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

Skill Pathways-Sports Connect

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 

Mike introduces the importance of finding and keeping a light grip pressure.

Light Pressure Grip

Joe hated a "floating right elbow." See what he wanted you to feel and learn how pivoting your right elbow will automatically steer your hands and arms.

PIVOT YOUR RIGHT ELBOW

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

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

Ask Malaska Golf-Body Motion

In this lesson with Billy Fitzgerald, the focus is on refining the backswing by addressing the hand and wrist positioning at the start. The student explains that their normal backswing tends to go straight back, with a higher arm position and less wrist engagement. Mike emphasizes the importance of setting the wrists early, allowing the swing to flow naturally without having to adjust mid-swing. By engaging the hands and wrists at the beginning, the golfer can simplify the overall motion.Mike explains that improper wrist and arm movement can misalign the body, leading to issues later in the swing. When the club moves in one direction and the body tries to offset that momentum, it can cause the golfer to get stuck. The goal is to set the wrists and arms correctly from the start so that the golfer can turn and swing smoothly without needing to compensate for misalignment.The lesson continues by focusing on the timing of the transition. If the wrists and arms are set early, the golfer can change direction at the right time, allowing the club to shallow naturally. Mike explains that changing direction too late forces compensations from the upper body, which can lead to inconsistent shots, especially under pressure. Proper setup and timing prevent these compensations and ensure a smoother, more consistent swing.Mike also highlights the opposite movements in the backswing and downswing. In the backswing, the handle moves outward while the club moves back. In the downswing, the handle comes in, and the club moves out. Understanding this opposition helps the golfer better coordinate the two parts of the swing, leading to improved consistency and control.Finally, Mike touches on the importance of grip. Many golfers open the face and cup their left wrist, which needs correction. A proper grip, with the hands working together, immediately improves swing mechanics. He clarifies that a slightly closed face isn’t necessarily a problem if the clubface is aligned with the spine angle at the top of the swing, emphasizing the importance of proper rotation for achieving a square clubface.

Master Backswing And Downswing

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

Day 1-Line of Compression

Day 21: Swing Left-Handed (Balance Your Body. Sharpen Your Awareness. Finish Strong.) In the final lesson of this series, Mike Malaska introduces a surprising but powerful tool: swinging left-handed (for right-handed players). It may sound strange, but there&rsquo;s a reason this drill has been part of Mike&rsquo;s personal training for years. When you swing one direction over and over, your body becomes imbalanced, and your feel for motion starts to fade. Day 21 shows you how switching sides brings everything back into alignment. By swinging left-handed&mdash;even without hitting balls&mdash;you activate muscles on your non-dominant side, restore balance in your body, and heighten your proprioception (your awareness of where your body is in space). It&rsquo;s not about performance&mdash;it&rsquo;s about feel. When things start to feel &ldquo;off&rdquo; during a practice session, this drill resets your body and refreshes your motion. You&rsquo;ll be amazed at how much better your swing feels when you go back to your dominant side.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn from Swinging Opposite-Handed: &bull; How swinging the other direction rebalances your body &bull; Why your dominant-side motion creates physical and neurological imbalances &bull; How left-handed swings improve feel, face control, and tempo &bull; The best way to reset your practice when things go off track &bull; Why this final step will keep your swing sharp for the long haul Mike doesn&rsquo;t just teach this&mdash;he lives it. He&rsquo;s taught himself to swing left-handed using every drill in this series. If you&rsquo;re serious about long-term improvement, this might be the best &ldquo;secret weapon&rdquo; you&rsquo;ve never used.
Key Takeaway: Swinging the opposite direction resets your system. It balances your body, enhances feel, and gives you a fresh start. Whether it&rsquo;s the end of a practice session or a mid-round reset, a few left-handed swings can reconnect you to your motion&mdash;and help you play better, longer.

