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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

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

Core Content

The latest additions to the Ask Malaska Golf Collection.

Ask Malaska Golf-What's New

In this third episode of the Malaska Golf Player Lesson, Mike Malaska takes Jeff Coburn and Jeff Krull into one of the most misunderstood areas of golf&mdash;the short game. The focus of this lesson is chipping technique, solid contact, and center-face control.
 Mike begins by setting up a simple on-course chipping station that includes both tight lies and light rough, replicating the conditions golfers face in every round. He explains that most players never learn to connect the ball with the center of the clubface, which is the real key to consistent spin and distance control.
 To drive the point home, Mike introduces what he calls the &ldquo;fourth groove test.&rdquo; By marking a small dot on the fourth groove of the wedge, players can see where contact actually happens. The goal is to line that dot up with the back of the golf ball and learn how it feels when you strike it cleanly in the middle of the face.
 As Jeff and Jeff work through their shots, Mike highlights a major misconception: amateurs often try to scoop the ball into the air or rely on the high-risk flop shot they see on television. He explains that these shots require thousands of hours of practice and are rarely the right choice for most golfers. Instead, the key is using a simple putting-style motion with a slightly descending strike.
 Mike demonstrates how moving the ball slightly back in the stance, keeping the head forward, and maintaining steady rhythm allows the club to bottom out naturally after contact. The result is crisp, repeatable contact that makes the ball pop up and roll predictably toward the hole.
 He also stresses that most golfers would benefit from simplifying their short game. Rather than constantly switching clubs, he recommends testing a few&mdash;pitching wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge&mdash;to find the one that produces the most consistent contact. Once you identify that club, practice striking the center of the face with it every time. This session reinforces one of Mike&rsquo;s favorite concepts: learn what your tendencies are and make small adjustments. Instead of trying to reinvent your swing mid-round, learn how to adapt what you already do. By paying attention to how the club interacts with the ground and the ball, you&rsquo;ll develop instinctive control over trajectory and rollout. By the end of the lesson, both players begin to feel what solid chipping contact really means&mdash;and how to reproduce it under pressure. This isn&rsquo;t about style or technique; it&rsquo;s about building awareness and confidence through consistent feedback.
 Key Takeaways: Center-Face Contact: Great chipping starts with striking the ball in the middle of the clubface. Simplify the Stroke: Use a putting-style motion with minimal wrist action. Forget the Flop: Consistency beats creativity&mdash;avoid high-risk shots you can&rsquo;t practice daily. Ball Position Matters: Move the ball slightly back to ensure solid, descending contact. Play What You Own: Learn your tendencies, adjust setup, and trust your feel.

Solid Contact Chipping

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about Moe Norman and Ben Hogan. Mike has had the opportunity to see them both hit golf balls.

Back in the 80s, Moe Norman hit balls for Mike at the finals of the Tour School. He hit balls for 45 minutes, and Mike was amazed
at how good Moe could hit it. Mike was also able to see Ben Hogan hit balls for about 15 minutes, and that experience was unbelievable.

The Member's question is about hand action. Did they both have the same hand action and lever system? They did not.

Moe had the club more in the palm of his hand as he had big grips on his clubs. He flattened or bowed his left wrist when he took the club away. Then, as he turned into the ball, he hit it and released the club on the follow-through. Moe didn't twist his forearm. Mike demonstrates how Moe sets up and hits the ball.

Hogan had a much weaker grip, and as he took the ball away, he would have a little cup in his left wrist. He wanted the clubface to be on the swing plane with his right palm facing out. Moe Norman's right palm was facing down. Because of this, Norman had much less face rotation in the club than Hogan did.

When Hogan took the club back, he had a lot of rotation in his forearms, palms facing up, and then he rotated his forearms really hard through the ball. This looked a lot looser in his wrists.

Now, Mike demonstrates Ben Hogan's swing.
Mike tried to imitate that same swing for a long time early in his career. Mike had difficulty timing the rotation of the forearms for that style of swing. The benefit of this swing style was that it helped Hogan not to hook the ball. Hogan wanted a hand action, an application that felt like he had two right arms. He wanted to be able to rotate his forearms as hard as he could and not hit a pull hook. This will work for you, but it isn't easy to time the clubface.

The two swings were very different, but where they were similar was if you stopped them both at impact. This is the most important position in the game, and there are many ways to get there. Moe Norman and Ben Hogan were very different but also very proficient in their golf swings.

Ben Hogan and Moe Norman

Start with standing upwright with the putter in your trail hand. Your weight should be even in your feet. Your toes quiet. Line your trail forearm up with the putter shaft. It should be pointed just above your belly button. Then push your hips back keeping your toes quiet. Place the putter head behind the ball. Then make a stroke and let your trail forearm push the shaft through the ball. Fell the force into the back of the shaft and into the ball. This should happen in all shots.

Swing Concepts-Putting

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

THE WRIST HINGE DRILL

Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska-certified coach, addresses a question from viewer Peter Zhu about the slapping motion of the hand through impact in the golf swing and the role of the right wrist. Billy explains how the wrist and forearm should align at a 90-degree angle to the spine to ensure proper mechanics.Using a dowel for demonstration, Billy shows how this alignment keeps the club on plane, allowing the hand to return to impact naturally without twisting. He emphasizes the importance of shoulder alignment, as maintaining a 90-degree angle with the spine enables the arms and hands to follow a vertical path, supporting a consistent swing.The slapping motion at impact, Billy explains, is achieved by this vertical arm and hand movement. Without the proper shoulder alignment, the arms can twist, causing the clubface to open and making square impact difficult. This coordination is key to a powerful and accurate strike.Billy highlights the role of grip, especially the left hand, referred to as the "chopper." This grip position stabilizes the clubface, allowing the right hand to slap through impact without twisting, making the swing more reliable.To build awareness, Billy recommends practicing the feel of each body part—the shoulders, hands, and arms—independently before integrating them into a cohesive movement. This approach helps golfers understand each component’s role in a fluid, powerful swing.In summary, the correct grip, along with coordinated movement of the shoulders, arms, and hands, enables a clean, effective slapping motion at impact. Billy thanks Peter for the question, hoping this breakdown clarifies how each part contributes to optimal performance.

Wrist Position For Perfect Impact

October's focus of the month is Body Motion.
How the lead hip moves in the golf swing is an integral part of stabilizing the clubface and creating a consistent, powerful swing. It&rsquo;s not just a turn &ndash; it&rsquo;s the movement of the left hip socket that creates the turn.

Focus of the Month (October, 25)

The most important swing you&rsquo;ll ever make might not involve a golf ball. In Day 8, Mike Malaska introduces a foundational drill using a baseball bat and a tree&mdash;or even just a stick and a tire. Why? Because the basic motion of hittingis something your body already understands. As a child, you learned to throw, catch, and hit. Golf becomes easier when you reconnect with that athletic instinct. Mike shows how this baseball-to-golf drill teaches you to flatten the lead wrist, push with the trail hand, and sequence your motion without overthinking. By practicing this swing into a solid object&mdash;like a tire&mdash;you develop natural speed, rhythm, and body rotation. You also learn how to strike through the ball without flipping, twisting, or steering. This is more than a drill. It&rsquo;s the athletic blueprint behind every great swing. You can practice it anywhere, and it builds automatic feel for how your body should move to generate real power.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Swing Pattern Training: &bull; How the baseball swing pattern mirrors a powerful golf swing &bull; Why your trail hand must push and your lead wrist must flatten &bull; How to feel proper sequencing and release without hitting balls &bull; Why this drill eliminates the need for conscious face control &bull; How to use a bat, stick, or molded grip to groove motion at home This is a motion your body already knows. You&rsquo;re not inventing something new&mdash;you&rsquo;re remembering something natural. Mike recommends doing this drill weekly, even daily, to reinforce your swing pattern and develop feel that carries onto the course.
Key Takeaway: Athletes don&rsquo;t think positions. They feel motion. Reconnect with the baseball-to-golf swing pattern to build real speed, natural release, and consistent contact&mdash;without relying on timing.

