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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

Discover

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about the Malaska Move.Mike says the funny thing is that he had nothing to do with it. It was a move that Joe Nichols taught Mike, and several other coaches talked about it.Mike shows the Malaska Move, where you start down on your swing, and the club works back out in front of you rather than going out in front of your body.The Member’s question is if he does the Malaska Move, will it make his hands tip over the top and go over in the follow-through? Mike explains that won’t necessarily happen. When the club is on the downswing, when you change directions, the handle comes down, and the club will go out.The momentum of the club will be in the right arc as you turn into the ball. You don’t have to catch it up.A lot of the twisting of the clubface happens because the club is too back and out. Mike demonstrates this. You have to either twist your body hard or catch the club up with your hands.If you do the Malaska Move, where the arms and handle come down, with the club going out, you can just turn on the ball, and the clubface will run into the ball. There is no twisting of your forearms because the momentum of the club is out in front of you, and everything stays together as you hit the ball.It is all about directing momentum. It feels one way. It does something different.

The Malaska Move

Elite Content

"So, this Ask Mike comes to us from Tim Masek. He&rsquo;s asking about how, when he hits his wedges, he tends to hit down on them, which causes him to hit them fat. We&rsquo;re all talking about, you know, feeling like you're swinging level rather than 'hitting down.' First of all, I don&rsquo;t know about you guys, but I hate the concept of 'hitting down.'
I mean, unless something happens where you take a club, hold it, and let it go, gravity is naturally going to take it down. If gravity didn&rsquo;t work that way, then, yeah, you&rsquo;d have to help it go down. But since gravity does its job, the club is already going down&mdash;you just have to aim it. So, it&rsquo;s really more about feeling level than feeling like you&rsquo;re hitting down.
It&rsquo;s about feeling more level and letting the weight of the club work for you. Okay, Bill, why don&rsquo;t you take us through what you would do to help Tim avoid hitting the ball fat?"
Billy Fitzgerlad responds:
"Sure, Tim. What I would say is this: Once I swing the club back and through, the weight of the club is going to naturally bottom out on its own. Now, if you&rsquo;re hitting it fat, there are a couple of things to consider. Either you&rsquo;re helping the club down&mdash;which forces your shoulder down&mdash;and suddenly your low point is below the golf ball. That creates a lot of extra force into the ground instead of the ball.
So, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;d suggest: line your shoulder up with the ball, and just allow the weight of the club to go down into the ball without forcing your shoulder downward. All you&rsquo;re doing is letting the club&rsquo;s weight drop naturally so that your bottom-out point is consistent.
To summarize, Tim: Feel the weight of the golf club. Even if you need to waggle it a little to get the feel, make sure you&rsquo;re aware of its weight. Keep some softness in your arms. When you swing, let the weight of the club drop on its own&mdash;don&rsquo;t force it down. As you swing back, let the club&rsquo;s weight naturally go down and do the work for you.
Here&rsquo;s another thing: A lot of players try to 'get under' the ball by tilting their shoulders too much at setup. What Billy mentioned earlier is key&mdash;you want to ensure your shoulders are level, not tilted. Your right arm, if you let it swing freely, will naturally guide the club down to brush the ground.
What I find interesting is this: When I watch players set up correctly and take a swing, their club will brush the ground naturally in the right spot. A good player will notice immediately if their club isn&rsquo;t hitting the ground correctly&mdash;they won&rsquo;t step up to the ball until they fix that. I do the same thing with chipping and pitching. I set up, make a practice swing, and observe where the club brushes the ground. If it&rsquo;s in the wrong spot&mdash;say, behind the ball&mdash;I won&rsquo;t address the ball until I&rsquo;ve adjusted.
Once you get the feel for where the club naturally bottoms out, you can set up, swing, and let the club drop on its natural arc. Like we said earlier, you don&rsquo;t have to help the club go down&mdash;it&rsquo;s going down on its own. The key is to trust the weight of the club and let it do the work for you."

Stop Hitting Fat Wedges

A Malaska Golf Member watched a video where Tiger Woods out-drove another golfer while hitting off his knees. The member wanted to know the value of this drill and what it does.Mike says everyone should learn to hit a driver off their knees. It’s not hard on your back and teaches you several good things.Mike gets on his knees the same way Tiger did, and what it teaches you is how to lever the club and create speed with your arms.Mike demonstrates the Lever System. If you are tight when you swing, you won’t be able to hit the ball. Many Tour Players can hit the ball off their knees because the Lever System is the biggest speed producer.Mike hits the ball about 200 yards off his knees with an easy swing. Another thing this drill does for you is help with the club path and angle of approach.Most people who attempt this drill for the first time will hit the ground behind the ball. They are so used to throwing their body out and into it that the club drops behind their hands, and they can’t feel the arc and direct the momentum of the club right into the back of the ball.If you swing over the top, you will stick the club in front of the ball. By making practice swings, you will start to learn the club path. Mike hits another ball off his knees, and he explains the club path.This is the same club path and arc when you stand up and address the ball. It’s just on a different angle. Your hands work the same way.Mike throws his hands around him with the club, and this is where you create speed. You aren’t playing with ‘quiet hands,’ as Mike demonstrates.Your hand might feel quiet for other reasons, and Mike has done videos about this on the website.The drill that Tiger did is monumental and good for everybody in golf.

Hitting a Driver From Your Knees

A Malaska Golf Member has an observation about the downswing. He notices that when you change directions, the handle comes down before you twist.Mike Malaska says that this is ideal. One of the worst things you can do is immediately twist your body before the club starts down as you start down on your swing. People struggle with this in the golf swing.A great drill to learn how to feel the arms drop is to set up to the ball with your right foot back, let your arms drop, and run the club into the ball. Your shoulders need to be relaxed in order to do this.When it comes to your full swing, Mike demonstrates the reason the arms drop. Mike starts his back swing; his shoulders are turned, his wrists are hinged, and his club goes up. When he starts to change direction, Mike’s pelvis starts to move a little laterally, and when this happens, his spine angle tilts. When this happens, the shoulders tilt, and your arms will drop. It is what your lower body is doing that makes your arms drop.Again, you want your arms to drop. Many Tour Players move the club handle away and down, and then everything twists into the ball together. One of the worst things you can do is have your body outrun the club. You want your body and clubface to stay together.

How and Why Your Arms Drop

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.

INTRODUCTION TO JOE NICHOLS

The M-System is a 5-tier instructional plan designed to simplify the game and build your skills for every type of swing. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if you&rsquo;re just starting out or if you have been playing for years at a high level. We&rsquo;ll go step-by-step through every aspect of the sport from basic setup to advanced theory and swing drills. Each video explores a new aspect of the game to give you a greater understanding of what&rsquo;s happening when your club hits the ball. Every level increases its focus as you increase your ability. I promise you, golf is not overly difficult. You just have to unlock the game that works best for you. And this is exactly what The M-System is designed to do.

M-System

A Malaska Golf Member is good at making long putts but needs help with short ones.

Mike explains that the closer you get to the hole, the more you expect to make the putt and the ball go in the hole. The task, however, is to hit the ball and roll the line.

When you have to make a short putt, you focus so much on getting the ball in the hole and become afraid you will miss it.

It is important to concentrate on the task at hand: hitting the ball in the middle of the face and making it roll.

Mike has two balls set up with lines on them. One ball is the hole, and the other is the ball he is hitting. He makes a solid putt, makes the line roll, and hits the second ball. If you can hit the ball, you will have a better chance of hitting the hole because it is larger.

Mike suggests that when you are at the golf course, you should practice this exercise on the putting green. Think of this as playing pool, then practice hitting the left and right sides.

This teaches you to be specific with setting the line, aiming the line, and hitting a specific spot. You will start making those putts if you start practicing this and not aiming for the hole.

PUTTING PROCESS VS. OUTCOME

Most all sports crossover. 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

A Malaska Golf Member wants to know about The Loop Drill and its purpose.

When you watch Tour Players on their backswing, by the time the club gets waist high and parallel to the ground, the clubhead is even with or to the golf ball side of their hands. No one has the club pointed back behind their body. The club must come up over the top on the downswing if you do this. Some players like Craig Stadler and Sam Snead swung their club like that; however, they were able to get the clubhead back on track on the downswing.

As the clubhead goes back, the club is constantly moving away from the ball. Their shoulders and hips are back when they change directions, and the club starts to shallow or loop on the downswing. This allows them to come in at the right angle of approach to the ball. The clubhead is completing more of a circle than their arms. The clubhead is making a good-sized loop.

Mike demonstrates this loop with a wedge, a fairway wood, and a driver. If you get the loop action going, your club automatically shallows the club.

