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

M-System

A Malaska Golf Member comments about starting with small skills and building them daily.

Mike believes this is the key to golf. Malaska Golf has the M-System that gives you a step-by-step process, and you should learn those steps. It is best to start that same way every time you practice. The Tour Players have the same routine.

If you can't do the small skills, you assume they will show up when you make a bigger swing.
They won't. Then, it becomes compensation after compensation to find the flaws in your big swing when it's actually in your basic skills.

Mike likes to make small shots with just one hand, swap to the other, and then use both hands. If you can't do these basic skills, trying to make big swings may not work.

Those little swings teach you to line the club up with the shaft and push it through the ball. This is called the line of compression, and once you feel that, it will show up in all your shots. The same relationship you make for the small swing shows up in the big swing.

Master the small skills and get a practice routine. Your swing will get so much better.

MASTERING BASIC SKILLS

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

Align Grip And Shoulders

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

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 

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

JOE NICHOLS' GRIP

Developing the skills for the short games are the same skills and or tasks that you use in the full swing. This is the basis for the full swing. Small swing success before big swing success. Plus your short game is where about 50 to 60 % of your scoring comes from. It is the area that you can make the most improvement the fastest and the biggest impact on your score.

Skill Pathways-Short Game

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

Mike Malaska introduces the M-System Lite M1: Line of Compression. Line of compression goes right into the concept of impact. To hit the ball solid, you need to compress it, which most amateurs don’t. This happens because they don’t have a great line of compression.What is line of compression? If you take a baseball bat and hit something, a tree, for instance, your arms will line up with the bat. This is because the bat stabilizes the force coming back through it.Mike says that you wouldn’t roll your wrists when you hit with a baseball bat. If you did this in golf, it would be considered an ‘over the top’ swing.Mike demonstrates what line of compression is with a baseball bat.Line of compression happens in tennis too. If you take a tennis racket and make a forehand swing, the same thing happens. Your arm lines up with where you hit the ball on the racket, and this stabilizes the force.In golf, line of compression starts with your putter. It is important to get a feel for it with putting and distance. You need to establish line of compression first with putting before you can master it with your full swing.The concept of line of compression relates right to impact, and understanding it will help you.Mike holds his putter level out in front of him so that his arm lines up with the shaft. His arm is slightly angled, a little forward, because his arm pushes the putt.Some people keep the angle in the wrist, and others let it go, but the arm still lines up with the putter.Mike now sets up to a ball with a line on it. The ball needs to roll the line. You don’t want the ball to wobble. You want a center face hit with a good path.Mike demonstrates putting the ball as his right arm pushes the shaft through the ball. Again, the key is to make the line on the ball roll. Mike sinks the putt.It is important to command line of compression first with just one arm so you are stable with the putt before you add your second hand and arm.Mike moves to the edge of the green to talk about how line of compression relates to chipping. He explains that chipping is really ‘off-green putting.’Line of compression is the same with chipping. You can see this as Mike lines up his arm with his wedge. It is on the back of the shaft and pushes the shaft through the ball.&nbsp;You don’t want your arm to twist over or underneath. Again, you are pushing the shaft through the ball.There is one change from putting to chipping, though. Mike has drawn a dot on the clubface. The key here is to put that dot on the back of the ball when you hit it.The ball will get in the air, not because you lift it, but because the loft of the clubface gets it up. Mike reminds us that chipping is a ‘lofted putt with a chipping stroke.’When Mike sets up to the ball, he likes to practice with just one hand/arm first and then move on to both. This is all about feeling the line of compression and how your right arm pushes the shaft through the ball.Mike reminds us that the line of compression starts with putting and chipping. Then, you learn to compress the ball and get it in the air with the club.This is a big concept to master, and it applies to every iron and club in your bag, including a full swing with a driver.

