I'm a 4 handicapper who had a horrible week (all rounds in the 80s). I have just moved to a new community and asked the shop pro who I could get a lesson from. He referred me to Hoppy Smith, who mentioned you several times and provided me videos of some of your youtube videos. The very next day, I shot 78 with better ball striking. The next day down to 74 with even better ball striking. Your concept of how the culb is affected by speed and other tips made a tremendous improvement in my ball striking. At 72, I'm hitting the best irons of my life. That's saying a lot as I have a couple of 64s in my history. I can't wait until today to hit it even better. Thank you Hoppy, Thank you Mike!
Mike-undoubtedly the best video on how to set your wrists. I am 62 years old and played baseball my whole life and have that typical baseball swing with the golf club. Your explanation on the movement of the wrists has been invaluable!!!
Great to hear. It is too bad that the industry does not really understand the parallels. It would make golf much easier for most players. Thanks for the comment. -Mike Malaska
Yes! I always wondered why if I was a decent baseball hitter it didn’t translate to golf more effectively. Love to hear more on how the baseball swing translates to the golf swing. Great stuff Mike, thanks. Vinny in NJ
@@MalaskaGolf I've watched numerous of your videos, but I can safely say this is my Eureka one. I am naturally rolling the arms and flipping the club to square. After some practice balls I applied this early wrist set takeaway on a 9h round for the first time, I literally compressed each (yes , all of them!) iron shot so well, a shocking distance gain (taking a club less, I hit bunker on 2 familiar holes on my second shot that I will normally NEVER reach with that iron). And they went pretty straight, or stock high draw shape - just faster. What a Eureka moment, thanks a ton Mike!! I even didn't mind being in the bunker. This was the missing piece for me. So weird, it FEELS like I can keep the backswing shorter and still increase ballspeed with no effort whatsoever.
Mike, Thank you for your help. I was a scratch golfer before I took off 23 years off..Your teaching of the hands and how they work has changed my game for the better..Im a subscriber to your system...Just shot 67, 69 the past two days...I'm 56 years old and loving golf again.
I found this video last night, I purchased your lesson program also. I have been struggling so bad lately with ball striking. After watching this video on setting the wrists properly and making sure they’re not cupped, I have never felt so confident after a round. It was night and day today at the course, strikes were pure, balls were flying high & straight, I had one bad shot all evening, Driver was 🔥, Irons were crisp, wedges were flush. It’s crazy what one simple thing will do for a guy. Thank you very much, I’m a 13 handicap and this video is gonna help me so much as well as your M system.
This video is a great illustration of why you are such an admired teacher. You center on fundamentals but describe how there are different ways to honor those fundamentals, pointing out the strengths and challenges of each. You share the whys of your preferences. And you point out changes to swing theory over time. Thank you!
Excellent video! I’ve watched Nelly’s swing on video and she is fully set by the time her hands get to her right foot. Thanks for reinforcing my thought that an early set is ok. Love your videos, so common sense!
Reading the 60+ year old book, 'Four Magic Moves', by Joe Dante - this video describes the grip he advocates and the first of his "Magic Moves" - AMAZING!
Mike, thanks so much for unraveling this mystery that we call golf. When I hit a long solid tee shot or a zeroed in iron shot at age 77 and it's because of you. It makes me glad that I stayed with this last addiction in my life.
The best video for me on how to set my wrists. I used to set them nearer to the top. I've watched this video 3 times and went out and practiced this early wrist set for the last 2 days. What a difference in compression, divots and height of my irons. Thank you very much.
A clear student of the game. I’ve felt more comfortable setting my wrist early for most of my life. Feel powerful. But I’ve been talked out of it so many times. This validates what my body has been telling me.
I have as well. I prefer early wrist hinge. I can’t set my hands late, it throws everything off and my wrists are doing and I don’t know when to set my wrists.
This is a fantastic explanation of how to use the hands in a golf swing. I watch a lot of instructional videos online and this is as clear a description as I have seen. I can’t wait to try this early wrist set on the range. Thank you Mike.
I build my backswing using your principles... The biggest advantage pushing/pulling the handle of the club to start the takeaway is I don't get stuck at the ball anymore.... Thanks from Ireland...
Hi Patrick, Put your hands on the club, push your left hand towards the target, pull your right hand away from the target to start the clubhead in motion... (Right handed golfer)
Excellent video Mike! I unwittingly have been a cupper for most my life which has made me wildly inconsistent. Finally I know what my hands are supposed to do and not do. Thank you!
Hey Mike: If there were one video and only one which would improve players ball striking this is it....push the grip down on the backswing to get the proper wrist hinge and while doing so stay on plane.....there are no other videos on youtube that are even close to this in terms of getting instant results....and believe me I have watched them all......I had immediate results after hitting 5 balls.....your the GOAT
I’ve been setting my wrists early per you instruction for awhile and the added benefit at least for me is it helps me straighten my left arm early and has added width to my swing. Thanks Mike. Always good.
Setting your wrists this early can reduce the size of the arc because the arms aren't fully extending before they reach the top of the swing. As far as rolling the hands, this isn't done deliberately. If the entire arm is rotated in the downswing, the hands will rotate as well as long as the sequence is correct releasing the club.
Less than full wrist hinge was identified as my biggest swing issue by one of your colleagues. You have provided the best explanation on how to achieve a correct wrist set. Great instructional video.
Like your videos, being 71 yrs of age I look for a simple easy swing that gives positive results. As with majority of golfers, amatures we bought into the turning the hands over as well as other useless info. Like you when I started I had a simple hinge like you. Keep up the great videos. Understanding why/how the body works for golf makes a great difference. Once your subconscious see’s the picture your body will start flowing.
A great lesson on the hinging of the wrists to start the backswing. Perhaps you could provide çlarity on the initial movement of the wrists at the commencement of the downswing. Are the wrists passive at the commensment of the downswing leaving the palm of the right hand at a 90 * angle to the ground or active, therefore giving a 45 * angle? Thanks...Anton
Hi Mike, I’ve heard you talk about this many times and have had a lesson with you where we did this. This is the first time I have heard you discus the flattened lead wrist in this way! This is the missing piece to syncing the club to the turn. It is connected, it keeps space relationships, and eliminates possibilities of moving in undesirable ways because of the “locking” of the lead wrist joint. I have been pushing the handle down and setting the trail wrist, but the flat lead wrist solved so many other pieces! Thanks for sharing and all that you do! You are a good man. Alan
For irons, setting wrist hinge at the very start of the takeaway and then completing the backswing seems to really work; not so much with driver and woods. Weird...
