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Drills are used to benefit your swing. Learn how the walkthrough drill can help your swing.

CONSISTENCY

Mike Malaska continues his player lesson with Joe LaCaze, stressing the importance of the Lever System. Mike wants Joe to practice the Lever System at home by looking in a mirror, ensuring his arms are at a 90-degree angle on the backswing, then swinging down into the ball and making another 90-degree angle on the follow-through.

Mike doesn’t want Joe to make full swings when practicing this because Joe’s shoulders are in too big of control of his hands and arms. Joe is a body guy who is so tight in his arms and shoulders that his body is pulling his arms.

Your arms must accelerate on the swing as your body goes with them. In Joe’s instance, his body is ahead of his arms. Mike adds that your shoulder sockets must be relaxed like a baseball pitcher. Mike reiterates that Joe needs to keep the club in his fingers with a strong grip, with at least three knuckles showing.

Joe should choke down slightly on the club, ensuring the handle points down and away on the backswing and the follow-through. If Joe focuses on the Lever System when he swings, he should be able to hit the ball farther with little effort. His shoulders should not be pulling his arms through the ball.

Joe makes more practice swings and notices that he uses less effort. Mike says that when the effort goes down, the efficiency goes up.

The key to Joe’s success is getting his hands moving and working on the Lever System. 

IT’S IN YOUR HANDS AND ARMS

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

WRIST ACTION

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about the rotation in the left arm and when it starts.

Mike had asked a similar question to his mentor, Joe Nichols. Mike wanted to know at what point you want your wrist to be hinged or loaded.

Joe’s response was that he didn’t really know and that it was somewhere on the backswing.
Mike was looking for a specific time and place for this to happen. Again, Joe’s response was that he didn’t know specifically where, but it was somewhere on the backswing.

The reason for Joe’s nebulous answer was he didn’t want people to get so technical and worry about that when they can’t even do some of the basic things in a golf swing. He didn’t want them to get ahead of themselves.

So, when does your arm rotate? At some point and time on the backswing and sometimes earlier than others. It needs to rotate by the time the club is halfway through the backswing. The left arm must rotate so the club can get in the right arc. 

There isn’t a right or wrong answer; however, when you swing, it is a gradual, continual process.
The key is not to overthink when this process happens and be too technical about it. 

Use the momentum of the club when you start the club back. If you have no tension in your shoulder socket, the momentum will determine the right time for your arm to rotate.

Again, Mike reiterates that it isn’t a specific point where the rotation happens. This is a problem in golf where people get off track because they want to know specific positions when, in fact, it’s an overall flow of motion.

Use all the natural forces around you to do all the work in the golf swing instead of trying to connect all the dots. Let momentum in the club rotate the left arm into position.

WHEN DOES THE LEFT ARM ROTATE

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GREATLIFE

Mike On Nicklaus Part 2 -- Neutral Is The Way To Do It

NEUTRAL IS THE WAY TO DO IT

All sports you are trying to catch the ball in a certain relationship to your body or the arch of the swing. So wether it is golf or tennis or baseball. Timing where you hit the ball of setting up to catch the ball in the same part of the swing arch is very important to consistency.

BALL POSITION SPORTS CONNECT

LAG SHOT FACE CONTROL

Hi, I'm Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska-certified coach based in Chicago. Chris Downer asks about using a metronome to build rhythm and wonders about the correct beat—whether it's 70, 80, or another tempo. Chris, that’s a great question, because when it comes to rhythm, one thing I notice across the board is how varied it is among the people who come to me for lessons and those I see practicing on the range every day.Typically, the tempo gets faster as the club length increases, with the driver often being the quickest and rhythm sometimes almost nonexistent with the putter. That’s one area where tour players excel—they have consistent rhythm throughout their game. Even if their swing is a bit off, good rhythm can help save their shots. When we lose rhythm, our timing gets thrown off, and the swing can feel different each time.In terms of using a metronome, I recommend starting with the putter. I always emphasize rhythm in putting lessons, as it greatly impacts speed control. I use a simple pattern: “take back, impact, take back, impact.” The exact tempo doesn’t have to match mine—it will vary based on your personality, lifestyle, and natural pace. Some people are naturally slower, others faster, and it’s about finding what feels right for you.To illustrate, if I use my natural rhythm with my putter, I might go “take back, impact” at a comfortable pace. If I try it too quickly or too slowly, it feels off. Finding the right rhythm and sticking with it is crucial. Once you identify your rhythm, you can use a metronome to match the beats, but since rhythm is so personal, assigning a specific number might not be accurate for everyone.Whether I’m using a putter, an eight iron, or a driver, my rhythm remains the same— “take back, impact.” The rhythm doesn’t change, whether it’s for a two-foot putt or a driver. Once you find your rhythm, make it part of your pre-shot routine and use it every time. The best players have the most consistent routines and rhythm, suited to their own feel and personality.In summary, find a rhythm that works for you and keep it consistent throughout your game. This will give you stability and confidence, regardless of which club you’re using.