LOOP DRILL SHALLOWING THE CLUB

It's really interesting. Driving all the way up for the last round, coming up from Salt Lake, getting ready for the final day. You’d think you’d be nervous. I wasn’t. I was as calm as I’d ever been. I mean, I wasn’t anxious to get to the golf course. I just kind of felt calm, even though I knew I was going to try to do something that hadn’t been done—win this Open as an amateur. At that time, it was like a Korn Ferry Tour event.The Utah Open would draw 5, 6, or 7,000 people for the last round, and it was a pretty big deal. Pulling in, they had all the guards and everything set up because they only let the players park in the parking lot. So, on the drive up to the golf course, it was me and my caddie, Mark Ruff, in the car, getting there, getting ready, and heading out to the course.I hadn’t looked at the paper that morning, but my dad gave it to me before I left the house. The article was about me and the tournament, but it said I had very little chance of winning because I hadn’t won anything big. I was playing with a couple of tour players, and there were seasoned players right behind me. That article actually calmed me down because I thought, "Okay, these guys don’t think I can win, so I have nothing to lose." It was just, "Go out and play. We’ll see what happens." I didn’t have the pressure of “you’re supposed to win,” or “you’ve won a lot.”I felt like it was a “can’t lose” situation. I mean, if I didn’t play well, and let’s say I finished sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth, I’d still have played well. I would be the low amateur in the Utah Open, which was a big deal. I had all of that. So, I was just out there playing. And I think maybe that mindset, where I didn’t feel like I had to win, allowed me to play to win, but I wasn’t worried if I didn’t.Even if I didn’t win, in my mind it was still a big accomplishment for how well I played. And I think that’s what people have to understand about competitive golf. You’re ready to play, you give it your best, and whatever happens, happens—you just learn from it. It’s when you put big expectations on yourself, and you want to win so badly that you get too focused on trying to win and become defensive, that you don’t play well.I wasn’t defensive at all because that article made me feel like, no matter what I do, I’m winning. If I played well, great. Win the tournament, awesome, big deal. If I didn’t, I’d still have plenty of accolades for what I’d accomplished. So, I’m sure that mindset helped me play well because I didn’t feel like there was any way I could lose. That kind of mindset is how you reach your potential in your game—where you feel like, no matter what, you can’t lose.If you start thinking, "I really should win this tournament" or "I should play well today" or "I should beat this guy in match play," or "This is an easy golf course, I should play well on it," anytime you get into those kinds of thoughts, it puts too much pressure on you. You get too focused on the future, and you don’t just go out and play.I’m sure that article was a big reason I had the mindset I did going into the last round.So let’s talk about why we’re even here. Fifty years ago, I won the Utah Open here. I was the first amateur to do it in, I think, 35 or 40 years. It hadn’t been done for a long time. It was like what we’d now call a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Web.com">Web.com</a> event. There were big crowds, and Smith’s Food King was the sponsor. It was one of the biggest tournaments in the United States, outside of the tour.This golf course was my home course—I went to Weber State, and I played here all the time. It was just a really good golf course. I always liked it. Visually, it set up well for me.So this is about talking through some of those shots I hit during the last round. I remember every shot. I could tell you every tee shot. I could tell you every club. I could even tell you where I hit it on the greens on all 18 holes, which is interesting—how your memory works.This is really about, okay, here we are 50 years later, still playing competitive golf, and still involved in the game. Golf is a game for a lifetime. If you do it right, if you practice, and you take care of yourself physically—which is what the M-System is all about—you can play this game as long as you can walk. And even if you can’t walk, you can still play. There are guys playing in wheelchairs now; they’ve got special apparatuses on carts. Golf is one of the few games where, as long as your arms can move, you can play. And because of the handicap system, you can be competitive.It’s a lot of fun for me to come back here. I mean, I walk onto this property, and I’m sure Jack Nicklaus had the same feeling at Augusta and at a lot of the places he won. Every tour player, when you ask them about courses where they’ve won, will tell you—there’s a certain feel when you come back. It feels like home. You’re comfortable. You’ve had success.So, we want to go through and talk about a couple of shots—what I was thinking, the process, what happened. Where did I hit my tee shot? How did it affect my round? Things like that.It’s just fun to be back. Fifty years later, sometimes it feels like it was just a week ago, and I’m here doing this. Other times, it feels like it was an eternity ago, like it didn’t even happen. It’s just revisiting those old memories. Hopefully, some of these reflections will rub off and help you as a player.

Utah Open Revisited

Core Content

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

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about the backswing. Sometimes, his arms get too far back behind him. The member wants to know a drill that he can use to make the club do what it’s supposed to do.When Mike takes the club back, the club gets behind his hands, and his arms and hands swing back and straight up; that’s okay. That’s how Mike takes the club away. He doesn’t necessarily bring it back and make a loop with it.Mike swings back with the club in line with his hands and then moves it behind his hands, demonstrating this.He is swinging the club on a line (arc), and his shoulders keep this all in sync.The problem most people have is that their shoulders don’t turn on the same arc of the swing, but they turn back. This is what gets most people in trouble.Holding an alignment stick with your golf club is a good drill for feeling how your club works and getting your shoulders steep enough. Mike holds the stick together with his club, and the stick extends up past the handle and the back of his belt.&nbsp;The key to this drill is to take the club back. As you do this, you have to get the stick off your hip and make it swing down on the other hip. When you do this, your shoulders turn steeper. Mike again demonstrates the swing with the alignment stick on the end of the golf club.Again, this is a great drill to help you turn your shoulders steeper instead of turning your shoulders and arms back.

Don't Turn Your Shoulders

This Ask Mike comes to us from John DeFrancisco. By the way, Matt Baker, hello! Matt does a lot of great work. He’s over in England, and he’d be here today, except the flight was a little too long. So, hey Matt, how are you doing?This question is one that gets asked a lot. It tends to annoy me a little, which is great because I like being annoyed—it gives me a chance to be annoying back! The question is about the Look Cool Drill and how the clubface actually works through the ball. I’m going to take this one because I hear it so often, and it’s about exaggerations and putting circles together.All right, let’s get into it. You guys are going to have to move so I can demonstrate. The Look Cool Drill looks like this.When I’m doing the Look Cool Drill, if you watch the clubface, the face goes from here, comes down to there, and then moves up to here and over there. Through this movement, the face is rotating more than it would in my normal swing because my body isn’t moving. But this little action here—the clubface—is doing exactly what it should. It’s here, here, there, and there.The difference is that the handle of the club isn’t moving very far, so it looks like there’s a lot more face rotation. But if I take this same action and start moving my body—like in my full golf swing—the face does exactly what you want to see. When I take my body out of it and just swing my arm, you’ll see the handle pivoting, which makes it look like the face is twisting faster. However, the face is staying close to a 90-degree angle to my swing arc.The biggest issue I see with the Look Cool Drill and the L-to-L Drill is that people don’t fully understand the wrist movements. For example, when you go from here, your left wrist is flat. Now, if I use only my left arm and move to the other side, what does my left wrist do? It cups.When you add the right hand, on the backswing, your right wrist is in extension, and as you go through the swing, it moves into flexion. During the backswing with the Look Cool Drill, the left wrist is flat, and the right wrist is bent. At impact, and then as you follow through, the roles switch—the right wrist flattens, and the left wrist bends.When you do this with one hand, sometimes there’s more rotation than you want. If I overdo it, yes, the face rotates too much. The goal of the Look Cool Drill is to let the weight of the club drop and pivot naturally. See what I’m doing here?This doesn’t require strength—I’m only holding the club with two fingers. The idea is to let the club’s momentum do the work. As the club pivots, the face naturally moves through the arc. If I let it flip too much, the face closes. But the goal is to feel how loose your wrists need to be and how the club’s weight creates the pivot.If I do this with my left hand and let it flip back, the face might close, but that’s an exaggeration to help feel how much the club’s weight contributes to the swing. The drill teaches you how to relax the wrists and let the lever system work effectively.As simple as this looks, most students struggle to do it correctly when starting. They can’t figure it out because they’re too tense. This motion—this pivoting action—is the same as throwing a ball, serving in tennis, or any similar movement.The Look Cool Drill is all about using the weight of the club to train your hands, relax your wrists, and get the lever system working naturally.

Swing Better With The Look Cool Drill

How your body moves is an important part of the swing. It is also a big speed and control producer (if it works correctly). However, if it is trained incorrectly it can make it almost impossible to reach your speed and control potential. It can also potentially create patterns that can lead to injury.

Ask Malaska Golf-Body Motion

Get into your set up. Now go to impact. Once you have that position established then take the club back about 2 feet. This is a very small swing. Then from there hit the ball. Putting the center of the club face on the back of the ball. Lining up your trail arm with the club shaft. Now you start to feel what it is like to compress the ball. Just small swings identifying the impact postion and the line of compression. Plus the portion of your body. Most importantly your lead hip socket.

HITTING A BALL FROM IMPACT

IMPROVE EVERY DAY Whether you&rsquo;re a Tour Pro or a weekend player, there&rsquo;s always room for improvement. The more you understand about the forces at work in the golf swing, the better you&rsquo;ll be able to control the club face and strike the ball. When I&rsquo;m on the range or on the course as a coach, I do my best to explain these natural forces in a way that reveals the &ldquo;a-ha moment&rdquo; for players. It doesn&rsquo;t matter what your handicap is, seeing how other golfers are applying their understanding to improve will ultimately help you fine tune your swing as well. I&rsquo;m also going to share firsthand experiences at some of the world&rsquo;s finest courses, so you&rsquo;ll know what to expect when you visit and play. This is what the Player Lessons section is all about.

