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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 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 

The downward force and pushing up to make a basketball shot is the same motion applied in a golf swing.

Sports Connect-Baseball

Hale's swing was always his own. Here's how he shaped it by using what he saw in others.

LEARNING THROUGH OBSERVATION AND PRACTICE

IN THE CLUBHOUSE WITH FRIENDS, PLAYERS AND LEGENDS Sometimes the best part of the game is talking about the game. Find out what&rsquo;s really going on inside players&rsquo; heads. Hear the stories that become legends firsthand. Get a better understanding of the mental side of the game, the highs and lows. Explore what players and instructors think about how the game is taught, practiced and played. This is how I end every day at the course. Now, it&rsquo;s here for you to enjoy as well. These are the clubhouse conversations that keep the game going long after the sun has set and the clubs have been put away.

Golf Talk

In a lesson with Billy Fitzgerald, Mike Malaska emphasizes the importance of the initial movement in the backswing. He discusses how Billy's normal backswing tends to feel more straight back, causing his arm to feel higher and less connected. Mike points out that at the start, Billy experiences more tension in his wrists and hands, which influences the swing's fluidity. By addressing this early stage, Mike aims to reduce the overuse of certain muscles and help Billy maintain better control.Mike explains the significance of rotation and wrist set during the backswing, noting that at some point, Billy needs to achieve both external and internal rotation for a successful swing. Mike suggests focusing on the proper wrist positioning early in the swing, which would allow Billy to simplify the rest of the movement. Instead of figuring out the necessary adjustments mid-swing, he could focus on turning his body naturally, with the club and arms following in sync.A key point of Mike’s lesson is timing the change in direction. He demonstrates how shifting the club’s momentum correctly allows it to shallow out during the downswing. If Billy changes directions at the right moment, the momentum will naturally guide his arms and club into the correct position. Mike emphasizes that this approach will prevent Billy from overcompensating with his upper body, which often leads to inconsistency in his shots.Throughout the lesson, Mike highlights the difference between the backswing and downswing movements. He explains how the handle should feel like it's moving outward in the backswing while coming in during the downswing. By mastering this opposition, Billy can create a more fluid and reliable swing. Mike's observations and adjustments aim to help Billy improve his consistency and avoid the common pitfalls when under pressure on the golf course.

Keys To A Consistent Swing

(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

Work on getting a stronger grip. Hold the club more in your fingers, left hand on top, and palms facing down.

GET A STRONGER GRIP

Understanding and having a correct visual of what needs to happen is critical. The main task of the pelvis is to have it rotate but not have the center move closer to the ball. To accomplish that. On the backswing the trail hip socket has to move farther away from the ball than it started. If it stays in the same position and your pelvis rotates your center has moved closer to the ball. On the down swing the pelvis moves slightly laterally then the lead hip socket moves back to meet the trail hip. So the center of your pelvis moves farther away from the ball. This actually accelerates the club and the club head. Task is for the pelvis to maintain or to move farther away from the ball that it was at address.

PELVIS MOTION

A Malaska Golf Member has had success with the Right Foot Back Drill. Doing this drill helps get your right hip out of the way. The Member feels he can’t get his left hip out of the way on the follow-through because his right hip is already back. 

Mike says this is true to some degree. However, it still gets your hips to work correctly. This is all about a feel and relationship between your right and left leg that works when you put your feet back together at your square stance.

The Member then wants to know how to get his feet back to square without having his right foot back and still get the right hip back.

Mike says it’s about feeling where the hips must get to, whether doing the Right Foot Back Drill or hitting the ball from square. Once you feel where the pelvis must go, move your foot up. Your legs will start to feel how you push your hips back.

It is about identifying a feel and a spot and creating spatial awareness of where the hip needs to go. You can then make a swing with your stance closer to square.

FEEL YOUR HIP WITH THE RIGHT FOOT BACK

Nibley Park Golf Course is the first course I ever played golf on. Learn how it shaped me into the player I am today.