CONSISTENT RHYTHM ACROSS CLUBS

A Malaska Golf Member has a question pertaining to a video Ashley did about tipping the club out and ‘L to L.’ The member thinks this looks contrary to what Ashley talks about because your arms are rolling over.Mike’s answer to that is that they are crossing over. First, Mike demonstrates the tipping of the club, where most people tend to drag the handle forward instead of bringing it down.Once the club runs into the ball, you let the club rehinge on the follow-through. The club is working up, and your arms aren’t rolling over. There is a big difference between the two.Mike explains that Ashley is exaggerating to get people to let the weight of the club break up on the follow-through. Her right hand is not rolling over at impact.&nbsp;Mike demonstrates the hand action where the clubface works up without turning down. Make sure your forearms aren’t rolling over. They are crossing over after you hit the ball. This is the same way you hit a baseball.

DON'T TWIST THE FOREARMS

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DIVINE NATURE

Tiwsting can cause problems. Learn how to get your right hand working correctly.

HOW YOUR HAND WORKS RELATIVE TO THE SWING ARC

Mike discusses the concept of “turning the corner” on the downswing and how that relates to throwing a ball. 

The turning the corner analogy comes from motor racing. It is where the cars speed into the corner using momentum and centripetal force to slingshot them out of the turn. It is the same feeling you have where you have the correct arc of the club on the downswing so it can go at impact.

Throwing a ball relates because you also turn the corner. As your arm goes back and transitions forward, it starts to turn the corner as you get in position to throw the ball.

In golf, it is also called shallowing the club, but they are very similar motions to each other. They just happen at different locations. Swinging a baseball is similar as well.

For lower trajectory shots, you aren’t holding off from turning the corner; you are just throwing the momentum at a different spot a little farther in front of the ball.

As soon as you start holding your wrist, it creates tension, and then you drag and hang onto it.

The key is where you are directing momentum. The farther you direct momentum in front of the ball, the lower the ball goes.

THROWING A BALL AND TURNING THE CORNER

Begin working on Club Toss 101 for this week's Mulligan Monday.

Let the club drop and toss it up into your hands and take your grip. You have the club where you want it in your fingers. 

Continue to drop the club, pivot, and take hold of the club. It looks easy to do. Most Tour Players can do this; however, most amateurs cannot.

The purpose of this drill is to feel the weight of the club and start to feel how the club swings up into your fingers.

When the clubhead is above your hands, it will be more in your fingers and help your grip.

CLUB TOSS 101

When you move your left hip out of the way, your right hand goes under so it doesn't have to twist. You won't hit a pull hook.

RETURN TO NATURAL JOINT ALIGNMENT

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

LEARN TO FEEL THE FORCE

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

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I’m a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based in the UK. Today’s question comes from Mark Hughes, who is asking about the ideal degree of hip openness at impact, and its relationship to the shoulders.The simple answer is that it depends on your flexibility. It’s crucial to work on flexibility not just for your golf game but also for your overall health. As we age, it becomes increasingly important to stay flexible and strong, so incorporating simple stretching exercises into your routine is essential. Mike has some great exercises available on the site, especially focusing on the posterior chain, which includes your hip flexors, glutes, thighs, hamstrings, calves, and lower back. Stretching these areas will help you improve your hip movement and, consequently, your swing.In our current lifestyle, we often spend a lot of time sitting, which reduces flexibility, so regular stretching is critical, no matter your age. Even young people can struggle with flexibility due to sedentary habits.In addition to improving flexibility, understanding how the hips work during the swing is vital. I had a breakthrough when I learned that the hips work in straight lines rather than a turning motion. The concept of pushing the left hip back during the follow-through helped me maintain proper momentum and complete my swing arc. You can also practice drills like the M1 drill with one arm, adding the pivot action for better feel.Regarding how much the hips should be open compared to the shoulders, it varies based on flexibility. Mike said his hips are about 20 degrees open at impact, but it really depends on how flexible you are. Working on your flexibility will significantly benefit your game and help you achieve the desired openness of the hips at impact.I hope this answers your question, and I look forward to catching up with you soon!