Player Lessons

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

This Mulligan Monday can be done on the range or at home. Begin by putting your weight on your left foot and then put your right hand in front of you.

Then take your right arm back and make swings. As you swing down into the ball, your left leg must push the left hip out of the way.

Pushing your left hip back moves your right hip and your shoulders forward, which brings your arm forward.

The key is to feel that overall motion of swinging back with your arm and swinging back to impact. It is important to move your left hip out of the way.

Program this sequence into every swing you make.

RIGHT ARM LEFT HIP ACTION

The final video in the M-System Lite series is M5: Practice. Now that you have combined M1 through M4, it’s time to practice correctly.Mike explains that when you are going to practice or even go out to play, the first thing you should do is get loosened up. He uses a pair of stretch cords to do multiple exercises and stretches. He loosens his shoulders, does curls, and exercises to work on bending and rotation. Making sure that you are loose before you practice will help your swing be more consistent, and you will have less chance of injury.&nbsp;Mike has a practice station set up on a fairway. He emphasizes the importance of setting one up when you are practicing. You need to be consistent with setting one up to get better. He has an alignment stick for the target line, a reflective stick for where he wants the ball to start, another stick to line up shoulders, eyes, hips, and maybe your feet, and the last stick for ball position.Mike sets up to the ball the same way every time, with whatever club he is using. Mike must have the same visual picture and target. Now, Mike swings and watches the ball flight relative to the target. The ball was right at the hole, so that was the feeling that he was looking for.Mike talks about training aids or objects to help with your swing. For instance, if you are swinging ‘over the top,’ then a good way to help you swing back to the correct path is using a head cover. Mike places a head cover, lined up to the side of the ball. If Mike swings from the inside, he will miss the head cover and hit the ball. If, of course, he swings over the top, he will naturally hit the head cover. This is a great way to test the path of your swing and give you immediate feedback.The next important thing to practice is face control and path control. Mike makes a practice swing, curving the ball to the left, then he will curve the ball to the rightand hit the ball low and then high. This is all about face control.Next, Mike focuses on path control. He wants to hit the ball so that it starts on the right side of the reflective alignment stick. Mike must make sure that he comes down from the inside on his swing to curve the ball to the right of the stick. This is path control. Then, Mike will curve the ball to the left, training his arms to swing on the correct path. Now, you put face control and path control together.Mike has set up the practice station on a course because when he is on the range, this is what Mike visualizes. When Mike is on a range, he sees a fairway or a hole that he is hitting at. Most people on the range are just randomly looking out at the range. Think about a shot you will make out on the course. Set up and hit the ball; picture that fairway or green. This is a great way to set up and visualize different shots you can make in different situations. When Mike was young, he practiced this way because the golf course he belonged to didn’t have a range. Mike would practice for many hours with an alignment stick on the ground. He was lucky to use the golf course as his practice area.The key learning here is to set up on the range like you really play and put time between shots. Putting time between shots while you practice is more like how you play in a round of golf. You don’t hit shots continuously, one after another. Make a good shot, wait a minute, and then try to duplicate it. If you can, great, and if you don’t, then think about your miss and how to correct it.If you practice this way, it will pay off tremendously, rather than just hitting random balls and hoping you get better.

M-System Lite M5-Practice

The M-System Coaching Series by Mike Malaska provides a structured and progressive approach to mastering the golf swing. Spanning five series, M1 through M5, the program emphasizes foundational principles, body mechanics, and effective practice techniques to help golfers of all skill levels achieve consistency, power, and enjoyment in their game.
M1 introduces the fundamentals of the golf swing, focusing on concepts such as the line of compression, grip, and body mechanics. Through drills and techniques, players develop consistency in setup, short-game skills, and full-swing mechanics. By incorporating elements like trajectory control and athletic patterns from other sports, M1 establishes a strong foundation for swing development.
M2 builds on this foundation by teaching golfers to master the lever system, refine their grip, and develop face control. Central to the series is the interplay of hands, wrists, and arms, which drives both distance and accuracy. Using natural athletic instincts, players learn to create fluid and powerful swings while minimizing strain.
M3 shifts focus to body mechanics, teaching players how to harness the body&rsquo;s power while maintaining safety and efficiency. With an emphasis on offsetting forces and proper alignment of the pelvis, hips, and shoulders, golfers learn to engage ground forces and reduce injury risk. Functional movement patterns and exaggerated drills like the chair drill highlight the importance of integrating the body and club.
M4 emphasizes blending the body&rsquo;s movement with the lever system to create a cohesive and repeatable swing. Key concepts such as change of direction, ground forces, and offsetting forces are explored in depth. Golfers refine their ball position, alignment, and posture, ensuring static and dynamic consistency for long-term improvement.

M-System Coaching 

(Build a Better Swing from the Ground Up with Mike Malaska&rsquo;s Proven Process) What if you could rebuild your entire golf swing in just three weeks&mdash;step by step, with a system that actually works? 21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing isn&rsquo;t just a lesson plan&mdash;it&rsquo;s a structured transformation. Led by Hall of Fame coach Mike Malaska, this series guides you through the exact process he&rsquo;s used to help thousands of players break bad habits, simplify their motion, and gain total control of their swing. Each day introduces one key concept or drill that builds on the last, so you're never overwhelmed&mdash;and never left guessing. You&rsquo;ll train your hands, feet, body, and mind to work together as one. This is how the swing becomes repeatable, powerful, and built to last. Each day targets a key component of the swing: from grip, face control, and balance&hellip; to footwork, momentum, and impact. You&rsquo;ll learn how the body and club work together, how to generate effortless speed, and how to train smarter&mdash;not harder. Whether you&rsquo;re a weekend golfer or a serious player, this series will reshape your game from the ground up.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn Over 21 Days: Why your grip is your swing&mdash;and how to fix it How to feel and control the clubface without guessing How to train with L-to-L motion for speed and consistency Why your feet and lower body control swing path and power The truth about impact&mdash;and how to make it automatic How to stop early extension and maintain posture naturally How to separate Practice from Play for real improvement And how to build a long-term process to Master, Maximize, and Maintain your swing
Key Takeaway: Real improvement doesn&rsquo;t come from isolated tips. It comes from following a proven process that simplifies your swing and builds your instincts over time. 21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing is that process. Train one day at a time, and you&rsquo;ll never go back to guessing on the course again.

21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing

Renowned 2024 Golf Digest Legend of Golf Instruction Mike Malaska has crafted the M-System Lite, which stems from the world&rsquo;s premier golf swing process, the M-System.
Mike has distilled the M-System's main concepts into 5 concise, impactful, game-changing videos designed to simplify and improve your game quickly.
Mike understands that many people may not have the time or commitment to invest in or commit to a lengthy training program like the full M-System, and the M-System Lite is the answer.
With just 5 videos, you&rsquo;ll witness remarkable improvements in your swing and see your score drop dramatically on the course.
The M-System Lite starts with an overall introduction video from Mike. Then, videos on M1: Line of Compression, M2: The Lever System, M3: How the Body Works, M4: Combining Skills, and M5: Practice. This all aligns with the original M-System M1-M5, and these are the most important concepts to understand from the M-System.
The M-System Lite is a fast track to a better golf swing, and mastering these 5 videos will undoubtedly pay off in lower scores and increased confidence.
Once you have mastered the M-System Lite, you can continue your golfing journey and augment it with the full M-System.

M-System Lite

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based here in the UK. This is a great question from Mike Witkowski, asking: When should you hinge the wrist? Is it at the start of the swing or at the top of the swing?That's a really good question because, as with many things in golf, there are so many different variations on this, especially if you watch tournament players.Our recommendation is to start hinging the wrist as soon as possible—almost immediately. The way I like to feel it is by imagining that I'm pushing the handle down while pulling the clubhead up. This really helps get the club swinging on the correct path.And that's the key feeling—you definitely don't want to hinge only at the top. You don’t want that sudden "snap" motion. Some coaches teach that, but in my experience, it can cause a rebound effect, and I don’t like that. I’ve tried it, and it didn’t work well for me. So, setting the wrists early is crucial.The feeling you want is that, as you take the club back, the handle is being pushed down and the clubhead is going up. Ideally, the full wrist set might happen around the halfway point of your backswing, then you complete the swing and follow through.So, the key takeaway is to hinge the wrists as soon as you can. Focus on the feeling of "handle down, clubhead up." Say it to yourself: "handle down, clubhead up"—and swing through. It will help you complete the swing consistently every time.It’s a gradual motion as you're swinging back—gradually pushing the handle down and lifting the clubhead up. It’s not a snap motion, but a smooth, continuous movement.I hope this helps answer your question, and good luck with it!