Nibley Park

This, is the 18th green for the members. It was the ninth hole in the last round of the Utah Open. This was probably one of the most influential shots I hit in the round, showing my confidence in how I was striking the golf ball. Now, if you look back there, you can see the members' tee.But if you go a little to the right, way back there, that's the very back tee. It's about 175, 180, 185 yards from here, and the pin was right here. So you've got the pin, the bunker, and you're in a canyon.If you miss right, you don't want to short-side yourself. The pin was way over on the right, with the bunker in front, and it's a tough bunker shot. If you miss right of the bunker, you're likely making double bogey. So here we are with this setup, which is perfect for hitting a fade. But because of the way I was playing, every shot I hit was solid, with a little draw.I was hitting about a 5- to 10-yard draw on everything. So where did I aim? The pin's here, and I’m back there. I aimed almost in the center of the bunker, and I hit it. It started in the center of the bunker and hooked in. I hit it about six feet from the hole and made birdie, which gave me a two-shot lead—an important moment for me.My point is, I was so comfortable with the shot I was hitting that the trouble didn’t even come into play. People would ask me, "You started it over that bunker. What if it didn’t hook?" Well, I hooked everything. Every time I hit it solid, it would draw 5 or 10 yards. This highlights that, to be a really good player, you need a shot where, if you make a good swing and hit it solid, you know what the ball will do.You can’t be trying to hit it both ways. Initially, everyone wants to learn to hit draws because your club comes from the inside, squares the face, and generates the most distance. That’s how I started. I played that draw almost exclusively for the first six years of my golf career.I was really good. I won this tournament, I won some college tournaments, and I was playing great. Then suddenly, someone said, "Oh, we’ve got to change who you are. You should never have tried that. You should hit the middle of the green and fade it to the hole." So, a lot of things changed. They changed my grip, they changed my swing, and all of a sudden, I couldn’t just stand up and make a swing knowing what the ball would do. I knew I’d hit it solid, but it might fade a little or hook a little.That uncertainty made me defensive, which is where most golfers are. The other approach is being offensive, like I was before, because I knew that if I hit it solid, it would always draw 5 to 10 yards. It wasn’t going to fade—no chance. Learning to have a consistent shot where you curve the ball the same way every time is crucial for playing your best.Now, this was the first tee and my first shot of the day. It was probably one of the most important tee shots I hit all day. I had warmed up on the range, found a rhythm, hit it solid with a little draw, and this hole set up perfectly for that. I just aimed at the left edge of the trees out there and hit my draw.At that point, you're no longer thinking about the swing itself. You're just feeling the motion you're going to make to hit the shot you want. It was a good shot, right in play.That first swing was one of the most important shots of the day because I got it in play, hit it past everyone, and gained a lot of confidence relative to the guys I was playing with.Okay, so now I’m here, as a senior, just short of the first hill. When I played the tournament, my tee shot would have been about 80 yards farther. I was right up here—there’s the 100-yard marker—where I could see the top of the flag. My tee shot was up here, and I had this shot left.I made birdie on number one, and then I came to number two. This hole, if you look at it, has out-of-bounds left, but you can see how it sets up for a nice, soft draw. I’ve always aimed at the hill, right over the white tees. There’s a hump, and I’d aim at it and draw the ball back into the fairway.Visually, this course set up really well for me. A lot of golf courses come down to how they set up visually for a player and what you need to do to feel comfortable.Even now, at my age, I still hit the draw. That was always my shot. They tried to take it away from me for a while, but I’ve returned to it, and I’m hitting it more consistently now than when I was trying to mix in fades and different swings. Back then, with the changes in my grip and swing, I was trying to hit fades and draws instead of just hitting one solid shot.Now, let’s talk about this tunnel. We had about 5,000 people out here, and most of them were following the last two groups. People follow the players they like. When we got to this hole on the back nine, the crowds walked with us, and the tunnel felt so claustrophobic. There were so many people around, and it was packed. I felt really edgy.But when I came out of the tunnel, it was like I experienced freedom. Everything calmed down. The same thing happened when I approached this par-3, which was the ninth hole for us. When I came out of the tunnel to hit my tee shot, I was much more relaxed. The tunnel had made me feel uneasy, but once I emerged, everything was calm again. I tapped into that feeling—high energy, but calm at the same time."

