This should be required watching for all beginner, intermediate, and advanced golfers - not to mention PGA teaching pros. Make golf easy, fun, and repeatable. Thank you.
This is probably your best your best video which really explains the pivot and how to get the club in the slot to stop me early extending thanks a bunch Mike massive thumbs up
I can't count how many times I've watched this video as well as a lot of Mike's other videos. Mike, you do such a phenomenal job explaining how the outside forces affect the golf swing. It really takes much less effort to swing a golf club if you use gravity, momentum, et.al. I know when I'm doing it correctly when I hit balls and I don't get tired. Thanks Mike for all you do!
Your videos have helped me tremendously. I have been playing golf for nearly 50 years without understanding the swing; but you have made it so simple to repeat. Thank You so very much.
This guy has such a special gift of teaching/communication to say the least. His calming voice allows you to lock in on his points and stay focused. If I could choose one instructor to spend the day with Mike would hands down be the one
Mike is the best. Not cheating teacher like most of the current teachers around the world . I be been into golf like 5 month and I’ve found out a lot theories that works with tremendous effort and inconsistency , with Mike everything works perfectly, smooth and now I have better swing than most of the 50 -years - playing guys. Just because I’m understanding the reason of the moves and why they happen, not a lot of misconceptions around .
Mr. Malska is the BEST instructor out there! I have taken lessons with 10 plus of the best "Top 100" golf instructors over the past 20 years trying to improve my game... I started this past year and a half with Mike Malaska's concepts for full swing and short game. Full swing results have resulted in me achieving that coveted "effortless power" in the full swing vs. "powerless effort". I have gone from an index of 16.2 to 5.2 on a home course slope rating of 132. I am 55 years old and am truly enjoying making birdies and having fun competitively at my club and other courses nationally now. THANK YOU for sharing your wisdom and instruction on RUclips Mr. Malaska!!! :-)
100% agree with you. He opened my eyes and saved me from quiting the game and the senseless and endless disaster that are the advice on YT. The whole quest for 'shallowing the club' 'right elbow chasing belly button' ' holding the angles' ' forward lean shaft'' keeping it in the slot' I could go on ... this was just utter madness and nonsense that has taken over the games instructions in the last 15 years - thanks to the internet
Great instruction! Now I understand much better what is forcing into the ground or sitting position(Sam Snead). The best teacher for physical and mental golf swing.
OK, I think I figured out why every teaching pro doesn't teach your(and others') theory. It makes it too easy! It really feels like once you have this move down, you can't really get that far off. I'm so happy I found this, albeit I have only been playing it for a couple of weeks, it feels much much much easier. Thanks very much for all the videos.
Mike ....You ARE the best......teaching us the fundamentals , which we can utilize, not just by practising a loooot, but just by understanding the concept.
Amazing stuff. I feel fortunate, I starting taking lessons from a local pro who teaches a LOT of what Mike preaches. I recall Mike years ago when he did a lot of Golf Channel stuff with Jim Flick, I wish I stayed with what those two gentlemen taught. We tend to get away from things with this learning curve and eventually circle back. And how does this channel ONLY have 108k subscribers (head explodes!)?
You have taken the golf swing and made it so simple to understand, it's. more about how to control centrifugal forces and how it relates and works in the golf swing , I have watched many golf teaching videos but none of them have improved my golf game like yours have. So many thanks for taking the time and effort to share this information it is very much appreciated.
I really wish someone had shown me that move about 20 years ago. Practicing this for 5 minutes fixed most of the issues I was having squaring my clubface with the driver.
Mike Malaska is indeed the most constructive, eloquent golf instructor with true teaching concept and philosophy! Just like James has, I have taken many lessens which now I see were mostly a waste of time. Mike is an amazing guy!!!
God , i wish i would have found theses videos and instruction 2 years ago, i could have saved a lot of wasted time on the practice ground. many thanks.
Just what the doctor ordered. Best golf video I've seen - and there have been a lot. Love the slow motion pieces where I can see your arms, hands, wrists and their effect on the club. I have never really felt the club powering my arms - always the other way around but I will strive for this now. Thanks Mike
Thanks Mike, in the week since I found your channel my golf swing is improving and evolving! I had some really bad habits and no one has helped me like you have, your the best!
Mike, I've watched several of your videos today; want to say thank you very very much for your wonderful communication, demonstration, experience, and instruction! You are really helping us be better players. I'm so appreciative!
I'm an ingrained hip twisting, early extending, 'space invader'. So i'm going to try right hip back on the takeaway and keeping it back on the downswing. Thanks, Mike.
Tommy tommasello had this concept in the nineties (rip) watched his videos a hundred times , my son thought I was going mad ! Well I wasn't going mad it was that he couldn't explain the Feel you have explained so well , thankyou so much !