Day 8-How to Swing Like an Athlete

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

(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

(The Key to Power, Timing, and a Repeatable Release) In Day 16, Mike Malaska reveals one of the most important connections in the golf swing&mdash;how your lead hip socket and the clubhead must move together in harmony. This relationship determines whether your swing has effortless power or if it breaks down under pressure. It&rsquo;s not about &ldquo;turning your hips.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s about displacing your joints correctly to create a chain reaction from the ground up. Mike breaks it down through slow-motion drills and short swings, showing how pushing your lead hip socket backcreates space for the trail hip to move forward, which activates your torso, shoulders, arms, and ultimately the club. If the hip doesn&rsquo;t move back&mdash;or moves incorrectly&mdash;you&rsquo;ll block your arms or flip the club, leading to inconsistency and loss of speed. Whether you&rsquo;re swinging a wedge or a driver, this concept is universal: power doesn&rsquo;t come from brute force&mdash;it comes from sequence. This lesson helps you feel and train that sequence.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn in Day 16: &bull; How your lead hip socket creates room for a clean, powerful release &bull; Why &ldquo;joint displacement&rdquo; is more effective than simply &ldquo;turning the hips&rdquo; &bull; How to sync the motion of your body with the clubhead through impact &bull; What goes wrong when the hips outrun&mdash;or block&mdash;the arms &bull; Why this connection improves consistency across all clubs, from wedges to driver
Key Takeaway: The club and your lead hip socket must move in sync. When your body creates space by pushing the hip socket back, your arms and club can move freely and accelerate through the ball. Without that connection, your swing stalls. Build this movement into your practice until it becomes automatic.

Day 16-Connect Your Body to the Club

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

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

Throw the Sand, Don&rsquo;t Hit the Ball (Learn the Simple, Repeatable Way to Get Out Every Time) Bunker shots don&rsquo;t have to be scary. In this bonus lesson, Mike Malaska simplifies the entire concept: you&rsquo;re not hitting the ball&mdash;you&rsquo;re throwing the sand. Everything you&rsquo;ve learned over the past 21 days&mdash;body motion, arm structure, face control&mdash;still applies here. But instead of striking the ball directly, you use the sand to lift it out. By learning to stay on your lead side, swing through the sand, and direct it toward your target, you gain immediate control over a shot that frustrates most golfers. The best part? The feel and technique you develop here translate directly from your full swing foundation. Mike breaks down the setup, motion, and mindset required to become consistent in the bunker. You&rsquo;ll learn that where the clubface points doesn&rsquo;t matter nearly as much as where you throw the sand. This tip alone will change how you approach every greenside bunker. Plus, Mike demonstrates how staying on your left side and trusting your motion will keep you from falling back or digging too deep.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Bunker Play: Why bunker shots are all about throwing sand, not hitting the ball How to set up on your left side and stay there throughout the swing Why your target is the sand&mdash;not the ball How face setup and swing direction control your sand (and ball) trajectory How to train consistently with simple visual cues like a line in the sand
Key Takeaway: Stand on your left side, hit behind the ball, and throw the sand toward your target. If you can move the sand where you want it to go, the ball will follow&mdash;every time.

Bonus Video 1-Bunker Play

There are two types of swings in golf. The first swing requires timing the club through impact. The second swing is more reliable. Use your instinct to decide what to use.

Two Swing Types

Mike Malaska works with Javier Montoya. In previous lessons with Javier, Mike worked to prevent him from rolling his wrists and flipping at impact. Javier also had issues shanking the ball. Mike used an alignment stick to ensure Javier’s hands were coming under the stick on the swing. Javier has good days when he plays; however, he still misses hard to the left with his irons and driver.

Mike gets Javier to make some swings. Javier shanks the ball to the right. This happens because he hit the ball off the hosel of the golf club. His next shot is a pull to the left. Javier continues to pull the ball to the left or shank the ball to the right.

After assessing Javier, Mike explains that when Javier hits the ball on the hosel, his hands and arms move farther away from where he started.

Javier makes some swings. Mike gets Javier to review the video swing analysis. Mike notices that Javier’s swing is too much to the inside and explains that he will be in trouble if he does that. One or two things will happen, either he will come out and over with his swing, or he will come so far from the inside that he will have difficulty catching up to the ball. Javier’s clubface is wide open at impact, coming too much around to the left on his follow-through.

Mike then demonstrates what Javier is doing with an iron. Javier is still swinging too flat on the backswing and the follow-through. Mike’s solution is to have Javier’s club stand more up on the backswing and the same on the follow-through.


HITTING THE BALL ON THE HOSEL

A Malaska Golf Member mentions he is okay, feeling like he is back on the heels of his left foot, his lead foot, as the club goes through the ball.

Mike reassures the member this is correct and what the biomechanics are now preaching in the industry.

You play the game more from your heels than your toes. Mike has talked about this concept in previous videos. Every shot he makes, even pitch shots, his club runs into the ball, and his left leg pushes his left hip back. When this happens, Mike's toes lift slightly off the ground. As the club gets longer and the swing gets bigger, you will find that your toes lift even more.

Initially, when you swing down into the ball, force goes into the ball or the middle of your left foot; then, as you are halfway down on your swing, the force transfers to the heel of your left foot.

Mike demonstrates hitting a small pitch shot, another fuller pitch shot, and then a driver. You can see the left toe lift and force goes into his left heel.

Mike feels this same timing with all his swings. That's the beauty of all the forces around you when you swing. Mike also finds that his driver is the easiest to time the forces affecting the club because it creates the most force on him. It becomes easier to time those forces and make sure the rotation of his body is in sync with his club.

The driver should be the simplest club to time the circular forces. It is the same feeling and timing of the forces regardless of the length of the club. Practice with small shots and build up to your driver.

IMPACT AND FORCE IN YOUR LEFT HEEL

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

Mike Malaska is working with former MLB pitcher Garrett Richards. In this video lesson, he is showing Garret the sports connection between baseball and golf.Mike gets Garrett to swing with a baseball bat and wants him to feel what his left hand does when it releases on the follow-through. Mike comments that Garrett’s left wrist doesn’t twist when he swings a baseball bat. It is the same when he swings a golf club and hits a ball. Your wrists should not twist, but that’s what is currently happening in his golf swing.&nbsp;Mike said Garrett would hit grounders if he rolled his wrists with a baseball bat. Mike holds the bat with Garrett and demonstrates the hand and wrist action, which is the same as the golf swing.Garrett now goes back to his wedge, and Mike adjusts his grip. He also shows him how to release the toe of the club on the follow-through. It goes up, not over.Mike just wants Garrett to make an easy 100-yard shot. He does, and Mike says that Garret didn’t hook the ball. Mike explains to Garrett that he had so much twist in his arms that it was hard for him to be consistent. However, Garrett was athletic enough to swing the club from the inside and to catch his hands and clubface up. Being a few degrees off in having the clubface square at impact can cause miss-hits.Mike gets him to hit the ball again, imagining him hitting a baseball bat with his left hand. It's more of a chop action with no twist. Garrett hits an awesome shot. Mike laughs and tells him how easy it will be to hit it straight. Garrett says it feels like hitting a cricket bat and hitting the ball square.Mike shows how the clubface works, demonstrating the swing path with Garrett’s club. The clubface is open relative to the target line; however, it is 90 degrees to your body on the swing arc. What the club doesn’t do is rotate and turn over. Garrett describes it like a pinball flipper. Mike explains this is how the Tour Players swing. The clubface hardly rotates relative to their swing arc.Mike tells Garrett that his right hand is his pitching hand, and he is aiming at the ball to throw it. His left hand is like hitting a baseball. Garrett describes to Mike that he feels like he is reaching up and ringing a bell on his backswing. He says that it feels like a more direct path up and directly to the ball than swinging out and hoping the timing is right back to the ball.Mike wants to work with Garrett on his short shots, which will help him significantly improve his short game and also his long game.&nbsp;Mike is trying to get Garrett to trigger something his body already knows how to do, and he says this is where golf went wrong. The golf industry decided to turn the clubface down because they didn’t want the ball going up in the air. This came about because of how golf started historically: the balls were expensive, the players wore suit coats, and it was windy in Scotland. As the game progressed, it became less important to keep the ball low.The new balls that players have used in the last 15 years don’t spin very much. You have to hit the ball higher. You have to stop the ball with ‘angle of descent,’ than you do with spin. Therefore, all the rotation of the arms and turning the hands down is gone. Mike explains that the new Tour Players swing so fast, but the clubface doesn’t rotate much. They can hit the ball pretty far because the clubface isn’t twisting.Garrett feels that what he is doing now with Mike with his swing is compressing the ball versus hitting the ball. Mike says that this is awesome.Mike explains to Garrett that a good way to get the correct grip is to hold the golf club like he is holding and swinging a baseball bat. Adjust the thumb slightly and lower the club down behind the ball. This is the correct grip you should have. Mike says that he had this grip coming from baseball, and after college, he was talked into another grip by his instructors, which ruined his career. With the grip Mike had, they said he wasn’t a golfer and had a shut face with a throw release. The irony is that’s what everyone wants today.Mike works with Garrett’s grip again to get it on correctly, and he talks about force going into the hand. Mike wants Garrett to make small pitch shots. Mike notices his ball flight is now lower, with a slight draw. This is what Garrett wants.Again, Garrett says it feels like hitting a cricket bat. Mike says he has never heard that before but says to Garrett that if that is what it takes to get a feel to hit the golf ball correctly, then to go with it.