Managing Pressure

Most professionals don't care how their swing looks, they care about outcome. Here is how this can be applied in your game.

CARE ABOUT THE OUTCOME

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

Day 9-How to Build a Practice Station

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

Core Content

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

Ask Malaska Golf-Lever System

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

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

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

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

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

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

DEATH GRIP SYNDROME

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

Jack Nicklaus and Ball Position

Toski on Ben Hogan photo Part 3 - Squaring The Club

TOSKI ON BEN HOGAN PHOTO - SQUARING THE CLUB

The M4 Coaching Series by Mike Malaska concludes by emphasizing the importance of blending the lever system with body mechanics to create an efficient and powerful golf swing. This series teaches golfers how to integrate these two elements seamlessly, highlighting that the swing is not about one aspect over the other, but a harmonious combination of both.
Mike advises golfers to practice slowly and deliberately, building a strong sense of how the body and club work together before adding speed. By following these patterns and returning to the foundational principles when needed, players can avoid confusion and make consistent progress. Patience and a structured approach are key to long-term improvement.
The M4 Coaching Series provides a clear roadmap for integrating swing mechanics and body movement. By mastering these principles, golfers can achieve lasting improvements, greater consistency, and more enjoyment in their game.

M4 Coaching Series-Summary

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

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

FULL SWING, PART 1

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

INTRODUCTION TO JOE NICHOLS

M-System Max

When it comes to grip there are many ways to put your hands on the club. The way that is most taught is what is called a neutral palms apposing grip. That is a way to play but it takes a lot of compensations to make it work. Your lead hand should go on the club the way your arm hangs in front of you. That is how your joints line up. Your trial hand is a thrower and or a pusher. It should be on the club in a manner that pushes the shaft through the ball without having to twist. The club is also for a full swing the club is primarily in the fingers of both hands more than the palms.

Neutral Grip

The L To L drill is very helpful with showing you how the ninety degree angles in your swing work.

THE L TO L WITH YOUR RIGHT FOOT DROPPED BACK

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

HITTING AGAINST A FIRM LEFT SIDE

It is important to stretch and loosen up your body before you play.

EXERCISES BEFORE YOU GO TO THE TEE

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

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

Austin Graham- PGA Tour School

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

Stop Hitting Fat Wedges

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about grip and your left thumb. Mike says from his experience, your left thumb can be the biggest killer regarding tension.

Mike explains that when you hold a baseball bat, like tennis, your thumb is not on the bat. This makes it easy to load and release the bat. There is no tension in your wrists.

When you hold a golf club, the thumb is slightly on the side of the shaft, so it is a support mechanism when you get to the top of your swing. Also, in the downswing, your thumb prevents the club from swinging all over the place. When the club gets outside your hands on the downswing, your thumb is now along for the ride.

It is important to note that your thumb does not push down into the club. On the follow-through, the club rehinges, and your thumb stabilizes the club again.

Mike, say that some players would really benefit from taking their thumb off the golf club like you would on a baseball bat. Swing with this grip and feel how loose your left wrist feels. Now put your left thumb back on the club and feel that same swing as you did when you had the thumb off.

Again, don't push with the thumb. Many players that Mike teaches grip the club too tightly. Often Mike will take their right hand off the club to look at their left hand. He notices that he can't move their left thumb, and it's almost like they have a "death grip" between their left finger and their left thumb.

When Mike grips the club, there is no tension in his left thumb, and he is not pushing the thumb into the club. It is just sitting there acting as a stabilizer. Many players hit the ball fat because they use their thumbs and push the club down.