Day 21-Swing Left-Handed

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

Day 4-The Three Grips in Golf

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 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

Elite Content

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

Day 5-Hand Action in the Golf Swing

(Why You Must Decide Before You Swing) To play your best golf, you need to know your intention before you hit your first shot: Are you practicing&mdash;or are you playing? In this final bonus lesson, Mike Malaska shares one of the most overlooked keys to success on the course: separating training mode from scoring mode. If you step onto the range&mdash;or the tee box&mdash;without clarity, you&rsquo;ll sabotage your performance. When you practice, your focus is on reps and training the swing (like L-to-L or wrist rehinge drills), not the score. You&rsquo;re working on the swing, not the shot. But when you play, your focus must shift to feel and performance&mdash;working with your tendencies, not fixing your swing mid-round. Trying to &ldquo;fix&rdquo; your motion on the course leads to tension, poor contact, and mental confusion. It&rsquo;s a losing strategy. Mike emphasizes that your warm-up should reflect your goal. If you're practicing, dive into your drills. If you're playing, keep it light, reinforce what&rsquo;s natural, and trust your tendencies. This mental discipline ties directly back to the M-System&rsquo;s structure and prepares you to make real, lasting progress&mdash;on the range and on the course.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Practice vs. Play: &bull; Why you must choose between training or scoring&mdash;never both &bull; How to warm up differently depending on your goal &bull; Why your tendencies matter more during play than swing &ldquo;fixes&rdquo; &bull; How to train a skill (like L-to-L) without worrying about score &bull; How this lesson connects directly to the full M-System process
Key Takeaway: Before every round, make a decision: Are you training your swing, or are you playing your game? You can&rsquo;t do both. Practicing is about process. Playing is about performance. If you separate the two, you&rsquo;ll make faster progress&mdash;and shoot lower scores.

Practice vs Play

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

Day14-Create Speed With The Lever System

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

HOW TO PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE CLUB

M-System Max

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

Fixing problems in the downswing by fixing the backswing.

Doug Jackson

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

21 Days to Your Best Golf Swing

The 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 latest additions to the Ask Malaska Golf Collection.

Ask Malaska Golf-What's New

Your hands are your swing. If you use them in a certain manner. It becomes significantly easier to control the ball. Your lead hand basically hinges and unhinges. Your trail hand flexes and extends. There is very little fact rotation relative to your swing arch. Also if your lead hand is in this hinge position it is very strong. IT is how the lead wrist is designed to hit an object with the most force and the least chance for injury. Your trail hand flexing and extending is how you throw a ball, Shoot a basketball, or throw a bowling ball.

WRIST HINGE

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

Day 3-Off Green Putting

A Malaska Golf Member says he is left-handed when it comes to baseball, but he plays golf right-handed. He says his lead (left) hand is his control hand, and he wants to strengthen his trail (right) hand.

Mike says both hands have a role and a job. Mike sets up three balls and makes a swing with just his lead hand holding the club. Note the wrist action is more of a chopping motion. Mike hits the ball with only his left hand. He does this to feel how the club works and how the wrist releases into the ball.

Then Mike switches to his right hand and makes a practice swing. His right arm and hand release like a throwing motion.

Finally, Mike puts this all together with both hands on the club and hits the ball, allowing them to do what they should in unison.

Mike reiterates it isn’t about one hand or the other (right or left) but about using both in tandem. Working on this drill will help with your golf swing.

USING LEAD AND TRAIL HANDS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMPACT AND FORCE IN YOUR LEFT HEEL

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

Day 17-Foot Action

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

Day 6-Posture in the Golf Swing

Mike Malaska has put together a fitness program that is easy to maintain and doesn&rsquo;t require going to a gym. He uses exercise bands and stretch cords for most of his workout program. You can also add a jump rope for cardio. Fitness is about being consistent, and this program does not require going to a gym six days a week. Using just the bands and stretch cords are handy and versatile. You can even pop them in your golf bag while traveling. All the exercises Mike has put together will help your golf game. He performs several of them to warm up before a round. Mike has been doing these exercises every day for 35 years. He shows you multiple examples for a complete and total body workout.

Fitness and Health

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

Day 8-How to Swing Like an Athlete

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

Left Leg Pushing Away

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

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

Day 10-Train Your Hands at the Range

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

HOW THE RIGHT SHOULDER WORKS

Mike discusses how to not hit the ball fat when you practice the Left, Right, Left Drill, and push away.

