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Mike and Milo discuss their 7 years teaching together.

TEACHER TO TEACHER - MIKE & MILO LINES

A Malaska Golf Member has been having problems with the mental side of golf and reached out to Mike for some advice on how to get mentally tougher.

The first topic Mike talks about is strategy on the golf course. He doesn't like words such as lay up, go for it, and play it safe. Mike had played with Jack Nicklaus in several events and recalled in one instance that on a par 5, Jack decided to hit a ball short of the green instead of going for it.

Mike quizzed Jack as they were going down the fairway on why he laid up his shot. Jack replied that he didn't lay up. Bewildered, Mike asked what do you call it? Jack's answer was profound; he said that he just changed his strategy.

Jack doesn't like to use words such as lay up or play it safe because those words mean there is danger out there. This leads to anxiety, and Jack wants everything to be positive when he approaches golf. Jack changed his strategy and was very aggressive about the shot he took.

If you are over a shot and feel like you are not committed to hitting it, step back and assess the situation. Don't second guess yourself; just back away and aim at a target where you can be aggressive.

For a par 5, when Mike is in the fairway, he asks himself, can he hit the ball over the green? If this is the case, then Mike isn't going to go for it unless it is a wide-open green.

Mike looks at his lie and asks himself if he had 10 balls, could he hit 7 or 8 on the green? How many would get out of play if he missed the green? If Mike feels confident about his odds, he will probably go for it. If Mike isn't hitting the ball well and his lie is suspect, then it's not worth the risk. Mike then finds a distance to hit, usually about 100 yards, and then he can get onto the green.

Approach the shots with a mindset of strategy rather than thinking of laying up or playing it safe. The key is to find a shot where you are comfortable. What is that shot? There is no right or wrong answer.

Make a practice shot to get a feel of what that looks like and replicate that shot. The biggest problem Mike sees with players is they get up over the ball and start thinking about how they will make the shot. This is something you should have already figured out in your practice swings. It's about duplicating the motion once you decide to swing.

Afterward, assess how well you did or did not hit the ball and learn from that. The key is to review what you had intended to do and get that mental picture before going on to the next shot.

Mike reiterates that it is more about the process than the outcome. Once you start doing this, you will start playing better golf.


NO LAYUPS IN GOLF

You lose control and flip the club when you remove your pinky.  This is is exactly what you want in these kind of shots.  It's not commonly known, but tour players use it quite a bit.

REMOVE LEFT PINKY

Balance, as it applies to your body in sports, is when both of your feet are flat on the ground, you're standing with most of your weight on the balls of your feet, but your toes are not engaged - "they are quiet".

BALANCE & THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET

Set three or four balls on the green with lines around the ball. Set up to the ball. Line the line on the putter if you have one with the line on the ball. Then just make a stroke and make the line roll with no wobble. Then once you can do that then do the same thing making the ball go different distances and at different targets. 

ROLL BALL

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

The target line is a very important factor when it comes to club fitting. Learn how your swing can impact the putter that best fits you.

EXAMINING TARGET LINES WHEN CLUB FITTING

When you set up to the ball your trail wrist is at a 90 degree angle to your swing arch. As you swing back to waist high your trail wrist is still at a 90 degree angel to the swing arch. As your arm swings to the top of your swing your trail arm externally rotates in your shoulder socket. That rotation makes the club face look as thought it has opened up. Then as you swing down the arm internally rotates back so that at waist high the wrist is back to a 90 degree angle to the arch. It then stays in that same relationship until waist high on the follow through. At that point your lead arm continues to externally rotate. 

SWING ARC

This Quick Fix Friday finds Harry Hooker in the bunker.

Harry's solution is to stand on his left foot, aim a little more left, and let the club drop down into the sand.

Stand on your left foot. Feel like your head's in front of the ball and back in your stance. Don't swing back and from the inside because it won't work. 

Harry makes a swing and gets it out of the bunker and onto the green.

HARRY HOOKER BUNKERS STAND ON YOUR LEFT FOOT

Get a feel for your backswing by starting your initial swing at the follow-through position. You will feel the momentum of the club and the arc of the swing.

FRONT LOADER DRILL

The most popular grip is resting your left index finger on top of your right fingers. Do not interlock your fingers.

THE MOST POPULAR PUTTING GRIP

It is critical in putting that you see line correctly. Not everyone sees line from the same eye position. To find your eye position first. Set the line of the ball. Then put your eyes in a position that the line looks correct. Then set the putter in. Last set your body up to fit the putter then roll the line.

EYE POSITION OVER THE BALL

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

The downward force and pushing up to make a basketball shot is the same motion applied in a golf swing.