M-System Lite M1-Line Of Compression

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

Lower Body

Mike Malaska introduces the M-System Lite M2: The Lever System.The Lever System is the most important part of M2 and the M-System. This is where you generate distance and speed from your irons and clubs.Mike demonstrates what the Lever System looks like, swinging an iron loosely, horizontally in front of him, from side to side. He looks very flippy with his hands as he swings the iron back and forth. However, this is how the Tour Players swing. Most amateurs tend to drag their hands throughout the swing.&nbsp;Mike explains that people don’t let the momentum of the club go and let the lever system work. This is how you create speed.Mike now drops the club down to the ground, applies the same motion/swing of the lever system, and hits a ball. Mike hits the ball 110 yards with little effort using the lever system.Even though the practice swings look flippy, they take on a different look once you add your body into the equation. The swing looks more fluid. Mike feels like he is doing the same thing. One of the biggest things he has learned in 60 years is what you feel like you are doing and what you see are very different.Mike now shows us a drill that puts the Lever System together, which is the L to L.First, make sure your grip is on correctly. As Mike demonstrates, the grip goes primarily in your fingers. People say it’s a strong grip, but really, it’s how your arm straightens and all your joints line up. Your right palm goes right on the back of your left thumb. Your right hand faces the target because it moves like a throwing or pushing action. Your left hand acts more like a chopping action.Once you get your hands on it, the lever can work correctly. Mike swings the club back and creates an ‘L’ with his arms and club on the backswing, then swings through to create the same ‘L’ on the follow-through. This is the L to L. Mike demonstrates the L to L, and you can see how the swing mirrors itself.It is important to be able to do this drill and let the momentum of the club rehinge your wrists. This should be an easy drill, but most people struggle because they tighten up and let their shoulders pull.This drill is monumental relative to distance, consistency, and the ability to relax and gain a lot of distance and speed.

M-System Lite M2-The Lever System

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

June Focus of the Month: Grip and Wrist Action- The foundation of a consistent and powerful golf swing begins with how you hold the club. This month, Mike Malaska takes you deep into the fundamentals of grip and wrist action, showing how these two elements influence every part of your swing&mdash;from setup to impact to follow-through. Across three focused videos, you&rsquo;ll learn how proper hand placement and natural wrist motion create a swing that is stable, efficient, and free of unnecessary manipulation.
 In the first video, Grip and Grip Instinct, Mike explains how a proper grip allows the clubface to square automatically through impact. He emphasizes gripping the club in your fingers rather than your palm, which promotes freedom in the wrists and supports the natural lever system of the swing. Drawing on experiences from other sports like baseball and tennis, Mike shows how athletic instinct often leads to better hand positioning than traditional mechanical instruction. This video lays the groundwork for developing feel, control, and confidence at setup. In Training Each Hand Separately, you&rsquo;ll learn how to isolate each hand to better understand its role in the swing. By gripping and hitting with one hand at a time, you can uncover tension, compensations, or inefficiencies that might be hidden when both hands are working together. This drill helps build awareness of how the clubface moves, how pressure should be applied, and how your hands sync through the hitting zone. It&rsquo;s a powerful way to refine hand function and train smarter.
 The final video, Chipping, connects everything by applying proper grip and wrist action to the short game. While the grip used in chipping is slightly different, the principles remain the same: square contact, quiet wrists, and clubface awareness. By starting each session with 10&ndash;20 chip shots, you remind your hands how to hold the club and move through the ball with control and stability. This not only improves your scoring but reinforces mechanics that translate directly to your full swing.
 Throughout this month&rsquo;s series, the message is clear: when your grip is right and your wrists function naturally, the rest of the swing becomes simpler. You&rsquo;ll stop fighting the clubface, reduce compensations, and start building a swing you can trust under pressure.

Focus of the Month (June, 25)

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

The right shoulder levels out as it goes through the ball.

HOW THE RIGHT SHOULDER WORKS

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

Parallax: Key To Accurate Shots

As you begin to make full swings first you only want enough speed where you can feel the momentum of the club and monitor where it is. Full speed is of no value. As the club swing into the back swing you are pushing away from the force the club is creating. Your force or weight goes into the inside of the heel of your trail foot. As the club swings to the transition point you are pushing the same way the club is moving. That moves you up to your lead leg. As you start down your lead leg is pushing away from the target line. This along with your trail foot rolling inward and force is moving towards the ball off your trail foot. Through impact your trail foot continues to push into the finish.

BODY MOVEMENT WITH THE FULL SWING

The Focus of the Month can be inspired by a number of things. It might come from something a tour player is doing &mdash; maybe someone who&rsquo;s winning right now &mdash; and there&rsquo;s something in their swing that&rsquo;s really valuable. Sometimes I&rsquo;ll look at that and say, &ldquo;Okay, here&rsquo;s what you can take from this&hellip; and here&rsquo;s what you shouldn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
 It could also be based on a swing technique or something that&rsquo;s trending in the golf world. I've been through a lot of these patterns, so I can say, &ldquo;I see how this could help, but here&rsquo;s the part that actually makes sense &mdash; the part that&rsquo;s really going to help your game.&rdquo;
 Sometimes it&rsquo;s about the time of year. Where are we in the season? What should your Focus of the Month be right now based on that?
 Now here&rsquo;s the great part: Every single Focus of the Month connects back to content on Malaska Golf. Everything I have you work on will be found in one of the Malaska Golf videos. There&rsquo;s nothing random here &mdash; it&rsquo;s all inside the site. And in the process, you&rsquo;ll learn how to use the site more effectively, how to learn more efficiently.
 That&rsquo;s really what I&rsquo;m hoping it does. It gets you thinking. It brings up questions. And the answers? They&rsquo;re in the site &mdash; or inside the M-System. This approach is powerful because it keeps you engaged. It gives you small, targeted things to focus on &mdash; and you start to see results. You might think, Why did that small adjustment improve my game so much? And when you want to understand why &mdash; the answer is right there in the M-System.