Hey Mike! Never had such a simple idea make such a huge difference in my swing. After just two range sessions, I am now swing slightly out with a square clubface leading to a straight shot or with a slight draw. All of a sudden this move has corrected my minor over the top move and sequencing. Thank you so much! This simple wrist move cleaned up a lot of loose ends in my swing.
WoW, I watch no other training videos. Boy, Did I ever have a misconception about setting wrists. Between not keeping my right hand club grip in my fingers and having a way too strong right grip, and the late wrist set, I was so sloppy and loose at the top my 1st move down was my wrist uncocking an it seems like my club face was never consistently square at impact. i was slapping the ball and never finishing my swing. I took these videos to the range with my DSLR CAMERA on the 10th yesterday.... i finally could not wait to hit the ball again, instead of the fear of screwing up another shot...Many Thanks
I help as an assistant coach at my alma mater high school. I really enjoy seeing improvement in our kids who have little to no prior golf experience. I'm surprised how quick the kids are picking up the game. I give them examples, I give them theory and I give them facts. But what I don't do is tell them how to swing it. The golf swing is a personal thing, they own it, and I tell them " don't let anyone tell you how pretty or ugly your swing is". Quite often I share your videos with the kids. Thanks for doing it like you do Mike. You're one of the best.
Hey Mike. Ive been following you for a while now and love the videos. I really struggling at the moment with strike. I can't, consistently, hit the middle and am either hitting it low or towards the heel. Really appreciate any tips or things to look out for in my swing that could cause this and any advice on how to correct. Thanks a lot!!!
Most of the time it's caused by getting stuck with the club behind and standing up a little to get the club back in front of you and thus moving the hips toward the ball and club moving out to the heal
Here's my problem with literally all golf instruction. It's like chasing rabbits. You either can catch them or you can't. You either have the talent,skill and power to go low consistently from tournament tees? Or you can't go low even from the forward tees. And if you consistently struggle to break 90? You're not going to suddenly and consistently find 15 strokes and play in the low 70s on a regular basis. Doesn't matter how much instruction you have, what club or swing changes you make, or even what tees you choose to play from...it's just not gonna happen. So what I am really tired of seeing is the plethora of guys posting videos telling people "how to play better" and even "how to get a pro swing" without showing ANY data whatsoever on the improvements that their students see from their coaching. Because...why should they do that? Just stick with the fantasy of vastly-improved play.
Hi Mike, just found your RUclips channel. I am 56yrs old, 5’8” & 175lbs. I am always the shorter hitter with my irons compared to my peers. I am playing ‘23 P790 irons and I can only carry my 7 iron approx 155-158yds with 108mph ball speed. I’ve had a handful of good shots on the launch monitor that carried 160-165yds with 112mph ball speed. I have been playing with wrist set. My question: does hovering the club about 1/4” above the ground at address, by pushing down on the butt end with the left hand and lifting with the right index finger do the same as what you are talking about? Or, is this a band aid?? Note: my miss is hitting the ball fat about 30-40% of the time with the irons. Frustrated.
Struggled for 40 years with hands out club head in and a shut face. It’s ruining my game. Got down to 4.1 playing like this since Covid I’m now off 9!! I want to ingrain a decent wrist cock and get square at the top. Such a struggle 😮
Great content once again Mike. Love the videos. A question l,d like to ask you regarding grip strength, on a ratio of 1 to 10, 1 being the weakest and 10 the strongest. A lot of golf instructors say your grip should be 2 or 3. But I just can't get any decent compression on the ball with a weaker strength grip. I,m not talking about 9 or 10, but I usually like to hang onto the grip about a 5 and a half or 6. Is this okay? And if not, why not? I just feel with anything less than that, l get a weak slappy hit on the back of the ball instead of a pure strike.
I started with your fundamentals video (ruclips.net/video/UFpgM3a7Eow/видео.htmlsi=9UMy_vS2TBRZtvNp) where you made the point that hitting a golf ball can be simple if I break it down into basic tasks rather than positions that need to be maintained, and then watched this video on correct wrist set. I'm a 64-year-old who just started golfing this year and these two videos have cleared up so much for me! I am practicing small controlled hits with these concepts in mind, and haven't shanked a ball yet!
I still have my Greg Norman's "The Secret". That thing has helped me a lot and makes it easy to do what you are talking about. Have you ever seen one and do you approve of them?
Does your approach of how to use the wrist correctly match with Pete Cowens approch of spinning the right forearm down and try to cover the ball with the right hand (this was helping me a lot to compress the ball). Are there any main differences?
Mike, Watch the pros you don't see much if any wrist cock. They keep Wide on the backswing Wrist cock doesn't help consistent center contact . They start the left shoulder moving the arms with the hands not doing anything , surely not cocking the wrists.
Mike I just wish I could hit the ball at this point. Been playing 12 years and a senior golfer and hit my iron worth a crap. Getting ready to throw in the towel on this game.
