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A Malaska Golf Member who plays a lot of executive par 3 courses wants to know if he should still hit down on the ball with his irons.Mike’s response is a definite yes. To demonstrate this, he has a ball teed up high, and when he hits the ball, he is still going to catch the ball slightly on the downswing. Because the ball is on a tee, when he swings down on the ball, the low point of the swing will be slightly forward of the ball. It’s the swing arc. You will have more control of your irons when you come slightly down on the ball because you are compressing the ball on the clubface.When the ball is on a tee, Mike hits it at different points of the clubface to affect the trajectory and the amount of spin on the ball.Unless Mike is trying to hit some special or crazy shot, he will approach hitting off the tee or the ground the same way.Except for a driver, on all his iron shots, he is still hitting slightly down on the ball because the swing arc is bottoming out in front of the ball.

IRONS ON A PAR 3

Use more arm movement and less body movement.

SIDEHILL AND BELOW YOUR FEET

Before adding speed to your driver, you must first have control.

DRIVER EFFICIENCY

Why do most golfers plateau in their socring. Mike and Brendon discuss this common concern.

THE GREAT GOLF PLATEAU

The momentum of the club will create the alignments you want at impact.

FACE CONTROL AND STABILIZATION

Mike works with MLB Hall of Fame Pitcher Goose Gossage.

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TRICK

If you don't use your imagination, you have no chance when playing at Augusta because the speed of the slopes and angles of the breaks are unreal.  Keep that in mind for the Masters.

THE IMPORTANCE OF IMAGINATION WHEN PLAYING AT AUGUSTA

When you swing the club by pivoting the arms, the proper sequence happens. Here's how to avoid a common mistake.

PIVOT THE ARMS, NOT THE CHEST

Using alignment sticks to make a quadrant to set up will help you hit the ball straight and not aim to the right.

HOW NOT TO AIM RIGHT

A mental approach to yourself and your game.

HOW TO SEE YOURSELF

When doing the Chair Drill, the hand action is the same for the driver, 7-iron, 5-iron, and wedge.

CHAIR DRILL:DOES IT APPLY IN ALL SWINGS

Using a tempo you are comfortable with across all of your swings is very important. This is how to use tempo to your advantage.

TEMPO IN THE GOLF SWING

Identify the cause to fix the chicken wing.

THE CHICKEN WING

Your eyes are an essential part of the game. Developing the correct vision and seeing the right things is critical to hitting good shots.

Most players and teachers don't even talk about the eyes. Your eyes perceive something, giving your brain a picture, then your body reacts. Your brain must understand the picture that it sees. Because you are playing to the side of the ball and not on top, many things happen. It is called parallax. Training your eyes to see the line and path begins with putting and chipping.

Mike demonstrates by making chip shots using alignment sticks, aiming the face of the club down the path. His eyes turn and track down the line. Setting up, pointing your eyes parallel to your target line, and rotating your head down the track is crucial.

Use alignment sticks with putting and chipping to get used to seeing what it looks like to be set up correctly and the exact path your ball must follow to get into the hole. It doesn't look the same as it does when standing behind it. Train your eyes to see the line and where to hit the ball.

CORRECT VISION

Golf is about mastering every skill. Controlling path is one of the most powerful skill sin the game.

CONTROLLING PATH INTRODUCTION

Dynamic loft is where the club is and how much loft is in the clubface when you hit the ball at impact.

CHANGING DYNAMIC LOFT

There are two shots that comprise 80% of your short game. Here they are.

THE TWO SHOTS YOU NEED

Your grip determines what the ball is going to do. Practice using different grips to get a feel for what your hands need to do.

HOW GRIP AFFECTS YOUR SWING

Your set-up should match the slope of the ground.

BASIC SETUP

Fixing problems in the downswing by fixing the backswing.

DOUG JACKSON

Mike Malaska encourages beginner Sandy James to start putting pressure on her game and to get the ball in the hole with as few putts as possible. Sandy started out putting while learning the etiquette of the game. She then moved on to chipping and hitting second shots. 

When people ask Mike when they will be ready to play a game, he tells them as soon as they can putt.

Sandy was concerned about keeping pace with other players. Mike tells her it is ok not to keep score and that it is ok to pick up the ball to continue. It is not about the score or the pace at first; it is about having fun.