Focus of the Month (May, 25)

Core Content

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

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

THE WRIST HINGE DRILL

Pepe Cortez, a PGA Golf Professional since 1995, has been helping students become better golfers for over 26 years in the Seattle area. Pepe fell in love with the game as a young boy playing golf with his father and went on to play competitively at junior, high school, and collegiate levels. After graduating from the University of Oregon, he went to work at Sahalee Country Club under the Director of Golf, Rick Acton. He taught there for 26 years and is now teaching at Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club. His approach with his students is grounded in the foundational teaching of Jim Flick and Mike Malaska, who both helped him improve his own game. But it was Mike&rsquo;s mentorship over the past two decades that solidified Pepe&rsquo;s understanding of the golf swing and fueled his passion for teaching. Pepe is proud to be a Malaska Golf Certified Instructor and is excited to help you reach your full potential as a golfer. You&rsquo;ll better understand how the golf swing works and how the body works through the swing.

Malaska Certified-Pepe Cortez

In the final video of the John Lang Player Lesson series with Mike Malaska, the focus is on refining posture, grip, and the effective use of levers to create a consistent and efficient swing. This lesson ties together the concepts introduced earlier, emphasizing the importance of consistency and simplicity in both setup and swing execution. Practical drills are introduced to help John internalize these adjustments and build a repeatable, reliable motion.The session begins with a drill designed to improve posture and swing mechanics. By choking down on the club, John is forced to bend more from the hips to reach the ball, creating the correct spine angle and alignment for a proper swing. Mike demonstrates how pushing the handle of the club downward during the takeaway allows the clubhead to rise naturally into the correct position. This motion prevents the club from going off-plane and helps John maintain a consistent swing arc. Through this drill, John begins to feel how the correct mechanics differ from his previous swing, which relied too heavily on his back and lacked efficiency.Mike emphasizes the importance of using visual aids, such as shadows, mirrors, or windows, to monitor posture and swing motion. These tools allow John to observe his movements during practice and ensure he maintains proper alignment and setup. Mike demonstrates how to identify and correct posture issues by observing reflections, ensuring consistency in every practice session.Addressing John’s left-eye dominance, Mike explains how turning the head slightly to keep the left eye focused on the ball helps compensate for the loss of depth perception due to vision issues. This adjustment is modeled after left-eye dominant golfers like Jack Nicklaus, who maintain head stability through impact for better visibility and control. Mike notes that while John may lose sight of the ball after impact, this adjustment allows him to maintain focus during the critical moments of the swing.As the lesson progresses, Mike ties the adjustments back to three fundamental areas: grip, posture, and the lever system. He explains that holding the club in the fingers, rather than the palms, and avoiding gripping at the very end of the club ensures better control and consistency. Proper posture, achieved by pushing the hips back, creates the necessary angles for the shoulders to rotate correctly, preventing the swing from going flat or off-plane. The lever system, reinforced through drills, focuses on pushing the handle down to lift the clubhead, allowing for a more powerful and efficient arc.Mike stresses that good golfers are disciplined in their approach, maintaining consistency in grip, posture, alignment, and setup. Variations in these fundamentals lead to inconsistencies in the swing arc and impact position. By repeatedly practicing the drills and maintaining discipline in these areas, John can build muscle memory and confidence in his swing.The session concludes with Mike recommending further practice with the M-System, particularly the M2 section, to continue developing an understanding of lever mechanics and hand movement. He encourages John to focus on the simplicity of the adjustments and repeat them consistently to refine his game. By mastering these fundamentals, John is equipped to maintain and build on the progress made during the lesson series.This final lesson leaves John with a clear understanding of how to approach his practice and play, emphasizing consistency, proper mechanics, and the importance of deliberate, focused effort in building a reliable and effective swing.