Well, you are talking about extensor extension in the left hand, here. And, that is what the extensors are for. And, I certainly would agree that extensor extension is the key to a downwards rotation of the left shoulder. But, you are advocating a one dimensional takeaway; and, the takeaway is two dimensional. The left wrist joint pushes back as the extensors extend. There certainly should be no active cupping of the wrist; but, the wrist won't hinge up, in a faulty way, as you demonstrate, if the wrist joint pushes back. And, the wrist joint has to push back to complete the backswing. When the club is max left the extensors are fully extended so the wrist joint then has to push back to complete the backswing. The wrist joint actually keeps pushing back when it can't push back any further. This fuses the hands together and enables the index finger side of the left hand to press towards the adjacent thumb pad of the right hand in the transition ( triggering). Bobby Jones would be the best example of this. It is claimed that Bobby Jones had an over the top move; but, the movement around, from the top of his backswing, had it's origin in a fusion of the hands. You can actually see him press the index finger side of his left hand towards his right hand, in the transition, when you look closely. But, with further her regard to a two dimensional takeaway, the waggle should take care of this. You actually lift the club outside the line when you take your grip, which makes things more difficult. Really, a player should grip the club lightly when they first take their grip; and, then raise their position, to look up at the hole, by pressing back with the base of their neck. The weight of the clubhead will press the handle of the club up against the heel pad of their left hand. This will arch their wrist slightly; and, press their hand forwards, which will, in effect, waggle the club back. The index finger side of the left hand then presses against the right hand to return the club to the ball, just as it normally would in the waggle
Hi Mike since you ask: With both hands and wrists I simply twirl/ loop my club clockwise inwards and exit left while simultaneously at the exact same moment as my weight shift to my left I also feel my trail shoulder looping clockwise/ inward exiting left. Cheers 👍🥂😊
Great lesson, I've been working on this for ages. I just can't work out if it's your left hand or right hand or 50-50 which initiates this wrist set and I get worried that a may be rolling the wrist since it is a fine line ....I'm going to focus on the straight left wrist tonight and not worry about which side makes it happen and see what happens.
"The Search for the Perfect Swing" The chapter on Rollers vs. Squares...looks like over time, the Squares are winning. I feel the same anger and frustration with this...I was always a Roller, and now trying to become a Square is challenging.. :)
Over the years whenever I have started setting my wrists earlier I have struggled with rolling the wrists inside resulting in inconsistancy squaring the club face at impact. I try to keep my wrists quiet which probably loses me some clubhead speed & now that I'm a 72 year old 4 handicaper I could certainly use a few extra yards, so do I give this a go?
😎Right on the money Mike. I've known 2 exceptionally long hitters in my golfing life and both of them, Mike Austin and Ryan Winther had very active wrist action in their swings. Another teaching Pro, Coleman Gibson, had such talented hands he could move the ball in any direction he wanted to and never looked like he was trying hard to do it. Daly also says hand action is key, not to mention Henry Cotton with his exercise of hitting a club into an old tire laying on the ground. As any adolescent boy will tell you, active, well educated hands make life much more enjoyable. Cheers!🏌
my only correction is that Tiger Woods is arguably the best to ever play the game and to take the game to level it is at now. It ain’t all about championships. if that were the case, Bill Russell would be the greatest NBA player of all time; not Jordan, not Kobe and not LeBron.
In other videos you talk about your wrist setting early but in a motion where the face is still looking at the ball and palm at the target, here your right palm is facing a little more towards the camera rather than the target line as you preach in other videos, which is better?
BEST--MALASKA--VIDEO--EVER! (and maybe because we have the same approach to wrist set) but regardless, I still LEARN A TON each time I watch one of Mike's tutoring videos. Just wish I could make it out to AZ? NM? NV? (not sure where he's camped) but would really enjoy a round with this guy.
9:52 Mike, I watched alot of your videos on you tube. You taught a woman called Monica to let her wrists pivot by swinging each arm individually, then later you did a video standing in a pvc circle like the Explaner, teaching to release the clubhead like you were throwing a ball which limits forearm/wrist rotation. My question to you is which one is correct? With the Monica swing and pivot you naturally get wrist and forearm rotation, when you throw the ball you don't get as much rotation in the forearms and wrists.
This is super helpful. Knowing what to do with my wrists and when creates intrusive thoughts in my head as I take the club away! LOLOL I want it to feel like all one motion and not have to "think" about it. And being a left hand / left side dominant person who plays right handed golf, it seems like maybe the wrist action is what's been holding me back.
I’m with Dustin, fully set my wrists right off the bat. Really doesn’t appear my arms do anything, turn back and turn through to a full finish. My arms don’t do a thing, just along for the ride.
Hey Mike, Thank you, you asked for us to write a comment on what might of helped us out with our golf swing / or golf game, I follow World class golf, Craig Hanson, like you, he let's the amateur understand what he's actually trying to teach, without all the technical terms, anyway, he's done a few videos on the proper shoulder plane, talk about a light bulb moment, idk why, but, buy focusing on the correct shoulder plane it helped me improve with all other aspects of my golf swing, I can start naming things but I'd be here all day, let's just say, to get the proper feel with my shoulder plane completely changed the way I contacted the ball, and really that's what mattered to me and I'm sure most of all amateur golfers,were all looking to get rid all of those swing thoughts In our head, staying committed in what your trying to achieve until the task is complete, Bottom line, the correct shoulder plane for myself changed my golf game,and I'm hoping it might help so many different problems someone's having when trying to make proper contact.Thanks Mike, stay safe all.
I've been watching tons of adam porzak - porzak golf. He has huge emphasis on connection - sternum pointing at hands, clubhead in front of hands. Setup with hip bump to create a left side post to rotate around and a right side brace (knee a little kicked in over inside of right foot, weight on inside of right foot and not going past that in backswing - just more pressure accumulating there. Like a slight wedge under outside of right foot. Hand path along feet line in takeaway, with clubhead outside hands. Butt end of the club leveraged downward to hinge clubhead upwards. Feel of keeping beachball below water until set position - hands at belt high - then just complete turn with body to top. The hands are swung to the top with the body's turn. Adam's against having much run off at the top - wants hands not far past being pointed at by sternum. From the top (adam thinks of top as potentially static - like drawing a bow and arrow ready to fire, uses hideki drills a lot. Rather than the mike m, dr kwon, athletic motion golf, ideas of recentre-ing pressure by the time the club gets to its farthest point back). From the top ensure the hands start down in sync with body rotation and maintain hip depth to have room for hands and arms to swing into without getting stuck and flipping. Good hand speed from top to make sure body doesn't out run hands in race back to ball. Left hip and grip exiting together round the corner. Adam is all about big body turn with compact connected arm swing as being the path to least manipulation. I buy into his stuff. I fight a hook and am trying to figure out the different feels involved when trying to weaken my grip somewhat - ie neutralise it. (When i have the grip a bit weaker it's harder for me to hinge the club and the positions all feel alien through the swing so i try to save shots but without being really sure what's going on to save! It's a work in progress 😅
I’ve experimented with cup and bow with variable results. The reason for the inconsistencies had to do with changes in my swing. I’ve struggled with early extension for years. My head would pop up and that created all sorts of problems that REQUIRED compensatory actions with my wrists. Getting control of my head has now allowed me to compress the ball properly and get better control with a FLAT WRIST. Eliminate the variables. That’s my goal. Early wrist hinge is another key element that can help eliminate those variables. Thank you for this! The final element that helps me is keeping the club head outside the hands with the takeaway. That allows me to hinge and rotate.