Garrett Richards-The Baseball Swing

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

(Learn to Curve the Ball On Purpose) Day 11 is all about mastering the most important part of the golf swing: the clubface. Mike Malaska explains why your ability to control the face has a greater impact on ball flight than your swing path. You&rsquo;ll learn how to manipulate loft, curve direction, and trajectory&mdash;all with simple hand movements and awareness of how the clubface sits in your grip. Mike introduces a powerful visual cue: marking the face with a small dot four grooves up. That dot becomes your reference point. Every time you set up, your brain begins to associate &ldquo;that dot hitting the back of the ball&rdquo; as your task. This subconscious cue helps train proper face aim and consistency through impact. Using both hands separately and together, you&rsquo;ll explore how to hit it high, low, left, right&mdash;and how subtle grip changes affect those outcomes. You&rsquo;ll also understand why starting with a 7-iron (instead of a high-loft wedge) helps you see spin more clearly. This is not about wild swings. These are controlled, deliberate movements to teach you what the face is doing&mdash;so you can learn to control the ball on purpose. What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Face Control: &bull; How to use grip position to manipulate the clubface direction &bull; Why a small visual cue helps train the subconscious to deliver the face &bull; How to hit draws, fades, high shots, low shots&mdash;on demand &bull; Why even short swings can teach you advanced control &bull; How face angle, not swing path, determines ball flight in most cases Key Takeaway: Every shot starts with the face. If you can learn to control where the face points and how much loft it delivers, you&rsquo;ll control your ball flight. This is the next level of development&mdash;learning to shape shots with purpose.

Day 11-Face Control

A Malaska Golf Member has a great question about "feel and real."

Mike talks about his mentor Joe Nichols who taught him how to compress the golf ball and gain speed instead of dragging the handle out in front.

The original question is about when you make practice swings and the club circles around your hands. Does this concept depart from what Joe taught? Mike says no.

Joe wanted you to tip the club out because he wanted your hips to stay back as you brought the handle down. When you swing at full speed, the club will land in a perfect position for you to hit the ball.

If you don't tip the club out on the downswing, the club's momentum will drop the club and then push your hands away from you. You'll have to twist your hands to get the clubface square with the ball. This means everything is late.

The key is to keep the club from getting too far behind you. That is why "tipping the club out" gets you in the perfect position to hit the ball.

The club is still circling your hands when you are "tipping the club out”, it's the same thing. It is a feeling of a change of direction and not a reality.

TIPPING THE CLUB

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

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 

M-System Max

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 Certified Coach Brian Gott from The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden, Colorado answers a question from Brian Pakman, who asked about the glove markings that Mike Malaska often draws during lessons to teach proper hand placement.
Brian demonstrates exactly how to mark your glove so you can visually and physically repeat the correct grip every time. Using a Sharpie, he draws a line separating the palm area from the fingers, explaining that the key is to get the club handle positioned firmly in the fingers, not the palm.
When the grip sits too high in the palm, it limits wrist mobility and weakens leverage. But when the handle sits in the fingers, it allows the golfer to lever the club naturally and return to impact with strength and control.
He also cautions against twisting the hand while trying to position the club correctly. Many players start with a finger-based grip but rotate the hand and end up back in the palm. To avoid that, focus on placing the handle across the fingers &mdash; even slightly toward the fingertips &mdash; then roll the hand naturally over the top and use the thumb to stabilize the grip.
In this lesson you will learn: &bull; How to mark your glove for consistent finger-based hand placement. &bull; Why gripping in the fingers builds leverage and control. &bull; How a palm-based grip limits wrist mobility and power. &bull; Why twisting your hand during setup destroys proper grip position. &bull; How to roll the hand naturally on top for a strong, repeatable hold.He leaves golfers with a practical reminder:
&ldquo;Get the club in your fingers, not your palm. It&rsquo;s the key to leverage and consistency.&rdquo; &mdash; Brian Gott, Malaska Certified Coach
This Makes Sense. Own Your Swing.

Mark Your Glove For Perfect Grip

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

Skill Pathways

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

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

Malaska Golf News

If your body gets too close to the ball, you won't be able to swing. Practice getting your center away from the ball.

YOUR PELVIS AND THE GOLF SWING

ENJOY THE GAME MORE Golf is not a complicated sport when you really think about it. Mike, or one of our certified instructors will answer your question with the M-Sytem learning process at the core to every response. It&rsquo;s been played the same way for hundreds of years. Our goal is to give you a better understanding of why things happen the way they do. So, ask us anything. If one of our videos raises a question, post your question in the comments section beneath it. Every week or so we will be exploring the most common questions, and we post our video responses right here for everyone in the Malaska Golf community to see.

Ask Malaska Golf

Line of compression is the feeling your right hand has on the back of the shaft at the impact position.

LINE OF COMPRESSION

In this Player Lesson, we see how the M-System has changed the approach of a Malaska Golf member's playing.

Mr. Esmond

I like to call this off-green putting. Because it is the same action as a putting stroke. This is where you start to learn how to compress the ball. And what gets the ball in the air. It is also the part of the game that will save your scores. And if your short game is good. You are not afraid to miss the green. You know you can get the ball up and down. So it takes the pressure off your full swing. Everyone can have a great short game. It fore sure is not about strength and or flexibility. IT is attainable for anyone.

Skill Pathways-Chipping

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about feeling relative to where his hands are pointed. This is a really good question, as Mike always says, ‘Your hands control the golf swing.’ If you can control what your hands do, then there is a good chance the clubface will work.Now, if you aren’t connected to what your hands are doing or your grip, you are trying to do everything with your hips. Your hips don’t control the face.The Member’s comment is that as he is working on grip, line of compression, and impact, he feels like his left palm at impact is facing down and more into him, as opposed to facing out and up.Mike talks about what hurt him in golf. He had had his grip changed, and as he came into the ball, he had to bow his wrists.Mike got pretty good at this until he broke his wrist and tore a tendon. This was Mike compromising that joint.Now, instead of facing down, Mike’s palm is facing toward his leg. Mike said that what the member is feeling with his palm is a really good thing.If your grip is correct, it is a chopping action with your left hand and wrist. Your palm will be facing in if you do it this way. As you swing through, your arms straighten, and the release action is up. You don’t twist or rotate the club as you swing through. There is a big difference.If you use the grip Mike talks about, your joints line up, you hit the ball, and your hands work. It’s a good feeling to have your palm facing down and toward you, then toward the sky.

Hands Control the Golf Swing

To control path and face. First set up with the putter more in the palm of your hands. Then line your trail forearm up with the putter. Now push your hips back. Set the putter behind the ball. Make a stroke with either just your trail hand and or with both hands. The task is to roll the line. If the line is not rolling place four tees forming a box around the putter head. With about 6 inches front to back in the tees. You should be able to swing the putter head through the tees and not hit any of them. If you do and the ball is still wobbling then it is a face issue. You can also use a putting track for this skill.

CONTROLLING GRIP, PATH, AND FACE

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

Toski on Ben Hogan photo Part 3 - Squaring The Club

TOSKI ON BEN HOGAN PHOTO - SQUARING THE CLUB

Dropping your right foot back gets your right hip out of the way and makes it easier to hit balls on the range and the course.

STAGGERED STANCE PROGRESSION

You improve as long as you work on your swing, so practice. Anywhere you can.

Billy Fitzgerlad

A Malaska Golf Member wants to know some drills so they don’t pull their hands in on the swing instead of extending them.Most teachers who see students come into the ball and pull their arms in call this the ‘dreaded chicken wing.’Mike demonstrates how the chicken wing happens. People think that the answer is to straighten your arms on the follow-through. Mike explains this is not the case; your arms are pulling in because they must. People have more hand-eye coordination than they give themselves credit.What happens is that when people swing back, they don’t push their hips back. On the downswing, their body ends up moving closer to the ball. To hit the ball, they resort to pulling in their arms to get the clubface on the ball. Hence, the ‘chicken wing.’&nbsp;Mike explains the fix! When you swing a golf club, the thing that makes your arms straighten out is when your left hip pushes back and away. By doing this, it throws and accelerates your arms forward.When Mike has students who do the ‘chicken wing,’ he gets them to step back from address and try to hit the ball. They usually miss the first one because their arms pull in. When they hit the ball, their arms must straighten out, and the ‘dreaded chicken wing is gone.’The ‘dreaded chicken wing is an effect of people moving closer to the ball. Once you figure out that if you push your left hip back, your arms will straighten out, and the ‘chicken wing is gone.’

The Dreaded Chicken Wing

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

Putting is the difference between winning and losing. Here's what you need to win.

