ll learn to layer new swing elements while maintaining control and efficiency.
 Justin contributes expert-level insights into strength training, force production, neurological priming, and ground mechanics&mdash;all vital components of optimizing driver distance. He shares the same training concepts he uses in long drive competition and when coaching elite athletes. Mike Malaska anchors the system with world-class instruction that&rsquo;s grounded in human movement and athletic patterning. He connects modern speed mechanics with foundational M-System movements, helping you master the golf swing from the inside out.
 Each video includes detailed breakdowns, specific swing drills, warm-up routines, key terminology (like attack angle, club path, and face angle), and mental cues that you can apply immediately. The series covers key topics like driver setup, golf grip for speed, swing sequencing, neurological activation, launch angle, and impact consistency. More than just a how-to, Director of Distance is a roadmap for developing repeatable, controlled power that holds up under pressure.
 Whether you're a competitive golfer looking for a scoring edge or a seasoned recreational player chasing 20&ndash;30 more yards off the tee, this golf training series provides a clear, actionable path. With detailed technical instruction, real-time demonstrations, and professional guidance, Director of Distance empowers you to train smarter, swing faster, and hit it farther&mdash;without compromising accuracy or risking injury.

How to Max out Your Driver

If your grip is wrong, your swing will always be limited&mdash;no matter how much you practice. That&rsquo;s why Day 4 of this series is dedicated to one thing: understanding and mastering the three essential golf grips. Mike Malaska explains how each grip serves a different purpose depending on the shot you&rsquo;re hitting, and how your hands need to adjust between putting, pitching, and full swing. You will learn why the putting grip sits deep in the palms to reduce motion, why the pitching grip allows for precise control of your wrist angles, and why the full swing grip belongs in your fingers to allow proper wrist hinge and maximum speed. Mike breaks down each one, shows how to find the correct position for your hands and fingers, and explains how grip influences wrist action, clubface control, and power. This lesson is not about theory. It is about feel. You will learn how to spot the differences between the three grips and train the sensitivity needed to switch between them confidently. Mike also shares a powerful reminder&mdash;even tour players like Scottie Scheffler check their grip daily to maintain consistency.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About the Three Grips: How putting, pitching, and full swing grips differ in hand position and purpose Why the full swing grip belongs in your fingers for leverage and speed Why putting and pitching grips sit higher in the palm for stability and control How your grip directly affects your wrist function and angle of approach Why daily grip work is essential&mdash;even if you think your grip is fine
Mike emphasizes that the grip is not something you check once and forget. It is something you build feel for and revisit constantly. A small change in your thumb or hand placement can have a big effect on your contact, trajectory, and distance. This is not just a setup detail&mdash;it is a swing fundamental.
Key Takeaway: Your grip controls your swing. Train all three&mdash;putting, pitching, and full swing&mdash;and know why each one matters. The way your hands connect to the club determines what your body can do with it.

Day 4-The Three Grips in Golf

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

Most golfers struggle with chipping because they try to help the ball into the air. They flip their wrists, lean back, or slow down through impact. But that is not how good players&rsquo; chip. As Mike Malaska explains, the ball gets in the air because of the loft on the club, not because you try to lift it. And the motion you need is one you already have. It is your putting stroke. Day 3 is about applying the same movement you have been working on&mdash;center contact, face control, and body connection&mdash;to your chip shots. The difference comes in your setup. By placing the ball slightly back in your stance and shifting pressure toward your lead side, you create a downward angle that helps you catch the ball first and brush the turf after. Mike shows you how to keep everything else the same. The hands, the right arm on the shaft, the motion&mdash;none of that changes. This is chipping built from your putting foundation. In this lesson, you will learn how to train proper contact with the dot drill and how to get immediate feedback using a sand-line drill. These simple tools show you exactly where your club is landing and help you feel the difference between a solid chip and a mis-hit.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Chipping: How to use your putting motion for clean chip shots Why ball position and setup create launch&mdash;not wrist action How to use a dot on the face and the ball to train center contact Why you should hit the ball first and brush the ground second How a sand-line drill gives instant feedback on strike quality
Mike emphasizes that this is where you begin building your full swing. The mechanics remain the same. The setup changes. You are not inventing a new motion&mdash;you are adapting what you already know and learning how to control the bottom of the arc.
Key Takeaway: Chipping is putting with a lofted club and a new setup. The ball gets in the air because of the face. Catch it first, then brush the ground. Keep the motion simple and trust what you have trained.

Day 3-Off Green Putting

(Why You Must Decide Before You Swing) To play your best golf, you need to know your intention before you hit your first shot: Are you practicing&mdash;or are you playing? In this final bonus lesson, Mike Malaska shares one of the most overlooked keys to success on the course: separating training mode from scoring mode. If you step onto the range&mdash;or the tee box&mdash;without clarity, you&rsquo;ll sabotage your performance. When you practice, your focus is on reps and training the swing (like L-to-L or wrist rehinge drills), not the score. You&rsquo;re working on the swing, not the shot. But when you play, your focus must shift to feel and performance&mdash;working with your tendencies, not fixing your swing mid-round. Trying to &ldquo;fix&rdquo; your motion on the course leads to tension, poor contact, and mental confusion. It&rsquo;s a losing strategy. Mike emphasizes that your warm-up should reflect your goal. If you're practicing, dive into your drills. If you're playing, keep it light, reinforce what&rsquo;s natural, and trust your tendencies. This mental discipline ties directly back to the M-System&rsquo;s structure and prepares you to make real, lasting progress&mdash;on the range and on the course.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Practice vs. Play: &bull; Why you must choose between training or scoring&mdash;never both &bull; How to warm up differently depending on your goal &bull; Why your tendencies matter more during play than swing &ldquo;fixes&rdquo; &bull; How to train a skill (like L-to-L) without worrying about score &bull; How this lesson connects directly to the full M-System process
Key Takeaway: Before every round, make a decision: Are you training your swing, or are you playing your game? You can&rsquo;t do both. Practicing is about process. Playing is about performance. If you separate the two, you&rsquo;ll make faster progress&mdash;and shoot lower scores.