Mike I'm convinced you are 100% correct. People struggle with the idea of it, but when the club comes down and hits the two corners it is amazing. I'm a 4 handicap who has struggled with consistent ball striking for ages. I truly think this might be the key that helps me got down to a zero. Or better even. The key is its the feeling, but not the reality of what happens. Thanks very much for all the videos.
Excellent info on hip action, thx! I've been trying to not move my right leg/hip to coil my upper body over the lower thinking that that was X factor, but I see how that has forced me to stand up n out of my backswing. Not allowing the right hip to move makes it the pivot point around which the left hip and spine rotate, rather than rotating both hips around a stable spine. Huge difference. Thx again!
I started playing last summer. I too, totally misunderstood what should be happening with the trail arm in the downswing. Everytime I tried to unfold it, I chuncked it! It wasn´t until I watched Mikes instruction I realised that my trail wrist released at the same time as my trail elbow straighten and causing me all sorts of trouble. Thanks Mike it made the last puzzel bit fall in to place.
mike talks about the GRADUAL unhinging of the risks in another video. It just makes so much more sense mentally than HOLDING THE ANGLE. Great teaching Mike. The invisible swing...
great videos malaska !! i like how you talk about momentum and channelizing it with respect to the golf swing.. how that naturally syncs the body in the swing... i have a question regarding driver set up... most golf instruction ive seen suggest to tee the ball up just inside the left heel line when setting up for a driver swing... and the bottom of the swing arc should be before the golf ball so that you're hitting up on the ball... but does that not set you're swing path a bit out to in (as you've already passed your bottom point of the swing by 6 inches or so)? to neutralize this some suggest you align your feet a bit to the right ... some say you close the shoulders at set up to counter than.. whats you're take on this ? secondly it seems wierd when you start youre back swing your arc take the driver head outside the target line ...
Thanks for the video addressing these comments and questions! At the 1:34 mark, is it that the weight of the club is to the right of your hands, not the left? It is the downward motion of the hands and rotation of the forearms/body that gets the weight of the clubhead back in front of you, correct?
Your concept of the body knowing what to do helped me so much. Not only in this video. At the moment I am struggling with impact and I realize that controlling something in this high speed situation is nearly impossible. I would like to hit the ball first with my Irons and get the energy from the club into the ball. Is there something my body already knows that could help me in this critical and very short period of time?
Totally cleared up Mike ,, outstanding job!!! I feel it happen automatically as you go thru swing,,, I don't even think about my left hip once IAM done in backend it just goes !! IAM getting better at using my feet for force with the swing I feel the swing get faster the more I push off at least that's the feel !!! Ty again mike
Thanks for your great teaching; I have discovered you thru Better Golf and I have a question: I have a tendancy not to make a full swing because Imy take away is too fast and out of sequence; would you have drill to correct that fast take away? Thanks again!!!
Thanks mike. I really like your down swing movement and working on it really hard. One thing I am struggling with it right now is my short irons gets way to steep and digging the ground way too much when I am trying do the movement. What can be the reason for this problem? Thank you.
His data is correct. Go to the range and try it. I'm super excited with my swing! Its so easy and effortless. I feel so free and relax now when i swing the driver, hybrid, irons. Once upon a time, i was stressed out when it come to the driver. Not anymore. Thanks to Mike's data.
Mike I love all your videos and have learned so much. Could you use your driver more in your demonstrations. there is a misconception between an iron swing and a driver swing. probably! Mostly by me. Thanks Doug
Great demonstration of the whirling motion above your head with a "weight" and the automatic response of the body. However, every time I've seen your videos on this point, you always show it in the down the line view. Could you show it in the face on view sometime. Easier to see the hip/body movement from that perspective. Thanks
Mike, I definitely changed my swing folowing your instructions, resulting in much better drives. One question though: my teacher says: don t lock your right knee on take away ( which tends to happen when I move my hip back). You say in this video: do not necesseraly keep your right knee flexed. Now I am confused a bit.
Hi Mike, first of all, your videos and concepts are extremely good, efficient and logical in regards with what happen and matter during the strike. My question: since we ideally want to master and control the momentum of the club, does it make sense to make sure we have sufficient feel of the "swing weight" of the club ? i.e. Too light club head feel prevent from driving the momentum and can lead to action the body too quickly in the downswing without being too technical D2/D3 is a minimum for standard shaped male golfer?). Thanks again for the amazing teaching.
With regard to the application of power, what do the pros feel like they are doing on the downswing? Is it a smooth ramp up of power with maybe a bit of gravity drop at the start or do they feel like they are exploding at maximum right from the top? In other words, what is the proper feel of applying the force during the downswing?