When To Hinge The Wrists

Rotating your left arm out of the top is what pins your arm against your side and gets your club in the correct position.

ROTATING THE LEFT ARM IN THE DOWNSWING

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

IN THE CLUBHOUSE WITH FRIENDS, PLAYERS AND LEGENDS Sometimes the best part of the game is talking about the game. Find out what&rsquo;s really going on inside players&rsquo; 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&rsquo;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

Jack Nicklaus shares Augusta insights to help you play smarter and finish stronger.

Golf Talk-Masters Secrets With Jack Nicklaus

Let&rsquo;s talk about what you&rsquo;re getting&mdash;and more importantly, what really matters most.
First of all, your membership is loaded with information. So now that you have access to everything, the big question is: What should you actually focus on?
There are two key places to start: The M-System Lite and I Feel Your Pain.
The M-System Lite is a simplified, streamlined version of the full M-System. It&rsquo;s built around the core fundamentals of each step&mdash;exactly what you need to understand to make real progress. If you just focused on the M-System Light, fully understood it, and could actually duplicate what it&rsquo;s asking you to do, your game would get better.
Not only would your swing improve, but you&rsquo;d also understand how a golf swing is actually built. You&rsquo;d learn the key fundamentals behind it&mdash;what really matters&mdash;and that clarity would start removing the confusion. As that clears up, your game improves, because your mind knows exactly what it needs to do.
Then there&rsquo;s I Feel Your Pain&mdash;the book I wrote because I&rsquo;ve lived through what you&rsquo;re going through. Whatever you&rsquo;ve struggled with in your swing, I&rsquo;ve likely been there. Over the course of my career, trying to make the PGA Tour, I worked with five major swing methods, each one promising something new.
I practiced hard. I got better at all of them. But none of them ever felt quite right. And eventually, injuries and setbacks caught up with me. That&rsquo;s why I truly understand the frustration that comes with not knowing what you should really be working on.
After everything I&rsquo;ve been through, I now know what matters when it comes to the golf swing&mdash;and I want to help you avoid the confusion and the pain of not understanding what you&rsquo;re trying to do.
Thanks again for being a Malaska Golf Core Member. We love that you&rsquo;re part of this community. And we want your feedback&mdash;tell us how you&rsquo;re doing, how you&rsquo;re progressing, and what questions you have.
Whether it&rsquo;s about the M-System, your swing, or your overall game&mdash;we&rsquo;re here to help. My goal is to make your game as good as it can possibly be.
&nbsp;

Welcome To Malaska Golf- Core

The main Malaska Collections are just the start of what we have planned for Malaska Golf. Here in Malaska Originals, we highlight our curated video series with more to come on the horizon.

Malaska Golf Originals

The four step drill is very beneficiary to your swing. Learn how to reduce tension, hinge your wrists, and get your body rotating correctly.

THE FOUR STEP DRILL

Mike Malaska talks about the change of direction in a golf swing. He believes there is no "top of the swing," just a start and a finish. 

There is a point and time in the backswing at the club transition point where inertia takes over, and you start on the downswing. This should be one fluid motion, so think of the "top of the swing" as "the club transition point."

If you change directions correctly, that's what drops your arms and gets the club coming down perfectly into the ball. You will come over the top if you change directions incorrectly or too late.

A great way to practice change of direction is to use an Eye Coach tennis machine, where you can practice your forehand with a tennis racket. As Mike swings and hits the ball, the racket goes back, and he moves forward.

That same timing and motion are identical to a golf swing. As Mike swings the golf club back, he steps forward. This change of direction is a continuous athletic motion. It is not wrong to practice the transition point, but when your mind thinks to swing to the top and start down, you won't be able to get to your left side soon enough.

This same concept applies to multiple sports, such as baseball, hockey, soccer, and golf.

USING A TENNIS SWING MACHINE TO PRACTICE TRANSITION

Mike Malaska, 2011 PGA National Teacher of the Year, was recently honored by Golf Digest and elevated, along with a few golf instructors, to 2024 Legends of Golf Instruction. Mike has won numerous awards and accolades over the years, and this one from Golf Digest is a crowning achievement by his peers.
Mike has taught hundreds of thousands over his 50-year career and has worked on many golf swings.
Mike is excited to present a golf training aid by Pure Swing Products, the Precision Impact Swing Golf Trainer. Mike is passionate about golf training aids that give people immediate feedback to help them with the game. When he finds that training aid, Mike likes to get involved and help promote the product.
Mike is at FireRock Country Club in Fountain Hills, Arizona, to put the swing trainer to the test and review the product.
In 2016, Mike developed a world-class swing process called the M-System. This was a culmination of his entire life's work of understanding the golf swing process. Along the way, Mike has worked with Jack Nicklaus, Jim Flick, and Joe Nichols. This mentoring, coaching, and experience have been pivotal in developing the M-System. In the M-System, Mike talks about how your hands work because they are your only connection to the club and the face. This is where this swing trainer comes into play.
It is a shortcut to the learning curve relative to that M-System. Once you have this on and you know what you're trying to do with it, the Precision Impact Swing Golf Trainer will automatically give you immediate feedback as to whether your hands and wrists are hinging at the right angle in relation to your golf swing.&nbsp;
The swing trainer will make you do things correctly, and that's a big deal. This is a great device that gives you correct and immediate feedback to ensure that you are practicing the right way. You want to make sure you aren't practicing the wrong way and wasting your time.
What is excellent about the Precision Impact Swing Golf Trainer is that it can help you not only with putting but also with chipping, pitching, full swing, and even your driver.
In the M-System, specifically M1, Mike talks about line of compression. So, how will this help you with line and compression? Mike demonstrates this by grabbing his putter with the Precision Impact on. He holds the putter straight out in front of him. The Precision Impact lines up with the putter shaft. Now you have a perfect line. When you hit a putt, you have a little forward press. As Mike moves his wrist forward, you can hear the Precision Impact click into place. Now, it is set to the right amount of forward press he needs to putt the ball. When he putts, it holds, and his right arm pushes the putter shaft right through the ball.

Precision Impact

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about Jack Nicklaus's practice of putting the ball in the same position with every club.With a sand wedge, Jack would position the ball off his left heel. The handle of the wedge was right on his left thigh, where his left hand would be and where Jack would always set up.Moving to a 7-iron, Mike’s right foot drops back. It looks like the ball is further forward, but the hands and handle are in the same position off the left thigh.Now, to the driver, It’s the same as the 7-iron, only the right foot is farther back. The hands and handle still come off the left thigh.All Jack does is keep dropping the foot farther and farther back, but the hands and handle are in the same position, regardless of a wedge, 7-iron, or a driver. Jack is very consistent in the way he sets his club up relative to his body.He also has a leg action that allows it to work on all his clubs. Now, some players do that by having everything up off their left heel. Others move as the club gets shorter and goes farther back in their swing. You must find what's best for you and then be consistent with it.

Jack Nicklaus and Ball Position

A Malaska Golf Member is confused about the left, right, left hit relative to his right foot rotating and pushing the spike of his shoes and rotating into the ground.Mike explains how to do the drill correctly. You start by taking a small swing with the club to the left, then swinging back right, and then starting back to the left on the downswing.As you start the downswing left, your right foot is pushing into the right cleat of your shoe and twisting into the ground. When you do this, it helps the right hip stay back. Most people, when they do this drill, push off on their right hip. When your right hip stays back, your femur starts to rotate inward, which turns your right foot in and the cleat into the ground. This happens automatically if your hip works correctly. If, however, your right hip pushes, then you will be in trouble.Again, the sequencing of left, right, left gets your hip to stay back. Your leg starts to rotate and pushes the heel into the ground and then you hit the ball.Mike demonstrates the swing, and you can see the foot rotate in. It is a natural pattern if you do the sequencing correctly. You also want to work on the foot action.Once you feel it, the hip works, so you tie the two together.

Proper Hip and Foot Action

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

Kory Budinger

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.

Joe Nichols-201801

Kory Budinger joins Mike Malaska at Superstition Mountain for a one-on-one lesson.

HOW TO PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE CLUB

The body plays an important role in evrey sport. The golf swing utilizes your body when it works correctly.

Lower Body

This Quick Fix Friday looks at the reasons to tee your ball at different heights.

If you aren’t hitting the driver tremendously and want to keep the ball in play, tee the ball lower. Mike hits the ball, fades, and keeps the ball in play. The second shot is higher. You can do a little more with the ball, and it will go farther.

For the last shot with the ball on the highest tee, Mike can hit the ball on the upswing and go for distance. Mike crushes the ball; however, many other things come into play if you lose control of the ball that high.

Choose the tee height that works for you based on your swing. Figure out what you are trying to accomplish on your swing.

THREE DIFFERENT TEE HEIGHTS

Ball Position is a vital part of The M-System series. Mike Malaska walks us through how using different clubs, from your driver to your wedges, affects ball position in your setup. Mike builds a practice station for you to follow to help with ball placement and how you line up your body to the ball. Mike&rsquo;s approach from 120 yards out is consistent with hitting from his left side. As Mike gets into fairway woods, rescue clubs, and his driver, the approach and ball position are more forward, and both legs come into play. The golf swing is a circle, and the ball position and angle of attack change with the club.