BASKETBALL AND GOLF CONNECT PUSH DOWN TO GO UP

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based in the UK. Today's question comes from a gentleman named Mark Hughes. I know Mark—he’s from Wales—and he’s been working on the four-step drill. His question is: when he performs the drill with a driver, it works well, but when he uses an iron, he tends to hit the ball out to the right. He’s checked his grip and says it’s okay. So, he wants to know what might be causing this issue.First, let’s recap the four-step drill before addressing the problem. The four-step drill is designed to help build a good backswing and establish a sense of where the club should be in time and space at the end of the backswing, ready for transition into the downswing.To perform the drill, take your address position over the golf ball. Lift the golf club and rest it on your right (trail) shoulder while maintaining your golf posture. Turn your body by pushing your right hip back and feeling pressure shift to your right heel. This gets you to the end of your backswing position. Push your arms away to achieve the correct top-of-backswing position, then swing through and hit the ball. This sequence—address, step one, step two, step three, step four—is excellent for building consistency and understanding proper club positioning.Now, let’s diagnose what might be going wrong. The first thing we always check as golf professionals is the grip. A poor grip often causes the clubface to stay open, leading to shots that veer to the right. If the grip is too weak (hands positioned incorrectly on the club), the clubface can remain open during the swing. Mark has confirmed his grip is fine, so let’s explore other possibilities.One common issue we see is the left wrist position at the top of the backswing. Sometimes, when performing the four-step drill, golfers create a "cupping" motion in the back of the left wrist. This happens when the wrist hinges upward, leaving the clubface pointing downwards (toe of the club pointing toward the ground) at the top of the swing. This cupping often results in an open clubface through impact, causing shots to go right.To fix this, aim to keep the left wrist flat or slightly bowed at the top of the swing. This keeps the clubface square or slightly closed. Focus on your left wrist position as you swing back. Avoid hinging your wrist excessively upward, and work on achieving a flat wrist at the top, ensuring the clubface is at a more neutral angle. From the front view, the left wrist should align with the forearm, and the clubface should be angled rather than pointing straight down.If the grip and wrist position aren’t the issues, another possibility could be improper hand rotation through the swing. However, nine times out of ten, the problem lies in the cupped wrist. Practice focusing on your left wrist position during the drill, and this should help you immensely.Let me know how it goes!

THE FOUR-STEP SWING FIX

How your wrists hinge is important, but not as important as making sure you do not force positions.  Here is what I mean.

RE-HINGING YOUR WRISTS

Mike Malaska has put together a fitness program that is easy to maintain and doesn’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 & HEALTH

The New Year is here, and being comfortable with all of your clubs is more important than ever.

WHAT TO PRACTICE IN THE NEW YEAR

Again, the game of golf is built around putting. Here is how it applies to your pitch shots.

PITCHING WITH GIULIA SERGAS - 201811

HOCKEY AND GOLF

Scoring is (obvioustly) putting the ball in the hole

IFYP: SCORING

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™

SPORTS CONNECT OVERVIEW

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

PUTTING

Start by taking your grip. Then lift the clubbed up until it is directly above your hands. The club will feel very light. Then let the club drop until the club head is even with your hands. You will feel your arms tighten. Now lift the club to about a 45 Degree angle and make some small circles with the club head. Once you can make these circles and always feel the club head. Then try to keep that same pressure throughout your swing. 

ASHLEY - GRIP PRESSURE

BUILDING A STRONG SETUP

Loading into the right heel and learning how your right leg works makes it easy to use your hands and arms correctly in the golf swing.

SPRING TRAINING FOOT ACTION

Building your skills from chipping to full swing.

THE FIRST SKILL - CHIPPING

Mike works with MLB Hall of Fame Pitcher Goose Gossage.

GOING BETWEEN THE LINES

Updates from Mike Malaska about what is happening in the World of Golf.

MALASKA GOLF NEWS

Driving with your feet together is a great drill to help your body rotate, keep from moving too much, and stay centered.

DRIVER WITH FEET TOGETHER

If you do not practice the right things with your instructor, you will only reinforce bad habits.

REINFORCE THE RIGHT CONCEPTS

Pointing the handle away on the backswing and the follow-through is a great drill to get the club to accelerate through the ball.

HANDLE AWAY DRILL

So what does the body really do in the swing. How do you incorporate it. What are its basic tasks that synchronize the swing. And finally how do you practice how it moves. Once you understand its roll it becomes much easier to maximize its use in your game. Instead of well intended having it just get in your way and create a lot of compensations.

HOW THE BODY WORKS - OVERVIEW

Tennis and golf are very similar. Feel how lining up your right arm is key to a solid hit.