Advancing in Putting

So, we're going up to what was the 16th tee in the tournament, a par three. At this point, I only had a one-shot lead, and everything was getting pretty tight. I was playing well, but things were tense. This par three, the pin was right where it is now.Everyone said I hit a fade around the bunker, but my target— I can still remember—was just inside those big pine trees on the right-hand side. I aimed right over the center of the bunker with a little draw, hit the shot, and it landed about six to eight feet from the hole. I made birdie, which gave me a two-shot lead with two holes to play.Now, looking back at the end of my career, after everything I’ve learned, when I was playing a lot, people would say, "You’ve got to watch out for the hole. Start in the middle of the green and work it." This hole is set up for a fade—that's the shot. You cut it around the bunker, but that’s not my shot, even to this day.As I got more into playing and took lessons, instead of hitting the shot I wanted to hit, people told me what shot I should hit. So, I kept trying to hit the shots I "should" hit, not the ones I felt comfortable with. As a result, I was always a little more uncomfortable than I needed to be.But today, I'm going to hit a draw again because that's my shot. We’ve got 188 yards to the flag, and 157 to carry the bunker. The pin is at the front of the green, but it's the same shot I hit back then. I just don’t hit it as far as I used to. Back then, I hit a 7-iron; today, I hit a 6-iron and still came up a little short. But I aimed at the center of the bunker, let it turn back, and ended up on the green. Again, it’s all about knowing what you can do, and I knew it back then too.That’s what makes me reflect—when I was a kid, nobody told me what to do. I knew what I could do, and I played with what I had. I figured I could beat anyone with what I had. I didn’t need to do anything else. So, I hit the shots I was comfortable with, based on what I saw.What do I see people doing now, even tour players I work with? They start trying to hit shots they aren’t comfortable with. Under pressure, maybe you have to sometimes, but your go-to shot is crucial. Under pressure, you need something you can rely on, and for me, that’s my draw.After birdieing 16, I came to 17. This hole was perfect for my draw. I aimed at the right-hand trees, hit it, and turned it into the fairway. Visually, it fit my shot, so I aimed down the right side of the fairway, made a good swing, and hit a little draw, right in the middle of the fairway.At this point, I had a two-shot lead, and the hole set up perfectly for the shot I liked. So, I just stood up and let it go.Now, it was tournament time. I had a two-shot lead, and this hole didn’t set up for a draw. You can see how the trees on the left slope into the rough. The hole really sets up for a cut. But I didn’t feel like hitting a cut. My caddie, who has known me forever, said, “Mike, you haven’t miss-hit a drive all day. Just get over here on the left side of the tee, aim at the left edge of that right-hand tree, and let it curve back into the fairway.”You're probably thinking, "Those trees are pretty close." But I wasn’t thinking that. I was just looking at the left edge. There’s a power pole just beyond what is now the clubhouse. I aimed at that power pole, and all I wanted to do was start the ball there and let it gradually drift to the left.That’s pretty much the shot I hit, although about 70 yards shorter than where I hit it back then. But again, here I was—never having won a tournament this big—on the last hole, with a two-shot lead. I needed to get it in the fairway. I could have gone with a 2-iron, but I was hitting my driver the best. I hadn’t miss-hit a driver all day, so I just stuck with it.Sometimes, the driver is the club to go with, and sometimes it’s the worst club. If you can’t hit it well, choose something else that’ll keep the ball in play. For me, that day, the driver was the best choice, and my caddie talked me into it. I’m glad he did because I ended up 80 or 89 yards from the front edge. Game over, tournament over.I’ve hit a few balls into those trees before. So, let's recap what we’ve done here. We had some weather issues, so we didn’t get to do everything we wanted. But the reality is, all these shots I had a chance to hit, there’s value in them for everyone. You need to hit the shots you know you can hit.The game doesn’t have to be that complicated. When I was 19 years old, I had never taken a formal lesson. Yet, I came here and won one of the biggest state opens in the country. It was incredible and a lot of fun. It changed my life.This was the last hole—the 18th. Here’s where the pin was. I hit my drive, hit my shot, lagged it to about here, and gingerly rolled it up, leaving it just short. Then I tapped it in for a one-shot win.This place, for me—like many of you with your favorite golf courses or memorable rounds—brings back so many memories. When you play, remember the good shots you’ve hit. I can tell you there are shots on this course that we talked about today, and I still remember hitting them. When I find myself in similar situations, I try to remember those exact shots because I can still recall what they felt like.It’s even better now, even though I’m 70 years old. Back then, I was 19 or 20, but something about it still resonates with me. So, remember those old shots you hit well. Remember what you did, how it felt, and then try to replicate that.This is such a marvelous game. Here we are, 50 years after I first won this tournament, and I’m still playing in it. I’m still having a lot of fun with golf and trying to help every one of you play your best golf, enjoy the game for a long time, and be competitive. I hope you enjoy this, and I look forward to the rest of the Utah Open and the future of Malaska Golf.

Finishing Strong

Mike Malaska works with Dr. Joe LaCaze, Owner and Managing Partner of Rotex Motion. Joe plays golf mainly in the summertime and shoots anywhere from 75 to 77.

Mike observes Joe make a few practice swings. He notices that Joe's body mechanics are really good, although the way his hands and Lever System work is minimal.

Mike's goal with Joe is to get him to understand the Lever System and put that together with what his body is doing. Mike adds that if the Lever System works correctly with much less tension and effort, Joe could get more speed.

When Mike observes golf swings, he looks for how the body moves and what the Lever System is doing. Most of the time, Mike corrects the Lever System first and then the body. Because Joe's body motion is good, Mike mainly focuses on the Lever System with him.

Joe makes a couple of swings, and Mike notices Joe's grip is off. When Joe tries to lever the club, he levers at the elbows instead of the wrists. If he levers at the wrists, this will keep his arms straight on the backswing. Joe tends to cast the club on the downswing.

Mike works with Joe's grip to ensure that the club feels like it's more in Joe's fingers. Mike then works on Joe's takeaway and understanding that the Lever System is immediate. The lever needs to happen before the club is parallel to the ground. Mike also wants Joe to feel like he is pushing the handle away from him.

Mike gets Joe to swing and point the handle away on the backswing and the follow-through. This motion is the Handle Away Drill. Mike reminds Joe to keep the wrists loose and go easy on the swing.

Mike wants Joe to make practice swings with a plastic ball with his right foot back. This helps Joe to feel the Lever System and practice the Handle Away Drill. Mike really wants Joe to get a feel for how the hands work.

FEEL THE LEVER SYSTEM

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

Transition Timing Secrets

Mr. Masleck asks for clarification on weight shift. This is a great request and I want to spend the time on this because weight shift, force transfer, or whatever you may call it. It doesn't matter, it is a Top Ten concept that you need to understand if you want to be a good golfer. This is actually bigger than a golf thing; this is a human development thing. In order to create the forces you need at impact, it is important that you initiate your motion correctly from the start of the swing. 

When you swing a golf club, you start moving onto your lead foot first. Before you even move the club, you're slightly loading your lead side so you can move (or shift) to your trailing side. Then as you begin your backswing and begin to bring the club up, you push with your lead leg and load up your trail leg. By the time you start your downswing, you've already shifted your weight back to the lead leg, loading it so that it can push in time with your downswing.

I wouldn't recommend the "swing to the top" method. There is no top in the golf swing. There is a start and a finish.

If you're right-handed, it's Left, Right, Left, Hit.
If you're left-handed, it is Right, Left, Right, Hit.

LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, HIT - WEIGHT SHIFT IN THE SWING

A Malaska Golf Member asks about DGF or Death Grip Syndrome. All this means is that golfers grip the golf club too tightly.

Mike explains that gripping the club too tightly is a misunderstanding of the motion of the club and how it works.

Mike demonstrates the "Look Cool" Drill, swinging the club with one hand. Notice how relaxed his wrists are as the club drops through the swing. They are just reacting to the weight of the club. This is also important to feel how your wrists hinge, unhinge and rehinge.

The next aspect Mike discusses is tension. Once you feel the hinging of the wrists, then your grip needs to be correct. When the lever and weight of the club make your wrists hinge and unhinge, it squares the clubface.

If your grip is wrong, you don't have tension, and you let the weight of the club go, making the face wide open at impact. You will slice the ball. Then you think the way to solve this issue is to catch the face up, and end up getting tighter and tighter because you are anticipating this problem.

Tightness and tension exist when you don't use the club's momentum, your grip is off, and the club doesn't square itself.

DEATH GRIP SYNDROME

Milo answers the most common question: how to hit far

HOW TO HIT FAR

Learning how to control trajectory with one arm is a basic skill. As you pitch balls with just your trail arm. The relationship of your knuckles to your wrist is what changes the loft or angel of the face. The father your knuckles are behind or to the right in a right handed player the lower the ball goes. But with no twisting in the wrists the ball goes straight. This control transitions into all clubs and all shots.