Hi Mike, I tried out your methods with an 8 iron and they worked really really well. This was exciting and I took it down to the range the next day to try it with the rest of my clubs. I found that with longer clubs I was hitting a fade/slice. I was wondering why this might be? It feels to me as if I am cutting accross the ball. Is this inevitable? I guess you could rephrase this question to ask how would I go about turning that slice into a draw? In particular my drives were very slicey which made me begin to doubt your Malaska swing and head back to my old one. Can I fix this? Is it worth persevering?
?? your forearms automatically have to rotate clockwise on the backswing, but on the downswing Hogan rolled his forearms back clockwise again which increased his forearm rotation.. from there he could fire his right forearm as hard as he wanted into the ball without fear of hooking the ball due to the massive amount of forearm rotation he had built up from his transition.. hence the "3 Right Hands" saying because he utilized forearm rotation as a source of power in addition to his pivot.... another way to think about it, on his transition his right palm was facing the sky... if you just stand there and extend your right arm out to the side like you are shaking someone's hand, from there if you had a golf club and you tried firing your forearms they would flip the club over and have a roll release... Hogan added extra rotation to where his palm would be the equivalent of facing the sky which allowed him to release the rotation into the ball as hard as he wanted and the face would arrive square and not closed by the time the club got to the ball.. try it with just your hand from a straight out position like you're shaking hands and fire it as hard as you can through the ball to hip height past the ball, you will see that it rolled over substantially, your right arm had to straighten at impact and then it rolled over during the release... now do the same thing except when your right arm is extended rotate it to the right so your palm is facing the sky, then from there fire it as hard as you can toward the ball and you will see that it comes in square no matter how hard you try to rotate it back to the ball and you will have a more bent right arm that supports the club and have a square release without any roll to time the face being square. One thing that is hard to understand with Malaska's teaching is that it seems as if NONE of the world's greatest ball strikers to ever play the game (Hogan, Knudson, Trevion, Snead, Norman) swung the club like this... they were all pivot-driven body release golf swings and they all shallowed the club in transition with the club well behind them... we have not seen ball strikers even to this day like those guy that I previously mentioned, Sergio is pretty close but even at that he was not even on their level... so WHY does modern golf instruction deviate from the old way that Hall of Fame golfers used to play and the shallowing of the club with the club behind you (or "stuck" in Malaska's words) and they all have some type of "cure" or new way to play... I would rather try to model my swing after Hogan (one of the best players and ball strikers to ever live) or Knudson all day rather than listen what Mike Malaska preaches as the new gospel...
Wish I could go back in time and watch Mike’s videos 25 years ago. I am looking forward to improving using his instructions. Many thanks!!! Do you feel you use your left arm more than the right on your initial move down?
Thanks for all the great videos Mr. Malaska. I noticed that there aren't a lot of videos on how the back swing should feel. I tend to get the club laid off in the back swing (i.e. pulled to the inside, with the outside of my left forearm pointed to sky early). It then becomes difficult to bring the handle in and get the club head out (i.e. rotate the forearm) because the weight of the club is pushing my hands out toward the ball and the club is still getting stuck behind my hands, often hitting push-fades and hooks. Is there a back swing key that can make your downswing method easier to accomplish? Thanks for the help. I'll keep tuning in.
Set up as if you were going to hit the ball. If you were to drop a ball from where the butt end of the club is, then lay down an alignment stick parallel to your target line, centered in your stance. Set the tees outside of your feet about 4-6 inches. That should be about right.
Just when you think you found a good golf instructor there comes another one named Malaska......this dude is awesome.....go to instruction with Micheal Bell and if you can't learn off of what he teaches him learn to play badminton.
Great video! Would you please have a video about how to avoid hitting behind the ball, when I play on course, it happens very often and really ruin the game. And short iron and gap wedge goes left directly recently. Thank you again. Been watching your video during this virus days, and it really help me improve my game.
Go to the driving range and practice hitting shots off of a tee, (broken tees are fine too) as if you were playing a par 3 hole. Make 3/4 swings at about 50%-70% of full speed just trying to swing through the ball to a nice balanced finished position. Once you're making consistent center club-face contact you can gradually increase your swing speed. If you fail to make solid contact, slow down again.
A lot of instructors now talk about laying the club down on the downswing to get a shallow angle of attack, does a lot of what you're describing counter that approach?
Hi Mike, I love your concept of the golf swing. However I am a bit concerned that this technique is geared in favour of big limbed tall leaver guys and that us smaller skillfull muscle types aren't going to be able to keep up :-)?
hi Mike... regarding the right elbow on the back swing is it supposed to stay connected or separate from the body? is the separation a cause out an effect?
You're thinking too much. Pretend you're throwing a stone to try to skip it across the lake. That's the natural movement you're looking for. Or throw a ball towards the tee in front of you. same moves and they're very natural. You don't tell yourself how to walk or throw a baseball or football or frisbee do you? You just do it. because it's natural. KISS method works for golf too.