Practice vs Play

Practice lining your forearm up with the shaft to gain face control.

Swing Drill

(How L to L Generates Effortless Power) You&rsquo;ve trained face control and path&mdash;now it&rsquo;s time to generate speed. In Day 14, Mike Malaska introduces the &ldquo;L to L&rdquo; lever system, a fundamental movement pattern used by every powerful athlete, from tennis players to baseball hitters. This simple, repeatable action creates effortless clubhead speed by allowing the wrists to hinge and rehinge naturally through the ball. Using a 7-iron and a seated drill, Mike demonstrates how to train the pivot point of the swing without using your body or brute strength. The secret is not in swinging harder&mdash;it's in letting the club work. When you understand how the wrists, arms, and pivot function together, your speed will increase without tension or over-effort. You&rsquo;ll learn how elite players build speed with minimal effort and how to groove this same motion into your game with short, controlled swings. These drills not only improve swing speed, they also help you feel proper sequencing and strike the ball with more consistency.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About the Lever System (L to L): &bull; Why clubhead speed comes from the wrists&mdash;not the shoulders &bull; How the &ldquo;L to L&rdquo; motion builds effortless, repeatable power &bull; How to train your hands and arms with the seated drill &bull; Why a light grip and proper pivot create speed more than strength &bull; How to transfer this feel into your full swing over time Key Takeaway: Speed comes from learning how to use the club&mdash;not from swinging harder. The L to L motion unlocks your natural power. Train it with small swings, feel the hinge and release, and let the club do the work.

Day14-Create Speed With The Lever System

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 up to the ball. First hinge your wrists and set the club on your trail shoulder. There needs to be no tension in your shoulder sockets to do this. Then Push your trail hip out of the way and turn your upper body until it is at a 90 degree angle to the target line. Then with your trail hand push your arms up and over your trail shoulder maintaining the angle in your wrists. Last swing down and hit the ball. This is a great drill for tension, creating the correct shoulder turn and creating the space you need to swing down into. 

FOUR STEPS

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

Day 1-Line of Compression

Your hands control the clubface. If your hand action is off, your swing will always rely on compensations. Day 5 is where everything begins to come together&mdash;grip, motion, and clubface control. In this lesson, Mike Malaska shows you how your hands should move through the swing so you can flatten the lead wrist, cup the trail wrist, and square the face without twisting. You will learn how the lead hand works like a chop, and the trail hand pushes and releases. Mike explains how the wrists interact at setup, backswing, impact, and finish&mdash;switching roles as the swing transitions. This is not about flipping or scooping. It is about building structure and consistency. You will also learn how to rehearse this movement slowly and deliberately without even hitting a ball.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Hand Action: How the lead and trail hands move throughout the swing Why flattening and cupping matter more than rotation or twist How to feel the hand action at home with slow practice Where the wrists should be at setup, top, impact, and follow-through How this hand sequence squares the face without manipulation
Mike emphasizes that you do not need to hit balls to improve this. In fact, most of this is best practiced at home in slow motion. These small details will become automatic with time. The more you train your hands to work correctly, the less you will rely on timing or compensations in your swing.
Key Takeaway: Great ball striking comes from great hand action. Practice flattening the lead wrist and cupping the trail wrist through the swing. That is what squares the face and unlocks control.

Day 5-Hand Action in the Golf Swing

As you progress in golf, having a solid L to L is critical for helping stabilize your speed.

L-TO-L

As you are making a small swing. As the club comes into impact the momentum of the club is moving forward. As that happens you push your lead hip back away from the target line. These apposing forces will straighten your arms and accelerate the club into the finish.

SMALL SWING OFF-SETTING FORCES

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

Player Lessons

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about grip and your left thumb. Mike says from his experience, your left thumb can be the biggest killer regarding tension.

Mike explains that when you hold a baseball bat, like tennis, your thumb is not on the bat. This makes it easy to load and release the bat. There is no tension in your wrists.

When you hold a golf club, the thumb is slightly on the side of the shaft, so it is a support mechanism when you get to the top of your swing. Also, in the downswing, your thumb prevents the club from swinging all over the place. When the club gets outside your hands on the downswing, your thumb is now along for the ride.

It is important to note that your thumb does not push down into the club. On the follow-through, the club rehinges, and your thumb stabilizes the club again.

Mike, say that some players would really benefit from taking their thumb off the golf club like you would on a baseball bat. Swing with this grip and feel how loose your left wrist feels. Now put your left thumb back on the club and feel that same swing as you did when you had the thumb off.

Again, don't push with the thumb. Many players that Mike teaches grip the club too tightly. Often Mike will take their right hand off the club to look at their left hand. He notices that he can't move their left thumb, and it's almost like they have a "death grip" between their left finger and their left thumb.