Ball Position

The lever system is the source of one of the biggest if not the most important speed producers in the swing. It is also the source of most of the control of the ball. Your hands are the only contact you have with the club. How your hands are placed on the club and how they work determines your ability to reach your potential. Not only with speed but with control.

Ask Malaska Golf-Lever System

Properly preparing for a tournament is very important.

Tournament Prep

The latest additions to the Ask Malaska Golf Collection.

Ask Malaska Golf-What's New

Using the big club and ball gives you a great visual of where to hit the ball and how the face works relative to the target line and the swing arc.

FACE & HAND ACTION - BIG BALL

The lever system is one of, if not the biggest speed producer in the golf swing. If you do not have a solid understanding of the main components: Grip, Face control, Lever System, Arm Path and Club Head Path, you will fight the swing forever. These are simple but most of the time they are over looked. This could be the main reason you are struggling with the game. It really is simple if done in the correct sequence of learning.

M2-The Lever System

Mike has a candid conversation with PGA Professional Austin Graham about the PGA Tour School. Mike shares his experience with the Tour School and compares it to the process Austin will experience this year. The PGA Tour School will be held at TPC Sawgrass, and the Top 5 will make the PGA Tour while the rest will be on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Austin Graham- PGA Tour School

The basic concepts and or tasks and skills that you take on determine how your body builds the patterns for the swing. It is critical that you have a good understanding of exactly what you are trying to do and what are the ways to develop them. Your body if given a correct task will eliminate anything and most everything not relevant to the task. That is why the base concept and or tasks are correct.

Ask Malaska Golf-Swing Concepts

The Lever System is one of the most important fundamentals in golf. After grip, Mike believes it has the greatest impact on your ability to square the clubface, control ball flight, and generate effortless distance. In this two-part Focus of the Month, you&rsquo;ll learn how to train the natural hinge and unhinge of the wrists with the Look Cool Drill, then isolate each hand using the Impact Bag &amp; Racket drill. Together, these lessons show you how to let momentum and physics do the work &mdash; creating a swing that&rsquo;s both powerful and consistent.
Key Takeaways:
The Lever System is the foundation of distance, control, and consistency.
The Look Cool Drill builds awareness of natural wrist hinge and release.
The Impact Bag &amp; Racket drill trains each hand&rsquo;s role, then blends them together.

Focus Of The Month (September, 25)

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

M-System Max

Very few golf shots are hit from a perfectly flat lie. On the course, you are constantly facing subtle slopes&mdash;sidehill, uphill, downhill&mdash;and if you don&rsquo;t adjust your setup, your contact will suffer. In Day 7, Mike Malaska explains exactly how to make clean, consistent contact from any lie by adjusting your posture and upper body to match the slope beneath your feet. You will learn why setup and ball position must change based on how the ground affects your body&rsquo;s angle. Mike shows how to handle sidehill lies (ball above or below your feet), uphill lies, and downhill lies. In each case, your job is to tilt and adjust your body so that your spine angle matches the slope, which keeps your swing arc and club path connected to the ball. You will also learn how each lie affects ball flight and clubface angle. Ball above your feet? It tends to go left. Ball below? It tends to fade. Downhill reduces loft. Uphill adds it. Mike emphasizes the importance of taking practice swings to find where your club naturally bottoms out&mdash;then adjusting your ball position accordingly.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Uneven Lies: Why your upper body must match the slope of the ground How ball position, posture, and knee flex change lie to lie How each slope affects clubface angle and ball flight Why you should take practice swings to check contact point How to build comfort with uneven lies using wedges around the green
This is not something you fix mid-swing. You must prepare for it during setup. Mike recommends spending an entire day just practicing uneven lies with wedges and short shots. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes&mdash;so when you get on the course, you adjust instinctively.
Key Takeaway: The ground will always change. Your setup has to change with it. Match your body to the slope, adjust your expectations, and take practice swings to find the right contact point.

Day 7-How to Handle Uneven Lies

PBA Champion Josh Blanchard demonstrates how body alignment can make your bowling and golf swings easy and consistent.

Sports Connect-Bowling

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

A Malaska Golf Member recently had an aha moment when he started to feel how the handle of the club comes down and moves the club out in front of him. He wasn’t dragging the handle.Mike says he knows some people teach this concept, and in fact, Mike did it for a big part of his career. The problem with this is that if the inside circle, your body gets way ahead of the clubhead, you will have a hard time catching the face up.Jake Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and others felt that starting the club released the club from the top. As the club started away, it worked back out in front of you instead of getting underneath. This got you ‘stuck.’Again, once you change directions and get the club out in front of you, the handle comes down, and the clubhead works out. This allows you to get to impact. You should feel like your chest and club are going through the swing together, as opposed to getting your hand way out ahead of you.Mike demonstrates the swing, and he iterates that the club and your chest go through the ball at the same time.Now, if you look at it on video, it doesn’t look that way, as the club is moving much faster. This is what it feels like to Mike, and it keeps the club in sync. You don't have to catch the club up or twist the face to get the ball to go straight.

Transition of the Club

(Train Your Eyes. Lock In Your Setup. Eliminate Guesswork.) If you want to be consistent with your golf swing, you need to be consistent with your setup. Most golfers hit balls without any structure on the ground, which leads to inconsistency in aim, ball position, and feedback. In Day 9, Mike Malaska shows you how to build a simple yet powerful practice station that trains your eyes, reinforces your alignment, and eliminates setup errors before you even swing. It&rsquo;s a habit the best players in the world use&mdash;and it&rsquo;s something you can start using today. You will learn how to set up a 3-stick station that locks in your ball position and target line. Mike explains how this daily routine calibrates your body and trains your eyes to see correctly, helping you overcome visual distortions (like parallax) and improving your ability to start the ball on line. He also explains why this setup works for every club in the bag, from wedges to driver. What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Practice Stations: How to set up three key alignment sticks for target, body, and visual aim Why consistent ball position is critical for consistent contact How to adjust placement for irons vs. driver What parallax is&mdash;and how to train your eyes to see the target correctly How to get instant feedback on setup, alignment, and swing path This station becomes your practice baseline. It ensures every swing is based on the same setup, so you&rsquo;re not introducing variables without realizing it. It also allows your brain and body to trust the process&mdash;especially your eyes, which play a much bigger role in shot direction than most people realize. Key Takeaway: Consistency starts with setup. Build a practice station with alignment sticks every time you train. It will teach your body to aim correctly, train your eyes to trust your target line, and help eliminate errors before the swing even begins.

Day 9-How to Build a Practice Station

Preparing your golf bag for a tournament.

Tournaments

This question comes from a 68-year-old Malaska Golf Member who has had back problems and wants to keep playing and not have similar issues.

Mike discusses that you need to eliminate having side bend. Side bend and twist put a lot of pressure on your lower lumbar spine. The key is to eliminate or minimize that. When Mike swings, there is virtually no side bend. He used to swing where he would hang back and have a lot of side bend. This eventually resulted in Mike having back problems.

First, when you swing, you want your spine angle to stay fairly neutral. It will tilt a little, and after you hit the ball, you will stand up on the follow-through. A mistake is continually staying down as you drive through the ball. Many Tour Players talk about “standing up through the ball.”

Second, you want to match the rotation of your pelvis with your arms. You definitely don’t want to fire your hips in front of you.
Mike pushes his left hip socket as the club descends. His hips appear to rotate, but not as he comes through the ball. There is no twist, he is not torquing his hip, and it is not coming up. Mike’s left hip moves back, and his pelvis is tilting instead of moving up.

When you are rotating, you want to be able to push your left hip back so your pelvis feels like it is rotating with the right side of your body and arm.

If you do these two things, you won’t cause any additional pressure in your lower lumbar spine. The chances of hurting your back are minimal.

BACK INJURY FREE FULL SWING

Core training modules to improve your game.

Select Your Training Program

If your grip is wrong, your swing will always be limited&mdash;no matter how much you practice. That&rsquo;s why Day 4 of this series is dedicated to one thing: understanding and mastering the three essential golf grips. Mike Malaska explains how each grip serves a different purpose depending on the shot you&rsquo;re hitting, and how your hands need to adjust between putting, pitching, and full swing. You will learn why the putting grip sits deep in the palms to reduce motion, why the pitching grip allows for precise control of your wrist angles, and why the full swing grip belongs in your fingers to allow proper wrist hinge and maximum speed. Mike breaks down each one, shows how to find the correct position for your hands and fingers, and explains how grip influences wrist action, clubface control, and power. This lesson is not about theory. It is about feel. You will learn how to spot the differences between the three grips and train the sensitivity needed to switch between them confidently. Mike also shares a powerful reminder&mdash;even tour players like Scottie Scheffler check their grip daily to maintain consistency.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About the Three Grips: How putting, pitching, and full swing grips differ in hand position and purpose Why the full swing grip belongs in your fingers for leverage and speed Why putting and pitching grips sit higher in the palm for stability and control How your grip directly affects your wrist function and angle of approach Why daily grip work is essential&mdash;even if you think your grip is fine
Mike emphasizes that the grip is not something you check once and forget. It is something you build feel for and revisit constantly. A small change in your thumb or hand placement can have a big effect on your contact, trajectory, and distance. This is not just a setup detail&mdash;it is a swing fundamental.
Key Takeaway: Your grip controls your swing. Train all three&mdash;putting, pitching, and full swing&mdash;and know why each one matters. The way your hands connect to the club determines what your body can do with it.

