This Mike Malaska video changed my golf game :) I understand what pivot is now !

[KD1]

Played yesterday with this hip move as my primary swing thought. Result: I whiffed the ball 3 times!!! I can't remember the last time I'd whiffed the ball once in a round let alone multiple times. I think I overdid it... lol. I see it as an overall improvement anyway because I was previously having a pretty bad problem with heal strikes. Hips moving away from the ball instead of into the ball is going to take a bit of getting used to.

[marlon]

Just reporting back to this thread - my 3rd round using this hip movement.  To give your some reference, my avg drive has been around 260-265. Today, my avg was around 295 and I hit 79% of my fairways. A few were over 310.

GIR was not so hot at 40% - I have to work on this a bit more. Most of my misses were pulls.

 

[EL Shanko]

13 hours ago, marlon said:

GIR was not so hot at 40% - I have to work on this a bit more. Most of my misses were pulls.

 

Most of my misses are pulls as well. I had that problem before I started using this hip movement but it seems to be more pronounced.

[rchang72]

So many places to go to diagnose for oulls First one would be alignment and aim. Mike has a video with MLB players talking about that most people aim too far to the right of their target, which causes them to automatically pull away from the target. The other thing can be not dropping arms soon enough in transition. 

[EL Shanko]

I think most of my problem may, in fact, be my alignment.  I hit some balls today using an alignment stick and felt I was aligned to my target. However, when I later stood a couple of yards behind the rod and my divot line, I noted that was actually aiming left. I still had some pulls after I fixed this but not nearly as many.

 

 

[KD1]

Anyone else's hips, or rather muscles around hip joints, get pretty sore after focusing on this move? I'm not sure if that means I'm *finally* doing it right and need to get used to it or if I'm over doing it...

[liquorandpoker]

8 minutes ago, KD1 said:

Anyone else's hips, or rather muscles around hip joints, get pretty sore after focusing on this move? I'm not sure if that means I'm *finally* doing it right and need to get used to it or if I'm over doing it...

 

Yes.  Just a different movement pattern

[Nard_S]

On 11/9/2021 at 7:51 PM, marlon said:

I have to work on this a bit more. Most of my misses were pulls.

Seems to me it alters timing of hips to arms. Got to get arms more in front & down before firing the lead hip back. That's just my own perspective.

 

A key that helps me "is keep the tush back". If that intent is there spinning out or firing too early goes away.

[marlon]

12 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

Seems to me it alters timing of hips to arms. Got to get arms more in front & down before firing the lead hip back. That's just my own perspective.

 

A key that helps me "is keep the tush back". If that intent is there spinning out or firing too early goes away.

With the discussion about keeping tush back, would it be safe to to also think about moving the head closer to the ball on the way down? Many, if not all, great players have their head below starting position at impact: Bryson, Justin T, Tiger, Rahm etc.

I like the idea of tush back too!

 

[Nard_S]

8 minutes ago, marlon said:

would it be safe to to also think about moving the head closer to the ball on the way down?

Yeah I buy into that. Rory is a great example too. I view it more as "squat & chest down". Head drops with this. Malaska believes in squat. 

 

For my own haphazard swing, a squat that is somewhat a lateral left side down move too, along with "keep tush back" seems to be proper mix. My issue continues to be too long back, lose angles, hip fall too close to target line. A sense of swinging in the gate of body angles forces a faster transition back to ball which allows much of this to work right. It's a paradigm shift on how to swing. Cannot stress that part of it enough because it can change even more stuff. 

[marlon]

2 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

Yeah I buy into that. Rory is a great example too. I view it more as "squat & chest down". Head drops with this. Malaska believes in squat. 

 

I can groove this squat well with irons but with driver, I can only dip the head on the way back and pray it stays down during the journey back to the ball.  I almost feel the harder I shove that tush back in the BS, the more controlled my driver dispersion!  

[erikro]

 

[erikro]

I found this helpful 

 

 

 

[marlon]

Guys, I need your help here.

 

This Malaska video on the left/right hip movement has added tremendous power to my game (eg: 3w from 240 to 295).  But my iron game is lacking.