I always struggled with flattening the left wrist instead of letting it get cupped like you describe. I think the problem for me is that like most golfers who have the left wrist high, I'm right handed, so it didn't feel natural to try to consciously manipulate my left wrist. What worked better for me is really focusing on cupping the right wrist. If I do that, my left wrist is flat, but I don't have to think about it.
When I feel my wrist bend on the back swing I know I am going to put a lot of smack on the ball. Unfortunately I don't know why I don't feel this all the time. Not sure what I am doing other that poor plane (flat) could be wrong but really like the wrist are hinged, like throwing a ball.
I have always a problem with my hand size my full length is 8 1/2 inches my fingers are 3 1/2 very hard to push left pad on top of the club but leaves my grip very strong getting thick grip not any better a thin grip in tips of my fingers works ok
Hi Mike ..I use to try to width but it just pulled me out of my stance.. I like settling my wrists early and keeping my left wrist flat .. My back feels shorter but I’m able to compress the ball much better. Great video, thank you.
Funny RUclips suggested this video today. After one year of golf (trying) I figured out exactly that and I was doing it so wrong leading to slices. I focused only on hinging. Grip + wrists position is game changer. Very nice teached here too bad I see it only now 😅
My biggest problem is that my wrists in down or through swing are automatically going to the left hence I hook (pull) all my shots to the left. I can’t correct that. So annoying! What to do?
Nice video Mike, thanks. Am I correct in thinking with the longer clubs, for example the driver, the wrist set will naturally occur later in the backswing?
Loved this video! So many other instructors are advocating late wrist hinge, which makes my hinge very inconsistent. As you say, many ways to be successful, but an earlier wrist hinge has helped me be much more consistent and better compression as I am able to hold the lag a bit longer. Thank you for this excellent explanation and validation!
Does your early wrist set also apply to the driver or is it more subtle with those longer clubs? I appreciate the one lesson you gave me 25 years ago. I wish I could find the VHS tape you gave me. Thanks for all your advice.
Great video. One question. If the club shaft goes from parallel to the ground and the target line pre impact to the corresponding position post impact, haven't the hands and wrists by definition moved correctly?
I have been using “dead hands” for quite a while, with virtually no wrist set or “fling” on the downswing. I was extremely accurate, but with a pitiful lack of distance (like 7 iron for 100 yards). This week I have been working an actual wrist “set”, with a release at the ball. Instant gain of yardage, but of course accuracy has suffered. However, I think your discussion of the “flat” set of the left wrist will really help. Thank you!
Absolutely eye opening, light bulb moment!!!!! I actually look forward to practicing my irons. When you are able to obtain a consistent ball flight nearly every swing. AMAZING!!!!!!
Mike, after watching Danny Maude's video, I found that shortening the swing and focusing on swinging smoothly helps a great deal. Your video reinforces the idea by suggesting an early wrist set and avoiding cupping of the wrist.
First time in all YT I see someone addressing the early wrist advantages. This is something I had to figure out 100% by myself as both my instructors trying to convince me to set it late but, just like you said, a late wrist set although more fluid, destabilizes my swing completely. For long time I pursued transitioning back to a late wrist set since I thought it was the right way... I gave up on that and now I am proud super early wrist setter.
Im going through this now.im playing 40 years never a lesson other then my pop..i cannot hit my irons proper.woods i hit well.but this sunday at pebble creek in colts neck nj.ill be trying early wrist
Your explanation of how the hands work has changed my game. I can hardly believe it! I used to have my grip so the palms faced each other. I struggled mightily with poor contact. I saw this video, moved my left (lead) hand a little stronger, and boom! I picked up a bunch of length on my tee shots, and my irons were nice and solid. Thank you so much, Mike! Now, if I can just get the same improvement with my putting, I'll be playing like I used to!
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I'm a 4 handicapper who had a horrible week (all rounds in the 80s). I have just moved to a new community and asked the shop pro who I could get a lesson from. He referred me to Hoppy Smith, who mentioned you several times and provided me videos of some of your youtube videos. The very next day, I shot 78 with better ball striking. The next day down to 74 with even better ball striking. Your concept of how the culb is affected by speed and other tips made a tremendous improvement in my ball striking. At 72, I'm hitting the best irons of my life. That's saying a lot as I have a couple of 64s in my history. I can't wait until today to hit it even better. Thank you Hoppy, Thank you Mike!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Mike-undoubtedly the best video on how to set your wrists. I am 62 years old and played baseball my whole life and have that typical baseball swing with the golf club. Your explanation on the movement of the wrists has been invaluable!!!
Great to hear. It is too bad that the industry does not really understand the parallels. It would make golf much easier for most players. Thanks for the comment. -Mike Malaska
Yes! I always wondered why if I was a decent baseball hitter it didn’t translate to golf more effectively. Love to hear more on how the baseball swing translates to the golf swing. Great stuff Mike, thanks. Vinny in NJ
@@MalaskaGolf I've watched numerous of your videos, but I can safely say this is my Eureka one. I am naturally rolling the arms and flipping the club to square. After some practice balls I applied this early wrist set takeaway on a 9h round for the first time, I literally compressed each (yes , all of them!) iron shot so well, a shocking distance gain (taking a club less, I hit bunker on 2 familiar holes on my second shot that I will normally NEVER reach with that iron). And they went pretty straight, or stock high draw shape - just faster. What a Eureka moment, thanks a ton Mike!! I even didn't mind being in the bunker. This was the missing piece for me. So weird, it FEELS like I can keep the backswing shorter and still increase ballspeed with no effort whatsoever.