Mike I'm having trouble hitting the ball fat with your method. When I swing slowly , the hit feels effortless and the ball goes straight. She I drop the club in a full swing I hit the ball fat. Can you offer me any advice?Thanks I love your videos.
If you try to push the hips away from club momentum like he shows, you are throwing your upper body _toward_ the momentum/ball, which is the exact opposite of applying centripetal force, extending your arc so you have no choice but to hit behind the ball without some other compensation. I like a lot of Mike's teaching, but this is just insane imo. You should be applying centripetal force with the shoulders/upper body, not the hips.
If everything else is correct, try moving the ball a little back in your stance until you find your bottom out point. Also, something that works for me is I focus my sight on the front target side of the ball.
I agree with so much of your teaching but i dont get clubhead momentum, as ive got better I feel I dominate the clubhead the only time i feel the clubhead is with the heavy sandwedge.
I have improved a lot recently by swinging with my right arm only although I use a lot of connected muscles like a modern day tennis topspin forehand,it means i can now hit a soft draw! when i do it feels like my right arm moves last in the backswing and only starts to release when the shaft is parallel tothe ground
Okay, here's one for you. I'm 5'6", and I weigh 165. I'm pretty active and in fair physical shape. I want to know two things. One; should I only take lessons from people my size? Two: Should my hands hang down, or should I reach for the ball? Really like your lessons, thank you.
Let them hang down. I'm also your height and I was swinging very well but my ball contact was somewhat inconsistent. I went to see the pro and he said my swing was fine but the lie angle on my clubs was too upright (I had standard off the shelf clubs). He tested me on a lie board and ended up adjusting the lies on just about all of my irons. It made an immediate improvement in my ball striking.
The problem with hanging down the hands is that when you swing down, the momentum of the club pulled the club away from you, straightening the club. I am fighting hard with having my hands hang down even though I think it is the right thing to do. Any advise?
Well, I had a pro tell me once, to practice swinging my clubs, (a 5 iron) for me, 100 times, every day. And I started doing that. Soon, I had a feel for swinging by pulling my left arm (actually my left hand) down. And what a difference it made. Somehow it has become a habitual feel I now have. I use it with every club, except putting and chipping. Well, chipping near the green. It's a feel I can repeat with ease. Try it. Also, I got a practice net, and a grass mat, to hit balls from. I got 50 used old balls and, I hit a 7 iron, 4 iron, and a 5 wood on it. I have a box that I put the 50 practice balls in, and, gather up the balls after I hit 50 with each club. It's easy that way. I bet your game will change real fast using this method.
Спорт
Absolutely pay no attention to other golf instructors anymore. Mike is by far the best I’ve ever come across. 👍
This should be required watching for all beginner, intermediate, and advanced golfers - not to mention PGA teaching pros. Make golf easy, fun, and repeatable. Thank you.
This is probably your best your best video which really explains the pivot and how to get the club in the slot to stop me early extending thanks a bunch Mike massive thumbs up
I can't count how many times I've watched this video as well as a lot of Mike's other videos. Mike, you do such a phenomenal job explaining how the outside forces affect the golf swing. It really takes much less effort to swing a golf club if you use gravity, momentum, et.al. I know when I'm doing it correctly when I hit balls and I don't get tired. Thanks Mike for all you do!
By far the best golf instructor online. Teaching "feel" vs "real" is where most of these RUclips instructors fail.
Your videos have helped me tremendously. I have been playing golf for nearly 50 years without understanding the swing; but you have made it so simple to repeat. Thank You so very much.
This guy has such a special gift of teaching/communication to say the least. His calming voice allows you to lock in on his points and stay focused. If I could choose one instructor to spend the day with Mike would hands down be the one
Like all the other comments, I’m so glad I found you! I now watch you exclusively on you tube. You are the best. No more searching.
🙏
Mike is the best. Not cheating teacher like most of the current teachers around the world . I be been into golf like 5 month and I’ve found out a lot theories that works with tremendous effort and inconsistency , with Mike everything works perfectly, smooth and now I have better swing than most of the 50 -years - playing guys. Just because I’m understanding the reason of the moves and why they happen, not a lot of misconceptions around .
Mr. Malska is the BEST instructor out there! I have taken lessons with 10 plus of the best "Top 100" golf instructors over the past 20 years trying to improve my game... I started this past year and a half with Mike Malaska's concepts for full swing and short game. Full swing results have resulted in me achieving that coveted "effortless power" in the full swing vs. "powerless effort". I have gone from an index of 16.2 to 5.2 on a home course slope rating of 132. I am 55 years old and am truly enjoying making birdies and having fun competitively at my club and other courses nationally now. THANK YOU for sharing your wisdom and instruction on RUclips Mr. Malaska!!! :-)
James Thorn
100% agree with you. He opened my eyes and saved me from quiting the game and the senseless and endless disaster that are the advice on YT. The whole quest for 'shallowing the club' 'right elbow chasing belly button' ' holding the angles' ' forward lean shaft'' keeping it in the slot' I could go on ... this was just utter madness and nonsense that has taken over the games instructions in the last 15 years - thanks to the internet
YUP! Me too!