 

Let me describe my feeling in the BS with irons: I push that hip backward and I usually feel my head lowering towards the ball.  On great shots, on the DS, I feel my head lowering again towards the ball and usually I stay balanced. But on shots when I know I am rising up during the DS (EExtension), I miss my direction. I am pressure sure the right knee is kicking in early causing that rise up (that's why I try to drop during the BS). Maybe this is the wrong approach?

 

I need to a better feel for the DS and I know Malaska says drive the left hip backwards.  Would you say the feel of the left heel pressing into the ground is a good feel for the DS? Today, I noticed myself coming off balance but the distance is crazy...I put a lot of pressure on my chipping today since too many greens are missed. On the range, I'm the boss with irons but I need a feel to work off of.  Thanks a bunch. 

[marlon]

5 minutes ago, Walker678 said:

This works really well for me with the driver, but not so well with the irons.  Not sure why.  I seem to get out of synch, upper and lower body, doing it with the irons.  Not so with the driver, though.  Very strange.  I'm thinking it could have something to do with my driver swing being longer than my irons swing - I rotate my back to the target with my driver, but only about three-quarters of the way with my irons.

So maybe a harder rotation back can fix this?

[liquorandpoker]

Marlon -

Learn to feel the weight of the clubhead and how it is releasing.  Use your push away with the left hip to help time this and keep it smooth.  The ball will sizzle coming off the club with very little effort.

 

Good luck 👍

[KMeloney]

12 hours ago, marlon said:

Guys, I need your help here.

 

This Malaska video on the left/right hip movement has added tremendous power to my game (eg: 3w from 240 to 295).  But my iron game is lacking.

 

Let me describe my feeling in the BS with irons: I push that hip backward and I usually feel my head lowering towards the ball.  On great shots, on the DS, I feel my head lowering again towards the ball and usually I stay balanced. But on shots when I know I am rising up during the DS (EExtension), I miss my direction. I am pressure sure the right knee is kicking in early causing that rise up (that's why I try to drop during the BS). Maybe this is the wrong approach?

 

I need to a better feel for the DS and I know Malaska says drive the left hip backwards.  Would you say the feel of the left heel pressing into the ground is a good feel for the DS? Today, I noticed myself coming off balance but the distance is crazy...I put a lot of pressure on my chipping today since too many greens are missed. On the range, I'm the boss with irons but I need a feel to work off of.  Thanks a bunch. 

 

Lowering your head on the backswing is a pretty good trigger for raising it on the downswing. It looks to me like most good players maintain their levels going back, and then the head goes down and back some through impact. If you're dipping on the backswing, you're likely going to try to "make room" on the downswing by EEing and/or standing up as a natural reaction to avoid hitting it fat.

[Nard_S]

^^ Agree.

 

Go figure. I'm better with Malaska move from wedge to #6i and after that, things start to go south. Have a harder time with left side pull back on longer clubs.

[EL Shanko]

I've had the same problems with the longer clubs. One thing that has helped me is the AMC video "Say GOODBYE To Pulled Golf Shots". The two things in this video I focus on are keeping the club head behind the hands/arms on the DS and feeling the left arm pulling across my body. Has helped but still a progress in work.

 

[marlon]

I watched one of Mike's video on the way the shoe cleat gets pressurized during the BS/DS. I will try focusing on this today since my issue is in the DS feel of the hip movement - maybe focusing on the left heel cleat, specifically the one on heel's outside..  

 

Someone mentioned that to to counter the right knee kicking in at the start of the DS, they focus on pushing it outwards away from target...this is hard to do midstream...i would rather focus on heel weighting...

[bortass]

I ran across this thread Friday and watched the video. Tried it on the range that afternoon and I had very good results. Kept it for my Saturday round and it was very positive there as well. I didn't see a great leap in distance but I had better direction control which has been killing me lately. I think one reason this video helped me is I have an armsy swing and have never understood how the lower body was supposed to work. There are plenty of issues in my swing but I think this will help clear up something that wasn't on my radar as an issue. 