Refine Setup For Power

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

Don't Turn Your Shoulders

INTRODUCTION TO JOE NICHOLS

Brian Gott, a Malaska Golf Certified Coach is answering Ask Mike’s this week. This question comes from Tyler Dunnigan. Tyler asked about lead arm depth in the backswing.If you remember, a while ago, everyone was focused on the towel drill, where we would stay connected by pinning the left arm against the chest and keeping everything tight. Well, that’s been disproven by biomechanics. We now know that pinning the arm against the chest causes too much rotation, flattens out your swing plane, and makes it difficult to get back to square and stay on plane.What we want is lead arm depth, but not wrapped around the body. We want a good shoulder turn, with the arm out and away. If you look from this angle, as I take the club back, the arm is not pinned against my chest. It does connect when it comes down here, but we don’t want it wrapped around the body.We want the arm to stay out. The angle between the chest and the arm only changes about 17 degrees for most good players. We just don’t want to get too wrapped around, as it causes too much rotation. The more we can get the arms out and up, the easier it is to bring them down. Mike has a drill in the M System called the Four-Step Drill, which will help with this a lot.The Four-Step Drill goes like this: Step one, take the club out; step two, rotate; step three, push the arms out and away; and step four, hit the ball. Remember, you want a good shoulder turn with the arm going out and away, keeping everything in front, not pinned behind. If the arm gets pinned behind, you end up with too much rotation, the club gets laid off, and you must play catch-up.So, try the Four-Step Drill, and remember: the club goes out, up, and away—not pinned against your chest and wrapped around.

Lead Arm Depth

In third video, Mike Malaska works with Ashley Huizing to refine her short game using chip shot drills. These drills focus on training the hands and club to work together efficiently while promoting proper swing mechanics and control.Mike begins by emphasizing the importance of hand mechanics and clubface control. Using only her right hand, Ashley practices small swings, focusing on how the clubface aims at the ball during the takeaway and follow-through. The goal is to let the club release naturally, moving left after impact while keeping the face square. Mike explains that this motion is essential for straight and consistent shots.The drills start with hitting small chip shots of 10 to 20 yards. Ashley learns to avoid over-rotating her arms, a common issue that leads to inconsistency and glove wear. Instead, she focuses on a wrist action similar to a bowling motion, allowing the clubface to remain square to the swing arc. By reinforcing this natural motion, Ashley builds muscle memory and gains confidence in her hand-club coordination.Mike addresses common mistakes, such as routing the club too far inside, which often causes the ball to fly off to the right. To correct this, he advises choking down slightly on the club and focusing on swinging it left after contact. The club should move left naturally without the face shutting down. Watching professional wedge players demonstrates how this technique leads to straighter and more controlled shots.The concept of separation is introduced, where the club moves left after impact while the ball travels straight. This motion allows for a consistent and efficient swing path. Mike highlights that chasing the ball or forcing the swing disrupts this natural separation and results in poor contact or fat shots.As Ashley practices, Mike simplifies the process, steering her away from over-complicating the mechanics. He notes that many traditional swing teachings place unrealistic expectations on golfers, leading to frustration and slow progress. Instead, his approach focuses on repeatable and practical movements that are easy to learn and apply.By the end of the session, Ashley sees significant improvements. Her swing arc aligns correctly, and the clubface remains square, allowing for consistent, straight shots. Mike reinforces the importance of practicing these drills regularly to refine technique and develop a reliable short game. With this foundation, Ashley is better equipped to approach her full swing with confidence and precision.

Mastering Chip Shots

Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska Certified Coach, is helping Mike this week. A Malaska Golf Member has a question about the right foot, right femur twist, and how it works down into the ground.Our members have probably seen the videos on the ROTEXMotion Floor discs. This is a great training aid because the discs allow your foot, thigh, and femur to twist in, which gives you a sensation of the femur working in. Even though you don't twist like that in your swing, the discs help you feel how the femur rotates in the hip socket.Both sides work in unison when you swing down into the impact position. As your left leg pushes the left hip up and back, your right femur is working down and in.Billy demonstrates how both sides are working as he swings down to impact. As Billy takes the club up to the transition point, he works the swing down; you can see how his right thigh works down and in. At the same time, his left leg pushes his right thigh up and back.Part of the member's question is, do you start to twist your foot when you are at the top of your backswing?Billy responds that it is about sequencing, and you need to talk about both the right and left legs simultaneously. Your left leg triggers the start of the downswing. As soon as your leg pushes back,you can feel your right foot and femur twist down and in.Your hip socket must be soft enough so your femur can rotate. Your foot doesn't twist, but you feel the pressure on the inside spike of your shoe.

Right Foot, Right Femur Twist

We work with professional guitarist Nocy to raise the club vertically in order to come more from the inside at impact.