James Thorn I agree
just sunny
Great instruction! Now I understand much better what is forcing into the ground or sitting position(Sam Snead). The best teacher for physical and mental golf swing.
OK, I think I figured out why every teaching pro doesn't teach your(and others') theory. It makes it too easy! It really feels like once you have this move down, you can't really get that far off. I'm so happy I found this, albeit I have only been playing it for a couple of weeks, it feels much much much easier. Thanks very much for all the videos.
Mike ....You ARE the best......teaching us the fundamentals , which we can utilize, not just by practising a loooot, but just by understanding the concept.
Amazing stuff. I feel fortunate, I starting taking lessons from a local pro who teaches a LOT of what Mike preaches. I recall Mike years ago when he did a lot of Golf Channel stuff with Jim Flick, I wish I stayed with what those two gentlemen taught. We tend to get away from things with this learning curve and eventually circle back. And how does this channel ONLY have 108k subscribers (head explodes!)?
Thank you. You are a great teacher of the golf swing.
This guy knows what he is talking about in Toski, Jim Flick mold. Others on you tube have no experience.
Brilliant, brilliant video!!!
You have taken the golf swing and made it so simple to understand, it's. more about how to control centrifugal forces and how it relates and works in the golf swing , I have watched many golf teaching videos but none of them have improved my golf game like yours have. So many thanks for taking the time and effort to share this information it is very much appreciated.
I really wish someone had shown me that move about 20 years ago. Practicing this for 5 minutes fixed most of the issues I was having squaring my clubface with the driver.
Great explanation Mike ! Thanks for your contributions to all the golfers of the world ! Keep up the great work.
This is the most helpful instructional video I've ever seen, including all of Mike's other videos.
I love your videos. They make sense to me, and made my golf fun again.
I hope Malaska is a billionaire, because his lessons are pure gold!
Mike Malaska is indeed the most constructive, eloquent golf instructor with true teaching concept and philosophy! Just like James has, I have taken many lessens which now I see were mostly a waste of time. Mike is an amazing guy!!!
Wish I knew about the pivot a long time ago. Using it now and killing the ball!! Thanks Mike!!
Thank you Mike...its starting to become more clear to me as I watch over and over. I have a bad back so needed a drastic change..this is it.
God , i wish i would have found theses videos and instruction 2 years ago, i could have saved a lot of wasted time on the practice ground. many thanks.
Just what the doctor ordered. Best golf video I've seen - and there have been a lot. Love the slow motion pieces where I can see your arms, hands, wrists and their effect on the club. I have never really felt the club powering my arms - always the other way around but I will strive for this now. Thanks Mike
Thanks Mike, in the week since I found your channel my golf swing is improving and evolving! I had some really bad habits and no one has helped me like you have, your the best!
You are an excellent teacher. It's very clear and logic. Thanks a lot, Mike.
Mike, I've watched several of your videos today; want to say thank you very very much for your wonderful communication, demonstration, experience, and instruction! You are really helping us be better players. I'm so appreciative!
Such a good teacher.
Mike these videos are gold...thx so much for doing this for all of us in search of a golf swing...amazingly clarity of what to do and how to do it!
I've only just found Mike Malaska's videos, but oh boy does it all make a lot of sense!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼✔️✔️✔️
I'm an ingrained hip twisting, early extending, 'space invader'. So i'm going to try right hip back on the takeaway and keeping it back on the downswing. Thanks, Mike.
WOW.....So glad I found this great Professional !
Wow, his explanation is superb. His communication skills are amazing.
Such a great teacher thank you.
Tommy tommasello had this concept in the nineties (rip) watched his videos a hundred times , my son thought I was going mad ! Well I wasn't going mad it was that he couldn't explain the Feel you have explained so well , thankyou so much !
Mike I'm convinced you are 100% correct. People struggle with the idea of it, but when the club comes down and hits the two corners it is amazing. I'm a 4 handicap who has struggled with consistent ball striking for ages. I truly think this might be the key that helps me got down to a zero. Or better even. The key is its the feeling, but not the reality of what happens. Thanks very much for all the videos.
Excellent info on hip action, thx! I've been trying to not move my right leg/hip to coil my upper body over the lower thinking that that was X factor, but I see how that has forced me to stand up n out of my backswing. Not allowing the right hip to move makes it the pivot point around which the left hip and spine rotate, rather than rotating both hips around a stable spine. Huge difference. Thx again!