When Mike grips the club, there is no tension in his left thumb, and he is not pushing the thumb into the club. It is just sitting there acting as a stabilizer. Many players hit the ball fat because they use their thumbs and push the club down.

THUMBS AWAY

Having an understanding of how the face works relative to your swing arch and your target line is critical. You must have the correct task in your mind. “Your eyes perceive, your brain receives your body reacts”. So the picture is very important. Once you understand the picture it becomes much easier to create the motion.

PATH, FACE, SWING, ARC

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

Quick Fix Fridays

M-System Max

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about feeling relative to where his hands are pointed. This is a really good question, as Mike always says, ‘Your hands control the golf swing.’ If you can control what your hands do, then there is a good chance the clubface will work.Now, if you aren’t connected to what your hands are doing or your grip, you are trying to do everything with your hips. Your hips don’t control the face.The Member’s comment is that as he is working on grip, line of compression, and impact, he feels like his left palm at impact is facing down and more into him, as opposed to facing out and up.Mike talks about what hurt him in golf. He had had his grip changed, and as he came into the ball, he had to bow his wrists.Mike got pretty good at this until he broke his wrist and tore a tendon. This was Mike compromising that joint.Now, instead of facing down, Mike’s palm is facing toward his leg. Mike said that what the member is feeling with his palm is a really good thing.If your grip is correct, it is a chopping action with your left hand and wrist. Your palm will be facing in if you do it this way. As you swing through, your arms straighten, and the release action is up. You don’t twist or rotate the club as you swing through. There is a big difference.If you use the grip Mike talks about, your joints line up, you hit the ball, and your hands work. It’s a good feeling to have your palm facing down and toward you, then toward the sky.

Hands Control the Golf Swing

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about how the hands work. When the member changes her grip, her left wrist still collapses when she gets to the top. This will cause multiple problems.Mike comments that if you have the correct grip and your wrist collapses, you have a significantly good chance of getting back to the ball. It is even better if the wrist doesn’t collapse. If your grip is correct, you can get away with having your wrist collapse at the top. As soon as the club comes down in the swing, force will square the clubface.So, how do you get to feel what you are supposed to do without going back to what is comfortable? Your body will always resort back to what it has always done. What you need to do is keep reinforcing what you want.&nbsp;A good way to do this is to swing back, set your wrists, stop, and then swing to the top. Then you swing down and run your club into the ball. The key is not to change your hands from there. Then, you will start to feel how it should work at the top of your swing because you have already set it.

How Your Hands Work

How golf and music are played the same way.

Alice Cooper

Jack Nicklaus shares Augusta insights to help you play smarter and finish stronger.

Golf Talk-Masters Secrets With Jack Nicklaus

In the golf swing your lead arm stays fairly straight. Not because you keep it straight. It stays straight because of what your trail arm does. As you start the club back. Your wrists begin to hinge. As they hinge your trail arm is always trying to push your lead hand away from you. So the pushing away with the trail arm is what keeps your lead arm fairly straight. That keeps the tension out of your lead arm and lets it accelerate through the ball.

Keep Your Left Arm Straight-One Piece Takeaway

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Billy Fitzgerald is subbing in to answer “Ask Mike’s” from Beverley County Club in Chicago. A Malaska Golf Member has been struggling with his left arm collapsing for most of his golf career and wants help.Typically, this occurs because your wrist hinge is too late, or you might not have a wrist hinge at all. What happens is that there's no wrist hinge, and as you swing back, your body is looking for some kind of lever to make the club swing a little bit. The key is to get the swing going on the backswing, and that's why the left arm breaks down if there is no lever.The first thing Billy says you should check is your grip. If your hands are wrong on the club, the handle is too much in the palm and not in the fingers, or it's not lined up right, it will be hard to make this wrist hinge and hinge soon. That’s what you need. You need the wrists to hinge sooner so you can put pressure from your right hand into your left palm or from your right hand into your left thumb, which will pull the arm straight.Make sure your grip is correct. Billy demonstrates the grip and how the relationship of both hands helps you to hinge and push the grip away on the backswing.The remedy that Billy doesn’t recommend, and I see this all the time, and I have written about it, is a straight left arm. This is an effect of what we're talking about: the correct grip, early wrist hinge, and how your hands are pressuring each other or the thumb, which is going to pull your arms straight.Billy stresses checking your grip and making sure the club is in your fingers. When you swing back, the left hand is hinging.Billy says that you should do that because you probably don't have any wrist hinge to begin with and this needs to happen sooner. The sooner you can get the club up the sooner the right palm is pushing on your left thumb, which is going to make your left arm straighten up.To recap, get the correct grip, get over the ball, and make some small backswings. Feel the club hinging, and you will feel pressure in your thumb when you move the club into the backswing.Billy demonstrates by hitting a ball so you can see the wrist hinge and levers work.

Wrist Hinge is the Answer

Grip is the first and possibly the most important skill or task. How your hands are on the club determine what you are going to have to do to square the face. Your lead hand goes on how you're arm hangs. This is so when the momentum of the club pulls on your arm the grip squares the face. This is also a strong hit position for that lead arm. Your trail arm goes on with your palm as a mirror image of the face. This arm is to push the shaft and accelerate the club head not twist the face. If your grip is correct then squaring the face becomes much easier.

