Mike Malaska - Getting the club in front of you. Made easy...

[sheldonjhacker]

So ...after all of this...is the MM method the real deal in instruction? It seems to REALLY simplify the swing.

[FullOfBrushMan]

[quote name='sheldonjhacker' timestamp='1446691180' post='12554686']
So ...after all of this...is the MM method the real deal in instruction? It seems to REALLY simplify the swing.
[/quote]
It's like with any instruction. Odds are you pick and choose what applies to your swing, rarely does everything apply 100%.

[Mozza73]

This might well be of interest, an old Faldo drill [url="http://www.golftoday.co.uk/proshop/features/hitchin_a_ride.html"]http://www.golftoday.co.uk/proshop/features/hitchin_a_ride.html[/url] where he talks about thumbs up to thumbs up, seems to exactly mirror the Malaska release.

[sirparalot]

I watched the video for the first time yesterday morning and went to the range to give it a try. I worked on the drill a bit and it felt a little odd but was able to easily mimic the motion. I then started hitting balls and had a fantastic range session. The shots I hit were very solid and very straight (a slight fade 1-3 yards max). I really tried to make the swing feel effortless and it was. I found I could hit every club in the bag solidly with this swing motion. I was hitting some really solid 5 irons and a complete stranger who was with a group on a buddies trip was hitting near me and he stopped to compliment the shots I was hitting. Lets just say that does not happen to me. Going to go back to the range today and see if it sticks....So far its a solid move for me. A few have commented on distance issues and with my wedges the shots probably came up 7-10 yards shorter but from 9 down the distances seemed normal and maybe a couple of yards longer.

[Dbogey]

The pro at my club had the opportunity to work with Mike at the Sr. Open a few years ago and showed it to me. I got away from it this season but back on track! I'm addicted to watching his videos.

Here's another one:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmiTKswtKLE

[Chrilly]

Was watching some of the videos and came across this one: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YmINHrNVHY"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YmINHrNVHY[/url]

The video goes into a description on how to take your grip by letting your arms hang down naturally. Thing is, when I let my arms hang down naturally my palm faces almost directly behind me, like I'm trying to show someone in front of me what the back of my hands look like. Should a golf grip be that strong?

[Millbrook]

[quote name='Chrilly' timestamp='1446743697' post='12557020']
Was watching some of the videos and came across this one: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YmINHrNVHY"]https://www.youtube....h?v=3YmINHrNVHY[/url]

The video goes into a description on how to take your grip by letting your arms hang down naturally. Thing is, when I let my arms hang down naturally my palm faces almost directly behind me, like I'm trying to show someone in front of me what the back of my hands look like. Should a golf grip be that strong?
[/quote]

Pete Cowan uses that method to find the grip which is natural for an individual and the idea of the hands working in unison.

Perhaps try it and see.

[sirparalot]

went back to the range again to give the move another go. I started out very solid and like most of us when we get a little bit of a good thing we start thinking maybe a little more will be better, Before I knew I was forcing the club way outside and started hitting some big banana balls as well as catching them a bit thin. I worked the drill a bit more and focused on making it more effortless and it came back around to a nice gentle fade like the day before. It will be at least another week before I can take it to the course but I am really enjoying the results...just don't overdo it:)

[Larry111]

Joe Nichols "Rotor Method"

[url="http://www.angelfire.com/realm/moetown/mandrin/golf/Rotor_Method.html"]http://www.angelfire.com/realm/moetown/mandrin/golf/Rotor_Method.html[/url]

[Larry111]

At the range today I messed around with standing the club up using my hands in the back swing and then throwing the hosel at the ball with my hands to initiate the down swing with pretty good results. The arrow in the image points to the thrown area of the hosel. Hands come inside, the face squares up really quick and the ball flies straight. Does this make sense to anyone?

[attachment=3021538:ping-i25-4s-s1403016-01.jpg]

[Dbogey]

[quote name='Larry111' timestamp='1446773420' post='12559140']
Joe Nichols "Rotor Method"

[url="http://www.angelfire.com/realm/moetown/mandrin/golf/Rotor_Method.html"]http://www.angelfire.com/realm/moetown/mandrin/golf/Rotor_Method.html[/url]
[/quote]

Great find! Thanks for posting

[RJC59]