PRACTICING IMPACT WITH TENNIS

Hi, I'm Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska-certified golf coach from Chicago. Jimmy Thorne writes in with a question about arm drop in the golf swing. To clarify, yes, your arms do drop, but they do so as a reaction to your change in direction. I often see people trying to focus on dropping their arms or pulling them down intentionally.If I reach the top or transition point of my swing and simply try to pull my arms down, my right side, or trail side, is likely to follow, causing me to come over the top almost every time. This often results in pulled shots. From down the line, you can see that when I get to the top and just pull down, my entire right side follows. So, your arms naturally drop as a response to the change in direction, not from consciously pulling them down.When I swing back and my hip socket clears out of the way, as soon as I finish turning and change direction, I plant my foot in the ground. This action tilts my shoulders, which allows my arms to drop naturally. So yes, your arms do drop, but how do we work on achieving this?I have a board here to demonstrate. If I allow my arms to drop as I move left to right, as soon as my right foot plants on the ground, I turn out of the way and shift left again. My arms drop naturally with this movement. This step is part of the transition point in the swing. There’s a small amount of lateral motion—just enough to plant my foot without sliding, which stops the momentum, lets my arms drop, and allows me to turn through the shot.To practice, I suggest starting without a club, making swings to feel this rhythm. You can even hold the club out in front of you for some balance and rhythm as you swing back and allow the arms to drop. Think of it as “left-right,” with a little step that causes the arms to drop from the change in direction.So, yes, your arms do drop, but it’s the change in direction that makes them drop. That’s why you need to stay soft in the shoulder sockets so that when your foot hits the ground, your arms drop naturally, the club stays in front of you, and you can then turn through the ball.

STOP FORCING ARM DROP

Nibley Park Golf Course is the first course I ever played golf on. Learn how it shaped me into the player I am today.

NIBLEY PARK

Mike discusses flexibility and the golf swing with Milo Lines - who has issues with his flexibility.

TOE TOUCHES WITH MILO

A discussion of students and the learning process.

FAILURE AND SUCCESS

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

GETTING A FEEL FOR YOUR DRIVER

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

GETTING READY TO PLAY

Choosing a club depends on the loft you want to achieve.

WHICH CLUBS TO HIT

Mike has a candid conversation with Chris Grundy, Malaska Golf’s first Spotlight Member
about learning golf, playing golf and using the Malaska Golf Website.

GOLF TALK WITH CHRIS GRUNDY

Each Skill Pathways section takes an in-depth look at a fundamental part of your game. This allows you to select a trouble area, explore the breakdown of the shot, and perfect your abilities. Now, when you’re out on the course, you can really focus on the skills you want to elevate and fine-tune the shots that will help you score better.

SKILL PATHWAYS

Hi, and welcome to another Ask Mike. I’m Matt Baker, a Malaska Golf Certified Coach, and this week, we have a question from a gentleman named Lance Yednock. He's been working on transition, really liking it, and starting to feel some power while doing so. That’s great news because that’s what the M-System is all about.Lance’s question is about something Mike often talks about—working on transitioning earlier. Lance mentions that when he tries this, he tends to go a little quick from the top and comes over the top, as he puts it. His question is whether you can work on transitioning earlier in a way that keeps the shoulders turned and works into the downswing.Well, yes, there are two ways to approach this. The first method, which we talk about a lot at Malaska, involves throwing a ball. This simplifies the concept and removes much of the technical jargon. Throwing a ball is a natural movement, and as the arm goes back, the body instinctively starts moving forward. So, as I go back, I’m not pausing or holding anything; my body begins to move forward. This creates a natural transitional movement. When throwing a ball, this happens instinctively.The same principle applies here. As you take the club back and reach about the midway point, your lower half is already starting to move forward. This creates a moment where the lower body transitions forward, and a differential is created. As the club moves back, the hips start moving forward, creating a difference between the hip turn and the shoulder turn. This increases the angle, creating what I call a differential. It’s an athletic movement that happens naturally when done correctly.The second method is similar to what Lance describes. Tour players often approach this by focusing on holding their shoulders back as they swing back, then starting the downswing. One way to practice this is by holding the golf club behind your shoulders. Swing back and hold the shoulders in place with your left (gloved) hand while starting the transition earlier with your lower body. This exercise helps create that differential while reinforcing the proper sequencing of the swing.Both methods are correct. The key is starting the transition early. Working on this movement allows the hands and arms to drop naturally into place, creating speed and power. As you transition, focus on creating the differential between the shoulders and hips. This will help produce the “snap” in the swing.To summarize, transitioning early is vital for generating speed and power. Whether you approach it by throwing a ball or practicing with the shoulders held back, the goal remains the same: create a smooth, athletic movement that enhances your swing. I recommend trying both methods and finding what feels most natural for you.

TRANSITION TIMING SECRETS

You need to understand your own basic body. How it moves. What it can and cannot do. Every swing is unique. Even though you are trying to make the same moves you will look different doing them. That is Ok. You also need to understand the importance of your health. What you eat and drink has huge consequences on how you perform. Knowing how to control these variables can make big differences in your ability to perform and learn the swing and the game.

SKILL PATHWAYS: FITNESS & HEALTH

Grip is the same as full swing. The big difference is in how you set the face. The angle of attack or approach is not very steep. Much shallower than players think.

HAND ACTION

FAIRWAY BUNKERS

The basic first stretch to evaluate your flexibility and body alignment.  

STATIC BACK STRETCH

Start with small swings maybe using just your trail arm. As you swing the club into the ball the lead hip socket should move farther away from the ball or the target line. That is done with the lead leg pushing it away not just straightening. Learning to sync out these two motions. The club through the ball and the hip moving away happens in all shots. Start slow then add speed and both hands. The same timing for the short shots is what happens with the big clubs. 