Pitching Trajectory

Master Bunker Play by Practicing with a 7-Iron (or Even a 3-Iron!) In this bonus lesson, Mike Malaska shares a breakthrough drill he discovered while watching Seve Ballesteros hit high, soft bunker shots with a 3-iron. Inspired, Mike trained himself to hit bunker shots using long irons like a 7-iron&mdash;and the results transformed his short game. Why train with a 7-iron or 5-iron from the sand? Because it forces you to learn how to manipulate loft, use bounce, and trust the club to pass your hands. If you can create height and softness with a long iron, using a sand wedge becomes automatic. Mike demonstrates how to open the face, adjust hand position, and use bounce properly&mdash;even when the club wasn&rsquo;t built for it. Practicing this way sharpens your skill, increases feel, and makes your standard wedge shots feel easy by comparison. Key Takeaway: Practicing bunker shots with a 7-iron teaches you to control loft and bounce. If you can hit it high and soft with a long iron, your sand wedge shots will become automatic&mdash;and your confidence will soar.

Bonus Video 3-Bunker Challenge Drill

(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

&nbsp;(Let the Club Do the Work) If you want consistent speed and solid contact, you have to learn how to use momentum. In Day 18, Mike Malaska explains how to let the weight of the club do the work&mdash;hinging, unhinging, and rehinging the wrists naturally through the swing. Too many golfers try to force motion or "release" manually, which destroys timing and consistency. Instead, this lesson teaches you to feel and direct the club&rsquo;s energy with smooth, controlled motion. Using drills like swinging the club handle-first, you&rsquo;ll learn how to sense the natural momentum of the shaft and head. Mike relates this concept to Iron Byron&mdash;the robotic arm that proves momentum alone can create perfect release and ball striking. When your grip is correct and your motion allows momentum to build and unload, you&rsquo;ll strike the ball cleanly with effortless speed. This is one of the most powerful lessons in the series, showing you how to maximize your swing without muscle&mdash;by trusting momentum.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Momentum: Why forcing the release ruins your swing&mdash;and how to stop doing it How to train your awareness using the handle-first drill What the Iron Byron machine teaches us about swing physics How a correct grip and swing path allow momentum to hinge and unhinge naturally Why this is the secret to consistent distance and face control
Key Takeaway: If you want to strike the ball with speed and control, let momentum do the work. Trust the natural motion of the club, and your wrists will release at the right time&mdash;without trying.

Day 18-Unlock Power With Momentum

(Let Gravity, Momentum, and Force Drop the Club Into the Ball) If you want to hit solid shots without forcing the club down, you need to rethink your swing plane. In Day 19, Mike Malaska challenges one of golf&rsquo;s most misleading instructions: &ldquo;hit down on the ball.&rdquo; Instead, you&rsquo;ll learn that it&rsquo;s momentum, gravity, and centripetal force&mdash;not effort&mdash;that deliver the club to the ball. When your wrists are relaxed and your swing motion is fluid, the club drops into perfect contact without you having to force it. Mike introduces the idea of swinging on an &ldquo;elevated plane,&rdquo; where the feel is that your club moves level to the ground&mdash;but because of the forces in play, it naturally descends into the ball. This lesson ties back to your L-to-L training and teaches you how to blend smooth shoulder rotation with wrist freedom for effortless impact. You&rsquo;ll also see how tour players use this elevated motion to stay loose, athletic, and consistent.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Swinging on an Elevated Plane: &bull; Why &ldquo;hitting down&rdquo; is a harmful swing thought &bull; How relaxed wrists allow the club to drop into the ball naturally &bull; Why the swing should feel level, not steep&mdash;especially with irons &bull; How L-to-L motion and shoulder rotation work together to maintain flow &bull; The difference between position-based thinking and feel-based motion This drill is perfect for creating a free, connected swing. Forget tension. Forget holding angles. Once you understand how elevated motion creates compression, you&rsquo;ll start striking the ball with less effort&mdash;and more confidence.
Key Takeaway: Don&rsquo;t force the club down. Let it fall. When your wrists are relaxed and your swing flows on an elevated plane, momentum does the work&mdash;and solid contact becomes automatic.

Day 19-Swing on an Elevated Plane

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

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

Driver posture is critical because if you are out of balance or if your posture is off, it will be difficult to create much speed or control. Start with the correct grip, and set up with the ball off your left foot. The object is that you are trying to catch the ball slightly on the upswing.

As far as weight goes, you have more force in your right foot because when you swing, you go left to push back to the right. Set up to the ball like taking a bow, and bend from your hips. When you set up, you push your hips back. Your knees should be just over your ankles. When your hips are relaxed, you have the most amount of flexibility. Posture is a big key to hitting your driver well.

POSTURE & BALL POSITION

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

For Step 2 of this player lesson with Billy Fitzgerald, Mike Malaska talks about going from address to impact. When Billy does this, he pushes his right hip down, and his left shoulder goes up. His right knee rotates down and inward. 

Mike explains that you can feel your right leg, right foot, and femur rotating down and in when you go from address to impact position.

Mike places a stick in front of his right knee, which keeps it from moving outward. If your knee goes out, so does your hip, which makes your arms go outward. 

Billy gets steep in the transition of his swing partly because his brain puts the brakes on the club when he wants to shallow the club. Because Billy moves his hip out, there is no room to move and shallow the club correctly. That’s why his club is forced to go out on his swing.

Billy makes small swings from the impact position, and Mike iterates that this is the second step. When Billy can feel how to trigger the right leg, he can make full swings.

BILLY FITZGERALD - ADDRESS TO IMPACT

This is M1. The M-SYSTEM is a complete training system for your whole game. Start with M1. Learn the fundamentals, advance through M5. Then start learning about individual skills specific to Driving, Bunkers, Short Game, Putting, Chipping and Irons. Welcome to Malaska Golf.

M1-Swing Concepts

The last part of this video series with Billy Fitzgerald focuses on getting the club to move around Billy’s hands.

Mike Malaska says everyone talks about shallowing the club, but Mike wants the club, which is outside of your hands, to move and draw behind them. Mike makes a looping action with his hands. He mentions that it is hard for Billy to do this with his right leg pushing out on the downswing.

Because Billy hasn’t created space in his backswing, he throws his club out on the downswing. Billy can reroute his club as soon as there is space, and the club will come shallower into the ball.

Mike wants Billy to work on having his hands in front of the club until the club changes direction. This is where the hands become even with the club. On the downswing, the hands are behind the club, and they work back in front of the club down to impact.

Mike gets Billy to make a swing with Billy in a staggered stance with his right foot back. This will get Billy’s right hip out of the way and focus on making an up-to-under swing.

Having Billy’s right foot back gives him more space to swing and come down into the ball. Mike illustrates this by holding Billy and working through the looping motion. Before, because Billy’s right hip pushed out, he didn’t have the space in his downswing to make the looping action.

Mike shows Billy how the club starts out in front of his hands, to even, to a little behind, back to even, and then his hands in front of his club.

Billy makes an easy shot, and Mike says it will take care of his pull. Mike shows Billy feedback on the JC swing analysis video.

Mike goes over what Billy has learned so far. Firstly was to get Billy’s hips out of the way and his shoulders turned a little steeper. Secondly is how to use your right leg and foot when you change direction. Then it’s to get your club to work correctly with your hands. Mike says you will never stop pulling the ball if your hip moves up. You will have no choice but to be steep with your swing.

Billy repeats all the steps that Mike has taught him in the lesson. Mike reinforces the idea that the club works around the hands is what happens with all bat and racket sports. A tennis racket, ping pong paddle, and baseball bat do this. You want this shallowing action.

Mike and Billy discuss the progress Billy has made in the lesson. Mike also talks about the importance of foot action and that your feet shouldn’t be stable and should be moving. Mike says you should let your feet move as your body moves with the swing.

BILLY FITZGERALD - MOVE THE CLUB AROUND YOUR HANDS

Distance control is one of the most overlooked but most important skills in golf. You can read the green perfectly, line up the putt exactly right, and still miss if your speed is off. That&rsquo;s why Day 2 of this series is focused on helping you control distance by improving face control and center contact. Most golfers think they need a different stroke for every length of putt, but the real solution begins with delivering the putter square, striking the center of the face, and developing feel over time. In this lesson, Mike Malaska shows how to train speed and accuracy using drills that provide instant feedback. He starts with a simple face control drill using a box. A straight roll means your face was square. A twist to the left or right means the face was closed or open. Then, he teaches a progressive distance ladder drill to develop touch across short, medium, and longer putts. You will also learn how to apply this on uphill, downhill, or flat surfaces, so your stroke adapts to real-world conditions. Mike also reminds you that each day in this program is not a tip&mdash;it is a training session. Don&rsquo;t just roll a few balls and move on. Spend time. Build the skill. This is how real player&rsquo;s practice.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Distance Control in Putting: How face angle affects roll, even on short putts Why center-face contact is essential for speed control How to use a box or board to check face alignment How to build feel with the distance ladder drill Why practicing on different slopes helps you adapt under pressure
This session is about feel, precision, and building habits that last. Once you control the face and find center contact, speed control becomes repeatable.
Key Takeaway: Speed control is the foundation of great putting. Face control and center contact give you that speed. Practice with feedback and commit to the work.

