Malaska Golf // Your Hands are the Secret to a Better Golf Swing

You have to train your hands first if you want to be able to hit the ball consistently and generate the speed you need to hit it long. If your hands are working correctly your body will follow. It's important to understand that your hands are the most important factor in generating speed and controlling the path of the ball. This is how the game is played.
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[@josephlarocca1728]

Okay Mike here it is. So yesterday I had the day off and ran into your videos. I watched them non-stop for like 8 hours, no joke. I'm 52 and a currently an 8.6 handicap (up from my 6.5 I started the year) ready to leave the game to be honest. I have been playing since 1985 and was my best in 2008 and never got better than that. So, I went out today to play 18 after watching, just watching your videos. I warmed up on the range using your teachings and hit the ball crisp from the first ball. I took that to the course and never ever had a better ball striking day, ever! My friends were giving me hell because I was taking my warmup shots behind the ball to gain that feeling you teach. I said this is the way the pros do it and I am beating you so zip it. My club was whipping through the ball for the first time maybe ever. Don’t get me wrong I hit my fair of bad shots, but I sat there and took more practice swings until I got the feeling of the “right swing”. I actually knew what I was doing wrong and knew how to correct it. You are right, a new swing should not take months or years to see results. You my friend are a breath of fresh air and after I am done writing this long-winded review, I am becoming a member of your website (using the money I won from my buddies today). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@robertswanberg3185]

Joseph LaRo

[@robertswanberg3185]

Joseph LaRo. cca E

[@JT-ic9mp]

This is the simplest yet quite possibly the most valuable gold instruction short on KZbin. Such an aha moment!

[@bwesslund]

Agree

[@shanejoubert892]

I agree 1000 percent

[@saijinkai]

trust me... most people won't get this video

[@danlong6162]

This video changed my golfing life! Before today, my 9 iron was 125. After watching this video and working thru its concepts, I now hit a 9 iron 145 consistently! That's 2 clubs further. God Bless Mike Malaska!

[@grahamsampson769]

'You play the game with your hands' --- Mike is the best!!!

[@persona250]

This is gold . The hands are really sensitive , your body reacts to where your hands are .

[@rodericksheppardgolf]

That feeling you get when something that hasn’t made sense for years begins to make sense. Glory to God for you and this instruction. Thank you👏🏿

[@trevbundus9989]

Mike this video is what I believe to be true also from teaching for 5+ years. I use a SIM and I show people that my wrists and hands produce 80+ percent of the speed and the weight shift stabilizes the face. I also start each lesson with showing people first how to use the tool. My 6 iron head speed is about 95mph and I can make 86mph with my wrists and hands. The hands also allows the rotator cuffs to work properly, which allows that turn to happen. Remember we are actually holding onto a cylinder shape, so it must rotate to work well. I could go one and on here, but I am happy to be a supporter of what you're saying. And the best thing is, this works for allele ages! Keep up the good advice. Much respect

[@markpogson3799]

Hi Mike :) You and Shawn Clement are the only two golf coaches on KZbin who know how to take the BS out of golf instruction. Thanks for swimming against the tide of "core coilers".

[@djp3525]

Athletic Motion Golf is great as well.

[@mahavishnuorchestra]

Simply great - reminds me of Ben Hogan's quote: 'I wish I had three right hands'...

[@jamiesloan7259]

I'm gonna go out today and play golf with my hands! I've been flooding my brain with body movement swing thoughts, and forgot how to be athletic. I'm just gonna go out and naturally allow my body to help my hands work better. Thanks.

[@lililliililillilil]

Hi my name is Justin Kang from South Korea. Im also a golf instructor and teaching golf in Seoul. What a awsome instructor you are!! I totaly agree with your teaching method and golf philosophy!!! So many golf instructors and videos etc tells us that 'you have to swing the club with your left hand n arm + use ur body rotation hip rotation etc. Do not use ur hands.' I totally disagree with that but not many people understand that. I really wanna keep in touch with you and learn your golf philosophy. Please reply back. Thank you so much of ur work! Have a great day sir.