Day 4-The Three Grips in Golf

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

In the second video of this series, the focus is on aligning the grip and shoulders to improve John Lang’s swing mechanics, consistency, and ball-striking ability. By addressing foundational elements such as how the club is held, how posture affects the swing plane, and how the shoulders move during the takeaway, John learns to create a more efficient and repeatable motion. These adjustments aim to give him better control and confidence in his swing.The session begins with an analysis of John’s grip. It is immediately clear that the club is being held too much in the palm, with the grip cap incorrectly positioned against his hand. This creates tension and reduces control. Adjustments are made to reposition the club more in his fingers, which allows for improved wrist alignment and a stronger, more natural connection to the club.Particular attention is paid to the role of the right hand. The two lower fingers are emphasized as key points for pulling the palm down onto the left thumb, which creates proper pressure and stability. This grip correction ensures that both hands work together effectively, with the right palm facing the target. John is also instructed to choke down slightly on the club rather than gripping the very end, which helps with control and prevents the club from moving around during the swing.Next, the lesson shifts to posture and stance. John is standing too close to the ball and not bending over enough, which throws off his dynamic swing plane. Corrections are made to widen his stance slightly and to push his hips back while ensuring he stands at a comfortable distance from the ball. Dropping the right foot back slightly is also introduced as a way to improve balance and comfort. Weight distribution is adjusted, favoring the left side for shots where the ball is on the ground and shifting slightly to the right for drivers. This allows for a shallower angle of approach and helps catch the ball on the upswing for more effective drives.Shoulder movement is the next critical focus of the lesson. It’s observed that during John’s takeaway, his left shoulder is rotating outward rather than moving downward and around. This outward rotation causes the club to move inside and off-plane, resulting in an inconsistent swing path. Mike demonstrates the correct shoulder motion, where the left shoulder moves downward and around, maintaining a 90-degree angle relative to the spine. This adjustment not only keeps the swing on-plane but also prevents the shoulders from blocking John’s view of the ball during the swing.To help John internalize this correction, drills are introduced. One drill involves placing the club across the shoulders and practicing rotational movements to ensure the shoulders stay aligned with the spine angle. As John practices, he begins to feel the difference between the outward motion he had been using and the correct downward motion that keeps the club on-plane.The lesson concludes with John putting these adjustments into practice. After setting up with his corrected grip, stance, and shoulder motion, he makes several swings. The improvements are evident as his ball striking becomes more consistent and controlled. Mike emphasizes the importance of repetition and deliberate practice to reinforce these changes and build muscle memory.By the end of the session, John demonstrates noticeable progress. Aligning his grip, improving his posture, and refining his shoulder mechanics have created a stronger foundation for his swing. These adjustments not only enhance his ability to control the ball but also provide a roadmap for continued improvement in his overall game.

Align Grip And Shoulders

Mike has found that the driver is one of the easiest clubs to hit as it swings in the largest circle and creates the most force, making it simple to time everything.

The industry says your body and core are the main focus and emphasis in your swing. Mike believes this is important; however, this isn’t the right place to start for most people as a priority. Learning how to hit the driver well and have fun is a skill development process. Most people don’t approach the driver the right way and therefore don’t maximize the benefits of hitting the ball farther.

The M-System Driver series covers, Posture, the two parts of the Lever System, Increasing Driver Speed, Face Control, Creating Driver Speed, Driver Sports Connect, Driver Fitness, and concludes with a Driver Summary. The M-System Driver series will get you on the right path and produce the results you need to hit the ball farther and with more control.

DRIVER OVERVIEW

M-System Elite

Matt Baker, a Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. A Malaska Golf member who has a strong grip is struggling with what happens with the left wrist post-impact. He also wants a little more clarification on this.

The member says that with a weaker grip, he can get the feel and visualization. Matt says you do the same thing whether you have a weak or neutral, strong grip.

The first thing you must remember is that with a strong grip, you will be more stable with the clubface, and the club will be more stable through impact.

Matt demonstrates the hand action and says that the hands go into extension, and the wrist bends back on itself through impact. Matt illustrates his left arm rotating after he has hit the ball; his left arm folds, and the left wrist goes through extension. Matt says that when he does this, his left palm is facing the target on the follow-through. This facilitates the throwing action through the shot.

This is as easy as it should be! Matt uses a frisbee to illustrate this when he is teaching. Matt picks up a frisbee and shows the hand action of the left wrist. You wouldn’t want to roll your wrist in this throwing motion. The frisbee would flop to the ground.

Throwing a frisbee is the same feeling you want when you swing a club past impact. This is the same throwing motion of the hands and left wrist.

Matt summarizes this as he swings through and hits the shot, palm facing down; as his left arm folds up and rotates, his left wrist bends back on itself into extension.

Left Wrist Through Impact

(Train Your Feet to Move Like an Athlete) Most golfers have been told to keep their feet quiet&mdash;but that advice might be holding you back. In almost every other sport, motion starts with the feet. You step to throw a baseball. You step to swing a tennis racket. You shift and plant your feet when hitting a hockey puck or serving in volleyball. Why should golf be any different? In Day 17, Mike Malaska explains how the golf swing is a full-body athletic movement that starts from the ground up&mdash;and shows you why restricting your lower body causes compensations, early extension, and a breakdown in your sequence. By reintroducing natural, instinctive footwork into your swing, you&rsquo;ll unlock power, rhythm, and consistency like never before. You&rsquo;ll learn drills that simulate athletic motion, including the Step-Step-Hit sequence and the Sit-Down Drill using a chair. These drills help you feel how to properly shift your weight and use your lower body without early extension or collapsing into the ball. By stepping back and sitting down, your hips stay in posture, your hands have room to swing, and you build the instinct to move like an athlete&mdash;not a robot. Whether you&rsquo;re throwing a ball or hitting a drive, your feet are your foundation. This day is about reconnecting with how the body is meant to move.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Foot Action: Why most golfers get &ldquo;top-heavy&rdquo; trying to keep their feet quiet How stepping drills train your body to move away from the ball at impact Why early extension is often caused by the trail hip moving toward the ball How to create a &ldquo;sit-down&rdquo; feeling to keep posture and stay in balance Two powerful drills: the Step-Step-Hit and the Chair Sit-Down
Key Takeaway: Train your feet to move. Stepping, sitting, and pushing away from the ball creates real athletic motion. The ground pushes back when you swing&mdash;and your feet must react. This is how you reclaim speed, stability, and confidence in every shot.

Day 17-Foot Action

(How to Keep Improving After the Program Ends) You&rsquo;ve completed all 21 days&mdash;now comes the most important part: staying on track and continuing to improve. In this final video, Mike Malaska reveals exactly what to do next. Success in golf doesn&rsquo;t come from endless tips or chasing new techniques&mdash;it comes from following a process. This program gave you that structure. Now, Mike encourages you to turn the 21-day sequence into your long-term training system. Each practice session should begin with short game fundamentals, build into motion and face control, and finish with speed and full swings. You don&rsquo;t need to do it all every day&mdash;but you do need to repeat the sequence consistently. This is the same process Mike uses personally and with his students&mdash;from beginners to tour players. Mike also shares a powerful story from his time in Japan, where he taught a group of students over 11 weeks using just seven core drills. Every week, they chose the one drill that challenged them most&mdash;and focused on it until they mastered it. The result? They made faster, more lasting progress than any other class. That&rsquo;s the real secret to continued improvement: find your weakest link and train it until it becomes your strength. This closing lesson ties directly into the M-System philosophy: Master, Maximize, Maintain. You&rsquo;ve now built the foundation. Keep refining it, and your game will keep evolving.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About What Comes Next: &bull; How to build a practice routine using the 21-day structure &bull; Why the most difficult drill should become your weekly focus &bull; How Mike practices every day&mdash;starting with short shots, then working up &bull; Why consistency in your routine beats random tips or YouTube swings &bull; How to use the drills as a testing system for long-term mastery
Key Takeaway: You don&rsquo;t need more swing tips&mdash;you need a repeatable process. Pick the hardest drill and master it. Then repeat. Stay inside the system, and your game will keep getting better. This isn&rsquo;t the end of your journey. It&rsquo;s the start of mastering your swing for life.