BOOST HIP FLEXIBILITY

"The most powerful wind instrument is the human voice." Hear a lifelong player share his experience of how golf has influenced his business.

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF GOLF

How to avoid the perils of wanting to get too good too fast.

LEARN TO SLOW DOWN

A Malaska Golf member wants to know if he can use the feeling of ‘handle away, handle away’ to play golf while on the course.Mike explains that when you go to the golf course, you must understand why you are there. Are you there to compete or work on your swing?These are two very different ideas. If you are there to work on your swing and the score is not an issue, you can work on ‘handle away, handle away’ while on the course, regardless of where the ball ends up. Then, you base how well you did on that.If you are playing golf, there is a way to do it, and every Tour Player also does it. Make a practice swing doing ‘handle away, handle away.’Make a mental image of what that feels like, the motion when you go up and hit the ball, and duplicate that feeling. You aren’t forcing positions and thinking about ‘handle way, handle away.’Golf can be a reactionary sport, but you need something to react to. The key is that it is a picture of a feel, not about positions.If you are over the ball and saying, ‘Handle away, handle away,’ then you are practicing and not competing. That will prevent you from hitting good shots.Again, there are ways to practice and play simultaneously. If you are over the ball and competing, you had better have a motion in mind and just let it go.If you are over the ball practicing, forcing something to happen, you rank your day by how many times you made that correctly, not by the score you shoot.

PRACTICE AND PLAY ON THE COURSE

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

Seeing lines when you putt is very important. Learn how to set up lines so that you can improve your putting stroke.

PUTTING WITH THE SMARTLINE

Mike Malaska works with MLB Baseball Players, Kevin Pillar, Kevin Plawecki and Ryon Healy about the how many other sports are related to each other.

ADJACENCY WITH MIKE MALASKA, KEVIN PILLAR, KEVIN PLAWECKI AND RYON HEALY

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Matt Baker, based in the United Kingdom, is answering a member question this week.A Malaska Golf Member says he loves the ‘Hitting off Your Knees Drill,’ but it irritates his knees when he does it. Hitting off your knees is a great drill to learn and train the swing path. If you tend to swing underneath, then you will be hitting the ground behind the ball. Similarly, if you ‘swing over the top,’ you will hit in front of the ball.This drill really trains your hands and arms and the path to swing around your body correctly. Because the golf swing is a circular motion, this drill also trains the release of the hands and wrists correctly.The good news is that you don’t have to hit off your knees to enjoy this drill. You can use a chair or a bag stand, and you will still benefit from this drill. Matt recommends dropping your right leg back when you sit in the chair. Again, this trains the correct circular motion around your body. More importantly, it trains how the wrists work and how the arms rotate in the shoulder sockets.Matt emphasizes that you don’t have to hit off your knees if you don’t want to and if it hurts your knees. Try hitting it off a chair and get good at that. It is probably easier with a driver than a 7-iron.

HITTING OFF YOUR KNEES

Jim Flick Invitational Part 1 -- The Golf Digest Golf Schools

THE GOLF DIGEST GOLF SCHOOLS

Finding your individual tempo is very important. You find it with your putter. Just hit a few puts with no target or technique in mind. Once you find a tempo that feels comfortable it should stay constant through out your game. If it changes it changes your sequence and then also your timing. Tour players are masters at controlling tempo under pressure.

TEMPO

Before you make a full swing, practice lining your arm up. Learn why this is so crucial.

DRIVING

Mike discusses golf and motion with Martial Arts expert Scott Williams.

SCOTT WILLIAMS

Being able to hinge the club is a very important part of the swing. Learn how to use the hinge drill to improve your swing.