[@RichardkingkennyKenny-fx9up]

I am a fan of you. I only watch your videos now

[@margiepargie1982]

This video is how everyone should learn to play golf. I have had soooo many golf lessons and never realized the relationship the hands have to the club head. As a beginner and non athletic person I was always trying to bring the club head to the ball, now I know it is the hands that bring the club face to the impact point. The hardest part of a golf pro's job is to teach a non athletic person who never played sports the game of golf. We do not get the relationship with hands, body, club head etc. You are the greatest teacher ever. When my grandson is old enough I am going to teach him about his hands and impact back (another great video) first. As soon as he learns that part of the game I will get him a golf pro but not until then. No one teaches this but Mike. Thank you so much.

[@rejuve50plus59]

Got the message and the passion . You are all over it Mike. Thanks.

[@starnes87]

I always thought my hands were the key for me to hit the ball consistently! Thank you Malaska Golf.

[@uwrossl]

New to the channel (couple weeks) and everything on here is pure gold. I love how you remove the noise and focus on the big things that matter. It's easy to understand and easy to see that when you do those things correctly a lot of the smaller things (noise) happen naturally in the swing. All ready helped my swing feel so much more free, relaxed, and fluid while more powerful at the same time.

[@wardjohnson590]

Best episode for me so far. This resonated with me. Thank you for explaining it this way.

[@RePidu]

Thanks Mike for truth speaking, sharing and efficient teaching. A real gift.

[@vedamrita]

Wonderful and good content Mike. I like the way you explain let's say the "basic essentials ". So important and helpful. Thanks

[@briancharlebois2986]

You are helping me to get back to the game’s core principles. Thank you

[@jbnb3342]

Thank you Mike.This is probably the most important advice given in all the instructional videos I have watched on KZbin. Feeling that club face with your hands and fingers,and it seems that you dont have to worry too much about all those body movement thoughts that are tensing you up. Watching George Knudson's swing,reaffirms what Mike is saying here.

[@ceolmorjim]

How many times have I watched this? How many more will I? This is IT!!!! Thanks as ever, Mike.

[@vic1474]

I read a book by Julius Boros and he said the same thing. He had a chapter entitled "The hands have it". He thought the hands and the feedback they gave you was the most important part of the golf swing. He had an effortless swing and won 3 majors.

[@rhinoragni8349]

Thanks for sharing this incredible wisdom and many other videos like it. Educated and intuitive hands make for a great athlete.

[@vvwalker7261]

Thanks Mike, your KZbin clips have changed my swing focus for the better! I was in the hip twist for power camp and couldn't work out why my swing was so irratic

[@markburke3045]

Love it when you get up on the camera! Excellent Mike excellent 😊

[@dougpittman5714]

Wow!!!!! Great Video, completely opposite what I have been trying to accomplish. Thanks, Mike!

[@NocyMusic]

Mike is the most experienced teacher who explains the simplicity of the golf swing at its best do what he says you will play your best golf

[@thomasfraser9072]

Hogan's hitting with the power of three right hands is the key. Fantastic!

[@jacobr4558]

No its not. Its an effect not a cause. After Hogan did 30 other things perfectly he could feel his right hand do that toward the bottom of the swing! That's like saying the last chop of the ax is the one that cut the tree down.

[@thomasfraser9072]

@@jacobr4558 not at all. To explain further what Ben Hogan did was to make a quick and sudden clockwise looping with both his hands and wrists at the end of his backswing not at the bottom of his swing that produced tremendous centrifugal force for his club head to go directly down through his ball. This created the power behind his three right hands. I have great results doing this at age 77. Try it for yourself. Cheers

[@jacobr4558]

@@thomasfraser9072 yes and what you are referring to is generating power in the transition That creates a lot of the force and then his right hand is still in effect. He's not going straight down to the ball if he was his hands and arms would be moving downward not circularly! The arms don't go straight down to the ball the club doesn't go straight down to the ball nothing does. If it did then it would not be centrifugal force or circular

[@thomasfraser9072]

@@jacobr4558 I never mentioned anything about the arms. I did write the club head goes directly down through the ball and not say just down to the ball. No matter I am glad you get my point. In order to feel the weight of the club acting on centrifugal force I do my Twirl Waggle clockwise as shown on You Tube by Jack Nicklaus. Cheers

[@jacobr4558]

@@thomasfraser9072 that's cool you figured something out for yourself.