A lot of this is about creating a feel. When Mike sets up for the Left, Right, Left Drill, he first goes left and pushes his left hip out of the way. Then, Mike’s left leg moves right on the backswing as his right leg and hip push back. He is back on his left foot and has plenty of time to push away on the downswing.

It is almost impossible to get to your left side too soon if you make a full-shoulder turn in the process. There are biomechanics out there that reinforce this idea.

Again, when you go left, right, left in your golf swing, by the time your right leg pushes you up to your left side, your club will be at the transition point and starting the downswing. Force is transferred to your left foot, and you will have lots of time to push away through the ball.

The timing of this drill is crucial. If you are late on this drill, you will hit everything fat. This action is just like hitting or throwing a baseball.

COMBINE WEIGHT SHIFT WITH PUSH AWAY

In this six-part Player Lesson, Mike Malaska and Certified Coach Julie Yang work with a collegiate lacrosse player to show how athletic instincts from other sports connect directly to golf. What begins with a struggle to control long clubs, and an inconsistent slice evolves into a complete lesson on the fundamentals of the M-System: grip, face control, swing plane, posture, and compression.
Step by step, the series demonstrates how correcting the grip stops the slice, how face control allows you to curve the ball on command, and how posture and swing plane set up consistent impact. The Sports Connect philosophy runs through every session, athletes already have the movement patterns they need, they just need to recognize and apply them to golf.
By the end of the series, the player develops a clear, repeatable process for practice and play: get the grip right, connect the hands to the face, and trust momentum to produce consistent, powerful golf shots.

Liam Johnston-Player Lesson

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

M-System Lite

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

When To Hinge The Wrists

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

Before you start to swing, your grip must be correct.

GETTING YOUR GRIP RIGHT

Core Content

The rotor drill helps you loosen your arms and shoulder sockets. You swing your arms in a circle in front of your body your arms do not go around you. So your arms are working like the propeller of a plane. Once you can do that then you just turn your body on the backswing and let your body turn on the follow through as your swing your arms in what feels to be a circle. 

RIGHT FOOT LEFT TOE DRILL

A look at the common flaws and fixes concerning the full swing and sequence. Flaws include over the top, tension, and incorrect body rotation.

SWING AND SEQUENCE

Malaska Golf Certified Coach Billy Fitzgerald is subbing in to answer “Ask Mike’s” from Beverley County Club in Chicago. A member has made a comment about, ‘it’s not flipping.’Billy said he is absolutely right. What the member is talking about is how the golf club works back and forth in the swing.The clubhead has both the farthest and longest to travel, so it will have the most amount of speed. The grip end doesn’t have nearly as far to travel and if it goes the same speed as the clubhead we wouldn’t have any clubhead speed.We are talking about these levers, where the grip end acts as a pivot point for the clubface. Mike Malaska refers to this as the snap of a towel.Billy demonstrates his hand, simulating snapping a towel. When you change directions, the opposite end of the towel you are holding accelerates. This is the same thing that happens in the golf swing.Billy demonstrates in slow motion how this works. As the clubface goes up the plane line, the grip end slows down to accommodate the face going up. The clubface matches your spine angle, which is going to be square to the target. At no point is the clubface flipping or twisting throughout the swing.Again, as you swing back, the clubface goes up the plane line, and the grip end slows down so the club can pivot. As you change directions at the top, the clubface is still square. Again, the grip end slows down, which makes the face speed up in the ball. On the follow-through, the clubface accelerates. For some, it may feel that the grip end is slowing down. It certainly isn’t going as fast as the face of the club.Some people who are notorious for pulling the handle and turning on their shoulders never feel the acceleration of the clubface and how that relates to the grip. Billy says he understands when people say it feels like a flip, but a flip is when the clubface turns over. The face rotation is minimal and stays square to the arc, and now Billy is providing the snap effect of the towel feeling in the swing. The grip provides the pivot point, and the club accelerates.Billy makes practice swings so you can see the clubface accelerate through the golf ball. The grip slows down, and it hinges as you swing back. Billy shows you where you feel the ‘snap of the towel effect' and feel the clubface take off; the grip slows down and then rehinges on the follow-through.It feels like a flip, and for some people, this is a good thing because they are feeling their hands more and the acceleration of the face, and they just don’t realize it yet. If you spend some time with this, you will see the golf ball travel straighter and farther than you ever thought.