As Sandy gets more confident with her game and starts keeping score, she will want to play more and stay in the game.

ENTRY-LEVEL COACHING SUMMARY

Mike takes another look at Kory’s grip. Because it's still not strong enough, he makes the adjustments using baseball analogies to get the point across.

GRIP REVISITED

To create maximum speed and control the lever system needs to work properly. By the time your lead arm gets parallel to the ground on the backswing. You need a 90 degree angle between the lead arm and the club shaft. That same relationship needs to happen on the follow through by the time your trail arm gets parallel to the ground on the finish. Your hands need to also work in a manner that minimizes the face rotation relative to the swing arch. This makes power and consistency very attainable.

L TO L

When you play, there is a gap between your clubs. Learn how to close that gap with the right clubs.

CLOSING THE GAP IN YOUR PLAY WITH YOUR WEDGES

The Right Foot Back Drill works so well because you can get your hips out of the way, and it gives you the space for your arms to swing down into the ball.

When you drop your right foot back, it makes it easier to time the outside circle of the clubhead with the circle of your center as you go into the ball.

Many Tour Players will drop their right foot back to hit the ball harder. Doing this gets their hips out of the way, gives them more time to hit the ball, and gives them a more significant turn.

Hitting the ball with your right foot back allows you to hit the ball farther and be more consistent. The only downside is that your swing path might might follow your foot line. Whether your feet are open, square, or closed, your shoulders and eye line stay the same.

Moving your feet allows your lower body to do different things, and that’s why players adjust their feet. This lets you do other things with your arms.

The Right Foot Back Drill is excellent; everyone should learn to do it.

RIGHT FOOT BACK WILL CURE YOUR GAME

HIT THE SHOT THERE IS

This Malaska Golf Ask Mike comes from several members, YouTube subscribers, and emails. They all want to know the proper hand action, release, and what your hands should do.

Mike explains that it is simple once you get the grip right. However, many don't move their hands correctly, which distorts the clubface.

Mike takes us through a few steps to give a visual and feel for what your hands must do. Mike uses the Malaska Cam to show what the hand action looks like from his eyes and relative to the target lines on the floor. Viewing from the player's perspective gives you a greater understanding.

Mike talks about how everyone was supposed to have a neutral grip, palms opposing. If you have that grip, there will be a lot of twisting of the hands in the swing. It makes it difficult to be consistent. Mike laments that he played this way most of his professional career and wishes he didn't.

Mike demonstrates how your hands should work. Your left hand is on an angle, and your right is more vertical. Mike shows us the hand action as he moves his arm and hand back. It doesn't twist.

Mike's right hand levers back like an underhand throwing action, while the left hand is like a chopping action. When you put the two hands together and swing your arms, that's your grip. 

It is crucial to understand this concept. When Mike takes his grip and opens his hands, his palms are not opposing.

Mike also demonstrates how swinging with his left hand is like hitting a baseball bat, you lever and hit. Your right hand levers and throws. You put that together, and that is your hand action.

Mike walks us through the Malaska Cam so we can see hand action from his eyes.

HAND ACTION IN THE SWING

PERFORM WHILE UNCOMFORTABLE

A repeating swing is the foundation of consistent golf.

THE CIRCLE OF THE SWING

Your body needs to know how to move correctly to swing. Learn how to teach your body the correct motions.

THE WALK INTO AND WALK AWAY FROM DRILL

A Malaska Golf member wants to know how to get a stock shot.Mike stands on the range, hitting multiple shots, and watches what curves are easiest for him. That is usually a draw.That’s the shot he sees, the one he has played most of his career, and the one Mike goes to when he is under pressure.Some days, Mike hits the ball solid, and it fades a little, so that will be the shot he starts with.The Member has an issue hitting a fade and ends up pull-hooking the ball. He wants to know how to hit his driver without pull hooking it.Mike demonstrates a pull hook with an oversized club. He explains that the only way to pull hook is if the club is closed relative to the path.It happens because you are turning your hand and wrist over. If your grip is correct, the motion with your hand is more of a throwing action, so your hand won’t turn over. Then you won’t pull hook!Phil Blackmar, an ex-PGA and Champions Tour player, helped Mike find a go-to shot: a slight fade. At the time, Mike was going to the Senior Tour School and competing that year. Mike needed a shot that he could be aggressive with and knew the outcome of.They decided on a shot where Mike could hit the ball as hard as he wanted without turning the face down.Every time Mike hit his driver, the ball would always fade because he wasn’t twisting his right hand. Mike demonstrates the hand action that makes the ball fade.If you want to get aggressive with your shots, ensure your grip is correct and work your hand through impact like a throwing motion.If you do this, you won’t turn the club down and pull hook the ball. Practice this with small, short shots and then gradually add speed. Do this, and you won’t pull hook!