THE HINGE DRILL

When to, and when not to, hit the flop shot.

INTRO TO FLOP SHOTS

You want to set up predominantly on your lead leg. You do not want force going from left to right.

SETUP

When you shoot a basket ball. No matter what the shot there is a slight to major down force in your legs to push up to help accelerate your arms. So if your body was facing the basket and you turned to the right to catch a pass. Then as you caught the pass your upper body starts to square up to the basket. As that is happening you are loading the ground or moving down so you can push up to shoot the ball. The longer the shot the more you push down to have more force to work with. The same in golf.

HOW THE BODY WORKS - SPORTS CONNECT

Hi, I’m Mike Malaska, and I’m here with Billy Fitzgerald and Brian Gott to talk about some Ask Mike's questions. We have an incredible team of instructors who work with us—Julie Yang, Pepe Cortez, Matt Baker, Doug Roberts, and others. They’ve all been through the M-System and truly understand what these Ask Mike's are about.I personally review most of the questions, and you can trust our team to provide accurate answers. This isn’t complicated. Over time, we’ve noticed that questions tend to become consistent people are often dealing with the same challenges. Whether it’s me or one of our instructors answering, you’re always going to get the right guidance.The Ask Mike's section is also a great place for you to voice your questions. It helps us as teachers because it shows us what people might be missing in their lessons. Interestingly, I’ve found that many people don’t ask their questions during lessons. Instead, they’ll email later and say, “I wanted to ask you this.” My response? “Why didn’t you ask me during the lesson?” Probably because they know I would’ve made them do it!Anyway, Ask Mike's is an excellent feature of the site. Our instructors are just as good as I am at addressing your concerns. So, send in your questions—you’ll be well taken care of. Now, let’s dive into today’s question.Hi, I’m Brian Gott, a Malaska Golf Certified Coach, and I’m here to answer a question for Ask Mike's. This one comes from Tom Thornalley, and it’s something we hear all the time—at least once per lesson!Tom asks about the impact drill and whether it’s valuable to use with the driver.Tom, let me share what Mike always says when we hear this question: “Should I do this with the driver?” His response is, “Only if you want to hit it well.”The impact drill is vital because it helps you feel what it’s like to be in the proper impact position. To practice this, start by getting into the impact position. Remember, it’s not about getting the hands forward—it’s about moving the hips out of the way, something we emphasize a lot in the M-System.Here’s how to practice: Get into the impact position, stay there, and make a small swing. By starting from impact, you’re already in the correct spot.Repeat this drill—impact, impact, and then a little swing. As you work on it, you’ll develop a feel for the correct impact position, and your overall swing will improve significantly. Keep practicing, and remember, the impact drill works with every club—including the driver.

IMPACT DRILL WITH A DRIVER

Time between shots evaluates if you know what you're doing.

TAKING THE RANGE TO THE COURSE

How static positions don't hold up during play.

STATIC POSITIONS DONT HOLD UP

There is a line that separates practice and preparation from actually competing.  Here are the two sides of the line.

THE LINE YOU CROSS

Hand-eye coordination is crucial to proper face control. Learn how to improve your swing.

BOUNCING THE BALL WITH TWO CLUBS

Hale's swing was always his own. Here's how he shaped it by using what he saw in others.

LEARNING THROUGH OBSERVATION AND PRACTICE

Toski on Ben Hogan photo Part 2 - The Right Side

TOSKI ON BEN HOGAN PHOTO - THE RIGHT SIDE

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

MIKE'S WINNING MINDSET

Your swing arc should be smooth and continuous.  At no point should you interrupt the momentum in order to re-route.  Momentum helps your body work more efficiently.

DIRECTING MOMENTUM IN YOUR BACKSWING

Malaska Golf Certified Instructor, Pepe Cortez, illustrates how his passion for racketball connects to the golf game.

RACKETBALL AND GOLF CONNECT

The truth and myths about the width of your swing.

WHAT IS WIDTH

ON THE RANGE WITH ALEX GAUGERT

On the course, changing lies change your set-up.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES

Controlling the spin on the ball is very important. Learn how to better control your club face.

CONTROL BEFORE SPEED

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

Making a normal swing with no target can help you understand where the ball starts and direct your aim on the course.