Don't Flip the Club

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

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

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

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

Program this sequence into every swing you make.

RIGHT ARM LEFT HIP ACTION

(How L to L Generates Effortless Power) Now that you&rsquo;ve learned to generate speed using the lever system in a seated or limited-motion drill, it&rsquo;s time to stand up and put it all together. In Day 15, Mike Malaska introduces L to L Plus&mdash;a full-body version of the lever motion that incorporates posture, pivot, and the natural flow of your hips and shoulders. You&rsquo;re no longer just creating speed with your hands and wrists. Now you&rsquo;re using your entire body in balance to create effortless power. Mike walks you through how to combine arm-driven speed with correct rotation around your spine. He explains how your joints&mdash;hips, shoulders, wrists&mdash;must all work in harmony, staying within a controlled &ldquo;box&rdquo; around your posture. By keeping your trail foot slightly dropped back, you give yourself the room to feel the proper motion and let the momentum of the club create hinge, unhinge, and rehinge naturally. You&rsquo;ll also discover how the arms lead the body&mdash;not the other way around. The result? A powerful, repeatable swing motion used by elite players in golf, baseball, tennis, and more.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn in Day 15: &bull; How to stand up and add body rotation to the lever system &bull; Why your hips and shoulders should turn inside a &ldquo;box&rdquo; around your spine &bull; How to let your wrists hinge and rehinge naturally using momentum &bull; Why your arms should lead the body&mdash;and not be pulled by the shoulders &bull; How this motion builds from the seated drill into your full swing
Key Takeaway: Add your body to the lever system. L to L Plus teaches you how to rotate with balance and let your swing unfold naturally. When arms lead and body follows, speed and control work together&mdash;and your full swing becomes athletic and repeatable.

Day 15-L To L Full Swing in Motion

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

STAGGERED STANCE PROGRESSION

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 how pressure moves into your feet, how you transition, what happens to the pressure, and the sequencing behind it. This sequencing is the same in baseball and tennis as in golf. The member needs clarification when the transition or change of direction happens.

When Mike is set up to the ball using a 5 iron, his weight is relatively balanced in his feet.
As soon as Mike starts back, he puts a little pressure on his left foot, then back to his right foot and into his heel. At this point of the backswing, his right hip is out of the way, and his shoulders are almost entirely turned.

Mike has pressure in his right heel, and as momentum pushes the club to the transition point, most of the force transfers to his left foot.

As Mike starts down, he still puts pressure on his right heel and twists his foot into the ground. Now, there is less pressure on his right foot than on his left. This is about pressure and not weight shift. If you talk about weight shift, then that is all about sliding.

When you twist the right spike into the ground, and on the change of direction, it keeps the right hip back and out of the way. Keeping your hip back will be difficult if you go out to your toe. Some outstanding players, like Justin Thomas, can do that. Mike says that this is hard to do.

The change of direction must happen sooner. You shouldn’t swing to the top and stand on your right side. When Mike gets to the top, the change of direction has already happened with force now in the left foot. Mike pushes down into his left foot and pushes away on the downswing. The right heel pushes and twists to keep Mike’s right hip back.

It’s important to learn the sequencing. It’s like throwing a baseball, hitting a baseball, or hitting a tennis racket. You will make the transition at the right time with all these sports. There is no top in a golf swing.

TIMING THE CHANGE OF DIRECTION

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

Day 18-Unlock Power With Momentum

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

THE WRIST HINGE DRILL

Properly preparing for a tournament is very important.