I started playing last summer. I too, totally misunderstood what should be happening with the trail arm in the downswing. Everytime I tried to unfold it, I chuncked it! It wasn´t until I watched Mikes instruction I realised that my trail wrist released at the same time as my trail elbow straighten and causing me all sorts of trouble. Thanks Mike it made the last puzzel bit fall in to place.
Thanks Mike. That front on view really helped me understand the first move down.
Absolutely brilliant golf instructor......;)
mike talks about the GRADUAL unhinging of the risks in another video. It just makes so much more sense mentally than HOLDING THE ANGLE. Great teaching Mike. The invisible swing...
This was great information. Found your website via Be Better Golf.
By far the best golf instructor on youtube!
Thanks Mike, could you talk about starting the swing or takeaway sequence. Thanks, Ted
Greatest content in all the land!
This is GOLD!
Mike, Where have you been. If i had this info 30 years ago i would have been playing the circuit.
Thank you
All those little shots Mike made came off so sweet that they hardly made a sound.
great videos malaska !! i like how you talk about momentum and channelizing it with respect to the golf swing.. how that naturally syncs the body in the swing...
i have a question regarding driver set up... most golf instruction ive seen suggest to tee the ball up just inside the left heel line when setting up for a driver swing... and the bottom of the swing arc should be before the golf ball so that you're hitting up on the ball... but does that not set you're swing path a bit out to in (as you've already passed your bottom point of the swing by 6 inches or so)?
to neutralize this some suggest you align your feet a bit to the right ... some say you close the shoulders at set up to counter than.. whats you're take on this ?
secondly it seems wierd when you start youre back swing your arc take the driver head outside the target line ...
Thanks for the video addressing these comments and questions! At the 1:34 mark, is it that the weight of the club is to the right of your hands, not the left? It is the downward motion of the hands and rotation of the forearms/body that gets the weight of the clubhead back in front of you, correct?
Your concept of the body knowing what to do helped me so much. Not only in this video. At the moment I am struggling with impact and I realize that controlling something in this high speed situation is nearly impossible. I would like to hit the ball first with my Irons and get the energy from the club into the ball. Is there something my body already knows that could help me in this critical and very short period of time?
Totally cleared up Mike ,, outstanding job!!! I feel it happen automatically as you go thru swing,,, I don't even think about my left hip once IAM done in backend it just goes !! IAM getting better at using my feet for force with the swing I feel the swing get faster the more I push off at least that's the feel !!! Ty again mike
Thanks for your great teaching; I have discovered you thru Better Golf and I have a question: I have a tendancy not to make a full swing because Imy take away is too fast and out of sequence; would you have drill to correct that fast take away? Thanks again!!!
Thanks mike. I really like your down swing movement and working on it really hard. One thing I am struggling with it right now is my short irons gets way to steep and digging the ground way too much when I am trying do the movement. What can be the reason for this problem? Thank you.
His data is correct.
Go to the range and try it.
I'm super excited with my swing!
Its so easy and effortless. I feel so free and relax now when i swing the driver, hybrid, irons.
Once upon a time, i was stressed out when it come to the driver. Not anymore. Thanks to Mike's data.
Ray Chau
Ray Chau
Ray Chau
Mike I love all your videos and have learned so much. Could you use your driver more in your demonstrations. there is a misconception between an iron swing and a driver swing. probably! Mostly by me.
Thanks
Doug
I found that getting the elbow down was an easier way for me to perform this movement. Rather than focusing on moving my hands down.
Great videos Mike!! i dont swing particularly quickly, so in order to swing a little quicker....i just need to oppose the momentum faster?
Mike Malaska is the most accurate teacher
Great demonstration of the whirling motion above your head with a "weight" and the automatic response of the body. However, every time I've seen your videos on this point, you always show it in the down the line view. Could you show it in the face on view sometime. Easier to see the hip/body movement from that perspective. Thanks
Mike, I definitely changed my swing folowing your instructions, resulting in much better drives. One question though: my teacher says: don t lock your right knee on take away ( which tends to happen when I move my hip back). You say in this video: do not necesseraly keep your right knee flexed. Now I am confused a bit.
Hi Mike, first of all, your videos and concepts are extremely good, efficient and logical in regards with what happen and matter during the strike. My question: since we ideally want to master and control the momentum of the club, does it make sense to make sure we have sufficient feel of the "swing weight" of the club ? i.e. Too light club head feel prevent from driving the momentum and can lead to action the body too quickly in the downswing without being too technical D2/D3 is a minimum for standard shaped male golfer?). Thanks again for the amazing teaching.
Could you do a close up how the clubface should sit , and how it should be doing coming into impact.
Man I'd like to learn that downswing!!
thx
Mike.
Could you show us what s the momentum of the clud looks like swinging in front of you.(straight body , not down to the ground)
hi Mike. Since adopting your technique do you feel that you have lost any difference in shot lengths? By the way love the way you hit the ball
Hi In the downswing, when your hands are waist high are club and hands parallel to target line or is the club slightly outside hands -.