LEVER SYSTEM GRIP

In this episode of Ask Malaska Golf, Malaska Certified Coach Billy Fitzgerald from Chicago responds to a question from Manish Patel about how the lead hip and hands work together in the M-System.
Billy explains that the key is understanding how these two elements blend during impact. As the club moves through the ball, the lead leg must push the lead hip back and up. This movement is not a twist, but a push driven by ground force. The pressure through the foot, leg, knee, and thigh moves the hip in a straight-line action, helping offset the outward force of the club.
He emphasizes timing. If the hip moves too early, the club gets stuck behind the body. If the hip doesn&rsquo;t move, the club can over-rotate and flip through impact. The swing works best when the lead hip push and the hand motion occur in harmony.
Billy recommends starting with a simplified drill: left foot down, right toe lightly grounded. With one arm, feel the lead leg push back as the club moves through the ball. This helps train how the arm moves freely in the shoulder socket. Many golfers struggle because tension restricts that freedom when both hands are on the club.
Once the feel is established with one arm, add both hands and both feet. As the club moves through impact, the lead leg pushes the hip back, offsetting the club&rsquo;s force and creating space for the arms to swing naturally. When the hip push and hand action blend together, the timing of the swing improves and impact becomes more stable.
&ldquo;As the club runs through the ball, the lead leg pushes the hip back &mdash; that&rsquo;s what blends the timing.&rdquo; &mdash; Billy Fitzgerald
What You&rsquo;ll Learn in This Video: &bull; How the lead leg drives hip movement through impact &bull; Why hip action is a push, not a twist &bull; How ground force offsets the club&rsquo;s outward momentum &bull; A simple drill to train hip and hand timing &bull; Why blending motion improves swing consistency

Lead Hip Action Explained

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

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

Mike uses two cords to perform resistance exercises.

The key is to get the blood flowing. You could also go for a walk or jog to achieve this. Mike demonstrates some strength exercises. He does ten reps, rotates his shoulders forward, and then goes the opposite way.

Mike steps on two cables, so there is tension, and does shoulder shrugs. He repeats this about ten times by lifting his shoulders, holding, and then releasing them. Next, he rotates his shoulders forward, pinching his shoulder blades inward.

RESISTANCE EXERCISES

Ball Position is a vital part of The M-System series. Mike Malaska walks us through how using different clubs, from your driver to your wedges, affects ball position in your setup. Mike builds a practice station for you to follow to help with ball placement and how you line up your body to the ball. Mike&rsquo;s approach from 120 yards out is consistent with hitting from his left side. As Mike gets into fairway woods, rescue clubs, and his driver, the approach and ball position are more forward, and both legs come into play. The golf swing is a circle, and the ball position and angle of attack change with the club.

Ball Position

INTRO TO PITCHING

In this episode of Ask Malaska Golf, Malaska Certified Coach Brian Gott responds to a question from Darrell about developing a blister on his pinky finger and how grip size may be affecting his swing.
Darrell&rsquo;s issue points to a common problem: grips that are too large. When the grip is too big, the club shifts into the palms instead of the fingers, which disrupts pressure points and forces the golfer to squeeze too tightly.
Brian reinforces a core M-System principle: the club must sit in the fingers. The idea of &ldquo;fingertips&rdquo; is used as an exaggeration to ensure the club is not sitting deep in the palm.
He explains that glove wear can reveal this issue. Proper grip pressure typically wears the glove at the thumb. If the glove is wearing across the top of the hand, it&rsquo;s a sign the grip may be too large and sitting incorrectly.
The blister on the pinky is another indicator. When the club is not supported correctly in the fingers, the right pinky can start to overwork or lose its role entirely. Instead, the primary pressure should come from the middle fingers of the trail hand, which stabilize the handle and secure the lead thumb.
Brian emphasizes that the grip should be firm, but not tight. Excess tension limits the ability to create the lever system, which is where speed comes from in the M-System.
He suggests testing a slightly smaller grip size to make it easier to position the club correctly in the fingers. With proper structure and pressure, golfers can improve both face control and speed without adding effort.
&ldquo;When the grip is in the fingers and the pressure is in the right place, you can control the face and create speed without forcing it.&rdquo; &ndash; Brian Gott
What You&rsquo;ll Learn in This Video: &bull; Why grip size affects how the club sits in your hands &bull; How to identify improper grip through glove wear &bull; Why the club must sit in the fingers, not the palm &bull; How proper finger pressure stabilizes the clubface &bull; How grip pressure influences speed and the lever system

Fix Your Grip Size

Milo discusses fundamentals that start off every lesson, and every practice session. These include grip, posture and ball position.