THUMBS AWAY

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

Player Lessons

A Malaska Golf Member has a question about a video that Ashley Malaska Moss did on the L to L Drill.Mike Malaska explains that many of the drills are slight exaggerations. When you do the L to L, you move from the ‘L’ on the backswing to ‘L’ on the follow-through and hold that position. However, if your body stops, the momentum of the club swinging through will cause the club to turn or flip over.Mike demonstrates from straight-on, where you can see the rotation in his arms. This is what they were asking about.When Mike does the L to L, he doesn’t swing hard and holds the ‘L’ on both sides. That way, his arms are stopping, and he is able to do the drill.If he goes to full speed while doing the L to L, then some rotation in the arms will happen. The momentum of the club will take over as it swings through on the follow-through.Again, drills are exaggerations. Mike actually likes to see people do the L to L drill while loosely holding the club in their fingers. Mike explains that this is so that you can feel the momentum and weight of the club, making your wrists hinge, unhinge, and rehinge. This is better than trying to hold the club too tight and start hanging on the club with your shoulders. Drills like the ‘Look Cool’ drill help you create the momentum of the club.Start holding the club loosely, then add a little structure and tension until you find the correct pressure when doing the L to L. That’s how you build it.Remember, the L to L is a slight exaggeration. Some things wouldn’t happen in full swing. Mike also notes that because your body stops, your wrists will rehinge earlier than they would in full swing.The L to L is there for a reason and is a slight exaggeration, but if you master it, it will pay big dividends.

L to L is an Exaggeration

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

Sports Connect

A Malaska Golf member noticed that Mike Malaska’s grip in a video on YouTube from five years ago appeared to be weaker than it is now. Mike concedes that is probably true. His grip changed from his natural baseball style grip, where he first started throughout his professional career, but is back to where he first began. His grip also appears weaker than it is because Mike pushes his hands forward at setup so that the club shaft is in line with his hands and arms. 

Mike then discusses how to make the golf swing work. He uses an oversized golf club to illustrate this. The clubface is still square to the ball on the backswing, and your wrists are starting to hinge. At the top of the swing, or as Mike likes to refer to it, the transition point, your left arm rotates, tipping the club out on the downswing. Your club returns to a 90-degree position of the swing arc, pushing your left leg out, and the clubface runs into the ball. The clubface stays the same on the follow-through side while your wrist rehinge. 

Mike describes the hand action in his golf swing at impact. The left hand is like a chopping action, and the right hand is a throwing motion. The stronger Mike is in his grip, the more he can feel this motion because it’s not about twisting your hands at impact.

HAND ACTION WITH STRONGER GRIP

The Lever System works because each hand plays a different role in the swing. Your trail hand supports and guides the club through flexion and extension, while your lead hand drives the motion with a chopping action that controls the face. When these movements work together, they create the blend of power, control, and consistency that defines a great golf swing. In this lesson, Mike demonstrates how to isolate each hand using a tennis racket and an impact bag. By rehearsing the motions separately, you can feel how each hand contributes to the lever action, and then combine them to sync up the release. The goal isn&rsquo;t to force the wrists, but to let the arms and hands respond naturally to the motion, just as they would in other sports like baseball or tennis. This drill builds awareness of how your hands square the clubface and accelerate the club through impact. Practicing it regularly helps you transfer the feeling to the golf course, where your body supports the arms instead of slowing them down. Key Takeaways: The lever system combines the right hand&rsquo;s flexion/extension with the left hand&rsquo;s chopping action. A tennis racket or impact bag helps isolate and train each hand separately. Syncing the two motions creates effortless speed and face control. Staying relaxed allows the levers to work naturally &mdash; without manipulation. Practicing these motions builds the foundation of a powerful, repeatable swing.

Lever System-Impact Bag And Racket

(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

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

Proper Hip and Foot Action

Using his 7 iron, Austin moves from the ROTEXMotion Floor discs to the floor, applying what he has learned.

Mike says this is how you should practice. Use the ROTEXMotion Floor discs, then transfer that swing motion to the floor. It has been a great coaching aid for Mike and his students. The rotating of the feet on the discs gets your hips to move correctly. This also helps you to feel where the force is going.

<a href="https://malaskagolf.com/products/rotexmotion-total-package-model" target="_blank" style="color: #EB3916">Get the ROTEXMotion Total Package from the ProShop</a>

Austin makes more swings with his 7 iron and puts the timing of his swing together. Austin talks about how his backswing felt wobbly a few weeks ago, but now after using the discs, it feels perfect.

