Manage Account

Manage Subscription

Discover

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.

SEE WHAT YOUR SWING WANTS TO DO

Your practice station is the foundation of your practice. Here, Mike explains to Caroline how to set this up.

CREATING YOUR PRACTICE STATION

HITTING THE DRAW

Learn how to make your right arm line up with the shaft.

IMPACT

First set up without a club. Make a backswing. Let your shoulders turn then just let your arms drop without moving your shoulders. Once you can do that then as your arms drop let your shoulders follow your arms. Then take your club and copy the same routine. Set up in a closed stance. That gets your trail hip out of the way. It makes it easy to turn. Then let your arms just drop and then as the club swings down let your arms pull your shoulders into impact.

ARM DROP WITHOUT TENSION

A discussion of what the full swing "feels like."

HOW DOES THE SWING FEEL

What works - and what doesn't - with the plumb-bob.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE 'PLUMB-BOB'

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.

WHEN THE MOMENTUM GETS TOO FAR INSIDE

The putting stroke is the smallest stroke or swing in the game. But it has profound effect on all swings including a driver. How do you practice the stoke and what makes it so important to even a driver swing

PUTTING OVERVIEW

Mike has received the highest honor of PGA National Teacher of The Year in 2011. He wrote, “I Feel Your Pain” in 2013 and is proud to announce the new release of this 2nd book entitled, “The Invisible Swing” in 2019. Mike produced his own DVD, You Are Your Own Swing, featuring 2 ½ hours of both golf and fitness instruction in 2004. In 2010 he was selected for PGA Southwest Section Teacher of The Year and went on to be named The National PGA Teacher of the Year In 2011. In 2017 Mike was honored to receive once again, the PGA Southwest Section Teacher of The Year Award for a second time.

Since 2000, Mike has ranked among Golf Digest’s America’s Top 50 Greatest Teachers, and currently listed in the top 20 in the nation. Mike has also been selected as Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America every year from 1995 to 2017. Since 2012 when the Golf Range Association of America started its list of award winners, Mike has been one of the top 50 on that list for his contribution to growing the game of golf. This award called Growth of The Game Teachers in America is yet another of his accomplishments. In 2017 he was voted the Top Teacher in Arizona by Arizona Foothills Magazine.

A graduate of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, Mike was a college All American in 1974. He was then inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in February 1999 and into the Utah Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. In September 2013 Mike was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for his service to the University and his community. Mike is currently the Director of Instruction for the Nicklaus Academies Worldwide, Superstition Mountain Country Club, and a member of the National Advisory Board for TaylorMade Golf since 2002. He has been a summertime guest instructor for the prestigious Maroon Creek Golf Club in Aspen, Colorado in 2017 and 2018. As Director of Instruction for the Jack Nicklaus Golf Centers in Japan from 1992 to 1995, Mike was featured in Golf Digest Japan and was nominated for Japan’s Teacher of the Year in 1993. Then in 1996, he received Teacher of the Year for the Utah PGA Section.

As the continuing Director of Instruction for Nicklaus Academies Worldwide, Mike instructs the teachers at each of the centers around the globe. He continues to be a guest lecturer at countless corporate functions, PGA Section Seminars, PGA National Coaching and Teaching Summits, and as a guest speaker for the World Golf Fitness Summit in 2012. He has appeared numerous times on The Golf Channel as a guest instructor.

MALASKA CERTIFIED: MIKE MALASKA

Despite having so many trophies on his trophy case, it is the Father and Son prize that sits at the top. Hear Mike and Hale talk about the link between Family and Golf.

FAMILY AND GOLF

This Quick Fix Friday is about focusing on balance. Pick one foot up off the ground and place it on top of the other. If you feel yourself losing balance, relax and try to steady yourself.

This action starts to simulate motion and prepares your joints to handle forces.

Switch feet and do the same thing. Now put both feet on the ground and move. Your balance will feel much better.

If he is nervous, Mike does this quick exercise on the first tee box. He finds that he has much more stability and control over his golf swing.

FOCUS ON BALANCE

For this Quick Fix Friday, we look at using the brim of your golf cap to help with alignment. Flatten the brim of your cap and bring it down over your eyebrows. Looking at the line on the golf ball, get the brim of your hat parallel with the line on the golf ball. 

When you swing, the object is to keep the brim parallel to the line. If you want to hook and swing from the inside, turn your brim a little to the right. You want to keep the brim in the same line until after you have hit the ball. 

This is one of the best ways to control your path. Remember, your club goes where your eye line goes.

FLATTENING THE BRIM OF YOUR CAP

When your hips work together, your swing becomes easier to pull off. Get a feel for how your hips work for eachother in your swing.

GETTING YOUR HIPS WORKING TOGETHER

As an instructor, you want to know what you are teaching works. Make opposite side swings to challenge the complexity of what you're offering students. It'll also help keep your body balanced.

TEACHING BETTER

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about playing golf with a larger frame. Over the years, Mike has given thousands of lessons and worked with players with many different body types. Mike has also worked with Wounded Warriors and other players with disabilities.

Based on their different body types, Mike can work with players to get the best out of their golf game. Mike demonstrates this by adding an extra 40 pounds around his waist.

What can you do if you are overweight? Mike says the first thing to do is to keep the extra weight out of the way. You can do this by having more bend in your hips. Your stomach will get in the way if you turn your hips quickly. Keeping the club in front of you and turning with your center through the ball is more important.

Mike talks about a friend of his, Pat Garcia, who was big and stocky but could absolutely kill his drives. He did this by learning to keep the club in front of him when he swung. 

The key is to keep the extra weight out of the way, especially when you swing. Keep the club out in front and ensure your body works together.

DIFFERENT BODY TYPES

Joe Nichols is someone you may not have heard about, but is someone you should know.  His knowledge for improving your game is unparalleled and has influenced Mike's teaching and understanding of the golf swing.  Find out more in this video.