Mike, Thank you for your help. I was a scratch golfer before I took off 23 years off..Your teaching of the hands and how they work has changed my game for the better..Im a subscriber to your system...Just shot 67, 69 the past two days...I'm 56 years old and loving golf again.
I found this video last night, I purchased your lesson program also. I have been struggling so bad lately with ball striking. After watching this video on setting the wrists properly and making sure they’re not cupped, I have never felt so confident after a round. It was night and day today at the course, strikes were pure, balls were flying high & straight, I had one bad shot all evening, Driver was 🔥, Irons were crisp, wedges were flush. It’s crazy what one simple thing will do for a guy. Thank you very much, I’m a 13 handicap and this video is gonna help me so much as well as your M system.
This video is a great illustration of why you are such an admired teacher. You center on fundamentals but describe how there are different ways to honor those fundamentals, pointing out the strengths and challenges of each. You share the whys of your preferences. And you point out changes to swing theory over time. Thank you!
Excellent video! I’ve watched Nelly’s swing on video and she is fully set by the time her hands get to her right foot. Thanks for reinforcing my thought that an early set is ok. Love your videos, so common sense!
Reading the 60+ year old book, 'Four Magic Moves', by Joe Dante - this video describes the grip he advocates and the first of his "Magic Moves" - AMAZING!
Just came from a video saying not to use your hands at all. Lmao. It's crazy just how different swings (and advice) can be.
Mike, thanks so much for unraveling this mystery that we call golf. When I hit a long solid tee shot or a zeroed in iron shot at age 77 and it's because of you. It makes me glad that I stayed with this last addiction in my life.
Agree 100% with you. I even preset the wrists at address and hold it until after making contact. SUPER accurate irons. Winning lots of pin shots.
Same, because you know where the club face is throughout the swing by doing this. So natural.
The best video for me on how to set my wrists. I used to set them nearer to the top. I've watched this video 3 times and went out and practiced this early wrist set for the last 2 days. What a difference in compression, divots and height of my irons. Thank you very much.
A clear student of the game. I’ve felt more comfortable setting my wrist early for most of my life. Feel powerful. But I’ve been talked out of it so many times. This validates what my body has been telling me.
I have as well. I prefer early wrist hinge. I can’t set my hands late, it throws everything off and my wrists are doing and I don’t know when to set my wrists.
Couldn’t agree with you more. So many instructors are advocating a late hinge, but that doesn’t seem to work as well for me.
Fantastic video! I'm not sure I've seen so much good information - the how and why - packed into less than 10 minutes. This is great!
Clearly the most practical, consistent, effective, and user-friendly golf instruction on You Tube.
Thanks, Mike
This is a fantastic explanation of how to use the hands in a golf swing. I watch a lot of instructional videos online and this is as clear a description as I have seen. I can’t wait to try this early wrist set on the range. Thank you Mike.
Would this lesson apply to all full swings thru the bag?
Mike, does this move translate with woods as well?
I build my backswing using your principles... The biggest advantage pushing/pulling the handle of the club to start the takeaway is I don't get stuck at the ball anymore....
Thanks from Ireland...
Hi Adrian ... Could you elaborate a bit more on that as I have a tendency to freeze over the ball
Hi Patrick,
Put your hands on the club, push your left hand towards the target, pull your right hand away from the target to start the clubhead in motion... (Right handed golfer)
@@adrianfaherty5139 thanks for the reply Adrian, something else to try at the range 👍
Excellent video Mike! I unwittingly have been a cupper for most my life which has made me wildly inconsistent. Finally I know what my hands are supposed to do and not do. Thank you!
Hey Mike: If there were one video and only one which would improve players ball striking this is it....push the grip down on the backswing to get the proper wrist hinge and while doing so stay on plane.....there are no other videos on youtube that are even close to this in terms of getting instant results....and believe me I have watched them all......I had immediate results after hitting 5 balls.....your the GOAT
Been preaching this to my students for years.
I’ve been setting my wrists early per you instruction for awhile and the added benefit at least for me is it helps me straighten my left arm early and has added width to my swing. Thanks Mike. Always good.
Great instruction. I'm excited to incorporate this in my swing since I don't really hinge alot.
I’m a lefty and new in golf. But I started playing right because it feels like I have a strong backhand. Is this the right way for me?
Setting your wrists this early can reduce the size of the arc because the arms aren't fully extending before they reach the top of the swing. As far as rolling the hands, this isn't done deliberately. If the entire arm is rotated in the downswing, the hands will rotate as well as long as the sequence is correct releasing the club.
This video is golden and helps put together what I’ve been working on….i really need the drills
Less than full wrist hinge was identified as my biggest swing issue by one of your colleagues. You have provided the best explanation on how to achieve a correct wrist set. Great instructional video.
Like your videos, being 71 yrs of age I look for a simple easy swing that gives positive results. As with majority of golfers, amatures we bought into the turning the hands over as well as other useless info. Like you when I started I had a simple hinge like you. Keep up the great videos. Understanding why/how the body works for golf makes a great difference. Once your subconscious see’s the picture your body will start flowing.
Might be the best ever video explaining this
I agree, that's the move. Throw away all other lessons and learn this move, it totally changed my game.
Thank you for clarifying an early wrist set is actually a good thing
There’s still plenty of ways you can screw up an early set. 😂
Lucky I’m a member of the site and I’m aware of these
A great lesson on the hinging of the wrists to start the backswing. Perhaps you could provide çlarity on the initial movement of the wrists at the commencement of the downswing. Are the wrists passive at the commensment of the downswing leaving the palm of the right hand at a 90 * angle to the ground or active, therefore giving a 45 * angle?
Thanks...Anton
Amazing Mr Malaska. I think I’ll create a weekly practice regiment based on your instruction. Better than scratch golf, here I come!
Hi Mike,
I’ve heard you talk about this many times and have had a lesson with you where we did this. This is the first time I have heard you discus the flattened lead wrist in this way! This is the missing piece to syncing the club to the turn. It is connected, it keeps space relationships, and eliminates possibilities of moving in undesirable ways because of the “locking” of the lead wrist joint.