Mike also notes that when you are on the discs, your right leg straightens, then pushes your right hip up and tilts your shoulders. This throws your arms up in the backswing allowing your shoulder and hip planes to work parallel. This all should be a free-flowing motion. It’s like swinging on an elevated plane; your swing should feel level.

7 IRON OFF THE DISCS

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

Day 12-Control Swing Path With Your Eyes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HAND ACTION IN THE SWING

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

Bonus Video 3-Bunker Challenge Drill

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

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

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

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

Ask Malaska Golf

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

Precision Impact

A deep dive into Pitching with Mike Malaska and the M-SYSTEM

Pitching

The M1 Coaching Series by Mike Malaska introduces the critical concept of the Line of Compression, which forms the basis for building a consistent and effective golf swing. This segment focuses on posture, hand action, face control, and tempo, helping golfers develop foundational skills that translate to improved performance.
A key takeaway from this lesson is understanding how hand and wrist movements affect the clubface and ball trajectory. By minimizing face rotation and maintaining proper alignment, players can achieve greater accuracy and consistency. The concept of compression is linked to various sports motions, such as throwing a baseball or hitting a tennis ball, making it intuitive for those with an athletic background.
The series emphasizes the importance of starting with small, focused drills, including putting and short shots, to refine motor skills and build muscle memory. These principles are reinforced through exercises that teach players to control the clubface and align their right arm and hand correctly for powerful and accurate shots.
Additionally, tempo is introduced as a fundamental element of the swing. Players learn to establish a consistent rhythm that unites their movements, ensuring better sequencing and timing across all shots, from putting to driving.
M1 provides a structured approach to mastering the Line of Compression, setting the stage for continued improvement throughout the M-System Coaching Series.

M1 Coaching Series-Line Of Compression

A Malaska Golf Member says he has improved how his right hand works through the ball. However, he wants to know why his dynamic loft has increased. The member’s dynamic loft has gone up 4 degrees, although he is not hooking the ball.

Static loft is when your club sits at a 90-degree angle to the ball. However, when most people hit the ball, there is a bit of forward shaft lean. Mike’s static loft at address is 50 degrees, but at impact, the clubface’s dynamic loft is 48 or even 46 degrees. Dynamic loft is the angle of approach of the clubface at impact.

The key is to monitor your right hand and keep your knuckles behind your wrists at impact. This will take the loft off the clubface. Therefore, you will add loft if your knuckles catch up with your wrist.

Once you start to feel this, you can lean the shaft backward to increase your dynamic loft more than your static loft, and the clubface won’t turn down. This means you can focus on the trajectory of the ball. With different lofts, the ball will carry different distances if you hit the ball straight.

Once you can get your right hand working correctly and you aren’t hitting pull hooks, it’s just monitoring where your knuckles are in relation to your wrists when you run the club into the ball.

CONTROLLING DYNAMIC LOFT

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

When your wrist works correctly, your swing becomes better. Learn how to get your wrist at the right angle.

YOUR HANDS RELATIVE TO THE SWING ARC

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

M-System Lite M1-Line Of Compression

Making a golf swing is similar to driving a car. The club head is the car and your are using the club as the stering wheel to turn the corner. As the swing changes directions you need to feel as though you are directing the momentum of the club back out in front of you. This gets the club in the correct arch so you can accelerate the club head into the ball. The picture is that the club head is coming over the top of your hands from inside the target line. As you make this move momentum, Gravity and centripetal force make it look much different than it feel. That is why most players never figure out how to make the positions they have seen actually work in outcome.

TURNING THE CORNER

On the course, changing lies change your set-up.

Challenging Lies

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

Matt Baker, a Malaska Certified Coach, is subbing for Mike this week. A Malaska Golf Member is having problems getting his right elbow under his left. Too far underneath.

Matt says this comes from two different areas. You are shallowing the clubhead too much, and it’s getting too far behind you, or your left hip isn’t working properly on the follow-through. You may be stalling, and your hip goes upwards. This will cause you to tilt your body back, and you will get caught behind the ball.