Many have advocated this as a feel for years but normally only for certain players ie: handle draggers who carry tension and players who are significantly underplane. Foley had TW and O'hair doing a similar feel at one point. It seems Mike is giving the same feel for every player no matter what their level or their tendencies and presenting it as a method. His delivery and demeanor is confident and collected which transposes into his players for immediate results and belief in a "new method", when in reality it is simply a feel for one aspect of a golf swing. This happens in golf instruction all the time and it will happen again. I think many of you whom try this will see benefits at first. but overtime if you continue to make that rep out after every bad shot.. i'm betting that you will yourself tipping out in transition which will lead to a whole host of new problems. Its a good thing we have guys like Dana, manzella, foley, como and others actually measuring and studying the full science. Good communicators with secrets from the graveyard can be dangerous in online forums IMO, and get a player away from training properly one step at a time. With that said, his comment on players imitating hogan's pictures AFTER transition being detrimental is absolutely true. Static pictures are the bane of existence for all golfers.

[mikah]

[quote name='Larry111' timestamp='1446776951' post='12559448']
At the range today I messed around with standing the club up using my hands in the back swing and then throwing the hosel at the ball with my hands to initiate the down swing with pretty good results. The arrow in the image points to the thrown area of the hosel. Hands come inside, the face squares up really quick and the ball flies straight. Does this make sense to anyone?

[attachment=3021538:ping-i25-4s-s1403016-01.jpg]
[/quote]

made sense to Tom Ross:

[size=4]Anyways, a friend of mine had out his copy of Five Lessons and had it open to the page with the plane of glass picture on Mr. Hogan. At that moment I was staring at the picture, then at my new GW, then back to the pic and so on and so on.....AND THAT'S WHEN IT FINALLY HIT ME. EVERYONE PAY ATTENTION PLEASE, THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY I CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MOTION AND IT ALL HAS TO DO WITH THE CLUB AND THAT PICTURE.

The pane of glass goes around your neck, resting on your shoulders all the way down to the INSIDE of the golf ball. The hole is just big enough for you to get your head into. Now, imagine that the glass is kinda sharp and you don't want to cut your neck. Next, set up to the ball and imagine that glass there. [/size]

[size=4]Here is where the fun starts. The inside of the hozel where the hozel and the face meet are right against the bottom of the pane of glass. As you take the club back, the face rotates open but the hozel stays right on that pane of glass all the way back. Your neck will collapse ever so slightly (chin tucks into chest slightly and C6 gets slightly closer to the ball). [/size]

[size=4]At the top, slight pause and then start the right hand down while keeping that hozel on the bottom of the pane of glass. The face will start to rotate closed on the way down. The neck will straighten (chin comes up from chest and C6 gets further away from the ball slightly). Now for the best part, at IMPACT, KEEP THE HOZEL OF THE CLUB JUST TO THE INSIDE OF THE BALL, BUT AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET IT TO THE BALL. This will ensure that the ball hits the sweet spot every time. Wherever the ball is in your stance, if you do that with the hozel you will hit it solid. [/size]

[size=4]On the follow thru, the hozel continues to ride the bottom of that glass all the way up until the left elbow has to fold at which time the club head will "break" the pane of glass allowing you to "walk" away. This is how you swing around your neck and hit the ball. I was able to hit the flag 10 times out of 50 balls doing this from 148 with an 8 iron.[/size]

[grizztrax]

[quote name='RJC59' timestamp='1446821495' post='12561048']
Many have advocated this as a feel for years but normally only for certain players ie: handle draggers who carry tension and players who are significantly underplane. Foley had TW and O'hair doing a similar feel it at one point. It seems Mike is giving the same feel for every player no matter what their level or their tendencies and presenting it as a method. This means he is essentially giving the same presentation 5 hours a day every day, thus his delivery and demeanor is confident and collected which transposes into his players for immediate results and belief in a "new method", when in reality it is simple a feel for one aspect of a golf swing. This happens in golf instruction all the time and it will happen again. Most of you will likely try this for a while, at first it may feel good... but overtime if you continue to rep this out after every bad shot i'm betting you will find yourself actually tipping out in transition which will lead to a whole host of new problems. Its a good thing we have guys like Dana, manzella, foley, como and others actually measuring and studying the full science. Good communicators with secrets from the graveyard can be dangerous in online forums. With that said, his comment on players imitating hogan's pictures AFTER transition being detrimental is absolutely true. Static pictures are the bane of existence for all golfers.
[/quote]

I get what you are saying with this, but it seems like every time some new instructor gains popularity on this forum, someone comes along to play the role of naysayer. Yes of course this is a method of swinging the club, Malaska has a book published and 83 videos on youtube. Obviously he did not come up with this method himself, but he is presenting his ideas in his own way, and is pretty effective in conveying his message. That doesn't mean this is some band-aid fix that applies only to handle draggers, but it may not apply to everyone either.