Push the earth with the sacrum.
With regard to the application of power, what do the pros feel like they are doing on the downswing? Is it a smooth ramp up of power with maybe a bit of gravity drop at the start or do they feel like they are exploding at maximum right from the top? In other words, what is the proper feel of applying the force during the downswing?
Hi Mike, can you do a lesson using hybrids and 3 wood using the same instruction?
Hi Mike, I tried out your methods with an 8 iron and they worked really really well. This was exciting and I took it down to the range the next day to try it with the rest of my clubs. I found that with longer clubs I was hitting a fade/slice. I was wondering why this might be? It feels to me as if I am cutting accross the ball. Is this inevitable? I guess you could rephrase this question to ask how would I go about turning that slice into a draw? In particular my drives were very slicey which made me begin to doubt your Malaska swing and head back to my old one. Can I fix this? Is it worth persevering?
Mike question if I keep pushing away how do I get to my front foot I have been told by 3 professionals that I hang back?
When you work the handle down and the heel,out.You will hit all the positions everyone tries to create.
Respond to the swinging club!
Mike, your method is simple, but very often I still hit the ball fat or thin especially with long irons and woods. What should I do to avoid mishits?
I wonder if Hogan was feeling this when he talked about turning his forearms clockwise going back and counterclockwise going through...
?? your forearms automatically have to rotate clockwise on the backswing, but on the downswing Hogan rolled his forearms back clockwise again which increased his forearm rotation.. from there he could fire his right forearm as hard as he wanted into the ball without fear of hooking the ball due to the massive amount of forearm rotation he had built up from his transition.. hence the "3 Right Hands" saying because he utilized forearm rotation as a source of power in addition to his pivot.... another way to think about it, on his transition his right palm was facing the sky... if you just stand there and extend your right arm out to the side like you are shaking someone's hand, from there if you had a golf club and you tried firing your forearms they would flip the club over and have a roll release... Hogan added extra rotation to where his palm would be the equivalent of facing the sky which allowed him to release the rotation into the ball as hard as he wanted and the face would arrive square and not closed by the time the club got to the ball.. try it with just your hand from a straight out position like you're shaking hands and fire it as hard as you can through the ball to hip height past the ball, you will see that it rolled over substantially, your right arm had to straighten at impact and then it rolled over during the release... now do the same thing except when your right arm is extended rotate it to the right so your palm is facing the sky, then from there fire it as hard as you can toward the ball and you will see that it comes in square no matter how hard you try to rotate it back to the ball and you will have a more bent right arm that supports the club and have a square release without any roll to time the face being square.
One thing that is hard to understand with Malaska's teaching is that it seems as if NONE of the world's greatest ball strikers to ever play the game (Hogan, Knudson, Trevion, Snead, Norman) swung the club like this... they were all pivot-driven body release golf swings and they all shallowed the club in transition with the club well behind them... we have not seen ball strikers even to this day like those guy that I previously mentioned, Sergio is pretty close but even at that he was not even on their level... so WHY does modern golf instruction deviate from the old way that Hall of Fame golfers used to play and the shallowing of the club with the club behind you (or "stuck" in Malaska's words) and they all have some type of "cure" or new way to play...
I would rather try to model my swing after Hogan (one of the best players and ball strikers to ever live) or Knudson all day rather than listen what Mike Malaska preaches as the new gospel...
Eureka moment
Wish I could go back in time and watch Mike’s videos 25 years ago. I am looking forward to improving using his instructions. Many thanks!!!
Do you feel you use your left arm more than the right on your initial move down?
Thanks for all the great videos Mr. Malaska. I noticed that there aren't a lot of videos on how the back swing should feel. I tend to get the club laid off in the back swing (i.e. pulled to the inside, with the outside of my left forearm pointed to sky early). It then becomes difficult to bring the handle in and get the club head out (i.e. rotate the forearm) because the weight of the club is pushing my hands out toward the ball and the club is still getting stuck behind my hands, often hitting push-fades and hooks. Is there a back swing key that can make your downswing method easier to accomplish? Thanks for the help. I'll keep tuning in.
Samuel Dreibelbis I cock my wrist when my hands get to my trail leg this helps to keep club outside hands in takeaway.
Mike, on the back swing, do you point the butt of the club at the ball or the inside of the ball?
Is it better to have a heaver club to help the feel?
Amazing! I do have a question. How far away are those two Tees you put on both sides of the golfer where the hands come down?
Set up as if you were going to hit the ball. If you were to drop a ball from where the butt end of the club is, then lay down an alignment stick parallel to your target line, centered in your stance. Set the tees outside of your feet about 4-6 inches. That should be about right.
Just when you think you found a good golf instructor there comes another one named Malaska......this dude is awesome.....go to instruction with Micheal Bell and if you can't learn off of what he teaches him learn to play badminton.