[@sherrystroh241]

This is the best explanation for the hands I have ever heard.

[@chrstphrdyer]

Bro. You taught me to play golf with L2L. It’s obviously the hands. Thanks. You made golf enjoyable.

[@michaeldavis2226]

Great, easy and understandable instructions from someone in my age group😀!

[@muffle2877]

Honestly you are the best teacher I've ever seen videos from on youtube, I was really confused because of what tiger said in 2000 about feeling like he swings with his arms while the hips don't move but now I understand that I shouldn't try swinging more with my arms but with my hands. Thx :)

[@justineller6718]

So much knowledge in such a short video... thank you Mike

[@johnbean7663]

Best online golf technique!!! Mike puts the swing in "feelings" not so much "positions"!

[@swisstrader]

I like the honesty here around your earlier playing days. And the thoughts around use of hands/fingers. 2 hours before tee time and will at least see where/how I’m gripping the club.

[@sriddle69]

Holy Crap where was this video when I first started playing. This is the best lesson ever! you are the man!

[@whitehills1000]

Thank you Mike, like a breath of fresh air. 555Trout, Henry Cotton said many golfers need to educate their hands as they had 12 handicap swings with 18 handicap hands.

[@rolandoeevans]

I literally took this advice and shot my best round this year!!! Thanx!!

[@davidhellens7127]

worked on the hands / arms and club face ideas you showed ...you are spot on ....had some light bulb moments and fantastic results ...stunning actually ... can't thank you enough ...i'm finally enjoying my miura irons...

[@dennisliu4017]

are you kidding me? This is best ever.....this is secret that Pro won't or many Fxxx coach don't know about this game. salute to Malaska!!!!!!

[@uluwatu77]

Genius. Absolutely genius. Best video every golfer should watch and learn

[@viperwavstudios]

You are frickin awesome mike! Love everything youre doing. Hope to take lessons with you someday.

[@jimgallagher5785]

Mike, I love your honesty! I'm a 10, and I also took lessons from a lot of people with theory's. I'm 72 now, but I still love learning more from people like you. Thanks.

[@chatsom5015]

Have played for more than 20 yrs with hands totally passive. I play well shooting 80-85, shoot straight but lack the distance. Been taught this way, use big muscles. Your lesson is a challenge and will give it a serious try, perhaps I could get 20 more yards with my driver I'll be glad.

[@stevebeckham8515]

I am very inspired by many of Mike Malaska videos. I am enjoying a return to the game after a few years off. My Health required me to get fitter and as a past fellow PGA professional who has been retired, starting the game again has been brilliant! Mike is a world class professional, showing a vast knowledge of the game. To all you young golfing players and professionals who want to learn, I think Mike offers a fantastic understanding of the game...

[@raymondschneider1873]

Hi. I have struggled with the swing for 11 years and spent a lot of money. This lesson changed it all. Thank you.

[@MrBarrynicholas]

Mike you're are a breath of fresh air.

[@watersoilsun847]

By following your educational videos my hands are back, one of the payoffs has been additional distance I was never a long hitter but I was certainly not hitting it as far as I should, I now have more feel with the rest of my game, Thanks again

[@surber17]

I started to naturally figure this out when nothing I did was fixing my slice. Love this advice and I totally agree. Actually now I only focus on my hand a and hitting the ball then ground. That’s it. Greatly simplified my swing

[@jbohardy]

fantastic video, i've had to teach myself this over the years. wish i caught this video when i started playing

[@alexjohns2819]

Excellent way to put the golf swing into a correct perspective

[@ransdell7]

Common sense teaching. Thanks for the excellent tips.