Tournament Prep

A Malaska Golf Member who is left-handed has a question about the right thumb. When he swings a club, his right thumb is sore, and he wants to know why. If you are right-handed, then your left thumb will often be sore. Mike explains that your right thumb is one of the biggest killers in golf. Mike uses an analogy of other sports to describe where the thumb is on a baseball bat, tennis racket, ping-pong paddle, and hockey stick. Mike says that the thumb is never on the top of the club because it puts a lot of pressure on it.The tendency in golf is when you put the thumb on top, and in this instance, we are talking about the member’s right hand when he puts his thumb on the back of the shaft, the right thumb should act like a stabilizer as he swings to top of the backswing. As you come down through the ball, if Mike didn’t have his left hand on (as a left-hander), his thumb would float on the club. It wouldn’t be pushing on the club. What happens when you swing down, the right thumb on a left-handed player or the left thumb on a right-handed player, is that your thumb is pushing into the shaft. This slows your wrist down and makes it tight. All the force gets pushed into your thumb instead of your wrist releasing with no pressure on your thumb. This is where the thumb kills you.First, make some swings like a baseball player and take your thumb off the handle. Mike sets up and hits the ball. Because his thumb is off, there is no pressure on the shaft.Now Mike grips the handle again, but this time, he just places his thumb there. He isn’t going to push; Mike is just going to set it there and cover it with his back hand. The goal is to keep the tension out of the thumb.Again, the thumb is there for stability on the backswing and follow-through, and there is no pressure on it.

Trouble With Your Right Thumb

Ask Malaska Golf-Sports Connect

Milo answers the most common question: how to hit far

HOW TO HIT FAR

Practicing in your yard can be fun and improve your swing. Learn how to set up a place to practice.

Practice in Your Yard

Doug Roberts is a PGA Class-A Member since 1996 and is currently rated by Golf Digest as the #1 Golf Instructor in Utah. He is a 2-time recipient of the Utah PGA Teacher-of-the-Year award. Doug is a Certified Staff Instructor for Malaska Golf and excelled for 25 years as a
Trainer and Instructor for the Jack Nicklaus Academies conducting golf schools in 14 countries and in 30 states across the USA. He is a National Staff Member of PXG, a Master Staff Instructor for the Patriot Golf Schools and is a FlightScope Certified Instructor.

Doug is a former Director of Instruction for the TPC of Scottsdale, the Estancia Club in Scottsdale, Victory Ranch in Park City and the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf at The Ledges. He is a past Lead Instructor and Video Analysis Specialist for the Nicklaus/Flick, ESPN and Jim Flick Premier Golf Schools and former director of Nike Junior Golf Camps in Utah. He leads his own popular golf schools, clinics and private lessons at The Promontory Club in Park City, Utah and also at The Entrada Club in St. George, Utah.

Doug played basketball, baseball &amp; football in his formative years before deciding to focus on his golf skills. These skills would lead him to be a 2-time All-Conference player at the University of Utah and play in the NCAA National Championships. He owns individual tournament wins at the Junior, Amateur and Professional levels. This blend of experience from playing competitively, to working alongside some of the game’s greatest instructors has provided Doug with the expertise to help all levels of players use natural forces and find athletic success in their golf.

Doug Roberts

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

Bonus Video 1-Bunker Play

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

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

POSTURE & BALL POSITION

(The Only Position That Truly Matters) After nearly three weeks of building a better swing&mdash;refining your grip, face control, path, footwork, and momentum&mdash;it all comes down to this: impact. This is the one moment in the golf swing that actually affects the ball, and yet it&rsquo;s the one most golfers never train directly. In Day 20, Mike Malaska explains why impact is the great equalizer. You can have a great backswing, a textbook follow-through&mdash;but if your body, arms, and club aren&rsquo;t working together at impact, the result will always be inconsistent. This lesson teaches you how to feel and rehearse proper impact, how to stop &ldquo;posing&rdquo; in positions, and how to build your entire swing motion around this single, powerful checkpoint. Mike walks you through the key movement patterns that define solid contact. You&rsquo;ll learn how your left hip pushes back, your right arm drops under, your left shoulder moves up, and your weight shifts into your lead heel. Most golfers get this completely wrong&mdash;swaying toward the ball or pulling the club over the top. But when you get this right, you won&rsquo;t need to force anything. You&rsquo;ll simply move through the ball the way every elite player does: efficiently, instinctively, and on plane.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn About Impact Position: &bull; What a proper impact position looks and feels like &bull; Why most players fake impact by sliding hips and rolling shoulders &bull; How to position your hips, shoulders, and arms for a tour-level strike &bull; Two-step drill progression to ingrain impact feel and motion &bull; Why impact ties together every skill you&rsquo;ve learned so far This is the checkpoint that defines your swing. Once you can rehearse, feel, and move through impact, every rep becomes more productive&mdash;and every shot more consistent.
Key Takeaway: Impact is the only position that matters. Everything in your swing builds toward it. Once you can find it, feel it, and move through it&mdash;your entire game changes.