Great video! Would you please have a video about how to avoid hitting behind the ball, when I play on course, it happens very often and really ruin the game. And short iron and gap wedge goes left directly recently. Thank you again. Been watching your video during this virus days, and it really help me improve my game.
Go to the driving range and practice hitting shots off of a tee, (broken tees are fine too) as if you were playing a par 3 hole. Make 3/4 swings at about 50%-70% of full speed just trying to swing through the ball to a nice balanced finished position. Once you're making consistent center club-face contact you can gradually increase your swing speed. If you fail to make solid contact, slow down again.
A lot of instructors now talk about laying the club down on the downswing to get a shallow angle of attack, does a lot of what you're describing counter that approach?
Fantastic coaching with irons, but whilst the driver has a longer shaft should my method be the same Mike.
Mike what part of the ball do you focus on in the swing
Hi Mike,
I love your concept of the golf swing. However I am a bit concerned that this technique is geared in favour of big limbed tall leaver guys and that us smaller skillfull muscle types aren't going to be able to keep up :-)?
I throw the club from the top, and I unhinge my wrists and get a ton more speed and more accuracy. At least that's what it feels like to me.
hi Mike... regarding the right elbow on the back swing is it supposed to stay connected or separate from the body? is the separation a cause out an effect?
You're thinking too much. Pretend you're throwing a stone to try to skip it across the lake. That's the natural movement you're looking for. Or throw a ball towards the tee in front of you. same moves and they're very natural. You don't tell yourself how to walk or throw a baseball or football or frisbee do you? You just do it. because it's natural. KISS method works for golf too.
Mike I'm having trouble hitting the ball fat with your method. When I swing slowly , the hit feels effortless and the ball goes straight. She I drop the club in a full swing I hit the ball fat. Can you offer me any advice?Thanks I love your videos.
you are probably early releasing the club head (unhinging the wrists too early) on the full swing causing the fat shots.
If you try to push the hips away from club momentum like he shows, you are throwing your upper body _toward_ the momentum/ball, which is the exact opposite of applying centripetal force, extending your arc so you have no choice but to hit behind the ball without some other compensation.
I like a lot of Mike's teaching, but this is just insane imo. You should be applying centripetal force with the shoulders/upper body, not the hips.
If everything else is correct, try moving the ball a little back in your stance until you find your bottom out point. Also, something that works for me is I focus my sight on the front target side of the ball.
I agree with so much of your teaching but i dont get clubhead momentum, as ive got better I feel I dominate the clubhead the only time i feel the clubhead is with the heavy sandwedge.
Ive just realised that I probably do that momentum move naturally without realising it!
I have improved a lot recently by swinging with my right arm only although I use a lot of connected muscles like a modern day tennis topspin forehand,it means i can now hit a soft draw! when i do it feels like my right arm moves last in the backswing and only starts to release when the shaft is parallel tothe ground
Mike’s move with the handle in and the club out confuses me. It seems is would result in a steep angle of attack.
John Miles with the turning of your body it want . Again it’s a feeling he’s talking about. If you look at his swing it’s not steep.
all your videos are excellent. I wish I found you 15 yrs ago. why are you teeing up all the shots? It would be nice to see you take a divot.
jennifer with this method you take very little divots in my experience.
Okay, here's one for you. I'm 5'6", and I weigh 165. I'm pretty active and in fair physical shape. I want to know two things. One; should I only take lessons from people my size? Two: Should my hands hang down, or should I reach for the ball? Really like your lessons, thank you.
Let them hang down. I'm also your height and I was swinging very well but my ball contact was somewhat inconsistent. I went to see the pro and he said my swing was fine but the lie angle on my clubs was too upright (I had standard off the shelf clubs). He tested me on a lie board and ended up adjusting the lies on just about all of my irons. It made an immediate improvement in my ball striking.
Alright, thanks. I'm gonna have my clubs measured.
The problem with hanging down the hands is that when you swing down, the momentum of the club pulled the club away from you, straightening the club. I am fighting hard with having my hands hang down even though I think it is the right thing to do. Any advise?
Well, I had a pro tell me once, to practice swinging my clubs, (a 5 iron) for me, 100 times, every day. And I started doing that. Soon, I had a feel for swinging by pulling my left arm (actually my left hand) down. And what a difference it made. Somehow it has become a habitual feel I now have. I use it with every club, except putting and chipping. Well, chipping near the green. It's a feel I can repeat with ease. Try it. Also, I got a practice net, and a grass mat, to hit balls from. I got 50 used old balls and, I hit a 7 iron, 4 iron, and a 5 wood on it. I have a box that I put the 50 practice balls in, and, gather up the balls after I hit 50 with each club. It's easy that way. I bet your game will change real fast using this method.