I have been pushing the handle down and setting the trail wrist, but the flat lead wrist solved so many other pieces!
Thanks for sharing and all that you do! You are a good man.
Alan
For irons, setting wrist hinge at the very start of the takeaway and then completing the backswing seems to really work; not so much with driver and woods. Weird...
I always liked the feeling of the swing going more around me with driver and woods. Early wrist set always throws me off.
Yes I agree, with the longer clubs it feels as though you have no width to your swing
💯 Works great with about 7 iron and down for me. Amazing crisp contact. Longer irons a disaster. Driver is a no chance with it. Zero width.
Hey Mike! Never had such a simple idea make such a huge difference in my swing. After just two range sessions, I am now swing slightly out with a square clubface leading to a straight shot or with a slight draw. All of a sudden this move has corrected my minor over the top move and sequencing. Thank you so much! This simple wrist move cleaned up a lot of loose ends in my swing.
WoW, I watch no other training videos. Boy, Did I ever have a misconception about setting wrists. Between not keeping my right hand club grip in my fingers and having a way too strong right grip, and the late wrist set, I was so sloppy and loose at the top my 1st move down was my wrist uncocking an it seems like my club face was never consistently square at impact. i was slapping the ball and never finishing my swing. I took these videos to the range with my DSLR CAMERA on the 10th yesterday.... i finally could not wait to hit the ball again, instead of the fear of screwing up another shot...Many Thanks
I help as an assistant coach at my alma mater high school. I really enjoy seeing improvement in our kids who have little to no prior golf experience. I'm surprised how quick the kids are picking up the game. I give them examples, I give them theory and I give them facts. But what I don't do is tell them how to swing it. The golf swing is a personal thing, they own it, and I tell them " don't let anyone tell you how pretty or ugly your swing is". Quite often I share your videos with the kids. Thanks for doing it like you do Mike. You're one of the best.
Thank you for clarifying that an early wrist set is a good thing to do. It’s always been my preference.
Great stuff as always Mr Mike! Question I have is , what the hands do to curve and hit it hi/low? Thx sir
nothing, your setup does that
Hey Mike. Ive been following you for a while now and love the videos. I really struggling at the moment with strike. I can't, consistently, hit the middle and am either hitting it low or towards the heel. Really appreciate any tips or things to look out for in my swing that could cause this and any advice on how to correct. Thanks a lot!!!
Most of the time it's caused by getting stuck with the club behind and standing up a little to get the club back in front of you and thus moving the hips toward the ball and club moving out to the heal
Here's my problem with literally all golf instruction.
It's like chasing rabbits. You either can catch them or you can't.
You either have the talent,skill and power to go low consistently from tournament tees? Or you can't go low even from the forward tees.
And if you consistently struggle to break 90? You're not going to suddenly and consistently find 15 strokes and play in the low 70s on a regular basis.
Doesn't matter how much instruction you have, what club or swing changes you make, or even what tees you choose to play from...it's just not gonna happen.
So what I am really tired of seeing is the plethora of guys posting videos telling people "how to play better" and even "how to get a pro swing" without showing ANY data whatsoever on the improvements that their students see from their coaching. Because...why should they do that? Just stick with the fantasy of vastly-improved play.
Wow that's got to be the best video I've ever seen on how to swing the club, this has transformed my game. Thank you!
Hi Mike, just found your RUclips channel. I am 56yrs old, 5’8” & 175lbs. I am always the shorter hitter with my irons compared to my peers. I am playing ‘23 P790 irons and I can only carry my 7 iron approx 155-158yds with 108mph ball speed. I’ve had a handful of good shots on the launch monitor that carried 160-165yds with 112mph ball speed. I have been playing with wrist set.
My question: does hovering the club about 1/4” above the ground at address, by pushing down on the butt end with the left hand and lifting with the right index finger do the same as what you are talking about? Or, is this a band aid??
Note: my miss is hitting the ball fat about 30-40% of the time with the irons. Frustrated.
!00% agree Mike on your take.
Struggled for 40 years with hands out club head in and a shut face. It’s ruining my game. Got down to 4.1 playing like this since Covid I’m now off 9!! I want to ingrain a decent wrist cock and get square at the top. Such a struggle 😮
Great content once again Mike. Love the videos. A question l,d like to ask you regarding grip strength, on a ratio of 1 to 10, 1 being the weakest and 10 the strongest. A lot of golf instructors say your grip should be 2 or 3. But I just can't get any decent compression on the ball with a weaker strength grip. I,m not talking about 9 or 10, but I usually like to hang onto the grip about a 5 and a half or 6. Is this okay? And if not, why not? I just feel with anything less than that, l get a weak slappy hit on the back of the ball instead of a pure strike.
Would you teach this for not only irons but also driver? Only asking as I've been discouraged from doing both. Thankyou.
I started with your fundamentals video (ruclips.net/video/UFpgM3a7Eow/видео.htmlsi=9UMy_vS2TBRZtvNp) where you made the point that hitting a golf ball can be simple if I break it down into basic tasks rather than positions that need to be maintained, and then watched this video on correct wrist set. I'm a 64-year-old who just started golfing this year and these two videos have cleared up so much for me! I am practicing small controlled hits with these concepts in mind, and haven't shanked a ball yet!
I am recognized as a pretty good ball striker among my peers. But I have no idea what method I use and I hope I never discover it.
Ok thanks for sharing
I still have my Greg Norman's "The Secret". That thing has helped me a lot and makes it easy to do what you are talking about. Have you ever seen one and do you approve of them?
Does your approach of how to use the wrist correctly match with Pete Cowens approch of spinning the right forearm down and try to cover the ball with the right hand (this was helping me a lot to compress the ball). Are there any main differences?
It seems to me that you have a slight left-arm bend during the backswing. Are you straightening it during the downswing?
Mike, Watch the pros you don't see much if any wrist cock. They keep Wide on the backswing Wrist cock doesn't help consistent center contact . They start the left shoulder moving the arms with the hands not doing anything , surely not cocking the wrists.
This has worked well for me. I am 72 years golfer but I hit really high without good distance may I know why
Also, I can't quite tell; would you say you are using a "long" or "short' left thumb?