[@jtel5630]

I’m finally getting the Malaysia Move. It’s sweet when I do it right. Thanks

[@louislazarus9253]

As a nobody, I still have an opinion on the most efficient way to strike the golf ball. Here's one really good way to see if you're doing things the best way you can. Get a 2" x 4" x 12" piece of wood and hammer a 2" nail 1/2" into the END of the wood leaving 1 1/2" sticking out. Lay the wood down and pretend you're going to drive that nail further into the wood as though you would drive a nail into a baseboard. Grab a hammer and get down on your knees. Now, without actually smashing the nail pay particular attention to what you have to do to hit that nail really, really hard with your right hand only. Rehearse the motion a few times and you will notice your right forearm and right palm face the sky at the moment the hammer first touches the nail. DON'T HIT THE NAIL...SIMPLY OBSERVE WHAT IS HAPPENING. Your right elbow is tucked in toward your hip. Now try it again but hold the hammer as though it was a golf club and you'll notice your palm faces the nail at impact. Observe the way your right wrist works using both methods and you will see for yourself that holding the hammer (club) in your fingers is much less efficient than holding the hammer in the palm of your hand. Go grab your driver, stand up and imagine hitting the nail but instead of your normal right hand grip, make sure you grab the club from underneath with your right hand and try this exercise. If you're doing it right, your right forearm and right palm are facing the sky at the moment of impact and the face of the driver is square. As a checkpoint, the toe of the golf club should point to the sky as well as your right palm when the club is coming down into the ball and is parallel with the ground and with the target line. It's a totally different feeling. You should feel as though you have gobs of power. Go back and forth, cocking your wrist and uncocking your wrist to get the feeling of power. Now, go hit a golf ball keeping this image in mind. Hit it hard and allow the club to release after impact. If you do this correctly, you will never go back to "the old way" again. The hammer IS the club. Using a hammer is a natural motion. There is no thought to body, core, hips, feet, spine angle or any of that crap. Learn to use the hammer correctly and learn to finish on balance. That's golf and that's all there is to it.

[@maeu59]

LOUIS LAZARUS you hit the nail on the head with this one. I’m surprised there are no comments. Are you familiar with Michael Broderick? Check this out kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWfFaHRnjrl3mac

[@adriantunei5453]

For the past 6 months constantly watched Mike’s videos, practiced and practiced some more. I shot 90 last Sunday…

[@ericmackenzie123]

Fantastic Same thing happened to me. I could occasionally hit 240 mts, admittedly not all the time, but now, after lessons, I'm struggling to hit 180. I have good body rotation etc but I always knew I was missing something. The simple swinging exercises with each hand really opened the door for me. Thank you

[@petershaw7892]

So let's get this right a Billion dollar worldwide golf industry, and really use your HANDS nails it, well done Mike a well struck shot using the HANDS is a fantastic feeling.

[@1billiedale]

Excellent presentation. Finger grip and relaxed wrists make for more feeling and fast hands.

[@charlie7577]

Best videos on the internet!! Bud Green London Ontario Canada

[@gtplumbing2004]

Super duper amen!! I wish I had figured this out sooner. Once you do, more power and better club control.

[@lbutchj4877]

You break it down! Thank you!

[@VimMitt]

After i watch your video i am hitting in 70,s thanks sir.

[@p.k.ziainia3902]

Sir, I love your teachings .

[@gerilarryogle970]

Thank you Mike. Yes, Yes, Yes!

[@GermanBullitt]

After lots of years trying things out, this is indeed the secret of golf. Its all about feeling the clubface. Some have it right away, some need years of practice till it happens like me and some will never feel it.

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

Whenever I teach golf to people my motto to them is always "educate the hands".

[@robsaxepga]

Homer Kelly and Ben Doyle would be so proud. 😁

[@stickgs]

Awesome! Thank you Mike! Sage advice...Stop Complicating the golf swing!!

[@benjiarehart2878]

Im a 58 old year beginner. When you started talking about it being alĺ in the hands. You hooked me, and I tell you why. I've been a professional drummer for over 3 decades, and drumming is all in the wrist, and hands. Thats why I will from now on revert to you with any golf advice.

[@wviti64]

I had to keep quiet since the 1980s after extensive study on how to hit a golf ball, many times with control of the flight, then distance specific, then create consistency.... then offer this knowledge to my golf pupils..... All about the hands. It was against the mainstream! It takes a high calibre guy like you Mike to make it understood. Keep going sir!

