Mike Malaska I Feel Your Pain Copyright 2013 By Malaska Golf, LLC ISBN-10: 0-615-79155-7 ISBN-13: 978-0-615-79155-5 All rights reversed. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, contact [email protected] First Edition Printed by Nies, Saint Louis, MO 63103 USA. Superstition Mountain Golf Club Superstition Mountain, Arizona. LET’S MAKE GOLF UNCOMPLICATED I Feel Your Pain Written by Mike Malaska with Piete Blikslager Photography by Mark J. Rebilas Design by Mitch Waerea Creative Strategy by Jeff Coburn Special thanks to my family: Charlene my wife, Jennifer and Ashley. To Phil Blackmar, Mark King, Steve Lowe, Julie Yang, David Huffman, Steve Lotz, and Bob Gaus at Tower Tee St. Louis for outstanding contributions with content. To George Reynolds for keyline design. To Bob Toski – without him, the teaching profession would not be where it is today. “His instinct for the game and his enthusiasm for teaching are an example to all of us.” And to Jim “The Master” Edgeworth and Dr. John “The Knife” Campbell for their commitment to the game and CREDITS for helping with this book. I would like to offer a note of sincere gratitude to the Superstition Mountain Golf Club, its members and ownership, for a 14-year professional relationship and for the opportunity to work at such an inspiring venue. I have never been one to look back and reflect. I prefer to look ahead and focus on how I can positively shape the future, be it mine or the game of golf. I believe that one’s legacy is based less on wins, records and accolades than it is about leaving the world a better place. That legacy is my passion in the world of golf. the mechanics behind the swing. In an era where we are seeing I have always tried to surround myself with likeminded people wonderful athletes gravitate towards golf, Mike is able to bridge whose love for our sport has translated into a passion for embracing the body’s mechanics and teaching methodologies to get the most its great traditions, promoting the fun and beauty of the game, out of a person’s game. and protecting its future. Mike Malaska is of like mind and spirit. For many years, Mike has been a wonderful representative of our I have known Mike for more than 25 years, and it has been gratifying Jack Nicklaus Academies’ program. His ability to help countless to witness his maturation into an outstanding teacher of golf, as well golfers of all ages and levels of playing ability have made him as a spokesperson for the game. Mike has a strong commitment to a wonderful representative of the game of golf. Hopefully after the game, an unwavering zeal for teaching it. He brings an infectious reading Mike’s first-ever book about golf instruction, your game enthusiasm every day to the golf course or practice tee. He possesses will be in a better place than you found it. the rare ability to not only motivate people to learn but also put them at ease during what can be at times a stressful process. He takes the -Jack Nicklaus technical out of technique, while emphasizing the fun in fundamental. Mike inspires people to continue to grow, learn and enjoy the game. These are the types of people we need in golf to help secure its future. Mike spent many years working alongside my long-time friend and instructor Jim Flick, and Jim’s influences on Mike are evident. Mike understands how I like to approach the game from both a playing and teaching perspective, and like Jim, he has a deep-rooted dedication to passing along the game to the next generation. Just FOREWORD as important, Mike was and is a tremendous athlete who has a strong understanding of the physical make-up of the body and When I think about my golf experience I can only imagine where Mike’s unique ability defines each student’s capability. He’s not I’d be if it weren’t for Mike. More than likely I wouldn’t be able into any one method. He understands each person’s physical and to play golf at all. Some say I still can’t play, while others say I psychological makeup. Mike then conforms his knowledge and never could. imparts it to each student as that student is capable to absorb it. When I first went to see Mike, he spent a great deal of time with I don’t know where I would be without Mike. Both my kids and me before I even hit a golf ball. Mike used that time to ascertain my wife have also benefited from his teaching. Mike is truly the what I could and couldn’t do physically. Family Golf Guy! We are blessed to have learned the game of golf from him. Being a former hockey player, I’ve had too many injuries to count, too many surgeries to recover from, and as my friends say, “too -Jim Edgeworth many pucks to the head.” However, Mike was able to help me Jim is a graduate of Dartmouth College and now works in the achieve my goal of being able to continue to play golf. insurance industry in Houston, specializing in sports and special risk. He played professional hockey and is now an avid golfer. After each one of these surgical train wrecks, Mike would put me back together again with a different swing based on whether I In recent years, it has become popular to utilize a scientific approach had knee surgery, shoulder surgery, a back injury, cancer, or an when teaching the game of golf. While this approach has some abdominal surgery. benefit, ultimately the game, as it is played, is more of an art form than a science. A person’s swing, short game and mental approach At various times in our lives, we all have different goals for our needs to be more a reflection of the individual – not a model – if golf game. Early in life, that goal may be to play competitive golf for they are to perform on the links and under pressure. The path to high school, college, etc. Next in that life cycle, we try to play this realization for Mike has been interesting, intriguing and maybe competitive golf as amateurs, and then as we age, the injuries and a little longer than it should have been – but the benefit to this is illnesses set in. Now it’s time to continue our golf for our enjoyment that it has provided him a unique and diversified base which makes and to play with our kids. him a perfect messenger to share with you his powerful insight. As we age and health issues inevitably arise, Mike works within -Phil Blackmar the framework of our physical abilities to keep us playing our Phil has played on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour for 20 years. beloved game. Many of us joke that we have swing “52A” or “83B,” He won multiple titles in 15 years on the PGA Tour before joining FOREWORD a “bad-left-knee swing,” “bad-right-knee swing,” “bad-shoulder the Champions Tour in 2007. swing,” “bad-neck swing,” “bad-gut-surgery swing,” “bad-back swing,” and so on... GAME PLAY GAME THEORY Section 1 Mental Section 6 Athletic Personality My Favorite Lesson Hands Shoot Your Lowest Score Posture 2 Curing Shot Dependency 114 Balance What Are You Playing For? Rotation Section 2 Practice Section 7 Pre-Swing Benefits Of Practice Grip 24 Check List For Practice Grip Pressure Going To Practice Or Compete 142 Posture Play Golf On The Range Ball Position Learning To Aim Section 3 Scoring Putting Section 8 Impact 40 Chipping Where The Ball Goes Pitching Control The Clubface Bunker Play 168 Release Wrist Hinge Section 4 Adjacency Sports Learning Intro Section 9 Swing Skills Bowling De-Lofting 68 Baseball Hit Left Arm Rotator Ping Pong 188 Left Arm And Nascar Tennis Hands Do Not Swing At Ball Hockey Wrist-Hinge And Lag CONTENTS Section 5 Fitness Section 10 Full Swing Four Levels Body Rotation Fitness Routines Foot Action 96 Mobility Exercises 224 Overview Of The Full Swing Fitness And Athletic Personality Full-Swing Drills INTRODUCTION How To Use This Book Current golf instruction tends to focus on the technical aspects of swing analysis. In many instances it has missed entirely the proper order to learn. For example, why work on backswing or hip rotation if you have no feel for proper impact? I have written this book to help you understand a personal sequence of learning. The challenge of this book is to keep the learning process simple, allowing you a hand in developing a game that is unique to you. The first half of the book offers an in-depth perspective into game play. (Above all, golf is a game.) These sections offer insight into the mental game, practice and your own personal athleticism. These sections show you how to incorporate the way you think and move into your golf swing, while accessing the knowledge you gained from the other sports you’ve played. In the game theory sections, we offer a sequential approach to help you understand and build the full swing in a personalized way. In this way, you are literally your own Mike Malaska golf swing. 2011 National PGA Teacher of the Year.