What's Next

Toski on Ben Hogan Photo Part 1 - The Left Side

Ben Hogan-The Left Side

(Master Face Control with One-Handed Swings) This is where your range routine should begin&mdash;every time. Day 10 focuses on face control and how your hands influence the clubface from takeaway to impact. Mike Malaska teaches a simple but powerful one-handed drill that he&rsquo;s used since childhood to develop feel, precision, and trajectory control. The concept is simple: train one hand at a time to control the clubface&mdash;and you&rsquo;ll start every practice session with purpose. In this video, Mike shows how hitting short pitches with your trail hand only teaches the club to work correctly through impact. Then he switches to lead hand only to develop strength and face awareness. You&rsquo;ll learn how the hands influence the club&rsquo;s path, face angle, and shot height&mdash;all without flipping or twisting. Mike explains how small changes in hand position affect trajectory and control, helping you train touch and accuracy from the very first swing of your day. This is not just a warm-up&mdash;it&rsquo;s the foundation for everything else that follows.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Face Control and Hand Training: How to train the clubface to stay square through impact Why starting your session with one-handed swings improves consistency How to control trajectory based on wrist and knuckle position How lead and trail hands work differently through the swing Why this drill is the first thing Mike does&mdash;every day Mike emphasizes that this isn&rsquo;t just a drill&mdash;it&rsquo;s your daily checkpoint. These short swings train your hands to square the face, control height, and develop feel. Whether you&rsquo;re warming up or rebuilding your motion, start with this drill.
Key Takeaway: Train your hands before you train your swing. Start every practice session with short one-handed shots to teach your hands how to control the clubface. Better face control equals better golf, simple as that.

Day 10-Train Your Hands at the Range

When it comes to combining motions there is an order in which it needs to be done. First, is set up and balance. Then, the main task is impact. Learn what that is. Then, gradually develop your swing based on the task of impact. Start with small swings and gradually build the motion until you are to full swing.

M4-Combining Skills

M2 builds on this foundation by teaching golfers to master the lever system, refine their grip, and develop face control. Central to the series is the interplay of hands, wrists, and arms, which drives both distance and accuracy. Using natural athletic instincts, players learn to create fluid and powerful swings while minimizing strain.

M2 Coaching Series

In this lesson, John Lang works with Mike Malaska to address the challenges of playing golf after losing vision in his right eye due to a stroke. As a former right-eye-dominant golfer, John must adapt his swing and develop new techniques to maintain his performance despite issues with depth perception and spatial awareness. The lesson focuses on helping John modify his head positioning, adjust his approach to the game, and utilize targeted drills to build consistency and confidence.The session begins with John explaining how his vision loss has affected his ability to gauge depth and follow the ball, particularly under certain sunlight conditions. With peripheral vision playing a more critical role, he now relies entirely on his left eye to track the ball. Mike highlights that this adjustment requires a change in head positioning during the swing to ensure the dominant eye stays focused on the ball. Drawing on the example of Jack Nicklaus, who is colorblind and relies on feel rather than sight to track the ball, Mike advises John to slightly offset his head to maintain focus. This simple yet essential adjustment is crucial for overcoming the limitations caused by his vision loss.The conversation transitions to the M-System and its extensive library of drills. John expresses his appreciation for the system but notes that the library’s wealth of information can feel overwhelming. Mike emphasizes the importance of the drills, sharing a story from his teaching experience in Japan, where golfers focused on seven basic drills to address their weaknesses. Over 11 weeks, the group made significant improvements by mastering each drill without directly working on their swings. Mike encourages John to approach the library in the same way: selecting a drill, identifying challenges, and working through them to strengthen specific aspects of his swing.To wrap up the lesson, Mike observes John hitting a few shots. John shares that a previous suggestion to drop his back foot has been particularly helpful in stabilizing his swing. He also mentions focusing on the mental and psychological aspects of his game, paying close attention to how his hands and body work together during practice. Mike praises this approach and encourages him to continue refining his fundamentals, reinforcing that targeted adjustments and deliberate practice will help him adapt and improve.

Master Your Swing After Vision Loss

Meet Matt Baker, PGA Professional and newest Malaska Golf Certified Coach. Matt is based in the United Kingdom. Matt has been a golf professional for over 25 years, working his way up from Assistant Pro to Head Pro, and now teaches full-time. Matt started playing at age 14 and immediately fell in love with the game and how the swing worked. Golf became his passion. Matt was intrigued with the motions of the game, putting the swing together, and helping other golfers, which led him to coach. Matt, who was looking to improve his game, came across Mike Malaska on YouTube, he loved what he saw, and the videos improved his game immensely. Not only did he improve, but Matt gained a better understanding of the game because it was simple and made sense. The key takeaway was that Mike Malaska&rsquo;s instruction and coaching just made sense to Matt! Matt has applied this knowledge to his game and especially to his students. Matt has seen great success from them as they start to play better golf and understand the game. Matt also loves the sport connect and how other sports relate to golf, making the game more understandable. His goal is not to teach you something you don&rsquo;t understand but to teach something you already possess and can do. Matt is excited to be a Malaska Golf Certified Coach and help others play better golf. The M-System is Matt&rsquo;s favorite, and he does it every day.

Malaska Certified-Matt Baker

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Matt Baker based in the United Kingdom is answering a member question.We've got a question here from Richard Solman, who is talking about parallax and how it's really helped his game and improved his ability to visualize alignment. This is a fundamental aspect of improving your golf game because getting alignment right is crucial. There's an old saying: "What you see, your brain receives, and then your body reacts." What you're seeing at address is often different from what's actually happening or what's correct, and it's important to understand that.Parallax refers to the difference in perception when you're standing behind the ball, aligning yourself towards your target. You can even practice this in a net. When I address the ball, my eyes have a different perception of where my start point is. Where my start line is crucial, and when I look at the target from here, it might appear far left of where my actual target line is due to parallax. However, I know that everything is aligned squarely toward my target.It's very important to get this correct and to work on it. Using alignment aids like lines or sticks down the fairway will help you get a better visual of what you're aiming for. If I'm standing over the ball and perceive the target as left of where I intend to start the ball, my body will naturally react to that perception. I'll end up swinging to the left, thinking I'm correcting the aim, but that's why it's essential to practice alignment.Some people like to use a marker; for example, I can use the end of my stick. Others might use a spot in front of them. However, when I'm standing here and looking at it, it might seem way off to the right, like it's hitting the side of the net, when it’s right online. That's parallax, and it's crucial to work on this so your body reacts correctly at address.Focus on your start point, and your body will react by starting the ball on the right line. Mastering parallax and alignment is essential; it's the basic 101 of alignment that every golfer needs to learn.

Parallax: Key To Accurate Shots

In this eight-part on-course Player Lesson, Mike Malaska joins Jeff Coburn and Jeff Krull for a real-world learning experience. The range is closed, so there&rsquo;s no warm-up and no time to fix anything&mdash;just golf the way it&rsquo;s actually played.
 Mike begins by showing how to prepare the body in minutes, then guides both players through every stage of the round: putting, chipping, driving, fairway shots, approach play, and finishing on the green.
 Throughout the series, Mike reveals a simple truth: great golf isn&rsquo;t about changing your swing; it&rsquo;s about learning your swing. Each shot follows the same process used by tour players: Program &rarr; Execute &rarr; Evaluate &rarr; Fix or Reinforce.From center-face contact to tempo, distance control, and shot awareness, the lesson shows how small adjustments lead to consistent play.
 By the end, both Jeffs understand that the real key to scoring is mindset. Golf is a learning process, and when you treat every shot as feedback, improvement becomes automatic.

Jeff Coburn and Jeff Krull Player Lesson

The drill library is a collection of several drills to help your game. To begin, familiarize yourself with what is in there. Depending on what you are working on, guide yourself to drills that will help with your game. These drills all relate to some part of the M-System. If you have a problem with a particular part of the M-System, you can find additional drills in the drill library. These will help you navigate your game through that system. Just have fun. Try the drills. There is not a drill in the drill library that will hurt you. Suppose you find a drill that is hard to do. Work on it. It will make you a better player.

Drill Center

Most golfers struggle with chipping because they try to help the ball into the air. They flip their wrists, lean back, or slow down through impact. But that is not how good players&rsquo; chip. As Mike Malaska explains, the ball gets in the air because of the loft on the club, not because you try to lift it. And the motion you need is one you already have. It is your putting stroke. Day 3 is about applying the same movement you have been working on&mdash;center contact, face control, and body connection&mdash;to your chip shots. The difference comes in your setup. By placing the ball slightly back in your stance and shifting pressure toward your lead side, you create a downward angle that helps you catch the ball first and brush the turf after. Mike shows you how to keep everything else the same. The hands, the right arm on the shaft, the motion&mdash;none of that changes. This is chipping built from your putting foundation. In this lesson, you will learn how to train proper contact with the dot drill and how to get immediate feedback using a sand-line drill. These simple tools show you exactly where your club is landing and help you feel the difference between a solid chip and a mis-hit.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Chipping: How to use your putting motion for clean chip shots Why ball position and setup create launch&mdash;not wrist action How to use a dot on the face and the ball to train center contact Why you should hit the ball first and brush the ground second How a sand-line drill gives instant feedback on strike quality
Mike emphasizes that this is where you begin building your full swing. The mechanics remain the same. The setup changes. You are not inventing a new motion&mdash;you are adapting what you already know and learning how to control the bottom of the arc.
Key Takeaway: Chipping is putting with a lofted club and a new setup. The ball gets in the air because of the face. Catch it first, then brush the ground. Keep the motion simple and trust what you have trained.