Mike I just wish I could hit the ball at this point. Been playing 12 years and a senior golfer and hit my iron worth a crap. Getting ready to throw in the towel on this game.
So you set your wrists in the backswing and don't release them until after you hit the ball?
Mike the other thing early wrist set helps is swaying. By setting early most players dont sway as much off the ball
I started doing this 4 weeks ago. Wow, no BS I am now shooting in the low 80’s and shot 79 twice.
Wish I would have applied this 30 years ago
Well, you are talking about extensor extension in the left hand, here. And, that is what the extensors are for. And, I certainly would agree that extensor extension is the key to a downwards rotation of the left shoulder. But, you are advocating a one dimensional takeaway; and, the takeaway is two dimensional. The left wrist joint pushes back as the extensors extend. There certainly should be no active cupping of the wrist; but, the wrist won't hinge up, in a faulty way, as you demonstrate, if the wrist joint pushes back. And, the wrist joint has to push back to complete the backswing. When the club is max left the extensors are fully extended so the wrist joint then has to push back to complete the backswing. The wrist joint actually keeps pushing back when it can't push back any further. This fuses the hands together and enables the index finger side of the left hand to press towards the adjacent thumb pad of the right hand in the transition ( triggering). Bobby Jones would be the best example of this. It is claimed that Bobby Jones had an over the top move; but, the movement around, from the top of his backswing, had it's origin in a fusion of the hands. You can actually see him press the index finger side of his left hand towards his right hand, in the transition, when you look closely. But, with further her regard to a two dimensional takeaway, the waggle should take care of this. You actually lift the club outside the line when you take your grip, which makes things more difficult. Really, a player should grip the club lightly when they first take their grip; and, then raise their position, to look up at the hole, by pressing back with the base of their neck. The weight of the clubhead will press the handle of the club up against the heel pad of their left hand. This will arch their wrist slightly; and, press their hand forwards, which will, in effect, waggle the club back. The index finger side of the left hand then presses against the right hand to return the club to the ball, just as it normally would in the waggle
Hi Mike since you ask:
With both hands and wrists I simply twirl/ loop my club clockwise inwards and exit left while simultaneously at the exact same moment as my weight shift to my left I also feel my trail shoulder looping clockwise/ inward exiting left. Cheers 👍🥂😊
Great lesson, I've been working on this for ages. I just can't work out if it's your left hand or right hand or 50-50 which initiates this wrist set and I get worried that a may be rolling the wrist since it is a fine line ....I'm going to focus on the straight left wrist tonight and not worry about which side makes it happen and see what happens.
45 degrees is when. I hinge ! It’s usually my best golf
That answered several questions for me. Thanks.
I tried this today, and it works well for me but need to practice
Please show wrist motion with a club from L to L in slow motion.
Only just seen this and am glad I watched.
How can you have a lever between an inward and outward pull?
Mike reminds me soo much john Hartman
I think I have just had one of those aha moments. Thank you.
"The Search for the Perfect Swing" The chapter on Rollers vs. Squares...looks like over time, the Squares are winning. I feel the same anger and frustration with this...I was always a Roller, and now trying to become a Square is challenging.. :)
Does this early set work with the driver? Would love to see demo on that.
Over the years whenever I have started setting my wrists earlier I have struggled with rolling the wrists inside resulting in inconsistancy squaring the club face at impact. I try to keep my wrists quiet which probably loses me some clubhead speed & now that I'm a 72 year old 4 handicaper I could certainly use a few extra yards, so do I give this a go?
😎Right on the money Mike. I've known 2 exceptionally long hitters in my golfing life and both of them, Mike Austin and Ryan Winther had very active wrist action in their swings. Another teaching Pro, Coleman Gibson, had such talented hands he could move the ball in any direction he wanted to and never looked like he was trying hard to do it. Daly also says hand action is key, not to mention Henry Cotton with his exercise of hitting a club into an old tire laying on the ground. As any adolescent boy will tell you, active, well educated hands make life much more enjoyable. Cheers!🏌
my only correction is that Tiger Woods is arguably the best to ever play the game and to take the game to level it is at now. It ain’t all about championships. if that were the case, Bill Russell would be the greatest NBA player of all time; not Jordan, not Kobe and not LeBron.
In other videos you talk about your wrist setting early but in a motion where the face is still looking at the ball and palm at the target, here your right palm is facing a little more towards the camera rather than the target line as you preach in other videos, which is better?
BEST--MALASKA--VIDEO--EVER! (and maybe because we have the same approach to wrist set) but regardless, I still LEARN A TON each time I watch one of Mike's tutoring videos. Just wish I could make it out to AZ? NM? NV? (not sure where he's camped) but would really enjoy a round with this guy.
9:52 Mike, I watched alot of your videos on you tube. You taught a woman called Monica to let her wrists pivot by swinging each arm individually, then later you did a video standing in a pvc circle like the Explaner, teaching to release the clubhead like you were throwing a ball which limits forearm/wrist rotation. My question to you is which one is correct? With the Monica swing and pivot you naturally get wrist and forearm rotation, when you throw the ball you don't get as much rotation in the forearms and wrists.
This is super helpful. Knowing what to do with my wrists and when creates intrusive thoughts in my head as I take the club away! LOLOL I want it to feel like all one motion and not have to "think" about it. And being a left hand / left side dominant person who plays right handed golf, it seems like maybe the wrist action is what's been holding me back.
I’m with Dustin, fully set my wrists right off the bat. Really doesn’t appear my arms do anything, turn back and turn through to a full finish. My arms don’t do a thing, just along for the ride.
Hey Mike, Thank you, you asked for us to write a comment on what might of helped us out with our golf swing / or golf game, I follow World class golf, Craig Hanson, like you, he let's the amateur understand what he's actually trying to teach, without all the technical terms, anyway, he's done a few videos on the proper shoulder plane, talk about a light bulb moment, idk why, but, buy focusing on the correct shoulder plane it helped me improve with all other aspects of my golf swing, I can start naming things but I'd be here all day, let's just say, to get the proper feel with my shoulder plane completely changed the way I contacted the ball, and really that's what mattered to me and I'm sure most of all amateur golfers,were all looking to get rid all of those swing thoughts In our head, staying committed in what your trying to achieve until the task is complete, Bottom line, the correct shoulder plane for myself changed my golf game,and I'm hoping it might help so many different problems someone's having when trying to make proper contact.Thanks Mike, stay safe all.