Day 2-Control Distance in Putting

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

Your hands control the clubface. If your hand action is off, your swing will always rely on compensations. Day 5 is where everything begins to come together&mdash;grip, motion, and clubface control. In this lesson, Mike Malaska shows you how your hands should move through the swing so you can flatten the lead wrist, cup the trail wrist, and square the face without twisting. You will learn how the lead hand works like a chop, and the trail hand pushes and releases. Mike explains how the wrists interact at setup, backswing, impact, and finish&mdash;switching roles as the swing transitions. This is not about flipping or scooping. It is about building structure and consistency. You will also learn how to rehearse this movement slowly and deliberately without even hitting a ball.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Hand Action: How the lead and trail hands move throughout the swing Why flattening and cupping matter more than rotation or twist How to feel the hand action at home with slow practice Where the wrists should be at setup, top, impact, and follow-through How this hand sequence squares the face without manipulation
Mike emphasizes that you do not need to hit balls to improve this. In fact, most of this is best practiced at home in slow motion. These small details will become automatic with time. The more you train your hands to work correctly, the less you will rely on timing or compensations in your swing.
Key Takeaway: Great ball striking comes from great hand action. Practice flattening the lead wrist and cupping the trail wrist through the swing. That is what squares the face and unlocks control.

Day 5-Hand Action in the Golf Swing

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

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

LEVER SYSTEM GRIP

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based here in the UK. Today&rsquo;s question comes from Peter Zhu, who commented on a video he watched about hand action. In the video, Peter referred to what he saw as "chopping and slapping."
This action involves the left hand working in a chopping motion, and if your grip is correct, this is the natural movement. The left hand works in this chopping action, while the right hand works in a slapping or throwing motion. Essentially, the left wrist chops, and the right wrist slaps. From down the line, you&rsquo;ll see the left wrist moves in a chopping motion, and the right hand follows in a slapping motion.
This concept, as Peter described, was one of my "aha" moments when learning from Mike. Why? Because this motion reduces excessive clubface rotation. For years, golfers were taught the &ldquo;palms opposing&rdquo; grip, which often caused the hands and forearms to roll excessively. However, in other sports, like baseball or when hitting something like a tree with a stick, the hands naturally move differently. The left-hand chops, and the right-hand slaps.
This natural motion simplifies things significantly. It reduces clubface rotation, making it much easier to control the club through impact. For example, I use a glove with an alignment stick attached to demonstrate this motion. When you perform the correct hand movements, you&rsquo;ll notice very little forearm rotation. In contrast, excessive rolling motions are much harder to time consistently.
Once you learn this chopping and slapping motion, golf becomes far easier. It starts with getting the correct grip, and from there, practicing these hand actions. The left-hand chops, the right-hand slaps, and the result is straighter shots with less effort. You can practice this motion without hitting a ball by simply rehearsing the movements. I often spend time just repeating the chopping motion with my left hand and the slapping motion with my right hand. These simple drills make the feel second nature, and once you&rsquo;ve internalized it, it&rsquo;s hard to forget.
Even small movements&mdash;just practicing the motions&mdash;can make a big difference. Tools like the glove with an alignment stick are helpful for visualizing the motion, but they&rsquo;re not essential. The key is to practice the chopping and slapping action regularly to develop a natural feel for it. With time, your shots will become straighter and more consistent, making your golf game much more enjoyable.
&nbsp;

Chop, Slap, Straight Shots

(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

"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

Posture might not be flashy, but it is one of the most important parts of your golf swing. Without the right posture, your body cannot move the way it is designed to. In Day 6, Mike Malaska breaks down exactly how to build your posture from the ground up&mdash;so you can move with power, balance, and consistency. You will learn how posture is built from your hip sockets, not your back or knees. Mike shows you how to start in a neutral standing position and then hinge from the hips, keeping your feet quiet and your weight balanced across your toes, heels, and the balls of your feet. From there, he explains the slight tilt needed to create a strong, athletic posture that works across your putting, chipping, and full swing. This is not just a setup drill. This is your entire swing foundation. Mike shares how even using your shadow can help you build body awareness and maintain posture throughout the motion. If your posture is off, your body will make compensations. But if it is correct, everything becomes easier.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Posture: How posture starts with balance&mdash;not tension Why your bend should come from the hips, not the knees or back How to combine hip hinge with slight tilt for athletic setup Why posture stays consistent across putting, chipping, and full swing How to use your shadow to train posture visually
Mike emphasizes that this is something you train every day. Get into a routine where your posture is the first thing you check. Set your feet, hinge from the hips, add a slight tilt, and drop your arms naturally. If your posture changes, your swing changes. Make posture part of your pre-shot routine for life.
Key Takeaway: Posture is the foundation of movement. Hinge from the hips, balance your weight, and stay consistent. Your body can only move as well as your setup allows.

Day 6-Posture in the Golf Swing

A Malaska Golf Member has questions about positions in the golf swing. You can get too fixated on hitting certain positions in the downswing, but if you use motion correctly, the positions show up automatically.You must be careful about trying to hit certain positions. Mike demonstrates positions that you might want to hit. The problem with trying to practice this way is there is no force involved. You must have enough force so that the momentum of the club is doing things so that you can learn to offset those forces.The golf industry has struggled because we have tried to learn a motion sport with our feet still. Mike explains that in baseball, you stride when you hit the ball. You move your feet in tennis as you swing the racket to hit the ball. The same is true with ping-pong. In hockey, you are moving your feet.However, when you move to golf, the industry wants you to make a swing and keep your feet static.Mike demonstrates a drill to help you move your feet. Place your club forward outside a golf ball and start to step back while making a swing and hitting the ball.Many Tour Pros, when they practice, will make small steps before they hit the ball. They are using this footwork to create motion that creates positions.The key is to know what motions you need to do to create those positions. Motion is very different compared to static positions.Mike explains that he ruined a career by slowing his swing down to look at positions and trying to get to those spots! Those spots happen, but they don’t happen by what you see. The biggest thing that Mike has learned is that you can’t see a golf swing. That’s why he wrote the book, ‘The Invisible Swing.’It’s not about what you see but what causes what you see. That’s why static positions can be detrimental.

Static Positions in a Golf Swing

If you just sit in a chair and take the club set it on your trail shoulder with your arms relaxed. The handle of the club is pointed straight away from you. Then just direct the momentum of the club out away from you and let the arms and wrists react. There is no of very little rotation in your body. The handle will pivot. The club head will accelerate. The lead arm will straighten then fold up. Understanding and being able to do this is what your swing really feels like. IF you add body pivot to this action you will gain a tremendous amount of club head speed.

THROW THE CLUB DRILL

The lever system starts with the proper grip that allows the joints of the wrists to work correctly for the most speed and control. Then it becomes how well can you control the face. Once you have those two it becomes where does most of your speed come from. How do you get your arms into the correct arch to create an angle of attack that maximizes your potential. What are the main drills and or skills necessary to become proficient at these basic skills or tasks.

THE LEVER SYSTEM - OVERVIEW

The Four Tee Drill helps to with setup, alignment, roll and your putting stroke.