Day 20-Impact

A great way to hit your driver well is to drop your right foot back which allows you to open your hips.

STRIPE THE DRIVER

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

Day 11-Face Control

Mike Malaska continues to work with Javier on the Levering Drill and explains why this drill will help Javier’s swing. Javier needs to get the circle of the club working with the circle of his body.

The next step for Javier is to work on his follow-through. For this, Mike grabs an iron and swings it loosely in circles. Mike wants Javier to feel how the club drops to the ground, breaking upwards when he swings. This is the Look Cool drill.

Mike shows Javier this motion in detail. Mike swings the club with one hand and illustrates how the clubface doesn’t flip, and the toe of the club releases upward. The toe of the club also never passes the heel of the club.

Mike demonstrates this upward feeling by making a swing with one hand. This is how you should release the club with your right hand and not around you. Mike gets Javier to swing the club and feel the upward feeling. Javier then puts this swing to the test.

THE CLUB RELEASES UP

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

Two Swing Types

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

Skill Pathways

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 wants to know how you get from a tee to the ground, where you start to control the angle of approach.

Mike was watching a tour recently, and even the Tour Players were hitting iron shots off tees. Mike sets a ball on a rubber tee in the studio and hits it. The object of this is to control path and clubface and hit the center of the ball. By using a tee, you don't have to control angle of approach, and this is a difficult skill to learn. Make sure that when you swing off a tee, your path and clubface are working first. Many of you get out there, and Mike is amazed at the lies you put the ball on. You miss-hit the ball, and you think your swing is terrible. No, your swing could be really good, but you didn't get the angle of approach quite right.

Mike always starts off from a tee or from such a great lie that it might as well have been from a tee. Tour Players hit the ground with their clubs to make a grass tee and place the ball on that.

When you start to control trajectory, you can make swings behind the ball to see where the club is hitting the ground. If your club is hitting even or slightly in front of the ball, you are good to go. You can then set up to the ball, hit, and see if you duplicated the same angle of approach.

Many drills help you with this but don't try to do it in combination with path and face control when you are warming up and working on your swing.
Putting the ball on a tee makes you focus on path and control of the clubface first, without dealing with angle of approach.

There are only three variables: path, clubface, and angle of approach, and that comes last.

HITTING OFF A TEE

A Malaska Golf member wants to know about using your putting grip for chipping and pitching. He mentions Phil Mickelson’s hinge and hold. When he did that, he was hitting pitch shots. Many players, including Mike, will use their putting grip to hit up to 30 yards.

Mike demonstrates using his putting grip, stance, and stroke. He makes a putting stroke, and the ball rolls along the ground. When Mike does the same thing but adds his pitching wedge, the ball gets in the air because he has a lofted face. 

Take the putter away, make your putting stroke, put the ball farther back in your stance, and put your head forward. You don’t want to be catching the ball on the upswing like a putter. Use his method for up to 10 yards. 

For more distance, you need to have more hand action. Add extension and flexion in your wrist and rotation in your body. You are not moving up and down. 

PUTTING GRIP FOR CHIPPING AND PITCHING

Setting up a gate for the putter to swing through. This is a great training device. From 3 inches behind the ball to 3 inches past the back of the ball the putter head should not arch or rotate. The tees will tell you if there is any arch. If you hit the tees you fix the problem. You eliminate variables. Then use the drills to keep the stroke on the correct path.

GATE DRILL

Back in the Malaska Golf Studio, Austin Graham is making swings with his wedges. He still has more lateral movement than he should but is well on the way to getting where he needs to be. Mike also notes that Austin’s launch angle has come down. When you slide on the ball or have too much lateral movement, you constantly try to catch the clubface up to the ball at impact and will tend to hit the ball higher.