To me it is just another piece of the puzzle. I've had instruction from Dan C and Monte, and I own Jim Waldron's Manual. I currently work with a great instructor here in Colorado who had me playing some of the best golf of my life this summer. I struggle with the proper release of the club, and that is where this thread has helped me the most. I enjoy learning about other perspectives on the golf swing and trying to make my own swing better and more repeatable. That said I am a former handle-dragger and have gotten a huge improvement utilizing the concepts in this thread. The concept of leading with the heel is something my current instructor has me working on, which goes hand in hand with this thread.

Will it fade in time? Maybe, but everyone has occasional struggles with their golf swing. To imply that this is only a band-aid that will end up ruining your swing seems rather short-sighted to me. I am more than capable of monitoring my own swing and am able to tell from the ball flight if I am overcooking something, and how to correct it. The results speak for themselves, and I am happy to continue using this method.

[grizztrax]

....Aaaaand cue the threadjacker...

[DannyG]

I found reading Malaska's book was a big help in understanding what he is showing in the videos. The ebook is only $15 and well worth it.

[Mozza73]

[quote name='mikah' timestamp='1446822395' post='12561112']
[quote name='Larry111' timestamp='1446776951' post='12559448']
At the range today I messed around with standing the club up using my hands in the back swing and then throwing the hosel at the ball with my hands to initiate the down swing with pretty good results. The arrow in the image points to the thrown area of the hosel. Hands come inside, the face squares up really quick and the ball flies straight. Does this make sense to anyone?

[attachment=3021538:ping-i25-4s-s1403016-01.jpg]
[/quote]
On the follow thru, the hozel continues to ride the bottom of that glass all the way up until the left elbow has to fold at which time the club head will "break" the pane of glass allowing you to "walk" away. This is how you swing around your neck and hit the ball. I was able to hit the flag 10 times out of 50 balls doing this from 148 with an 8 iron.
[/quote]

I followed you all the way but don't quite understand this bit, why does the glass ultimately have to break?

[ruascott]

I've watched almost all of the videos he's done. Went to the range today....really tried to think about that tee drill...and stuck from inside, push block\flip hook quickly changed to a high gentle fade. I haven't hit gentle fades in 20 years.

Actually hit the driver better than anything....just high, dead straight bombs.,..rather than trying to fight to not hit massive hooks.

Also liked one of his videos where he spray painted a circle to show proper club path....for whatever reason that clicked with me and I just visualized that circle when swinging.

[mikah]

[quote name='Mozza73' timestamp='1446834583' post='12562036']
[quote name='mikah' timestamp='1446822395' post='12561112']
[quote name='Larry111' timestamp='1446776951' post='12559448']
At the range today I messed around with standing the club up using my hands in the back swing and then throwing the hosel at the ball with my hands to initiate the down swing with pretty good results. The arrow in the image points to the thrown area of the hosel. Hands come inside, the face squares up really quick and the ball flies straight. Does this make sense to anyone?

[attachment=3021538:ping-i25-4s-s1403016-01.jpg]
[/quote]
On the follow thru, the hozel continues to ride the bottom of that glass all the way up until the left elbow has to fold at which time the club head will "break" the pane of glass allowing you to "walk" away. This is how you swing around your neck and hit the ball. I was able to hit the flag 10 times out of 50 balls doing this from 148 with an 8 iron.
[/quote]

I followed you all the way but don't quite understand this bit, why does the glass ultimately have to break?
[/quote]

That was a quote from Tom Reed, in another forum.
My answer would be that hands release after impact, at which time the clubhead would travel up, through the glass, eventually with shaft parallel to our eyes.

[Smash Factors]

Not sure if someone already posted this, but here's a neat video of Bob Toski hitting a few balls.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXWP0lj6JX0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXWP0lj6JX0[/url]

[sirparalot]

[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1446930593' post='12566974']
Went to the range today....really tried to think about that tee drill...and stuck from inside, push block\flip hook quickly changed to a high gentle fade. I haven't hit gentle fades in 20 years.

Actually hit the driver better than anything....just high, dead straight bombs.

[/quote]

This has been my experience as well. Beautiful gentle fade and straight high bombs with the driver. Hoping to take it to the course at the end of this week and see if it carries over.