Lesson With Milo Lines

In this Malaska Golf Player Lesson, Mike Malaska concludes his work with Certified Coach Matt Baker from England during the annual gathering of Malaska Golf Certified Coaches in Arizona. After addressing swing compensation and improving rotational movement, the focus shifts to one of the most important aspects of improvement: trust.
Mike explains that golfers often struggle to commit to positive swing changes because their subconscious mind is trying to protect them from a miss they fear. For Matt, that fear has always been the left side of the golf course. Years of trying to avoid pull hooks created movement patterns that were designed to protect against the ball going left.
Although Matt's mechanics have improved significantly, Mike explains that the subconscious mind does not automatically trust a new movement simply because it is technically correct. Golfers must experience success with the motion before their instincts begin accepting it under pressure.
One of the most important insights from the lesson comes when Mike explains, &ldquo;Trust is built on performance.&rdquo; Every successful shot helps reinforce the movement and teaches the brain that the new pattern is safe. As golfers gain positive experiences on the golf course, confidence begins replacing fear.
Matt shares examples from his own golf course experiences, describing how he can make the correct movement during practice but still revert to old habits when facing difficult shots. Mike explains that this is a normal part of the learning process and that lasting change requires both repetition and commitment.
Throughout the lesson, Mike demonstrates how many golfers know what they should be doing but rarely perform the movement to the degree necessary to create meaningful change. When players finally experience the correct motion, it often feels exaggerated or uncomfortable despite being exactly what is required.
As the session concludes, Matt gains a deeper understanding of the relationship between mechanics, trust, and performance. By combining better movement with repeated success, he begins developing the confidence necessary to trust the swing under pressure.
This lesson reinforces a core Malaska Golf principle: lasting improvement occurs when the subconscious mind accepts the movement through performance, repetition, and trust.
Key Takeaways &bull; Fear Influences Movement: Fear of the left miss often causes golfers to revert to old habits. &bull; Trust Is Built Through Performance: Confidence develops through successful repetition. &bull; The Subconscious Wants Protection: The brain naturally resists movements it perceives as risky. &bull; Change Often Feels Exaggerated: Most golfers underestimate how much movement is actually required. &bull; Confidence Replaces Compensation: Better performance helps eliminate defensive swing patterns.
"Trust is built on performance."&mdash; Mike Malaska

Matt Baker: Fear of The Left Miss

LAUNCH ANGLE - DRIVER

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

Jack Nicklaus and Ball Position

Malaska Certified Coach Brian Gott from The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden, Colorado answers a question from Chris Grundy about how grip size affects control and consistency.
Brian explains that while larger grips can feel more comfortable, they often encourage golfers to hold the club more in the palm rather than the fingers, which limits leverage and increases unwanted face rotation. When the grip sits too high in the hand, it becomes difficult to lever the club correctly, leading to inconsistent face angles at impact.
The key is to choose a grip that allows the handle to sit naturally in the fingertips, creating a neutral, powerful connection between the hands and the club. Smaller or standard-sized grips often help golfers maintain this feel, ensuring that the force of the swing straightens the arms naturally through impact without twisting or compensating.
Brian recommends experimenting with different grip sizes until you find one that allows you to control the club easily with light pressure while keeping it firmly in your fingers. That&rsquo;s where true feel and face stability come from.
In this lesson you will learn: &bull; Why larger grips often force the club too deep into the palm. &bull; How finger-based grip placement improves leverage and control. &bull; Why smaller grips promote better face awareness and release. &bull; How grip size affects your ability to square the face consistently. &bull; Why experimenting with grip fit can improve overall ball striking.
He leaves golfers with a simple truth: &ldquo;Even if a larger grip feels better, it&rsquo;s often harder to control &mdash; keep it in the fingers.&rdquo; &mdash; Brian Gott, Malaska Certified Coach This Makes Sense. Own Your Swing.

Grip Size And Control

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

In this foundational video, World Long Drive Champion Justin James teams up with Mike Malaska to reveal the true path to gaining distance off the tee&mdash;and it&rsquo;s not what most golfers think. Rather than chasing speed through brute force or endless gym sessions, Justin breaks down the Five Gears for Swing Speed, a structured progression that builds a fast, repeatable swing from the hands up.
 The conversation begins with Gear 1: Hands, where Justin explains how small, chippy driver swings help players develop feel, path control, and proper face contact. Many golfers swing hard while delivering the club poorly&mdash;producing slices, ballooning shots, and even injuries. But when players start with simple hand-focused swings, they build real control over launch and spin. Once the hands are working, the swing progresses through Gear 2 (hands and arms), Gear 3 (shoulders), Gear 4 (hip pivot), and finally, Gear 5: Ground Force, where full-body power is applied without losing structure or control.
 Mike uses visual aids like a large-faced club to show how central face contact is the key to distance&mdash;and that accuracy of contact matters more than swing speed alone. Justin reinforces that most amateurs try to jump from first to fifth gear, stalling their development, just like a car stalls if shifted improperly.
 The video also addresses misconceptions around speed training. Justin often slows players down before speeding them up&mdash;focusing on hands, wrists, face control, and sequencing. That&rsquo;s where real gains in distance come from, not just lifting weights or using speed sticks.
 Whether you're a high-swing-speed player or a weekend golfer looking to hit it farther, this video will change how you approach distance. It&rsquo;s a blueprint for sustainable power and a perfect introduction to the Director of Distance series.

Developing Hands, Path and Face Control

The lever system is one of, if not the biggest speed producer in the golf swing. If you do not have a solid understanding of the main components: Grip, Face control, Lever System, Arm Path and Club Head Path, you will fight the swing forever. These are simple but most of the time they are over looked. This could be the main reason you are struggling with the game. It really is simple if done in the correct sequence of learning.

