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There are two reasons people come over the top. Regardless of which one affects you, we want the momentum of the clubhead moving towards the ball.

MOMENTUM

Our second installment of the Spotlight Member brings us to Utah with Todd Heugly.

TODD HEUGLY

Using the same wedge. Hit three different trajectories and make the ball go the same distance. You do this by the relationship of your trail hand knuckles to the wrist. The farther behind the wrist at impact the knuckles are the lower the ball flight. Being able to achieve the same distance with multiple trajectories is a big part of having an efficient short game.

SWING CONCEPTS - CHALLENGE

Shoulder rotation and the "inside - over-the-top" swing.

FULL SWING FLAWS

Joe discusses a general overview of fitness that is suitable for most. He says people should first get an assessment. Joe also talks about how the golf industry has done a fantastic job measuring what happens outside the body. But he believes, based on his experience, they could have done a better job with how the body moves, how the body is constructed, and the most efficient ways to move around the hips and the shoulders.

Joe's advice is to understand the balance of how your body moves, which leads back to basic posture. Joe notices that in most workout programs, people work on muscles that are already strong, tight, and dominating. These are sometimes called "mirror muscles," and we neglect the muscles we can't see.

Every joint in your body has six movements. Good posture is injury reduction, a better brake system, golf sequence, blood flow, and nutrition to our body's tissues.

Mike surmises that the best golf-specific training program wouldn't necessarily be golf-specific but function-specific. Joe agrees but adds that you must begin with a balanced body. If the body works as it is supposed to, it will do anything you want.

Mike talks about the imbalance of muscles for many people and how that pulls them out of position. They may get stronger in the short term, but in the long run, they may be more dysfunctional.

Joe says it is difficult to learn when people are locked in that position, and learning a new skill is almost impossible. The key is to get them in a new position for better learning.

JOE-LACAZE: OVERVIEW OF FITNESS

Learning the lever system by throwing and hitting the ball is the best way to begin and will help build your swing.

BUILDING YOUR SWING

Trajectory is all about how you control the face. Figure out which lunch angle works best for you.

CONTROL YOUR TRAJECTORY WITH YOUR DRIVER

ASK MIKE: ADVICE

Practice making shots with your right hand in order to feel how your wrist moves.  Get a sense of this before moving on to Part 3.

RIGHT HAND LOB SHOTS

The swing game is a program that teaches young people simple movemen patterns.

SWING GAME

Mike uses his exercise bands to do classic bicep curls.

Mike stands on both exercise bands and does biceps curls, making sure to curl his arms nicely and slowly.

You can also drop your arms after you have made the curl and catch them when they extend. Perform this exercise with your elbows against your side.

FITNESS CURLS

Now that we have looked at the shoulder rise in putting, see how that fits back to the full swing.

SEEING THE COMMON FEATURES IN ALL OF YOUR SWINGS

Distance doesn’t necessarily come by restricting your knees or hips. In fact, restricting movement during the swing can cause serious damage.

AVOID INJURY

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

HOW DO YOU MOVE FORCE THROUGH YOUR FEET

SPEED DRILL - PULL BACK DRILL

Understanding how to make a center face hit can be difficult. Learn how to use knowledge you already have.

LEARNING CENTER FACE HITS WITHOUT A CLUB

RAPSODO

This Mulligan Monday is all about your grip and hands.

Start without a club and focus on your arms because they each do different things in a golf swing. Your left arm and hand both move in a chopping action back and forth. Your right hand and arm work more in a throwing motion.

Your left palm is facing down, and your right palm is facing forward.

On the backswing, your hands hinge back and then forward through impact. Swing your hands and arms back and forth. Feel the chopping action and throwing motion. That’s how the hands work together and are strong.

Your hands don’t roll, bow or twist together at impact.

GRIP AND HANDS

The swing is on a circle, not down the target line.

SWING ON A CIRCLE

Mike discusses how to not hit the ball fat when you practice the Left, Right, Left Drill, and push away.

A lot of this is about creating a feel. When Mike sets up for the Left, Right, Left Drill, he first goes left and pushes his left hip out of the way. Then, Mike’s left leg moves right on the backswing as his right leg and hip push back. He is back on his left foot and has plenty of time to push away on the downswing.

It is almost impossible to get to your left side too soon if you make a full-shoulder turn in the process. There are biomechanics out there that reinforce this idea.

Again, when you go left, right, left in your golf swing, by the time your right leg pushes you up to your left side, your club will be at the transition point and starting the downswing. Force is transferred to your left foot, and you will have lots of time to push away through the ball.

The timing of this drill is crucial. If you are late on this drill, you will hit everything fat. This action is just like hitting or throwing a baseball.

COMBINE WEIGHT SHIFT WITH PUSH AWAY

Your body off-sets momentum to feel in sync.