There are two things you can do to work on this. First is the ‘Turning the Corner’ of ‘Tipping the Club.’ This is in the Malaska Golf Drill Center.
This is where you feel the handle is being pulled down, and the club feels like it’s going over the handle. This gets the club back out in front of you.

Second, start working on moving your left hip backward on impact. Reference M1 of the M-System, where you chip and learn to pivot the left hip backward by pushing the left leg and hip back as you swing through. This will help you turn the shoulders and keep them level.

You can do either one, and that should help you.

Keep From Getting Stuck

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

Drill Center

The latest additions to the Ask Malaska Golf Collection.

Ask Malaska Golf-What's New

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

Garrett Richards-The Baseball Swing

Hi, my name is Matt Baker, and I'm a Malaska Golf Certified Coach based in the UK. Today's question comes from Gonzi Trevino, who wants to know about the right wrist&mdash;specifically, what it should be doing through impact. He&rsquo;s unsure whether the wrist should be in extension or flexion as it approaches impact.
Ideally, you want both the right wrist and the right arm to maintain a slight bend at impact. This is about preserving stored energy because, as the clubhead moves through the swing, momentum causes it to straighten just after impact. You don&rsquo;t want that to happen too early.
In my experience, issues with early release often stem from trying to steer the club into the ball or from too much tension in the hands, arms, and shoulders. When tension builds, it prevents the natural momentum of the club from doing the work. If you let the swing flow freely, your arms will release at the right time, maintaining that stored energy through impact and into the follow-through.
A great drill to practice is the impact drill, where you rehearse the proper position. For example, as you set up in the impact position, push your left hip back, and you&rsquo;ll notice your hands naturally move forward. You&rsquo;ll feel a slight bend in your right wrist and a bit of bowing in your right arm as it lines up behind the shaft. If you look at this position from down the line, you&rsquo;ll see the right wrist and arm in a slightly bent and supportive position. This drill helps you rehearse and internalize where the body and club should be at impact.
Another key is managing tension. Trust your hands, arms, and body to work together, allowing momentum to guide the club through the swing. Inertia naturally creates lag as the club comes down into the ball, while momentum takes over through impact. While the wrists do release, this release should occur at the right time, not prematurely. Proper sequencing means you don&rsquo;t need to consciously think about releasing; it will happen naturally if you allow momentum to flow.
To work on this, keep your arms loose and relaxed. A helpful exercise is to practice swinging your arms back and forth without a club, following the motion of your shoulders. This builds a sense of fluidity. When using the club, feel its weight as it lags slightly behind, then naturally catches up and passes through the ball as you push away through impact.
Remember, trying to hold or control the wrists too much adds tension, which disrupts the swing. Instead, allow for a slight angle in the wrist at impact, which will release once momentum carries through. Practice the impact drill, putting yourself into the correct position repeatedly. From there, chip a few balls to get a feel for the position, then transition into full swings. This will help you find the proper impact position, leading to crisp, center-face contact and that satisfying compression of the ball.
By focusing on relaxation and proper sequencing, you&rsquo;ll hit cleaner, more powerful shots. Let the swing flow and trust the process!

Right Wrist For Solid Shots

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USING A TENNIS SWING MACHINE TO PRACTICE TRANSITION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ben Hogan and Moe Norman

Mike Malaska clarifies for a Malaska Golf member about Joe Nichols and the pivot point of the right elbow and pivoting of the club. He thought they looked different. When Joe Nichols talked about the right elbow, he wanted you to feel that you pivoted the club immediately on the backswing. Your right elbow pivots on the backswing, the handle of the club pivots on the downswing, and then the elbow pivots again. Your elbow is pivoting your arm externally and internally rotating your arm. The two pivot points must happen parallel to each other. You don’t want your club to dip and find yourself trying to catch the club up. Joe was big on having the right elbow and club coming down to its pivot points and then pivoting together into the ball. Ensure the elbow rotates in the shoulder socket and doesn’t move back or slide away from your body.