M2-The Lever System

Grip is the cornerstone of a successful golf swing, as it&rsquo;s the only connection between the player, the club, and the clubface that strikes the ball. Mike Malaska emphasizes that even minor changes in grip position can dramatically impact ball direction and consistency. The proper grip is essential for allowing the lever system to function effectively, enabling the clubface to square naturally and minimizing the need for manipulations during the swing.
Mike highlights common grip mistakes, such as holding the club too much in the palm instead of the fingers. A finger-based grip facilitates better wrist hinge and lever action, essential for generating speed and control. He stresses the importance of a relaxed thumb position to avoid unnecessary tension, which can restrict wrist movement and compromise the lever system&rsquo;s efficiency.
Drawing parallels to other sports, Mike explains how grip instincts from activities like baseball, tennis, and hockey naturally align with golf. For instance, a baseball player&rsquo;s grip positions the bat in the fingers for better leverage, similar to the ideal golf grip. This connection reinforces the concept that instinctual hand placement can simplify and improve the game.
Practicing grip daily is vital, as even subtle inconsistencies can lead to compensations and swing changes. By ensuring a consistent, correct grip, players can maintain a stable foundation for their swing, reduce compensations, and achieve greater accuracy and power. M2&rsquo;s focus on grip and grip instinct provides golfers with the tools to build a reliable, efficient swing that enhances performance and consistency.

M2 Coaching Series-Grip And Grip Instinct

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

M-System Lite M2-The Lever System

Place a chair behind you with the back of the chair at a 45 degree angle to the target line. Then set up to the ball with your lead hip touching the chair. Then as you swing back make your trail hip touch the chair. Then as you start back to the ball move force up to your lead leg and start pushing the chair back away from the ball or target line as you swing into and through the ball.

CHAIR DRILL

If you watch a hammer thrower. Or if you create the action with a basket and some balls. As the hammer and or weight swings around you. You are constantly offsetting the motion of the basket with an opposite force. This is what accelerates the basket and or maintains the circle and the balance. If you move into the force created by the basket you are immediately off balance. Plus the basket slows down. Tension then tries to make compensations to regain control. The same skills or tasks in throwing the hammer are what happens in a golf swing. I have never had someone swing a weight around them and move into or the same direction the weight moves. It is not instinct. So try this simple motion and feel how your body moves where is force going in your feet. Then duplicate it in a swing.

HAMMER THROW

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.

Correct Vision

Once you have a proper grip then it becomes how your hands control the face. To learn this you need to hit different shots. How your hands manipulate the face is what makes the ball curve. You need to curve the ball to the left, to the right, and be able to hit it straight. Practicing these curves until you can make them happen on command is a basic skill and task. It is very important that you have this control before you move too much speed. You are only as good as your ability to control the curve on the ball or the face.

Face Control

A Malaska Golf Member has questions about positions in the golf swing. You can get too fixated on hitting certain positions in the downswing, but if you use motion correctly, the positions show up automatically.You must be careful about trying to hit certain positions. Mike demonstrates positions that you might want to hit. The problem with trying to practice this way is there is no force involved. You must have enough force so that the momentum of the club is doing things so that you can learn to offset those forces.The golf industry has struggled because we have tried to learn a motion sport with our feet still. Mike explains that in baseball, you stride when you hit the ball. You move your feet in tennis as you swing the racket to hit the ball. The same is true with ping-pong. In hockey, you are moving your feet.However, when you move to golf, the industry wants you to make a swing and keep your feet static.Mike demonstrates a drill to help you move your feet. Place your club forward outside a golf ball and start to step back while making a swing and hitting the ball.Many Tour Pros, when they practice, will make small steps before they hit the ball. They are using this footwork to create motion that creates positions.The key is to know what motions you need to do to create those positions. Motion is very different compared to static positions.Mike explains that he ruined a career by slowing his swing down to look at positions and trying to get to those spots! Those spots happen, but they don’t happen by what you see. The biggest thing that Mike has learned is that you can’t see a golf swing. That’s why he wrote the book, ‘The Invisible Swing.’It’s not about what you see but what causes what you see. That’s why static positions can be detrimental.

Static Positions in a Golf Swing

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. Your hands are the only contact you have with the club. 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.

Ask Malaska Golf-Lever System

Malaska Certified Coach Billy Fitzgerald from The Beverly Country Club in Chicago answers a question from Ben Carroll about where the V&rsquo;s in the grip should point and how they influence clubface control.
Billy explains that both hands serve different purposes in the golf swing &mdash; and the direction of the V&rsquo;s reflects those roles. For a right-handed golfer, the lead-hand V (left hand) should point toward the right shoulder, while the trail-hand V (right hand) points more toward the chest.
The lead hand acts as the chopper, folding and hinging through the swing. The trail hand, positioned closer to the clubface, acts as the controller, matching what the face is doing through impact. When both V&rsquo;s are positioned correctly, the hands can work together &mdash; the lead guiding motion, the trail guiding face control &mdash; creating a natural and balanced release.
In this lesson you will learn: &bull; Where to align the V&rsquo;s in both the lead and trail hands. &bull; Why each hand has a different role in controlling the clubface. &bull; How the lead hand &ldquo;chops&rdquo; and folds naturally through impact. &bull; Why the trail hand mirrors the face and maintains direction. &bull; How balanced hand positions promote control and consistency.
He leaves golfers with a simple reminder: &ldquo;Your lead-hand V points to your shoulder, your trail-hand V to your chest &mdash; each has a job.&rdquo; &mdash; Malaska Certified Coach This Makes Sense. Own Your Swing.

