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Mike talks with a Malaska Golf member about what encourages him to teach and draws on his shared experience of golfing after being injured.

Golf After Injury

The lever system is a very important part of your swing. Learn to get the club hinging and unhinging correctly.

THE LEVER SYSTEM

Using lakes, rooftops and the horizon to find level.

FINDING LEVEL FROM LANDSCAPES

How to find a light grip pressure using a pre-shot routine on the course.

ON THE COURSE

Mike tells a story where he was fortunate enough to have Moe Norman hit balls for him. Mike had the pleasure of watching him hit balls for 45 minutes. It was when Mike was just starting out, and it was one of the most impressive things he had ever seen.

Regarding setup, Moe Norman wanted you to have your club more in a straight line with your left arm. The member wants to know if this is ok relative to what Mike teaches.

Mike loves what Moe teaches about this aspect of the setup. What happens when you swing the club is that the weight of the club pulls your arm out.
Moe’s philosophy was, if that is going to happen when you swing, then why don’t you position your arm in a straight line and start there?

Then Moe wanted you to set up with clubface back from the ball on the tee. This was because the takeaway killed most people, so he took that out of play. This is how he swung and hit the ball, and he would pipe it every time.

There is some misunderstanding about Moe relative to his grip. That setup, where your arm and hand are flat, and you start back from the ball, is definitely ok. The key is to have the club in your fingers. Moe had really big grips, and his club often appeared to be touching his palms more. This was just due to the circumference of the grips.

If you swing like Moe Norman, just don’t put the club in the palm of your hand.

Moe Norman and Setup

When you putt, there is very little face rotation. Learn how to train yourself to stay away from rotating the club face.

PRACTICING PUTTING WITH TEES

GOING TO SCHOOL

Instincts used in other sports, such as the transition, can be applied in golf. Like other sports, the golf swing is a movement pattern and a constant motion.

ATHLETIC INSTINCT

The M4 Coaching Series by Mike Malaska focuses on taking control of the foundational elements of the golf swing: posture, ball position, alignment, and grip. These are the factors golfers can fully control before initiating a swing, and consistency in these areas is key to improving performance. Mike emphasizes that without a disciplined setup, every swing will require unnecessary adjustments, leading to inconsistency.
A key takeaway is the importance of balanced posture, starting with quiet toes and avoiding tension. Proper balance ensures the body is free to rotate naturally without restriction, making it easier to execute a fluid swing. Additionally, ball position should remain consistent, as even slight shifts can drastically alter impact and shot quality. Alignment is also crucial, with eye line playing a significant role in controlling the shoulders and influencing swing path.
Mike stresses that practicing with alignment sticks and consistently checking setup positions will lead to measurable improvement. By mastering these static elements, golfers can focus on refining their swing mechanics, knowing they are building on a solid, repeatable foundation. Consistency in the basics is the starting point for consistency in the game.

M4 Coaching Series-Posture, Ball Position And Alignment

The right arm lines up with the club shaft. Learn how to practice this with putting.

PUTTING

This Ask Malaska Golf comes to us from Fabian Van Veen, who wants to know about the putter face and the pencil drill we&rsquo;ve discussed, or the stick-through-your-glove drill, where it stays at a 90-degree angle. Brian works a lot with putting, so I&rsquo;ll let him explain this. Then, I&rsquo;ll show how this concept relates to your full swing.
Brian, go ahead and take it from here.
So, imagine I&rsquo;ve got that pencil or stick positioned here&mdash;it acts as a mirror of my clubface. In a putting stroke, it&rsquo;s crucial to understand that the putter does not move straight back and straight through, as we&rsquo;ve often heard in the past. If it did, it would separate your arms from your shoulders, which is not ideal. Instead, the putter moves back and rotates naturally with your shoulders.
The key to using the pencil or stick is to keep it square to the clubface as it follows the arc of the stroke. Ideally, the putter face stays square to the arc, which helps achieve a square face at impact. Different putters may have slight variations; for example, face-balanced putters might rotate more open, but the principle remains the same: keep the face rotating naturally on the arc and square through impact.
Avoid trying to manipulate the stroke into a straight-back, straight-through motion. Doing so can lead to hand rotation, which disrupts the natural shoulder movement. Instead, let your shoulders guide the stroke naturally, allowing the putter to follow the arc. As it returns to the ball, ensure the stick remains aligned with the clubface to maintain square impact. That&rsquo;s the most critical part&mdash;square impact with a square clubface, releasing naturally along the arc.
Now, what&rsquo;s fascinating is how this concept applies to the full swing. When I&rsquo;m swinging a full club, my wrist hinge and the clubface follow a similar principle. As I come into impact and then through, the face works along the arc, just like in putting. Whether it&rsquo;s a putter or a wedge, the face aligns with the arc at impact, rotates naturally, and continues along the arc.
What you don&rsquo;t want is excessive manipulation of the clubface&mdash;either opening it too much or closing it unnaturally. That makes it difficult to control the face at impact, whether with a putter or a full swing.
Here&rsquo;s my advice: focus on where the stick is positioned at impact. Don&rsquo;t try to manipulate it too much after impact, as that leads to twisting and rotation. Let the club swing back naturally, and as it returns, ensure the stick aligns squarely with the clubface. A square clubface at impact ensures the ball takes off along your intended line.

Perfect Putting-Pencil Drill

Learn to use path and face in combination.