HOW THE BODY MOVES

From going broke to becoming #1 the tour.

FROM RAGS TO RICHES

Allowing the momentum of the club to direct you is very important. Practice making swings with less ofrearm rotation.

STAYING AWAY FROM FOREARM ROTATION

A Malaska Golf Member says he is left-handed when it comes to baseball, but he plays golf right-handed. He says his lead (left) hand is his control hand, and he wants to strengthen his trail (right) hand.

Mike says both hands have a role and a job. Mike sets up three balls and makes a swing with just his lead hand holding the club. Note the wrist action is more of a chopping motion. Mike hits the ball with only his left hand. He does this to feel how the club works and how the wrist releases into the ball.

Then Mike switches to his right hand and makes a practice swing. His right arm and hand release like a throwing motion.

Finally, Mike puts this all together with both hands on the club and hits the ball, allowing them to do what they should in unison.

Mike reiterates it isn’t about one hand or the other (right or left) but about using both in tandem. Working on this drill will help with your golf swing.

USING LEAD AND TRAIL HANDS

Knowing how the handle and bounce works are the first things to gain familiarity with for hitting these lob shots. Here's how you practice that.

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS FOR HITTING LOB SHOTS

Check your aim if your tendency is to twist.

GARRETT MOSS

A Malaska Golf Member wants to know if Mike uses the same grip when chipping around the green as he does when putting.

The answer is yes! If Mike spends time on the putting green, he will take his pitching wedge and use it to make putts. Mike will make 10, 20, and 30-footers and then putt the ball out. The ball gets in the air; however, he is not blading the ball using his putting stroke.  

Again, Mike is using his putting grip with his pitching wedge. In essence, he has a lofted putter. He will also use a 7 iron, and an 8 iron.

This helps Mike to chip around the green. If he can chip on a putting green, there isn’t a lie around the green from which he can’t chip.

Taking your putting grip and chipping with different clubs on the green is going to make you a better chipper. This will also give you the confidence to chip around the edge of the green.

Paul Runyan gave Mike the idea to practice this when he struggled with chipping. Mike does this exercise, and it works well for him.

Again, take your putting grip and make putting strokes with a lofted club. This will help you chip from around the green.

YOUR PUTTING AND CHIPPING GRIP ARE THE SAME

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about a video that Ashley Malaska Moss did on the L to L Drill.Mike Malaska explains that many of the drills are slight exaggerations. When you do the L to L, you move from the ‘L’ on the backswing to ‘L’ on the follow-through and hold that position. However, if your body stops, the momentum of the club swinging through will cause the club to turn or flip over.Mike demonstrates from straight-on, where you can see the rotation in his arms. This is what they were asking about.When Mike does the L to L, he doesn’t swing hard and holds the ‘L’ on both sides. That way, his arms are stopping, and he is able to do the drill.If he goes to full speed while doing the L to L, then some rotation in the arms will happen. The momentum of the club will take over as it swings through on the follow-through.Again, drills are exaggerations. Mike actually likes to see people do the L to L drill while loosely holding the club in their fingers. Mike explains that this is so that you can feel the momentum and weight of the club, making your wrists hinge, unhinge, and rehinge. This is better than trying to hold the club too tight and start hanging on the club with your shoulders. Drills like the ‘Look Cool’ drill help you create the momentum of the club.Start holding the club loosely, then add a little structure and tension until you find the correct pressure when doing the L to L. That’s how you build it.Remember, the L to L is a slight exaggeration. Some things wouldn’t happen in full swing. Mike also notes that because your body stops, your wrists will rehinge earlier than they would in full swing.The L to L is there for a reason and is a slight exaggeration, but if you master it, it will pay big dividends.

L TO L IS AN EXAGGERATION

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

On the range players tend to hit ball way to quickly. There is a place and time for repetition. But if you want to see where you are in the game relative to playing. Then once you get a feel for your swing. Then put at least one minute between each shoot. Then you will start to see what is going to happen on the course. The biggest difference between the range and the course is time between shots. So put time between each shot. Watch what it did. If you like it replay it in your mind. If you do not like it then make a correction. Make some practice swings. Then see if the corrections you are making work.