Where The V's Should Point

In this lesson, Mike Malaska works with Billy Fitzgerald on improving his takeaway using the M-System. Mike stresses the importance of small adjustments, particularly in the club’s initial movement. Instead of the club going straight back, Mike encourages Billy to bring it slightly inward, improving his swing path. This adjustment, especially in how Billy positions his right hand, can make a significant difference. Mike explains that the right palm should face the target line, establishing a better starting position for the swing.Mike also demonstrates the correct movement for the right arm and shoulder during the takeaway. He notes that Billy needs a slight external rotation in his right shoulder, which allows the arm to move more freely and reduces tension. This adjustment may feel different, but it is essential for keeping the swing fluid and preventing locked-up positions later. Mike reminds Billy that if the takeaway is incorrect, the rest of the swing will be affected.The lesson delves into the physiological importance of motor patterns in the first two feet of the swing. Mike emphasizes that many swing issues arise from this initial movement. Correcting the club’s path early is critical, as it sets up the entire swing. Mike references professional players like Rory McIlroy, who also focus on perfecting their takeaway to ensure the club moves in the correct arc, paralleling the changes Billy is making.Mike further explains how modern equipment has changed the way players swing. He tells Billy that, like many modern golfers, he should focus on reducing face rotation and increasing body rotation to generate power. Setting the club on the correct path early will help Billy maintain better control of the clubface, even at higher speeds.Finally, Mike emphasizes the role of the right arm in the swing, drawing from the Golf Machine book. He advises Billy to always feel like the right arm is straightening and pushing away from the body to maintain the proper swing arc. If the right arm collapses or moves too far inside, it disrupts the swing path. These crucial adjustments will help Billy maintain balance and control, leading to more consistent and powerful results.

Small Adjustments-Big Results

In this Focus of the Month, Mike Malaska breaks down the most common grip mistakes he's seen from member video submissions&mdash;and explains how correcting them can unlock speed, consistency, and control in your swing. Your grip is the only connection you have to the golf club. If it&rsquo;s wrong, everything else in your swing gets harder. If it&rsquo;s right, the game starts to make sense. Mike demonstrates the proper grip method from setup to execution, explains why most slicers struggle with weak hand positions, and shares the biggest mistake he's seen after 50+ years of coaching: shoulder tension that ruins hand placement and leads to poor performance. You&rsquo;ll learn how to build a functional grip for the full swing by aligning your hands across the correct knuckles, gripping with relaxed shoulders, and understanding how to rotate your arms independently of your shoulder socket. You&rsquo;ll also discover why many players hook the ball when they finally grip the club correctly&mdash;and why that&rsquo;s a sign of progress.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn: Why your grip determines your swing success The correct lead-hand position for speed and leverage How to remove tension from the shoulder socket Why slicers tend to hook it when they finally get it right
Key Takeaways: Most golfers grip too weak, then rotate their shoulders instead of their arms Grip the club in front of you, not on the ground, with the face slightly open Strengthening the grip often reveals tension you need to fix&mdash;not avoid A proper grip will square the face automatically&mdash;stop manipulating it

Grip Review

Marking the center of your clubface with a dot helps you connect with the back of the ball.

IMPACT

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

A Malaska Golf Member wants to know how you get from a tee to the ground, where you start to control the angle of approach.

Mike was watching a tour recently, and even the Tour Players were hitting iron shots off tees. Mike sets a ball on a rubber tee in the studio and hits it. The object of this is to control path and clubface and hit the center of the ball. By using a tee, you don't have to control angle of approach, and this is a difficult skill to learn. Make sure that when you swing off a tee, your path and clubface are working first. Many of you get out there, and Mike is amazed at the lies you put the ball on. You miss-hit the ball, and you think your swing is terrible. No, your swing could be really good, but you didn't get the angle of approach quite right.

Mike always starts off from a tee or from such a great lie that it might as well have been from a tee. Tour Players hit the ground with their clubs to make a grass tee and place the ball on that.

When you start to control trajectory, you can make swings behind the ball to see where the club is hitting the ground. If your club is hitting even or slightly in front of the ball, you are good to go. You can then set up to the ball, hit, and see if you duplicated the same angle of approach.

Many drills help you with this but don't try to do it in combination with path and face control when you are warming up and working on your swing.
Putting the ball on a tee makes you focus on path and control of the clubface first, without dealing with angle of approach.

There are only three variables: path, clubface, and angle of approach, and that comes last.

HITTING OFF A TEE

Learning how to blend the body and the arm and club motions. You start with posture and set up. You then go to impact. Once you identify impact you hit small shots from your impact position. You then make small swings where you feel how forces move in your feet and how pushing away from the force of the club accelerates the club and straightens your arms on the follow through. You also feel how force is moving in your feet. Then to put it into a continuous motion you copy the sports motions. How you hit a tennis forehand. Hit or throw a baseball. The sequencing of motions are the same in all those sports.