Day 3-Off Green Putting

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about how to make a shot that hooks and fades, but more importantly, what you do with the clubface.

Mike uses an oversized club to demonstrate what the clubface does. If Mike swings the club and the clubface comes into the ball 1 or 2 degrees from the inside and is square to the path, he will hit a slight draw.

If you want to hit a bigger draw, you only need to add more face rotation. Mike doesn't want you to twist your hands. The reality of face rotation is that you only have to move the clubface in small increments to hit a bigger draw or fade. Combining that with changing the club path a few degrees makes the ball curve. You aren't doing much to make the ball curve.

Mike is a former pitcher and could throw a slider, curveball, and fastball. When Mike comes down into the ball and wants to hit a draw, he adds extra pressure from his index finger. He adds extra pressure from his middle finger if he wants to hit a fade. If Mike wants to hit the ball straight, he simultaneously pushes with his index and middle fingers.

Mike demonstrates this with the oversized club. He has been hitting this way for a long time and can feel tiny bits of force on the club by using his fingers.

Mike doesn't understand why some experts in the golf industry tell players to "take their hands out of the game." It's all in the hands. Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and most superstars have phenomenal hand-eye coordination. Bob Toski is also a savant with his hands.

It takes practice to figure out how much you integrate to get the ball to do what you want.

Again, you can make the ball curve, do it with your hands, or make the same swing and set the clubface closed or opened. You must ensure that your eyes and swing stay on the same path when you open or close the clubface.

When making small adjustments to your swing, you must make exaggerations to make the ball curve big. Then you dial it in from there. The key is to work on feel and touch with the clubface to get the curve you want.

HANDS CONTROL THE CLUBFACE

In this six-part Player Lesson series, Mike Malaska works with Jimmy Pearcy to transform his golf game by focusing on core fundamentals and personalized instruction. Starting with an exploration of Jimmy&rsquo;s &ldquo;golf DNA,&rdquo; Mike identifies how Jimmy&rsquo;s athletic background and natural movement patterns shape his swing. By tailoring the lessons to Jimmy&rsquo;s strengths, Mike provides a foundation for improvement that is both effective and sustainable.
The series begins with grip fundamentals, as Mike emphasizes the critical role of a proper grip in supporting every aspect of the swing. By positioning his hands correctly and reducing tension, Jimmy learns how to maintain control of the clubface and create consistency in his shots. This foundational step sets the stage for unlocking greater speed and power.
In subsequent lessons, Mike introduces Jimmy to the concept of speed generation. Using drills that highlight the importance of relaxation and leveraging the natural hinge and release of the wrists, Jimmy discovers how to create effortless power. Mike reinforces that tension-free motion, combined with proper sequencing, is the key to maximizing clubhead speed with minimal effort.
The series progresses to the concept of leverage, where Jimmy learns to let the club&rsquo;s weight and momentum dictate the swing. Through exercises that focus on feeling the club&rsquo;s natural movement, Jimmy develops a deeper understanding of how to generate power without relying on force. This approach not only improves his swing but also enhances his confidence in controlling the club.
In the final two lessons, Mike focuses on advanced concepts of shot shaping and control. Jimmy practices manipulating the clubface to produce hooks, fades, and straight shots, gaining the ability to navigate different course conditions and play with more versatility. By mastering the relationship between his hands and the clubface, Jimmy unlocks a new level of creativity and precision in his game.
Throughout the series, Mike&rsquo;s personalized coaching helps Jimmy develop a relaxed, efficient swing that capitalizes on his natural strengths. By addressing fundamental issues and progressively building new skills, Jimmy gains the tools and confidence to approach the game with a deeper understanding. This series marks a significant transformation in Jimmy&rsquo;s golf journey, equipping him with a more powerful, controlled, and versatile game.

Jimmy Pearcy-Player Lesson

The ultimate goal of the swing - or of a strike - is to make contact.

MAKING CONTACT

Certified Coaches

Welcome to M2, the next phase of the M-System Coaching Series, focusing entirely on the lever system. According to Mike Malaska, this segment is the most important for golfers seeking consistency, distance, and longevity in their game. The lever system&mdash;the hands, arms, and shoulder rotation&mdash;is the primary speed producer in the golf swing. While the core and body movements are vital, they are ineffective without a correctly functioning lever system.
Drawing inspiration from technology like TaylorMade's Iron Byron machine, M2 highlights how proper mechanics allow the club to square itself at impact, leveraging momentum to generate power and precision. By mastering this lever system, golfers can achieve effortless power, improve their consistency, and reduce strain, leading to greater longevity in the game.
Mike encourages golfers to embrace the learning process, using exaggeration to better understand mechanics before refining their swing. Through dedicated practice and attention to the lever system, players can unlock their full potential, making golf both easier and more enjoyable. M2 serves as a critical step in the M-System, ensuring a strong, repeatable swing foundation that enhances every aspect of the game.

M2 Coaching Series-Introduction

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

The pullback drill is another unconventional drill that Joe Nichols shared with Mike.  By pulling back, it puts force into the left leg as a stabilizer, which accelerates the clubhead.  These are very good things in a golf swing.

DEEPER LOOK INTO PULL BACK

Joe would encourage you to determine path by "setting the shoulders." While keeping your hands and everything else the same, modify path by adjusting your shoulders.

SETTING THE SHOULDERS

Joe described the transition of the lower body as "Hitting against a firm left side." What did he mean by this and how can you incorporate this into your swing?"

HITTING AGAINST A FIRM LEFT SIDE

Dan Quayle has been around golf for his whole life. Learn how Dan has kept up with golf his whole life.

Golf Talk With Dan Quayle

Putting is the basis for the entire swing. Having an understanding and being able to attain the skills necessary to hit a putt with consistency, efficiency and also being able to duplicate it under pressure. This is the basis for the full swing. Many things that go on in an efficient putting stroke also happen in a driver swing.

Putting

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

Lou and Mike talk about technology and where the game is going.

TECHNOLOGY AND THE GAME

Maximize Your Training With Elite

The driver and putter are the two most important clubs in the bag. With the driver, it is essential to hit the ball a decent distance and control where it goes off the tee. It is crucial to get started the right way. You can't play the game if you can't hit your driver well. It won't put you in a position to chip or putt the ball because you are out of play all the time. Learning to hit the driver well is paramount to playing the game. Hitting a driver well is the most enjoyable part; everyone likes to see how far the ball goes. The problem is that what people perceive will make the ball go farther and what makes the driver move fast is incorrect. What people attempt to do with tension and effort to make the club move faster actually slows the club down. When you put everything together, you can have fun with how the driver works, how those forces work, hitting the ball farther, and controlling the golf ball. When you go through The M-System Driver series, you will learn different parts of what you are trying to do to get the right feel of swinging the driver. If you get out of sequence and one part doesn't work, and you try to make the ball go far or create more speed, then you are creating speed the wrong way. This is harder to control the clubface and to be able to have fun. Getting off the tee successfully and getting the ball in play can make the driver the most important club in the bag.

Driver

Making "out to under" swing change with wrist hinge drill.

THE WRIST HINGE DRILL

Golfers everywhere chase the same things: solid contact, effortless power, and consistent results. But for most players, those goals stay just out of reach&mdash;because they&rsquo;ve never been taught the one move that ties it all together. That move is called the line of compression. It&rsquo;s not a trendy tip or swing theory&mdash;it&rsquo;s the core motion that creates real ball-striking consistency. It&rsquo;s what allows the club to strike the ball solidly, compress it against the ground, and send it on a true, penetrating flight. The best players in the world have it. Most amateurs don&rsquo;t. In fact, many golfers practice for years without ever learning how to create it. In this opening lesson of the 21-day series, Mike Malaska breaks it down. He shows you how to feel it by aligning your right arm with the shaft and using simple training tools like a putting track or a tee gate. Your goal is to roll the line on the golf ball smoothly while striking the center of the clubface without clipping the toe or heel. This daily calibration drill ensures that every shot you hit is built from the same solid foundation.
What You'll Learn About Compression in the Golf Swing: How to create the line of compression with a connected, powerful motion Why solid contact starts with center-face strikes How to roll the ball cleanly with no wobble How this motion applies to every shot&mdash;from putts to sand shots
Train the Feel If you&rsquo;re struggling to connect the motion, grab a tennis racket or a baseball bat and swing it. These larger tools exaggerate the feel of compression and make it easier to sense how your hands, arms, and body should work together.