[Kuuuch]

How did you guys implement this to the full swing? For me it feels like my right hand (trail hand) pushes the club vertical and straightens

[Dbogey]

[quote name='Steve Ryan' timestamp='1446968477' post='12568788']
Not sure if someone already posted this, but here's a neat video of Bob Toski hitting a few balls.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXWP0lj6JX0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXWP0lj6JX0[/url]
[/quote]

Thanks for posting! Great motion, I love the left arm rotation. Hope I'm still swingin at 87

[stuboy]

[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1446930593' post='12566974']
I've watched almost all of the videos he's done. Went to the range today....really tried to think about that tee drill...and stuck from inside, push block\flip hook quickly changed to a high gentle fade. I haven't hit gentle fades in 20 years.

Actually hit the driver better than anything....just high, dead straight bombs.,..rather than trying to fight to not hit massive hooks.

Also liked one of his videos where he spray painted a circle to show proper club path....for whatever reason that clicked with me and I just visualized that circle when swinging.
[/quote]

Which is the tee drill?

[Smash Factors]

[quote name='Kuchhhhhh' timestamp='1447022943' post='12571370']
How did you guys implement this to the full swing? For me it feels like my right hand (trail hand) pushes the club vertical and straightens
[/quote]

All I'm really trying to do is hinge my wrists a little less than I'm used so that it's easier to get my hands and the club out in front of me on the way down. There's sort of a fine line between keeping the club out in front and having an early release.

After watching a lot of Malaska's videos, it's pretty obvious why "Holding the lag" and "Sticking the right elbow into the hip" can easily cause the club to trail too far behind where your only recourse is to play catch-up with the hands. It also helps Nicklaus's statement "You can never release the club too early" make a lot more sense.

[ruascott]

[quote name='sirparalot' timestamp='1447019972' post='12571140']
[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1446930593' post='12566974']
Went to the range today....really tried to think about that tee drill...and stuck from inside, push block\flip hook quickly changed to a high gentle fade. I haven't hit gentle fades in 20 years.

Actually hit the driver better than anything....just high, dead straight bombs.

[/quote]

This has been my experience as well. Beautiful gentle fade and straight high bombs with the driver. Hoping to take it to the course at the end of this week and see if it carries over.
[/quote]

Played yesterday, and hit it much better than I have in some time. Hit a few pull draws with the driver, started left and turned further left. But hit a lot of really good ones. Basically just dead straight.

If my 100yd and in game wasn't atrocious, I could have posted one of best rounds of the year

[ruascott]

[quote name='stuboy' timestamp='1447026688' post='12571676']
[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1446930593' post='12566974']
I've watched almost all of the videos he's done. Went to the range today....really tried to think about that tee drill...and stuck from inside, push block\flip hook quickly changed to a high gentle fade. I haven't hit gentle fades in 20 years.

Actually hit the driver better than anything....just high, dead straight bombs.,..rather than trying to fight to not hit massive hooks.

Also liked one of his videos where he spray painted a circle to show proper club path....for whatever reason that clicked with me and I just visualized that circle when swinging.
[/quote]

Which is the tee drill?
[/quote]

It's in the video...where he puts a tee on the outside of both your left and right foot.

[ruascott]

Also, I'll add that the feel he was talking about while using a tennis racket as a steering wheel....I didn't get much from that, until I started working on this a while actually playing and hitting balls....now I can totally sense what he's talking about. For me it really feels like I'm turning my left arm down and right arm up, when coming down into the ball.

It feels kind of crazy over the top, but feel isn't real.

[oliversax]

I echo the sentiment, thanks for posting this great article!!

[quote name='Larry111' timestamp='1446773420' post='12559140']
Joe Nichols "Rotor Method"

[url="http://www.angelfire.com/realm/moetown/mandrin/golf/Rotor_Method.html"]http://www.angelfire...tor_Method.html[/url]
[/quote]

[stuboy]

[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1447085243' post='12574134']
[quote name='stuboy' timestamp='1447026688' post='12571676']
[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1446930593' post='12566974']
I've watched almost all of the videos he's done. Went to the range today....really tried to think about that tee drill...and stuck from inside, push block\flip hook quickly changed to a high gentle fade. I haven't hit gentle fades in 20 years.

Actually hit the driver better than anything....just high, dead straight bombs.,..rather than trying to fight to not hit massive hooks.

Also liked one of his videos where he spray painted a circle to show proper club path....for whatever reason that clicked with me and I just visualized that circle when swinging.
[/quote]

Which is the tee drill?
[/quote]

It's in the video...where he puts a tee on the outside of both your left and right foot.
[/quote]

A ok thanks