WORKING THE CLUB VERTICALLY WITH NOCY

Mike works on his grip in the next part of the lesson with retired MLB pitcher Garrett Richards. Mike explains that your hands to the golf club are the only connection to the game. How you put your hands on the club is then critical. If you don’t put them on correctly, it can have an adverse effect when you swing the club because the way the club puts force in your body will make the clubface do weird things.Then what happens is that you will find yourself trying to catch the clubface up.Mike is first going to show Garrett the correct grip, have a conversation about baseball, tie in what instincts he already has, and not try to fight them. Then Garrett should hit the ball more solid and not hit it as high as he does. Mike says that he has an early release, and this is the reason he is trying to catch the clubface up. Garrett’s grip is off, and he is trying to catch the clubface up because it is out of position.Mike gets Garrett to relax, bend from the hips, and let his hands and arms relax. Mike explains how the joints line up in this position. If you twist the right hand out, as Garrett currently grips the club, then any kind of force hits his right arm, and the right hand will twist back and be wide open. Then, his right hand will roll over to try and catch the clubface up.Mike elaborates that the right hand’s job is to push and throw. There is no twisting. Now Mike gets Garrett a baseball bat and swings it straight out in front of him. Mike stops the bat, twists the bat and hands, and asks Garrett why he wouldn’t hit the ball like that.Garrett responds that it wouldn’t be as powerful. Mike now moves his hands back and adjusts his thumb slightly. Mike drops Garrett’s hand with the baseball bat down into a golf club position.&nbsp;This is your golf grip, Mike explains. You want to hit with your hand positioned just like you would hit a baseball. Unfortunately, Garrett currently can’t because of the way he grips the club. If he tried to, he would hit it to the right because the clubface is wide open.Mike wants to change his grip so that he can hit a golf ball the same way he hits a baseball. Mike takes the baseball from Garrett and swings the bat. Mike’s Dad played professional baseball, and Mike played until college. Mike used to take a baseball bat and swing it at a tire hanging from a tree. When Mike came to golf, he adjusted his thumb slightly and dropped his arms and hands in front of him. This was his golf swing. And it was the same move as a baseball swing.Mike takes the club, places it in Garrett’s fingers, and wraps his hand over it. Mike explains as far as in the golf industry, it is a strong grip,However, as far as joint alignment is concerned, it is a neutral grip. The key is to line up all the joints with the clubface the way they are designed to work.Mike sets his grip and guides the club back and forth so that Garrett can feel the motion of the golf swing. Currently, Garrett twists the clubface open on the backswing, comes down, and twists the clubface back to square at impact. Mike is eliminating the twisting action.Mike gets Garrett to do an exercise where he takes a golf ball back and just throws it down to the ground. Again, as Garrett takes the ball back to throw, there is no twisting of the hand. You want your hand to line up with the ball. Mike again illustrates that there is no twisting in the hand and equates the throwing of the golf ball to the back and downswing.Mike adjusts Garrett’s grip and gets him to hit a couple of balls the same way he would hit a baseball bat.

Garrett Richards-Use Your Baseball Grip

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

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

Elite Content

M-System Max

Develop a post-shot routine and cure shot dependency

CURING SHOT DEPENDENCY

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

PRACTICING IMPACT WITH TENNIS

Being able to separate upper body rotation from lower is a big part of swinging the club. It starts with the putter. You should be able to rotate your upper body and not move your lower body. This sounds easy but you hardly ever do this. So practicing it is important. It also addresses and makes you aware of how flexible you are relative to rotation between your upper and lower body.

PUTTING FITNESS

Austin Graham, a Southern Californian native now residing in Ohio, is in Phoenix to work with Mike Malaska. Austin is eager to work on his wedge game, as he is experiencing confusion with his transition in the golf swing. He has too much lateral movement in his swing and wants Mike to help him with that. In this six-part series, Mike evaluates what is going on with Austin&rsquo;s golf swing and addresses the lateral movement that is happening in Austin&rsquo;s golf swing. Mike introduces Austin to the ROTEXMotion Floor Models to help with the movement of his hips and minimize the lateral movement of his body. Austin has an aha moment with this fitness device.

Austin Graham- Player Lesson

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

L TO L WITH FACE CONTROL

Getting a feel for how your body works when you swing is very important. Learn how your body pushes away from the club and how this benifits your swing.