I've been watching tons of adam porzak - porzak golf. He has huge emphasis on connection - sternum pointing at hands, clubhead in front of hands. Setup with hip bump to create a left side post to rotate around and a right side brace (knee a little kicked in over inside of right foot, weight on inside of right foot and not going past that in backswing - just more pressure accumulating there. Like a slight wedge under outside of right foot. Hand path along feet line in takeaway, with clubhead outside hands. Butt end of the club leveraged downward to hinge clubhead upwards. Feel of keeping beachball below water until set position - hands at belt high - then just complete turn with body to top. The hands are swung to the top with the body's turn. Adam's against having much run off at the top - wants hands not far past being pointed at by sternum. From the top (adam thinks of top as potentially static - like drawing a bow and arrow ready to fire, uses hideki drills a lot. Rather than the mike m, dr kwon, athletic motion golf, ideas of recentre-ing pressure by the time the club gets to its farthest point back). From the top ensure the hands start down in sync with body rotation and maintain hip depth to have room for hands and arms to swing into without getting stuck and flipping. Good hand speed from top to make sure body doesn't out run hands in race back to ball. Left hip and grip exiting together round the corner. Adam is all about big body turn with compact connected arm swing as being the path to least manipulation. I buy into his stuff. I fight a hook and am trying to figure out the different feels involved when trying to weaken my grip somewhat - ie neutralise it. (When i have the grip a bit weaker it's harder for me to hinge the club and the positions all feel alien through the swing so i try to save shots but without being really sure what's going on to save! It's a work in progress 😅
I’ve experimented with cup and bow with variable results. The reason for the inconsistencies had to do with changes in my swing. I’ve struggled with early extension for years. My head would pop up and that created all sorts of problems that REQUIRED compensatory actions with my wrists. Getting control of my head has now allowed me to compress the ball properly and get better control with a FLAT WRIST. Eliminate the variables. That’s my goal. Early wrist hinge is another key element that can help eliminate those variables. Thank you for this! The final element that helps me is keeping the club head outside the hands with the takeaway. That allows me to hinge and rotate.
I always struggled with flattening the left wrist instead of letting it get cupped like you describe. I think the problem for me is that like most golfers who have the left wrist high, I'm right handed, so it didn't feel natural to try to consciously manipulate my left wrist. What worked better for me is really focusing on cupping the right wrist. If I do that, my left wrist is flat, but I don't have to think about it.
When I feel my wrist bend on the back swing I know I am going to put a lot of smack on the ball. Unfortunately I don't know why I don't feel this all the time. Not sure what I am doing other that poor plane (flat) could be wrong but really like the wrist are hinged, like throwing a ball.
I have always a problem with my hand size my full length is 8 1/2 inches my fingers are 3 1/2 very hard to push left pad on top of the club but leaves my grip very strong getting thick grip not any better a thin grip in tips of my fingers works ok
Hi Mike ..I use to try to width but it just pulled me out of my stance.. I like settling my wrists early and keeping my left wrist flat .. My back feels shorter but I’m able to compress the ball much better. Great video, thank you.
Funny RUclips suggested this video today. After one year of golf (trying) I figured out exactly that and I was doing it so wrong leading to slices. I focused only on hinging. Grip + wrists position is game changer. Very nice teached here too bad I see it only now 😅
My biggest problem is that my wrists in down or through swing are automatically going to the left hence I hook (pull) all my shots to the left. I can’t correct that. So annoying! What to do?
Nice video Mike, thanks. Am I correct in thinking with the longer clubs, for example the driver, the wrist set will naturally occur later in the backswing?
Loved this video! So many other instructors are advocating late wrist hinge, which makes my hinge very inconsistent. As you say, many ways to be successful, but an earlier wrist hinge has helped me be much more consistent and better compression as I am able to hold the lag a bit longer. Thank you for this excellent explanation and validation!
Does your early wrist set also apply to the driver or is it more subtle with those longer clubs? I appreciate the one lesson you gave me 25 years ago. I wish I could find the VHS tape you gave me. Thanks for all your advice.
Great video. One question. If the club shaft goes from parallel to the ground and the target line pre impact to the corresponding position post impact, haven't the hands and wrists by definition moved correctly?
I have been using “dead hands” for quite a while, with virtually no wrist set or “fling” on the downswing. I was extremely accurate, but with a pitiful lack of distance (like 7 iron for 100 yards). This week I have been working an actual wrist “set”, with a release at the ball. Instant gain of yardage, but of course accuracy has suffered. However, I think your discussion of the “flat” set of the left wrist will really help. Thank you!
Absolutely eye opening, light bulb moment!!!!! I actually look forward to practicing my irons. When you are able to obtain a consistent ball flight nearly every swing. AMAZING!!!!!!
Mike, after watching Danny Maude's video, I found that shortening the swing and focusing on swinging smoothly helps a great deal. Your video reinforces the idea by suggesting an early wrist set and avoiding cupping of the wrist.
First time in all YT I see someone addressing the early wrist advantages. This is something I had to figure out 100% by myself as both my instructors trying to convince me to set it late but, just like you said, a late wrist set although more fluid, destabilizes my swing completely. For long time I pursued transitioning back to a late wrist set since I thought it was the right way... I gave up on that and now I am proud super early wrist setter.
Im going through this now.im playing 40 years never a lesson other then my pop..i cannot hit my irons proper.woods i hit well.but this sunday at pebble creek in colts neck nj.ill be trying early wrist
Your explanation of how the hands work has changed my game. I can hardly believe it! I used to have my grip so the palms faced each other. I struggled mightily with poor contact. I saw this video, moved my left (lead) hand a little stronger, and boom! I picked up a bunch of length on my tee shots, and my irons were nice and solid. Thank you so much, Mike! Now, if I can just get the same improvement with my putting, I'll be playing like I used to!