PIVOTING OF THE CLUB

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

M-System Lite M2-The Lever System

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

How and Why Your Arms Drop

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

Master Your Swing After Vision Loss

Set up to the ball. Then move your trail hand down on the club shaft below the grip. So there is a space between your lead hand and your trail hand. You are now holding the club like a hockey stick. Then make a back swing. This will naturally make your wrists lever. Then swing back to the ball. To do that the handle has to swing in towards your body instead of out and away from you. Then rehinge the club on the follow through. You can do this and hit the ball at slow speeds. It gives you a great feel for how your arms and wrists work in the swing. 

SPLIT GRIP

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

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

LINE OF COMPRESSION

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

(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

Slow down the swing to ensure your arc is working.

SWINGING AT HALF SPEED

Practice needs to be very organized to get the most out of it. First make sure that you set up a practice station. Then have training aids that you can use to give feed back. That can be sticks or swim noodles or water bottles. Use sticks to train your perception of start line. Then practice like you play. Put time between shots. Do not be in a big hurray to just hit a lot of balls. Hit balls with a purpose not just for exercise.

HOW TO PRACTICE - REVIEW

Swinging faster without creating injuries.

ADDING SPEED WITHOUT ADDING PROBLEMS

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

M1 Coaching Series-How To Pivot

From 130 to 120 yards and in. Force is in front foot. No force transfer. You rotate on your lead leg. The swing because of ball position is slightly downward. Right foot or trail foot is for balance and stability not speed.

INSIDE 120 YARDS

Take the club and turn it around. Hold the club head end. Swing the club back and forth. Try to feel the weight of the club as it swings and the arch it is in. Then turn the club around hold the grip end and do the same thing. It will be much easier to feel the force in the club as it swings. And the arch it is in. Next do the same thing but let the weight and force in the club make your wrists hinge unhinge and rehinge.

WEIGHT OF THE CLUBHEAD

The M4 Coaching Series by Mike Malaska focuses on taking control of the foundational elements of the golf swing: posture, ball position, alignment, and grip. These are the factors golfers can fully control before initiating a swing, and consistency in these areas is key to improving performance. Mike emphasizes that without a disciplined setup, every swing will require unnecessary adjustments, leading to inconsistency.
A key takeaway is the importance of balanced posture, starting with quiet toes and avoiding tension. Proper balance ensures the body is free to rotate naturally without restriction, making it easier to execute a fluid swing. Additionally, ball position should remain consistent, as even slight shifts can drastically alter impact and shot quality. Alignment is also crucial, with eye line playing a significant role in controlling the shoulders and influencing swing path.
Mike stresses that practicing with alignment sticks and consistently checking setup positions will lead to measurable improvement. By mastering these static elements, golfers can focus on refining their swing mechanics, knowing they are building on a solid, repeatable foundation. Consistency in the basics is the starting point for consistency in the game.

M4 Coaching Series-Posture, Ball Position And Alignment

In this episode of Ask Malaska Golf, Mike Malaska answers a frequently asked question from members: How do I shift my weight properly in the golf swing? Rather than relying on conscious leg drive or forcing a lateral shift, Mike explains a better, more natural solution, let the momentum of the club create the shift for you. Drawing on comparisons from other sports like baseball, Mike breaks down how movement happens instinctively when you understand how force and momentum interact. As the club begins its backswing, Mike explains how your body should be pushing in the opposite direction of the club&rsquo;s movement, creating stored energy in your trail foot. Then, when the club changes direction and starts moving forward, that momentum matches your push, and naturally transfers you onto your lead side. Instead of trying to manually &ldquo;push off&rdquo; at the top or consciously drive into the left leg, Mike shows that your transition happens earlier than most players think, and it happens because of how your body reacts to the club&rsquo;s movement &ndash; not because you force it.
What You&rsquo;ll Learn in This Video: &bull; Why weight shift happens naturally when you understand club momentum &bull; How to move right-to-left without forcing leg drive &bull; Why trying to &ldquo;push off&rdquo; too late causes timing issues &bull; How force transfer starts before the top of the backswing
Key Takeaways Weight shift happens before the top of your backswing &ndash; not after. Don&rsquo;t force leg drive &ndash; let the club&rsquo;s momentum move you naturally. Pushing too late creates tension, poor sequencing, and inconsistent timing. The M-System teaches weight shift through feel, not force. Think reaction, not effort &ndash; your body shifts because the club leads the movement. The transition begins as the club starts down, not once it&rsquo;s at the top.
&ldquo;Let the force of the club shift you. You&rsquo;re not waiting to push. You&rsquo;re already up to your left side before the club reaches the top.&rdquo; &ndash; Mike Malaska