How Your Hips Work

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

Jimmy Pearcy-Player Lesson

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

Ask Malaska Golf-Swing Concepts

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

In the second video, Mike Malaska works with Ashley Huizing to address key issues in her swing mechanics by focusing on proper hip movement, hand coordination, and sequencing. These adjustments aim to improve control, prevent early extension, and establish a solid foundation for her swing.Mike begins by emphasizing the importance of protecting the left knee. He sets Ashley up for a 20- to 30-yard pitch shot with a wedge, encouraging her to focus on a compact stance with her feet closer together. During the swing, Ashley’s left hip needs to move back, naturally lifting her left foot's heel. This motion ensures that her hips maintain proper distance from the ball and stay aligned, reducing strain and preventing her from getting stuck underneath the swing.Mike explains that the hips, arms, and club must work together. The left hip drives the motion, pulling the left heel off the ground and allowing a smooth, balanced rotation. By correcting her tendency to move up onto the ball of her foot, Ashley reduces the risk of knee injury and achieves better control.He addresses a common issue where golfers try to "push" off their right side, causing the right hip to move forward. This creates vertical force, stalls the left hip, and results in the club dropping behind the body, leading to inconsistent strikes. Instead, Mike teaches Ashley to let the left hip move back to meet the right hip, enabling a more natural and efficient rotation.To reinforce this movement, Mike introduces pitch shot drills. He highlights how improper sequencing, such as starting with the arms rather than the hips, disrupts the swing. The focus is on syncing the hips and hands, allowing the club to flow naturally through the motion. Mike demonstrates how the left hip pulling back initiates the swing, pulling the arms and club forward in unison.Mike also explains the importance of understanding the clubface’s movement. He teaches Ashley how the clubface should rotate naturally without forcing or flipping it. By practicing small, controlled pitch shots and focusing on proper mechanics, Ashley begins to develop muscle memory and feel the benefits of balanced hip motion and hand coordination.Through these adjustments, Ashley learns to create a smooth, powerful swing that minimizes strain and maximizes control. This lesson lays the groundwork for integrating these mechanics into longer swings and building consistency in her overall game.

Fixing Swing Mechanics

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

M4-Combining Skills

Can you swing your arms faster than gravity? Of course you can. Can you swing faster than gravity in the right arc? Challenge yourself to find out.

Challenges

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

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

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

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

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

DRIVER OVERVIEW

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

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

Drill Center

In this series of lessons, Mike Malaska works with Certified Coach, Billy Fitzgerald to improve key aspects of his swing for better consistency and control. The focus begins with the backswing, where Billy tends to take the club straight back, creating tension in his wrists and arms. Mike emphasizes that by refining the initial movement and reducing this tension, Billy can stay more connected and fluid throughout the swing, which will help him avoid overcompensating with certain muscles.
Mike also highlights the importance of using momentum properly in the swing. He teaches Billy to let the club's momentum naturally guide his arms and hands, leading to a smoother, more controlled motion. This concept is compared to how professionals like Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy use timing and momentum to maintain control during their swings, especially in the first two feet of the takeaway, which Mike explains is a critical part of the swing for setting everything else up correctly.
A significant part of the series focuses on the backswing-to-downswing transition. Mike demonstrates how the handle should move outward in the backswing and come in during the downswing, allowing for a natural opposition that helps create a more fluid swing. Billy is taught to time this transition correctly, which will allow the club to shallow out in the downswing and help maintain consistency.
Mike continues by addressing common issues golfers face, such as the club getting too deep or the arms crossing the line, which leads to erratic shots. He works with Billy to focus on controlling the movement of the clubhead and maintaining proper wrist rotation during the backswing, ensuring the arms and club stay on the right path.
The series emphasizes that small adjustments in mechanics can lead to big improvements in the swing. By refining the initial movements, controlling momentum, and mastering timing, Billy is able to improve the overall fluidity and consistency of his swing, which will help him perform better under pressure.

Billy Fitzgerald-Consistency And Control

In the set up you want to make sure that your weight is on your front foot. Your weight stays on your front foot through out the swing.

SET UP & BODY

The latest additions to the Ask Malaska Golf Collection.

Ask Malaska Golf-What's New

Putting first establish line of compression. Then develop posture. Now your trail forearm pushes the shaft through the ball. Then you allow your wrist to flex and extend not twist. Now make the ball roll and finally find your tempo and maintain it.

PUTTING SUMMARY

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

Plus Content

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

Sports Connect

A Malaska Golf Member 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

Almost every club has a life-long participant of the game. Superstition is fortunate to have Mr. Peterson, who has been playing 72 years.