[@ButchPi]

I couldn't agree with you more about the use of the hands in the golf swing. I took up the game when I was 40. I am now 70. In the interim I have tried just about every swing theory except the one where you tie the club to your dominant leg and kick the snot out of that little white demon. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night... A couple of years ago I was hitting some balls and started watching a couple of pretty good ball strikers. I was looking at their feet, then their legs, then their shoes, then their hat's, then their shadow, ... I think you get my drift. Anyway, I just stood their watching for a while. Not knowing what else to do I decided to try and mimic their tempo. To see how slow I could swing my driver. Almost immediately I was controlling my swing with nothing but my hands. My body was reacting to my hands and not the other way around. It felt like instead of throwing a log I was swinging a stick. What first surprised me was the speed my hands could generate pretty much on their own. But I was hitting the ball all over the place. So I thought well, maybe now is a time to take a lesson from Jimmy Ballard and let my upper arms find a comfortable grip on my upper torso. Suddenly I was looking at my imitation of Ben Hogan. I was holding my triangle through most of my swing. Something I had given up on years ago. I then remembered what The Boss had said about the Grip. That the Grip is the most important part of the golf swing. A light came on. OK, I took my sunglasses off. I shifted into my right heel as my arm and hands went up on the backswing, then down on the downswing as I let my weight shifted into my left heel, then back up again into the finish of my swing . I still use my body, but I don't for the most part let it overpower my hands anymore. Almost immediately my Slice turned into a Bruce Lietzke Fade. Well, maybe not that good but the best I have ever been able to repeat. Now if I could only figure out the trick to being a better fisherman. I digress. Anywho, I am now with a few minor adjustments hitting the ball further and more often than not pretty much where I want to... with less overall effort. Tight fairways don't scare me nearly as much as they did for 38 years. I have at long last become a pretty good golfer. Single digit. I have more fun, ... only problem being that some of the guys I used to play with don't seem to want to play with me as much as they used to. Pride can be a fickle thing. Not that I know allot about pride. In short, I completely agree with you and Mr. Hogan, a secure but not tight and properly aligned Grip that starts with the fingers is the Master Key to a good golf swing. Everything else is secondary. And my back has quit hurting.

[@barryread3672]

It takes some us longer than others to figure this out Mike. My only thought is about my hands now. Thanks for the reminder!

[@MrScooby154]

Best golf instructor video bar none

[@capkarr]

This guy is the real deal! His instruction has just now blown up my iron striking by a huge factor. I hit over 100 balls yesterday and had only one 'bad' shot. It was so simple, it was scary. JUST TURN LEFT.

[@justineller6718]

When I started using my hands and focused less on how my body was supposed to move, I shot my best scores ever. My accuracy and distance improved tremendously...

[@ST-xg3gy]

Well hot damn.

[@danielborg6035]

Wonder how good ping pong players hit with power and amazing accuracy without any thought of grip,alignment,tempo,swing path,follow thru,high cost lessons and thousands of vids and books...what is their secret...DUH..any Chinese ping pong experts that golf out there...I am serious. Confused about technique after 60 years!!!

[@artpena72]

same here!

[@pushtostart1377]

Don’t forget to yell “ FLIP IT” right before impact. 😂 you guys are screwed

[@etneb20yorme47]

Same here. All my swing speed are coming from my hands rotation and not on my body rotation. I have my golfing buddies who has been to tons of golf lesson and were taught to rotate their big muscle as fast as they can to create a club head swing speed but guess what, my driving distance is way farther than them. I can hit the golf ball to 150 yards with my 7 iron and I'm 68 yrs old. My handicap is down to 10 from 22.

[@billstewart852]

So much for the Golf industry teaching that hands are passive in the swing!

[@davidsmart8754]

I actually did this b4 I was told bc it felt right for the first time ever I hit my blade 8 iron 180 without trying!! The biggest thing is that it was easily repeatable!!! That was just on Monday but golf is gonna be different this summer not having to hit 6,5,4 so often for approach shots!!! ❤

[@RGVLMR]

Great video Mr. Malaska!