[i*windows]

On 12/3/2021 at 3:41 PM, EL Shanko said:

I've had the same problems with the longer clubs. One thing that has helped me is the AMC video "Say GOODBYE To Pulled Golf Shots". The two things in this video I focus on are keeping the club head behind the hands/arms on the DS and feeling the left arm pulling across my body. Has helped but still a progress in work.

 

this is Monte's not turn cast, broom force ;-0

[milesgiles]

On 12/4/2021 at 4:24 PM, marlon said:

I watched one of Mike's video on the way the shoe cleat gets pressurized during the BS/DS. I will try focusing on this today since my issue is in the DS feel of the hip movement - maybe focusing on the left heel cleat, specifically the one on heel's outside..  

 

Someone mentioned that to to counter the right knee kicking in at the start of the DS, they focus on pushing it outwards away from target...this is hard to do midstream...i would rather focus on heel weighting...

 

I think you are going to be floundering forever with the way you are describing this 

 

Try whatever feel you like.. but Film it on your phone and confirm you are actually doing what you are trying to do. 

[marlon]

10 hours ago, milesgiles said:

 

I think you are going to be floundering forever with the way you are describing this 

 

Try whatever feel you like.. but Film it on your phone and confirm you are actually doing what you are trying to do. 

Thanks Miles.

 

I played today and hit 12/14 FIR but only 6 GIR and 4 3-putts. Maybe 1 or 2 up and down save. 

 

Drives are going really well but can't hit greens. I am struggling with balance. Tomorrow I will send a video at the range.  Some iron shots were very solid. - quite a bit of them but not having a solid short game, puts added pressure when missing greens.

[liquorandpoker]

1 hour ago, marlon said:

Thanks Miles.

 

I played today and hit 12/14 FIR but only 6 GIR and 4 3-putts. Maybe 1 or 2 up and down save. 

 

Drives are going really well but can't hit greens. I am struggling with balance. Tomorrow I will send a video at the range.  Some iron shots were very solid. - quite a bit of them but not having a solid short game, puts added pressure when missing greens.

 

What is your miss like with your irons?

[marlon]

7 hours ago, liquorandpoker said:

 

What is your miss like with your irons?

Mostly pulls.  

[liquorandpoker]

2 hours ago, marlon said:

Mostly pulls.  

Frequently for me as well when I make this my focus.  Two things to look at:

1. Ball position - don't let it creep too far forward

2. You still have to feel like you start the hands down and the clubhead out from the top and before you turn (so called "Malaska move" - though it's only a feeling).  In actuality this will help sync the arms and body, so it's really a feeling.  This will get the club slotted so it isn't coming over the top.

See first segment of this Malaska video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyxWRHeiYXM

 

 

[mantan]

On 12/3/2021 at 8:24 AM, Nard_S said:

^^ Agree.

 

Go figure. I'm better with Malaska move from wedge to #6i and after that, things start to go south. Have a harder time with left side pull back on longer clubs.

That is where I am too. This concept helps clean up some things i have been working on. 
 

My iron play/consistency is as dialed in as it’s every been. Very good impact, powerful ball flight.   But I struggle being consistent with the longer clubs.  It just doesn’t feel like I’m squaring throw club as naturally.  Which results in a bad 2 way miss. 
 

It’s frustrating bc if my driver was 70% as reliable as my irons are right now, I’d be playing the best golf of my life. 

 

[marlon]

Here's my 9i - this was struck well to 150yd.  The right knee kicking in early is  like a plague with the EE days. After seeing this on slow mo, I tried holding that right heel down and balance issues started to get somewhat resolved.

 

 

[Hilts1969]

On 12/7/2021 at 8:16 PM, marlon said:

Here's my 9i - this was struck well to 150yd.  The right knee kicking in early is  like a plague with the EE days. After seeing this on slow mo, I tried holding that right heel down and balance issues started to get somewhat resolved.

 

 

 

You’re very steep and the hands work out too much so you have to early extend to shallow out the club just to hit the ball. Pulls will be the norm. The camera angle is way wrong as well which won’t help with analysis.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Hilts1969