PRACTICE TIME BETWEEN SHOTS

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about forward press, where at setup, you push your hips a little open and then swing back.Mike has studied the history of golf, which started in the 1800s, the original teachers and what they did, and numerous videos. Mike was on a quest to find out what happened to his swing after he finished playing professionally.&nbsp;Mike has studied from the beginning what these guys learned and how the swing developed based on equipment and all the different variables.Mike returned to the member's question about forward press. He said about 90% of golfers up until 1982 had a slight forward press. The reason for this is that they wanted to start the swing with some sort of ‘kick start.’Then someone decided you shouldn’t forward press after getting into the setup position. The new thought was to bounce or take a deep breath to start your swing. According to Mike, this was from someone who wasn’t even a golfer.This new setup didn’t even get you into an athletic motion; it just froze you up.Dr. Kwon, a prominent biomechanist, says when you set up to the ball, you should go left to go right to go left. This concept Mike has been preaching for years.&nbsp;Mike demonstrates the motion. Mike uses the analogy of other sports to reinforce this idea. In basketball, if you are guarding someone and they move right, then you have to go left first to go right, and the opposite is true if they go left. This is how sports work.Back to golf, Mike says if you want your backswing to go to the right, you have to go left to go right. Doing this gets the sequence moving and gets you where you aren’t static.What Mike does is he has a little left to right to go left in his swing. When he does this, it times his swing, and he is not starting from a static position.Having a slight kickstart, like Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Bobby Jones, or Ben Hogan, is probably a good thing. Mike thinks it’s crazy that we stopped doing this, and now everyone is putting it into their swings.Mike is a big proponent of this because it triggers the motion athletically.

TRIGGER YOUR BACKSWING

Know how to use the ground to make confident chipping and pitching shots.

LEARN HOW TO USE THE GROUND

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

RESCUES AND FAIRWAY WOODS

Flip the driver around and hold it at the hosel. Make swings with the handle of the club and switch back. You want to feel the weight and the arc.

FEEL FOR THE DRIVER

In this first video of the Player Lesson series, Mike Malaska works with Jimmy Pearcy to uncover the unique elements of his "golf DNA" and build upon them to improve his game. Jimmy, a 24-handicap golfer, is eager to find more consistency in his swing, stay in play off the tee, and reduce his reliance on scrambling. His ultimate goal is to lower his handicap and enjoy a more reliable golf game.The lesson begins with Jimmy sharing his background and objectives, explaining that he struggles with striking the ball consistently and often finds himself out of position on the course. Mike, ever focused on personalized coaching, takes the time to understand Jimmy not only as a golfer but as a learner and a person. Through their conversation, Mike learns that Jimmy is analytical and thrives on structure, preferring to follow clear, step-by-step instructions when learning new skills. This insight shapes how Mike approaches the lesson, ensuring that he delivers information in a way that resonates with Jimmy.Jimmy also shares his professional journey, transitioning from a career in education to consulting in technology sales for school districts. His ability to bridge the gap between administrators and technical staff reflects his knack for understanding and communicating complex ideas—a trait that influences how he learns and processes golf instruction. Mike uses this as a foundation to explain how learning styles vary and why it’s essential to present information in a way that aligns with a person’s natural tendencies.To gain a better understanding of Jimmy’s physical movements and natural athleticism, Mike engages him in a series of simple yet revealing exercises. Using a baseball bat, Mike has Jimmy simulate swings and practice tapping a tree to observe his range of motion and body coordination. He also asks Jimmy to throw golf balls into the fairway, further analyzing how his body moves during these actions. Through these exercises, Mike identifies that Jimmy’s hips, shoulders, and arms tend to move together in unison, with minimal separation. This finding highlights the influence of Jimmy’s athletic background, which includes over a decade of playing travel softball after college.During the session, Jimmy mentions a torn labrum in his hip and ongoing tightness, which affects his range of motion. Mike reassures him that these physical traits are not a limitation but rather factors that must be considered when refining his golf swing. He critiques the common industry approach of forcing all players into a standard model, emphasizing instead the importance of tailoring instruction to fit each golfer’s unique biomechanics and natural tendencies.Mike introduces the concept of "golf DNA" to explain how each player’s natural movement patterns, athletic history, and physical traits form the foundation of their ideal golf swing. For Jimmy, his softball background and instinctive coordination provide a strong starting point. Rather than attempting to overhaul these patterns, Mike’s goal is to build upon them, adapting techniques that feel natural and effective for Jimmy.Throughout the lesson, Mike’s coaching philosophy becomes evident. He focuses on leveraging the strengths and abilities Jimmy already possesses, rather than attempting to mold him into an arbitrary ideal. By aligning the swing with Jimmy’s natural motions and respecting his physical limitations, Mike ensures that the changes are both practical and sustainable.This initial session provides Jimmy with valuable insights into his game and his learning process. He gains a deeper appreciation for how his unique "golf DNA" influences his swing and begins to understand how to work with, rather than against, his natural tendencies. With Mike’s guidance, Jimmy is set on a path to achieving greater consistency and lowering his handicap by playing to his strengths.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR GOLF DNA

Flop shots are easiest when the ball is sitting up.