MICHAEL GARDEN - PUTTING - STROKE - 202104

In this fifth video of the Player Lesson series, Mike Malaska introduces Jimmy Pearcy to the concept of leverage as the key to creating effortless power in the golf swing. Building on earlier lessons on grip, speed, and relaxation, this session focuses on teaching Jimmy how to harness the club’s weight and momentum to generate speed and control with minimal effort.Mike begins with a practical drill to help Jimmy feel the club’s natural weight and motion. He instructs Jimmy to turn the club around and grip it just above the head, making swings with the lighter handle. This exercise allows Jimmy to focus on the sensation of the club’s balance and movement without the distraction of ball striking. Mike emphasizes that the lightness of the handle contrasts with the heavier clubhead, and this difference helps Jimmy understand how to control the swing using momentum rather than force.After a few repetitions, Mike has Jimmy reverse the club and take his proper grip. With the heavier clubhead now in play, he instructs Jimmy to make soft, easy swings, paying close attention to the weight of the club as it moves through a circular path. Mike explains that the goal is to let the club’s momentum guide the swing, allowing the weight to naturally hinge, unhinge, and re-hinge the wrists without forcing the motion. This, Mike notes, is the foundation of leverage in golf.As Jimmy practices, Mike identifies tension in his hands and arms that disrupts the flow of the swing. He emphasizes that tension is the enemy of power, as it prevents the natural movement of the wrists and restricts the club’s ability to accelerate. Through repetition and reinforcement, Jimmy begins to loosen his grip and feel the freedom in his swing, experiencing how a relaxed approach unlocks the club’s full potential.Mike uses analogies from other sports to solidify the concept. He explains that the motion of a golf swing should feel similar to a tennis serve or a baseball swing, where the player leverages the racket or bat’s weight and momentum for power. In each case, relaxation in the hands, arms, and shoulders is crucial for generating speed. Mike further illustrates this by comparing the golf swing to a tennis racket dropping and snapping through a serve, showing Jimmy how the wrists work naturally when tension is removed.To deepen Jimmy’s understanding, Mike introduces the idea of dynamically using the clubface, much like a tennis or pickleball racket. He demonstrates how slight adjustments in wrist position and grip can change the trajectory and spin of the ball. Mike shows how to lower or raise the loft of the clubface or produce a hook or fade, explaining that these small adjustments give the golfer full control over the shot. By practicing these techniques, Jimmy begins to see how mastering the clubface opens up new possibilities for shaping his shots.The lesson continues with Jimmy hitting balls using his newfound understanding of leverage. At first, he struggles to maintain awareness of the club’s weight and momentum, often losing it at key moments in the swing. Mike patiently guides him through each step, encouraging him to focus on feeling the weight of the club throughout the entire motion—from the backswing to the downswing and follow-through. Gradually, Jimmy begins to make progress, hitting shots that are both more powerful and more consistent.Mike highlights how a proper grip and alignment play a crucial role in this process. He explains that when the grip is correct, the clubface naturally squares at impact, eliminating the need for excessive control or tension. By contrast, an incorrect grip forces the golfer to work harder to manipulate the club, often resulting in erratic shots and a loss of power. With the right grip, Jimmy learns to trust the club’s design and let the swing flow naturally.Throughout the session, Mike reinforces the idea that effortless power comes from leveraging the club’s weight and momentum, not from trying to muscle the ball. He points out that professional golfers achieve their impressive distance not by swinging harder but by using their hands, wrists, and arms efficiently. Their smooth, relaxed motions allow the club to work for them, generating maximum speed with minimal effort.By the end of the lesson, Jimmy experiences a breakthrough. He begins to feel how the club’s weight and momentum can guide the swing, creating power without strain. With Mike’s guidance, Jimmy realizes that the key to effortless power lies in mastering leverage and embracing a tension-free swing.This lesson is a pivotal moment in Jimmy’s journey, as it provides him with the tools to unlock a smoother, more powerful swing. By learning to work with the club rather than against it, Jimmy is set to achieve greater confidence, control, and consistency on the course.

Effortless Power Master Your Leverage

(Train Your Vision to Shape the Ball) If you struggle with swinging over the top or can&rsquo;t consistently shape your shots, Day 12 will change how you think about path control. According to Mike Malaska, the path your arms swing on is directly influenced by your eye line. Most golfers try to fix their swing path with mechanics, but the real key may be where you&rsquo;re looking during the swing. In this lesson, Mike shows you how your eyes create the picture your body reacts to. Using the brim of a flattened hat, he teaches you how to become aware of your eye line in motion&mdash;and how even small changes in visual direction can cause your arms to swing left, right, or straight. You&rsquo;ll experiment with swinging on different paths just by adjusting where your eyes focus during transition. You&rsquo;ll also work on hitting shots that start right, straight, and left&mdash;all with soft swings&mdash;so you can learn what path control feels like. This is a game-changing drill that gives you the freedom to swing on any path by training your visionfirst. What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Swing Path and Eye Line: &bull; Why your eyes&mdash;not your arms&mdash;determine your swing path &bull; How to use the brim of a hat to become aware of your eye line &bull; How to shift your eyes to swing from the inside like a tour player &bull; Why path drills don&rsquo;t work if your visual perception is off &bull; How to practice ball flights: inside-out, straight, and over the top This is a lesson you can practice at home or at the range. Mike did this drill for hours growing up&mdash;just swinging with his eyes trained correctly. Once your eyes learn to set the path, your arms will follow naturally, and you&rsquo;ll finally feel in control of your ball flight. Key Takeaway: Your arms swing where your eyes look. Control your vision, and you&rsquo;ll control your path.

Day 12-Control Swing Path With Your Eyes

With the driver you want the club to catch the ball on the up swing. So the ball goes up off the inside of the lead foot. Or off the lead toe. Your weight is more on your trail foot than on your lead foot. This creates more tilt and an upward strike on the ball. This works because the ball is on a tee.

DRIVER AND ANGLE OF APPROACH

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

ARM DROP WITHOUT TENSION

(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

Golf has been an effects- driven industry. Weight shift is a prime example of a concept that misleads almost everybody.

Force Transfer

Welcome to Malaska Golf Elite&mdash;and congratulations! You&rsquo;ve just made an incredible investment in your game&mdash;one that&rsquo;s going to pay off in a big way.
What sets the Elite level apart is your access to the M Coaching Series. Why is that such a game-changer?
I took the M-System&mdash;which is already a powerful tool&mdash;and expanded it to show you how to coach someone through itor how to coach yourself through it. Instead of simply saying &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s the skill we&rsquo;re working on,&rdquo; I walk you through the why, how, and where it fits in the full swing. This added depth and detail make the M Coaching Series a truly next-level experience.
You&rsquo;ll not only improve your own game, but if you help others, you&rsquo;ll start to see how everything connects. Teaching deepens your own learning&mdash;and I&rsquo;ve experienced that firsthand. Every time I teach the M-System, my swing gets better. Contrary to what some instructors say, teaching has made me a better player, not worse.
The better you understand how the swing works and why each piece matters, the more the confusion disappears. Everything becomes simpler and clearer.
Director of Distance &ndash; Featuring Justin James. Everyone wants to hit the ball farther. So we went straight to the best: Justin James, World Long Drive Champion.
I&rsquo;ve known his dad, Jerry James, since the 1980s&mdash;we played in tournaments and clinics together, and he could launch the ball. When Justin struggled with injuries, Jerry sent him to me. We tapped into his baseball background and helped him rediscover natural movement patterns. With just a few grip and hand action changes, Justin gained speed with less effort&mdash;and avoided further injury.
Now, he&rsquo;s a part of our team&mdash;and teaches you how to create speed. His swing aligns perfectly with the M-System, adding a few of his own speed-building tweaks along the way. Even the best are using the M-System framework.
21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing
This program gives you 21 guided practice sessions to actively work through the M-System.
Each day, you focus on a segment. But the secret? You don&rsquo;t forget previous days&mdash;you build on them. Day 2 includes Day 1, Day 3 includes Days 1 and 2, and so on. This compound approach mirrors how tour players practice. Eventually, pros can run through all 21 segments in 10&ndash;20 minutes. I can do it in 6 or 7. It becomes a daily routine that reminds your body what your swing is about, keeping you consistent and clear.
Just like any successful job has a checklist, your swing needs one too. That&rsquo;s what the M-System is.
Inside Jack Nicklaus&rsquo;s MindJack Nicklaus graciously allowed Phil Blackmar and me to interview him in his home. I&rsquo;ve known Jack for over 40 years&mdash;played against him, partnered with him, and even worked with him on physical fitness. Our team helped him avoid back surgery, and he&rsquo;s still doing the exercises we gave him in the 1980s.
This interview isn&rsquo;t about his swing. It&rsquo;s about how Jack became Jack&mdash;how he thinks, how he made adjustments, and how he learned. We asked the right questions, and from years of conversations, I&rsquo;ve pieced together how one of the greatest players in history developed his game&mdash;and how you can apply the same principles.
Meet Your Elite-Level Coaches Every Malaska Golf coach involved with Swing Check is a high-level player&mdash;college, mini-tour, or professional competitor. They know what it&rsquo;s like to play for a score, not just teach theory. Swing Checks are available to Elite Members as an add-on product based on instructor availability.
I&rsquo;ve known them all for years. Each of them understands the M-System&mdash;because at some point, I helped them with their own games. They&rsquo;ve lived it, and now they teach it. I&rsquo;d trust any one of them with my own swing. That says everything.
Now, Here&rsquo;s What Matters Most You now have access to more information and tools than most golfers ever will&mdash;but what really matters is this: What are you getting out of it? Are you hitting roadblocks? Are you seeing breakthroughs?
We want to hear from you&mdash;so we can share your success and help you through challenges. Sometimes a roadblock is just a matter of the explanation not clicking. When you tell us, we can fix that&mdash;for you and for others.
Your feedback makes you a key part of your own improvement. That&rsquo;s a big deal&mdash;and we&rsquo;re honored to be part of your journey.