Mr. Jim Peterson

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

Brian began Gott Golf in 2008. As he developed his unique approach to fitting clubs for golfers of all skill levels, demand grew.  For 2015 and 2016, Brian was awarded Golf Digest’s coveted “Top 100 Club Fitters in America Award” (new award winners will be announced by Golf Digest in November).  Today, he works with some of Colorado’s most prestigious golf clubs, including The Broadmoor, Cherry Hills Country Club, Castle Pines, Maroon Creek, and others. “I wanted people to know that they could get a tour quality club fitting experience without having to break the bank to do it. They don’t just have to settle for off the rack clubs, either. Give me about 45 minutes in a fitting session, and I can build a custom set that is tailored to your specific needs and abilities.”

Though the current season is winding down, Gott has interesting plans for Colorado golfers and encourages people to visit www.gottgolf.com for new offerings that will be launching next season. Some things to keep an eye on include putting clinics, the launch of a new online store, and the expansion of his current events and relationship with Common Ground Golf Course, the PGA, and golf courses throughout Colorado.

Malaska Certified-Brian Gott

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

Invisible Swing: Swing Concepts

In the fourth video of John Lang’s player lesson series with Mike Malaska, the focus is on refining the swing path by using drills that teach proper clubhead positioning and body alignment. Through hands-on adjustments and visual aids, this lesson highlights the importance of pushing the handle down during the takeaway to position the clubhead correctly and improve overall swing mechanics.The session begins with two critical drills designed to correct John’s swing path. The first drill emphasizes choking down on the club slightly to maintain control. Mike explains how pushing the handle of the club downward during the takeaway causes the clubhead to rise into the correct position. This motion prevents the flat backswing that has been affecting John’s consistency. Using a ball as a visual guide, John is instructed to take the clubhead over the ball on the backswing and swing down inside it on the downswing. This drill reinforces the concept of creating a proper swing arc.Mike observes John’s posture and notes the need for further adjustments. He points out that John’s hips must push back more to create the necessary spine angle, allowing the shoulders to rotate correctly. A key takeaway is the use of visual feedback tools like shadows, mirrors, or windows to practice and evaluate posture and movement. Mike demonstrates how observing these reflections can help golfers ensure they are maintaining proper alignment and body angles during the swing.To reinforce the changes, Mike uses side-by-side video comparisons of John’s swing from earlier in the lesson and after the adjustments. The improvements in posture, clubhead positioning, and shoulder rotation are evident. Mike highlights the critical difference between the two swings, showing how the new technique sets John up for more consistent and powerful ball striking. He also explains how focusing on the task of pushing the handle down naturally adjusts the shoulders and body to accommodate the desired clubhead movement, eliminating the need to overthink shoulder rotation.The lesson concludes with John practicing the drills while incorporating the adjustments. Mike emphasizes the importance of training the hands and club to work together since they are ultimately what control the ball. By focusing on the handle and clubhead, John can develop a more repeatable and efficient swing.This lesson provides John with practical tools and concepts, such as using visual feedback and task-based training, to continue refining his swing path and overall mechanics. The improvements in posture and clubhead positioning lay the groundwork for consistent and controlled ball striking moving forward.

Fix Your Swing Arc

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

&ldquo;Golf&rsquo;s Biggest Secret is the Swing You Cannot See&rdquo; Unleash the M.A.G.I.C. in your golf swing. I talk a lot about the natural forces at play in your swing &ndash; Momentum, Acceleration, Gravity, Inertia, and Centripetal Force. These natural factors make the golf swing work. Even though you cannot see them. You can feel them. You can develop them and learn to control them to get greater distance and consistency without putting more stress on your body. Golf is a human development game &ndash; one of the best ones out there. Let&rsquo;s get started and see what it can bring out in you. Add 15-Years to Your Game!

Invisible Swing

When you set up to the ball. The way you move the club drastically influences how you take the club away and also how you swing. These small movements called a waggle program what you want your swing to do. It is critical that you make these motions that will help your swing function the way you want it to. As you make your waggle bigger and bigger it becomes your swing. Or the feel of what you want your swing to produce. 

WAGGLE DRILL

A Malaska Golf Member makes some brilliant observations about the golf swing. The member notices that the arc of the backswing is different from that of the downswing. When you start on the downswing, the club comes down on a steeper arc than the backswing.

The member wants to know if it is correct that your hands move away on a wider arc when you start down. He also wants to know if the reason you feel you are wider coming down and your downswing arc is steeper than your backswing is because of the change of direction.

Mike agrees with both of these assessments. Mike says you must be careful with how these things fit together. Mike has made a lifetime of observations and practicing the swing to figure this out.

Again, the backswing arc is different from the downswing arc. The downswing arc is steeper, but not because you aren’t pulling your hands in. It is the change of direction that causes this to happen.