COMBINING SKILLS - REVIEW

The most important swing you&rsquo;ll ever make might not involve a golf ball. In Day 8, Mike Malaska introduces a foundational drill using a baseball bat and a tree&mdash;or even just a stick and a tire. Why? Because the basic motion of hittingis something your body already understands. As a child, you learned to throw, catch, and hit. Golf becomes easier when you reconnect with that athletic instinct. Mike shows how this baseball-to-golf drill teaches you to flatten the lead wrist, push with the trail hand, and sequence your motion without overthinking. By practicing this swing into a solid object&mdash;like a tire&mdash;you develop natural speed, rhythm, and body rotation. You also learn how to strike through the ball without flipping, twisting, or steering. This is more than a drill. It&rsquo;s the athletic blueprint behind every great swing. You can practice it anywhere, and it builds automatic feel for how your body should move to generate real power.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Swing Pattern Training: &bull; How the baseball swing pattern mirrors a powerful golf swing &bull; Why your trail hand must push and your lead wrist must flatten &bull; How to feel proper sequencing and release without hitting balls &bull; Why this drill eliminates the need for conscious face control &bull; How to use a bat, stick, or molded grip to groove motion at home This is a motion your body already knows. You&rsquo;re not inventing something new&mdash;you&rsquo;re remembering something natural. Mike recommends doing this drill weekly, even daily, to reinforce your swing pattern and develop feel that carries onto the course.
Key Takeaway: Athletes don&rsquo;t think positions. They feel motion. Reconnect with the baseball-to-golf swing pattern to build real speed, natural release, and consistent contact&mdash;without relying on timing.

Day 8-How to Swing Like an Athlete

When you set up to the ball you need to make sure that your eye line and your shoulder line are parallel to your target line. You can also have hips and feet parallel but the most important is to make sure that your eyes and shoulders are parallel. This is critical because your club will tend to follow your eye line.

ALIGNMENT

A Malaska Golf Member mentions he is okay, feeling like he is back on the heels of his left foot, his lead foot, as the club goes through the ball.

Mike reassures the member this is correct and what the biomechanics are now preaching in the industry.

You play the game more from your heels than your toes. Mike has talked about this concept in previous videos. Every shot he makes, even pitch shots, his club runs into the ball, and his left leg pushes his left hip back. When this happens, Mike's toes lift slightly off the ground. As the club gets longer and the swing gets bigger, you will find that your toes lift even more.

Initially, when you swing down into the ball, force goes into the ball or the middle of your left foot; then, as you are halfway down on your swing, the force transfers to the heel of your left foot.

Mike demonstrates hitting a small pitch shot, another fuller pitch shot, and then a driver. You can see the left toe lift and force goes into his left heel.

Mike feels this same timing with all his swings. That's the beauty of all the forces around you when you swing. Mike also finds that his driver is the easiest to time the forces affecting the club because it creates the most force on him. It becomes easier to time those forces and make sure the rotation of his body is in sync with his club.

The driver should be the simplest club to time the circular forces. It is the same feeling and timing of the forces regardless of the length of the club. Practice with small shots and build up to your driver.

IMPACT AND FORCE IN YOUR LEFT HEEL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overcoming The Yips

Has golf instruction lost its way? Mike Malaska and Martin Hall compare the learning environment that developed many leading teachers with today&rsquo;s endless stream of digital tips. At the Nicklaus/Flick Golf Schools, instructors watched one another teach, debated the golf swing and learned directly from players such as Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.
That experience created what Malaska calls arrows in the quiver: multiple ways to help different golfers solve the same club-and-ball problem. The teacher&rsquo;s job was not to force a student into one appearance, but to understand what the club needed to do and find language, feedback or a drill that made it possible.
The conversation turns to distance. Hall defines distance as clubhead speed applied correctly&mdash;through centered contact, an appropriate angle of attack and a controlled face. If a golfer cannot strike a teed driver in the middle at reduced speed, adding a complicated body move or swinging harder only magnifies the problem.
Malaska explains that his early work with force plates and biomechanics gave him valuable knowledge but also tempted him to teach the science directly. He found that lessons became less effective and results on the course suffered. Science describes what is happening; coaching must convert that information into something a particular golfer can understand, feel and play with.
Their practical standard is simple: learn skills from small to big and slow to fast. Measurement should clarify the problem, not become the lesson. Great golf remains an art shaped by individual perception, and two players may create a similar result through very different feels.
KEY TAKEAWAYS &middot; &nbsp;Apprenticeship, observation and debate develop judgment that isolated tips cannot replace. &middot; &nbsp;Face control and centered contact should come before speed training. &middot; &nbsp;Distance is clubhead speed applied correctly, not speed alone. &middot; &nbsp;Science can diagnose motion, but the lesson must be translated for the individual. &middot; &nbsp;There is no single feel&mdash;or single ideal model&mdash;that fits every golfer.

Martin Hall-How Golf Is Really Learned

A Malaska Golf Member comments on how the left arm immediately rotates on the downswing.

This is external rotation. Mike explains that the right arm is also rotating. As it goes back on the swing, it externally rotates to the top; then, as the arm comes down, it internally rotates into the ball.

When you take your left arm on the backswing, it does the opposite of the right arm. It internally rotates to the top and then externally rotates on the downswing and partially through the follow-through.

Mike demonstrates a swing holding the club with only his left arm and hand. He says his left arm is rotating in his left shoulder socket. He makes the same swing with his right arm.

Combine internal and external rotations of both arms, and you have your golf swing.

Mike shows how the right and left arms rotate in either shoulder socket. It is not your hands and arms rotating but your shoulder sockets. Your shoulder sockets must be relaxed. If not, they won't be able to rotate, and your hands and wrists start to twist, making it hard to time when you are trying to hit the ball.

Again, both arms' internal and external rotations match and are crucial to making the shoulder sockets work through the ball.

ROTATION IN YOUR ARMS

Driver-Getting The Most From Your Lag Shot Driver

DRIVER-GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR LAG SHOT DRIVER

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.