Welcome To Malaska Golf- Elite

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

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS FOR HITTING LOB SHOTS

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Billy Fitzgerald is stepping in to answer “Ask Mike’s” from Beverley County Club in Chicago.A member has a question about what happens when your lead leg doesn’t push away when you swing.Billy says he sees this often with players and that it is a great question. The main idea of having your left leg push away is to give room for your hands, arms, and golf club in sequence when you hit the ball. The clubface is moving out, while your hands can fit in front of you and your left hip and golf club are matching up.It is a matching combination, and it is about giving the golf swing, grip, clubface, and shaft enough room to go into the ball.When you don’t push away, your arms will get too close to the ball when you swing down. Your grip will also run out into the ball, exposing the heel of the club. The club will start to make a mad dash to the golf ball. Billy typically sees many heel shots and a lot of the shots off the hosel of the club.Billy again reiterates that it is about matching the clubface with the left leg. When the left leg pushes away, the clubface can go out, the handle can slow down, and that’s how you want to match the left leg pushing away so you have plenty of room to go into the ball.Billy makes some small swings so you can see how the left leg pushes away, the handle slows down, and the clubface works out.Your grip also squares the face at impact. Billy makes a small chip, and you can see the combination of the club stabilizing the face and giving Billy plenty of room for his arms, golf club, and grip to swing into a great impact position.Remember to push away and give yourself room to make good contact.

Left Leg Pushing Away

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about grip and whether it is the same when using wedges all the way up to the driver.Mike responds that some of it is and some of it isn’t. When Mike grips the club, he makes sure that it is in his fingers, and when he closes his hands, he has the maximum amount of lever potential. This allows his wrists to hinge the way they are supposed to.Mike says, on all your full shots, yes. However, when Mike takes a wedge out, instead of his club being in his fingers, it’s a little more on a diagonal in his hand.Mike does this because he doesn’t want his wrists to hinge as much. The club is now a lot shallower, and you don’t want a lot of up-and-down in the swing. You want to keep it shallower to control the angle of approach and the flight of the ball.Again, Mike does change his grip, adjusting the position of the club in his hand a little bit to accommodate the up-and-down motion of his wrists.You don’t want to do that with the driver. The driver is in your fingers because when you swing back, you want to be able to lever your wrists and get the maximum amount of speed out of his hands and the lever system.

Different Types of Grip

Joe Nichols' leverage system combats one of the primary problems that people encounter in their backswing.  Learn how to move your left shoulder in order to set up a good backswing.

FULL SWING, PART 1

This is a combination of short game tasks and skills. They are used and extended into full swing. Which is nothing more than more body motion and more arm swing with more speed. It is easy to learn if it is done in a skill development process rather than a by chance or random process it is something that most anyone can get fairly good at. It is not this mystical magical thing that you never get good at. And if you do it will for sure leave you. That is because you do not know the process to develop and maintain what is called a golf swing.

Skill Pathways-Full Swing

(How L to L Generates Effortless Power) You&rsquo;ve trained face control and path&mdash;now it&rsquo;s time to generate speed. In Day 14, Mike Malaska introduces the &ldquo;L to L&rdquo; lever system, a fundamental movement pattern used by every powerful athlete, from tennis players to baseball hitters. This simple, repeatable action creates effortless clubhead speed by allowing the wrists to hinge and rehinge naturally through the ball. Using a 7-iron and a seated drill, Mike demonstrates how to train the pivot point of the swing without using your body or brute strength. The secret is not in swinging harder&mdash;it's in letting the club work. When you understand how the wrists, arms, and pivot function together, your speed will increase without tension or over-effort. You&rsquo;ll learn how elite players build speed with minimal effort and how to groove this same motion into your game with short, controlled swings. These drills not only improve swing speed, they also help you feel proper sequencing and strike the ball with more consistency.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About the Lever System (L to L): &bull; Why clubhead speed comes from the wrists&mdash;not the shoulders &bull; How the &ldquo;L to L&rdquo; motion builds effortless, repeatable power &bull; How to train your hands and arms with the seated drill &bull; Why a light grip and proper pivot create speed more than strength &bull; How to transfer this feel into your full swing over time Key Takeaway: Speed comes from learning how to use the club&mdash;not from swinging harder. The L to L motion unlocks your natural power. Train it with small swings, feel the hinge and release, and let the club do the work.

Day14-Create Speed With The Lever System

Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. A member has a question about how the hips move and how they time up with the club.

First, your hips move because of what your feet and legs do on the ground. When you swing back, your right hip moves back because your right foot, knee, and thigh push back. You are not twisting your hip back. As you push off the ground, that movement pushes your right hip back up and out of the way.

On the downswing, the same thing happens to your left leg. The left leg pushes the left hip back and out of the way. Your hips are moving, but you aren’t setting up to the ball and twisting your hips back and then forward. Doing this moves you off the ground. You want to stay on the ground.

It also helps you move your center away from the ball, giving you room for your arms to swing back and on the follow-through. This is how your hips work, and this is because of your feet and how they work into the ground. It is a reaction.

When you talk about speed, it’s all about lining the clubface up and timing it as you push off the ground. As you do this, your right hip pushes back, creating speed as you come through the ball.

Again, your feet are what moves your hips, and the timing of the club and how your feet push off the ground is what accelerates the clubface through the golf ball.

How the Hips Move

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

(Control the Low Point to Strike Every Shot Clean) If you want to improve your contact, especially with irons and fairway woods, you must learn to control your angle of approach. In this Bonus lesson, Mike Malaska shows you one of the simplest but most effective drills in golf: draw a line in the sand, place a ball just behind it, and train your swing to brush the sand (or turf) in front of the line. This teaches you where your club is truly bottoming out&mdash;an essential skill for compressing the ball, avoiding fat shots, and striking cleanly from any lie. Mike has spent thousands of hours on this one drill, and it applies to nearly every shot in your game. By learning to control your low point, you gain consistency in your swing path and confidence through impact. Whether you&rsquo;re working on full swings, fairway bunker shots, or dialing in your irons, this drill builds precision into your swing&mdash;without needing to hit a single ball.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn in This Lesson: &bull; Why controlling your low point is critical for solid contact &bull; How to use a simple line-in-the-sand drill to improve swing consistency &bull; What causes fat shots, thin shots, and poor bunker play &bull; How angle of approach affects both full swings and fairway bunker shots &bull; Why tour players excel by mastering this basic but essential skill
Key Takeaway: You can&rsquo;t strike the ball cleanly if you don&rsquo;t know where your club bottoms out. Use this drill often. No ball required&mdash;just awareness. Draw a line. Swing through it. Control your angle of approach and start making the kind of consistent, crisp contact that lowers your scores.

Bonus Video 2-Master Your Angle of Approach

Mike discusses golf and motion with Martial Arts expert Scott Williams.

Scott Williams

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

Be aggressive and Not Hook

As 2024 comes to a close, I want to express my gratitude to all Malaska Golf members for their incredible support. Your commitment and enthusiasm are the foundation of everything we do.This year, we made significant upgrades to the site, improving the interface and expanding the range of content available. On a personal note, 2024 has been a milestone year for me. In April, I competed at Pinehurst and finished second in a field of talented professionals. Turning 70 also marked an important chapter in my journey, highlighted by my participation in the Utah Open, the tournament that launched my professional career. While I can no longer compete with younger players, I continue to test and refine the methods shared on the site to ensure they benefit golfers of all levels.The Golf Fitness Association of America recognized my longstanding contributions to the fitness side of golf with their Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Fitness has always been a vital part of my philosophy, but in 2025, I plan to emphasize it even more, helping you understand how personalized fitness and tailored techniques can transform your game. The focus won’t be on unattainable model swings designed for elite players, but on creating practical solutions that work for&nbsp;you.Looking ahead to 2025, I am excited to share new and meaningful content. Justin James, the World Long Drive Champion, will lead a series on maximizing distance, showing how his methods align seamlessly with the M-System. Additionally, I’ve secured an interview with Jack Nicklaus, who will share his invaluable insights on the mental game and techniques that can elevate everyday golfers. This session promises to be a treasure trove of knowledge, offering hidden gems that Jack has discovered over his legendary career.To help you start the year strong, I’m introducing a series called&nbsp;21 Days to Your Best Game. This program is designed to guide you through a step-by-step process, where each day builds on the previous, creating a structured path to consistent improvement. Whether you have just a few minutes or a couple of hours, this routine will help you build skills, evaluate progress, and get ready to play your best.The&nbsp;Ask Mike&nbsp;feature has continued to grow, with an increasing number of questions coming in from members. My team of experts has been instrumental in responding to these, ensuring that golfers across the country have access to practical advice and support. This system allows you to benefit from the knowledge of coaches trained in the M-System, even if you can’t access me directly.As we move into 2025, my goal is to make it the best year yet for both Malaska Golf and your personal game. This year will focus not only on golf improvement but also on enhancing your overall quality of life through fitness and nutrition. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey, and I look forward to helping you achieve your goals in the year ahead.