Good players feel like their hands are moving away from them and that their right arm is constantly straightening from the elbow, not the wrists.

Mike concludes that if you understand this concept, you are well on the way to understanding the golf swing.

THE SWING ARCS ARE DIFFERENT

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

You control something with what touches it. Your hands are your only connection with the club. The more your hands become aware of and can control the face the better player you will be. Take a sand wedge. Place it in either hand. Take a ball in the other hand drop it on the face and try to bounce the ball on the face. Then change hands. Try to pick the ball up off the ground with the club head. Use two clubs and bounce the ball back and forth. Great for hand eye coordination. 

BOUNCE BALL ON FACE

It is imperative to have your left leg push your left hip out of the way at impact position.

IMPACT POSITION

When to, and when not to, hit the flop shot.

Flop Shots

The M1 Coaching Series progresses to one of the most essential elements of the golf swing&mdash;the pivot. Building on the line of compression, this session emphasizes syncing your body&rsquo;s rotation with the motion of the club and arms for a smooth and powerful swing.
The pivot starts with the left hip pushing back to move the right hip and shoulder forward, seamlessly coordinating with the arms and club. This movement eliminates common issues such as early extension and helps maintain balance and stability throughout the swing. Timing the rotation of the hips with the club&rsquo;s movement ensures consistent contact and prevents breakdowns in the swing.
Golfers are encouraged to practice with one arm initially to feel how the hip&rsquo;s motion drives the swing. By mastering this fundamental move, players can simplify their mechanics and reduce the need for compensations, making the game easier and more enjoyable.
The key to effective pivoting lies in aligning the rotational forces of the club, arms, and body. When these circles sync, the swing becomes repeatable and easier to adjust when things go awry. This session lays a critical foundation for building a controlled and efficient golf swing, ensuring consistent improvement and a better understanding of how all components of the swing fit together.

M1 Coaching Series-How To Pivot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Left Wrist Through Impact

Certified Coaches

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

Understanding how to practice is a basic skill. If you understand the steps and the reason for each one, and if you are consistent with them, your game will continue to improve. If you practice incorrectly or do not develop the basic skills that proper practice builds then your swing and your progress become limited.

Ask Malaska Golf-Practice

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

Proper Hip and Foot Action

Mike received the 2011 PGA National Teacher of the Year award in large part due to his involvement with Fitness, Health, Human Development and helping to create a program called The Swing Game for the PGA. He learned a lot about fitness, the human body, and how it works while developing The Swing Game (a program designed to help kids age kindergarten to 12th grade develop all around athletic skills). In this new Fitness 101 Series, Mike taps into that knowledge and expertise of how fitness applies to the game of golf.

Fitness 101

The golfer's grip exercise is vital because you hold the club in your fingers. How your fingers work can tell you a lot about your swing.

GOLFER'S GRIP

The key to creating speed is staying relaxed and swinging without tension. Mike Malaska suggests that words like "trying to hit the ball harder" or "pound the ball" impact how you swing. People usually tighten up when they try to hit the ball harder. Thinking about it from the perspective of creating speed will help.

Mike tells a story of how sprinters in relays would start to grip the batons tighter as they tried to go faster. This actually made them slower because just gripping the baton harder created tension in the shoulders, neck, head, and body. They learned that when they accelerated and didn't tighten up their hands, that made them faster.

Gravity plays a role in creating speed. This principle applies to golf too. Hold your driver above your head with both hands and drop it. As you can see, it produces quite a bit of acceleration. If you want to create a lot of speed, make sure on your backswing that you get your right hip out of the way and shoulders turned.

Also, ensure that your arms go up because if they do, they must come down, creating a downward force. If you pin your arms against your side and have a shallower swing, you may have more control, but you won't have any speed. When you come down, your left leg plants and stops the forward motion, just like in a baseball swing. Your left leg pushes back your left hip and accelerates the club through the ball. When you hit a golf ball, it's not about driving your legs or spinning your hips.

Mike takes us through a few steps to create speed and more distance. First, get set up and get your right hip out of the way on the backswing. Make sure that you are using the lever system. Make some practice swings and get a feel for how that flow works. Now, as you come down, focus on your left leg pushing your left hip out of the way. Make some practice swings. To get your maximum distance, ensure you have enough arm swing and that your arms are soft.

Combine all the steps and accelerate the club forward. Remember, no tension, get out of the way, let your arms swing up so they can drop, and then time your left hip getting out of the way as your club comes through the ball. You will create the maximum amount of speed out of your arm swing, body motion, and the lever system.

CREATING SPEED

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.