Mike reiterates the idea of Right Foot, Right Hip. Austin makes some great swings. Mike then discusses the golf swing philosophy of “getting on top of the ball.” Mike understands the meaning behind the concept but feels that most golfers misunderstand it. People tend to get too top-heavy in their swings with their interpretation.

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Mike then gets Austin to narrow his stance and put more weight onto his left side. Austin’s stance is too wide for the wedge. Narrowing his stance will make it easier on his swing. If your stance is too wide, you tend to slide back and then forward. Your right side is just reacting to what your left side does. Your right hip shouldn’t push your left hip out of the way.

After watching Austin make some swings and looking at the numbers on the screen, Mike concludes that he is hitting the ball perfectly.

RIGHT FOOT RIGHT HIP

Hi, I'm Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska-certified golf coach from Chicago. Jimmy Thorne writes in with a question about arm drop in the golf swing. To clarify, yes, your arms do drop, but they do so as a reaction to your change in direction. I often see people trying to focus on dropping their arms or pulling them down intentionally.If I reach the top or transition point of my swing and simply try to pull my arms down, my right side, or trail side, is likely to follow, causing me to come over the top almost every time. This often results in pulled shots. From down the line, you can see that when I get to the top and just pull down, my entire right side follows. So, your arms naturally drop as a response to the change in direction, not from consciously pulling them down.When I swing back and my hip socket clears out of the way, as soon as I finish turning and change direction, I plant my foot in the ground. This action tilts my shoulders, which allows my arms to drop naturally. So yes, your arms do drop, but how do we work on achieving this?I have a board here to demonstrate. If I allow my arms to drop as I move left to right, as soon as my right foot plants on the ground, I turn out of the way and shift left again. My arms drop naturally with this movement. This step is part of the transition point in the swing. There’s a small amount of lateral motion—just enough to plant my foot without sliding, which stops the momentum, lets my arms drop, and allows me to turn through the shot.To practice, I suggest starting without a club, making swings to feel this rhythm. You can even hold the club out in front of you for some balance and rhythm as you swing back and allow the arms to drop. Think of it as “left-right,” with a little step that causes the arms to drop from the change in direction.So, yes, your arms do drop, but it’s the change in direction that makes them drop. That’s why you need to stay soft in the shoulder sockets so that when your foot hits the ground, your arms drop naturally, the club stays in front of you, and you can then turn through the ball.

Stop Forcing Arm Drop

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

BALL POSITION

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

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

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

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

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

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

How the Hips Move

In 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

Set up a number of sticks. One is on your target line. The others are spaced apart to create gates to hit the ball between. As you practice make the same backswing but then change the path of your arms on the down swing to make the ball go through the intended gate. Start by making swings that start the ball way to the right. If you are a right handed player. Then gradually change the gate to make the swing path be less from the inside. This is teaching you path control with your arms. 

PATH DRILL GATES

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

Ball Position

Softer sand and deeper rough require more bounce.

WEDGE PLAY AND BOUNCE DISCUSSION

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

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

What's Next

The M3 Coaching Series by Mike Malaska explores the connection between shoulder action and hip movement, highlighting their importance in creating a functional and repeatable golf swing. This segment focuses on how the shoulders and hips must work in harmony to reduce strain on the spine and improve overall swing efficiency.
A key takeaway is the importance of maintaining proper alignment between shoulders and hips, which should move parallel to one another while respecting the spine's natural mechanics. Misalignment, such as tilting shoulders too steeply or keeping hips level, can create unnecessary stress on the back and lead to injury. Mike introduces drills to help golfers develop proper motion, including the slap drill, which trains the shoulders and hips to move cohesively.
The video emphasizes the role of the feet as guides for hip and knee movement. Correct footwork, such as rolling the feet inward rather than outward, ensures that the hips tilt and rotate effectively, facilitating powerful and consistent swings. By practicing these patterns, golfers can protect their backs while improving their performance.
The M3 Coaching Series delivers a practical approach to understanding and improving shoulder and hip coordination, providing golfers with tools to build a swing that is both effective and safe.

M3 Coaching Series-Shoulder Action And Hips

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

Day 16-Connect Your Body to the Club

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

Mike summarizes the driver series. He believes that you must have the proper grip, grip pressure, and tension to hit the driver well. This is key to making the Lever System work. Take the lever system you have learned from other sports and apply it.