Stop Forcing Weight Shift

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

Hands Control the Golf Swing

Practice working on swinging the club with the lead arm. This drill helps you keep your shoulders level, not slide your body, stop the up and down motion in your wrists, and get your hips out of the way as you pivot through the ball.

LEAD ARM DRILL

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

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

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

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

LOOP DRILL SHALLOWING THE CLUB

Pressure can cause you to make mistakes in your game. Learn how to adjust and correct your errors.

THE PRESSURE OF TOURNAMENT PLAY

Brian began Gott Golf in 2008. As he developed his unique approach to fitting clubs for golfers of all skill levels, demand grew. For 2015 and 2016, Brian was awarded Golf Digest&rsquo;s coveted &ldquo;Top 100 Club Fitters in America Award&rdquo; (new award winners will be announced by Golf Digest in November). Today, he works with some of Colorado&rsquo;s most prestigious golf clubs, including The Broadmoor, Cherry Hills Country Club, Castle Pines, Maroon Creek, and others. &ldquo;I wanted people to know that they could get a tour quality club fitting experience without having to break the bank to do it. They don&rsquo;t just have to settle for off the rack clubs, either. Give me about 45 minutes in a fitting session, and I can build a custom set that is tailored to your specific needs and abilities.&rdquo; Though the current season is winding down, Gott has interesting plans for Colorado golfers and encourages people to visit www.gottgolf.com for new offerings that will be launching next season. Some things to keep an eye on include putting clinics, the launch of a new online store, and the expansion of his current events and relationship with Common Ground Golf Course, the PGA, and golf courses throughout Colorado.

Brian Gott

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 is struggling with his driver, almost to the point of throwing it away. He finds himself moving too much.
Mike explains that when you set up and start to swing back, you shouldn't mistake force into your right foot as weight shift.

Mike demonstrates that you can see how much your head has moved back when you do this. What happens is that when you realize you have done this, you slide forward to compensate. Your upper body becomes the change of direction instead of your lower body.

You will hit the ground behind the ball if you shift your weight on the backswing. The key is that you are moving a lot of force into your right foot. This is a dynamic weight shift. Mike can't stand on his right foot when he swings back. When he changes directions, it would measure that he has 100 percent of his force or weight in his right foot.

Mike explains that it's not weight shift but force. As Mike swings on the follow-through, 100 percent of his force is now in his left foot. Throughout this swing, Mike's head has not moved.

When you move force into your right, you're moving force into your heel, not swaying your body to the right. When you sway to the right, you have to get back up to the ball, and this causes problems.

When people finally do it correctly, they say it feels like a reverse weight shift. This has nothing to do with weight shift. It is about force going into your right foot.

Mike says the member is trying too hard to get into his right side. His head is moving back, and he has to move forward to get back to the ball.

PROBLEMS WITH WEIGHT SHIFT

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

To loosen up and strengthen your fingers hands arms and shoulders. Start with the golfers grip. This strengthens the fingers and hands that you use for golf. Then do flex and extension of the wrists. This loosens up the wrists for the swing. Now take your elbow up and over your head with your arm bent to stretch your triceps. The next is to connect your fingers in front of you with your palms facing the ground. Now raise your arms up and over your head. This loosens your shoulder sockets. The last is the swimmers stretch. All swimmers do this just before a race. They loosen their shoulders and swing their arms around their bodies. It loosens up the shoulders to prepare for the race. Same in golf.