BE AGGRESSIVE AND NOT HOOK

Preparing your golf bag for a tournament.

PREPARE YOUR BAG

Grip is the first and possibly the most important skill or task. How your hands are on the club determine what you are going to have to do to square the face. Your lead hand goes on how you're arm hangs. This is so when the momentum of the club pulls on your arm the grip squares the face. This is also a strong hit position for that lead arm. Your trail arm goes on with your palm as a mirror image of the face. This arm is to push the shaft and accelerate the club head not twist the face. If your grip is correct then squaring the face becomes much easier.

LEVER SYSTEM GRIP

Take two alignment sticks. Place one through your front belt loops. So that it is parallel to your hips. Take the other rod and hold it on the club shaft so it extends up the lead side of your body. On the back swing point the club shaft stick at the target line or just inside it. On the down swing the club shaft stick needs to come down infront of the hip line stick and behind or to the right of your trail hip. Then you swing the club into the ball. This is an exaggeration but it is what a lot of great players feel. It keeps the club in the correct arch an position relative to the rotation of your upper body.

TWO ROD RELEASE DRILL

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

A Malaska Golf Member has been having problems with the mental side of the golf game and reached out to Mike for advice on how to get mentally tougher. Mike looks at how strategy playing the golf course can help with the mental side of the game and having the right mindset. Find a shot you are comfortable taking and know that you could make that same shot seven times out of ten. The key is once you find that shot, be aggressive with it. Golf becomes whoever mishits the ball best wins at every level. The game is about your misses, not your hits.


STRATEGY-MENTAL GAME 

GOLF TALK WITH BOB TOSKI 201711

Set up to the ball. Take your back swing. By the time your lead arm gets parallel to the ground you want your club shaft and your lead arm to create a 90 degree angle. Then you swing down hit the ball. Now create a similar angle on the follow through by the time your trail arm is parallel to the ground. Once you can do that, Then you add face control. Make the ball curve to the right, left, and straight.

L TO L WITH FACE CONTROL

SMASH FACTOR-IMPACT POSITION

If you start the club back and the weight of the club stays towards the ball, you are doing what the pros do.

HOW TO USE MOMENTUM CORRECTLY

Twisting in the downswing is a very common flaw.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TWIST

The top of your swing can be ceceiving. Learn how the swing is one fluid motion.

UNDERSTANDING TRANSITION

A discussion of swing theorist vs. swing realist.

DIVOTS AND SWING THEORY

LOW DRAW PITCH SHOT

Exercises such as the golfer's grip help strengthen your fingers, loosening your wrists and forearms.

PITCHING FITNESS

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

PRACTICE FOR YOUR SHORT GAME

Most all sports cross over. Your body is a pattern machine. It does not know if you are playing golf or tennis or baseball. It is just duplicating or learning patterns. Once you learn a pattern it is transferable to other sports. So any sport that you play has application to golf. And if you play golf it has applications and direct crossovers to other sports. So rather than learn something new why not use what you already know. Most of the motions you make in a swing you already know how to do them. You are doing them every day just moving around and being involved in the universe.

SPORTS CONNECT

In the set up there are two positions relative to ball position. One is how far from the ball and the other is where in my stance front to back. The distance from the ball is extablised by first take your grip. Then let the club unhinge or radial deviate your lead wrist. Once the is established just bend until the club touches the ground. That will give you a great feel for distance from the ball. Then with short irons up to about a 5 iron the back of the ball goes in the center of your stance. That makes it easy to have a slight downward hit. As the club gets longer but on the ground the back of the ball moves slightly more forward. The last is the driver. Here the ball is up off your lead foot. Either just off the inside of your lead foot to even with your lead toe. This allows you to hit slightly up on the ball.