Once you have the lever system working and you are relaxed, then the body comes into play. Make sure you have the correct posture and setup. When you move, you must have your joints lined up as bad posture locks up joints.

Next, focus on the Lever System, how your body moves and pushes away, and how you put all those motions together. It is essential to have the outer circle, or the swing of your golf club, working with your inner circle, which is your body turning. The key is to have them work in harmony, so they start to offset and balance each other. This will help to accelerate the driver. Making sure you have face control is vital. Getting the ball to curve, hook, fade, high and low will teach you better face control.

Have fun practicing different shots. It’s about creating speed and getting your hips out of the way to give you the freedom to swing big and up high. This allows you to create a strong downward force and pressure into the ground and through the ball.

Make sure you practice these drills one at a time and build a good foundation. Set up and practice swinging with your driver. You don’t have to hit it hard. Gradually add more speed as you get more confidence. Trying to hit the ball too hard straight away won’t help.

DRIVER SUMMARY

Putting is about 40 to 50 percent of the game. It is also the basis for the full swing. The information and skill development you need in putting goes all the way up to your driver. So becoming good at and understanding the basis for putting will be a big factor in what you achieve with your full swing. Remember this is a skill development process one builds on the other. No reason that anyone can become a good putter and perform many of the necessary tasks for the full swing.

Skill Pathways-Putting

Mike illustrates the momentum of the club and the up to under in the golf swing. Mike then finishes by getting Josh to curve the ball left.

PATH CONTROL CURVE LEFT

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

Transition Timing Secrets

A Malaska Golf Member 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

This series of videos documents a player lesson between retired MLB pitcher Garrett Richards and golf instructor Mike Malaska. The overarching theme is the connection between the mechanics of pitching in baseball and the golf swing. Mike Malaska, drawing from his own experience as a former baseball player, emphasizes the similarities between the two sports and aims to leverage Garrett's existing hand-eye coordination from baseball to improve his golf game.
In the first video, Mike introduces Garrett and highlights the similarities in movement patterns between baseball and golf swings. He assesses Garrett's swing, identifies areas for improvement, and discusses how Garrett's experience as a professional athlete can be harnessed to enhance his golf performance.
The subsequent videos delve deeper into specific aspects of the golf swing, starting with grip alignment and how it relates to baseball and golf swings. Mike emphasizes the importance of correct grip alignment and demonstrates how Garrett's natural instincts from baseball can be utilized to improve his golf grip.
As the lessons progress, Mike focuses on eliminating unnecessary wrist rotation and guiding Garrett to develop a more efficient swing motion reminiscent of a baseball swing. He emphasizes the role of hand and finger pressure in controlling the clubface and demonstrates how Garrett can manipulate the clubface to achieve different shot shapes.
Throughout the series, Mike provides analogies and exercises that relate golf swing mechanics to baseball pitching, making the concepts more relatable and easier for Garrett to understand and implement. By the end of the series, Garrett shows significant improvement in his swing mechanics and shot control, demonstrating how the principles of pitching and golf are interconnected.
There is a natural sports connection between baseball and golf.

Garrett Richards Ex MLB Pitcher

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

Day 2-Control Distance in Putting

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

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about the right hand and what it does after you hit the ball, specifically when you get to ‘L to L.’ Does the right hand keep going to the left, or does it change?Mike says in his case, it changes. Players like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Vijay Singh come in so hard when they come into the ball that their right hand starts to bow out.Most players' right hand comes through the ball and flattens once they hit it. When the club goes around, their right hand rehinges back.Mike now demonstrates straight on. You can see Mike’s right hand come through, but it doesn’t keep going to his left. Mike explains that his hand rehinges and goes back up under the club and reverses.The Look Cool drill is a great drill for understanding wrist rehinging. The momentum of the club will rehinge the wrist on the follow-through. Joe Nichols, Mike’s mentor, taught him that this was all about releasing the club up instead of around. There are players who release the club around, but most release the club up.

Right Hand on the Follow-Through

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

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

Hitting a Driver From Your Knees

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