FIRST CONSIDERATION - CHECK THE LIE

Determining where your swing bottoms out is how you decide on ball position. Learning to hit the sand in the same place is critical to consistent bunker shots. Draw a line and hit the line. That is a very important skill.

ANGLE OF APPROACH & THE LOW POINT OF THE SWING

Mike introduces the importance of finding and keeping a light grip pressure.

LIGHT GRIP PRESSURE

Tom Sorenson helped me tons when I was a kid. Learn how Nibley Park changed my life.

STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE AT NIBLEY PARK

This week's Mulligan Monday is all about working on your setup.

Using three alignment sticks, form a "T" shape with the sticks. Place a tee on a ball where the sticks intersect. 

First, place your right foot into the lower right quadrant. 

Second, set your grip and address the ball. 

Third, drop your left foot in the lower left quadrant. 

Four, drop you're your right foot back. Make your backswing from there.

This setup practice routine is like a dance step: one, two, three, four, and swing the club.

Tour Players have a similar routine.

A DANCE STEP CALLED SETUP

When we talk about release. We are not taking about letting go of the club. We are talking about how your hands direct the momentum of the club to the ball. And how they react to that momentum as the club goes through the ball and into the finish. So the question is how do your hands work or direct the momentum of the club.

RELEASE THE CLUB

Hi everyone, I'm Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska Certified Instructor. Tom Pivotone writes in with a question about posture and what he's been reading. I'll demonstrate, but essentially, he keeps reading that people shouldn’t push their hip sockets back.Tom notes that for balance, once you get into your posture, you should flex your knees to get off your toes, putting your weight on the balls of your feet. However, from my teaching experience, I’ve found that if I flex my knees to bring my heels down more, it locks up my hips, which is critical to avoid in the golf swing.I need my hips to move freely to create space for my arms and allow for a proper turn. For the typical golfer, this locked-hip position is one of the biggest mistakes, as it restricts movement. If we can set up correctly before the swing begins, we’re already one step closer to better performance.To establish the correct posture, start by standing straight up. Your toes should be on the ground, but without gripping or lifting. Maintain that feeling as you lean over the golf ball. To counterbalance your posture, begin by pushing your hip sockets back, which lets your shoulders move forward. You don’t need excessive knee flex—just enough to feel grounded without locking your hips.For a good setup, hold the club out in front of you, push your hip sockets back, and let your shoulders move forward. In this position, your hips are free to move, so when you swing back or forward, your hips can clear away from the ball, giving your arms room to swing.Remember, the posture you take to the course has to make sense and allow for athletic movement. Too much knee flex will lock up parts of your body, making it difficult to play your best. Aim for a functional posture—it's the foundation for better golf.

FREE YOUR HIPS WITH KEY POSTURE

The club length doesn't matter much if you are a shorter player. Many shorter tour players used standard-sized clubs. However, your swing arc will be on a slightly different swing plane and less vertical than a taller player.

With all the varying heights of players, their golf clubs typically only go from one-half to one inch under or one to two inches over standard-sized clubs.

The key when you hold the club is not to hold the club at the end of the handle. Holding the club at the end of the handle tends to move around and tear your glove. 

Your little finger should be about an inch from the end of the club; the cap shouldn't be touching your hand. You will find that you have much more control of the club. It is like having a counterbalance weight on the end of the club.

If you choke down on the club, you won't lose too much distance in your shots, but you will have more control of the club.

HOW TO PUT THE CLUB IN YOUR HANDS

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

The tour players release feels "under" after impact.

THE TOUR PLAYER RELEASE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UNDERSTANDING THE TEEING GROUND

Either place a band around your hips and connect it to the ground or a cable system connected to your belt buckle. Then create tension in the cable. It is now pulling your towards it. Then start your backswing and increase the tension in the cable or band. Notice where your force goes in your trail foot. Towards the inside of your trail heel. Then start to rotate back to the start point. Keeping the tension in the cable. Now move onto your lead leg and continue to push away or create more tension in the cable as you move to the follow through side. Again your instinct to keep tension in the cable will give you the feel for your swing.

CABLE PULL

If your knees bend too much, you will create tension. Practice standing normally.

BALANCING WITH YOUR KNEES

SMASH FACTOR-TEE DRILL

IN THE CLUBHOUSE WITH FRIENDS, PLAYERS AND LEGENDS
Sometimes the best part of the game is talking about the game. Find out what’s really going on inside players’ heads. Hear the stories that become legends firsthand. Get a better understanding of the mental side of the game, the highs and lows. Explore what players and instructors think about how the game is taught, practiced and played. This is how I end every day at the course. Now, it’s here for you to enjoy as well. These are the clubhouse conversations that keep the game going long after the sun has set and the clubs have been put away.

GOLF TALK

Don't focus too much on exactly when your wrists hinge. Let the momentum of the club do it for you.