[@edinnm8212]

Mike, thanks again for confirming that speed and distance (power) in the golf swing comes primarily from the wrists, hands, and arms. Certainly the legs and torso contribute, but as you explained, without the wrists, hands, and arms swinging the club fast, the ball would go nowhere. I've seen so much misinformation on the golf swing for so many years (power comes from the "big muscles", and many other errors). Thanks for clarifying.

[@jareroken9127]

Nothing in physics would support the view that your body creates the majority of the speed. You're spot on. It's been tested and shown that maximum speed comes from the arms and hands.

[@anshumanrazdan5951]

I agree with mike Austin fan. After 20 years of playing and watching ton of Austin runaway videos I discovered why I always hit right coz I could never get the timing going right to flip and then in anger would start coming over the top. I started doing some variations of Austin swing and then like gravity I slowly have settled to moving the club like that. Same as malaska teaching. Sure the wrist feels weird at first but I gained about 15 yards in my 7 iron with a 3/4 swing speed. My irons feels so soft I can’t even tell. As dunaway said u feel guilty hitting the ball. All good teachings. Hurray mike Austin. He was a genius.

[@catherinehendrickson2809]

Thank You Kenny.🙂🇺🇲

[@Robert-ts2ef]

You are absolutely correct. 👍

[@slamitervyday8610]

Just found you and this video made me subscribe. Thank you

[@clivezeederberg2782]

Best golf advice ever...

[@jamesbondisamonkey]

hands are the extension and the last part of the kinetic chain...they allow you to properly transfer the momentum through the kinetic chain, through the legs , through the back and shoulders... the swing is initiated through the ground, up through the arms, and out through the hands...the hands are the major factor in speed generation as they move the fastest relative to the body

[@jordank316]

I’m glad someone said it. There used to never be an injury on tour. Now everyone has back issues. Bc they were taught that swing. And it’s so harsh on your back and spine to swing like thag

[@musclehammer2099]

With you 100% on this Mike. After college someone tried to get me to take my hands out of my swing and use my body more, and it ruined me. And honestly I've never been able to get my old swing back. I lost 20-30 yards off the tee and hit the ball way more crooked.... and it messed up my back haha. Oh well. Live and learn!

[@brianwu4448]

Thankyou for sharing this tips with us...

[@marcmarini6365]

Mike's advice is so contrary to main steam teaching but it is so right.

[@NocyMusic]

Mike Malaska is the Best golf teacher 👨‍🏫

[@tryNtryAGAIN]

Your a wise golfer .Subscribed

[@ericwarez]

Love you mike!!

[@MJLU280]

Probably the best at using hands that I’ve seen is John Daly. Just watch him. Great video thanks for this important tip.

[@ToddDuganGolf]

Agreed! Ernest Jones taught to swing the clubhead with the hands. The movements of the body flow naturally and passively from that intention. But the hands should not "lever", as he called it, which is an active hinging action. The swing of the hands with the arms creates the hand action passively.

[@martycarmichael3885]

Mike is a gem.

[@coachzachgerlach4863]

One of the biggest challenges I’ve had as a coach is working with players that don’t know how to use their hands. I’ve even thought of creating an emphasis on prescribing non-golf related activities to improve their golf swing. I talk about throwing the club head a lot and compare the hands in the golf swing to other sports. I played around with lots of different swing thoughts and techniques. The easiest players to work with are good with their hands. After a couple body position adjustments they almost always immediately improve. Players that can’t “feel” the club release, are just guessing and hoping their swing will find the ball and go the appropriate distance. In a simulator I’ll demonstrate hitting golf balls an exact distance with Feel. If you can’t feel your distances, and be intentional, at best you’re going to advance the ball in play, but with inconsistent results. Also, short game will be a nightmare without feel. Tempo, speed, balance, club knowledge, situational awareness, are all important, but your hands are connected to the tool, so that’s where it all starts. Nice video!

[@roncelano7861]

I have always believed this. Thanks for the video.

[@Labgorilla]

Subscribed! I like your way of thinking sir.

[@kennymartindale3257]

Best video ever.

[@theoantoniou7002]

You're the man!