This Is Where Your Golf Swing Speed Actually Comes From

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Most golfers try to swing faster by adding effort or strength.

That almost always does the opposite.

In this player lesson, Mike breaks down where swing speed actually comes from — and why it’s not something you can force.

When the levers work correctly, speed shows up naturally.

MIKE MALASKA TEACHING CREDENTIALS
Golf Digest Legend of Golf Instruction
2011 National PGA Teacher of the Year
2021-2022 Golf Magazine Top 100 Teachers in America (Lifetime Achievement)
2020-2021 Golf Digest 50 Best Teachers in America
TaylorMade National Advisory Board Member, 2020-Current
PGA Class-A Member since 1996
Honma US Advisory Board, 2019-2020
Worldwide Director of Instruction at Nicklaus Golf Academies
2017 PGA Southwest Section Teacher of The Year
25 years as a Jack Nicklaus Academies Trainer & Instructor
2017 GRAA Growth of the Game Teaching Professionals Elite Member
TaylorMade National Advisory Board Member, 2015-2018
2016 GRAA Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professionals
Southwest Section Senior Player of the Year
TaylorMade/Adidas Instructional Consultant
Former Director of Instruction at Superstition Mountain Golf & CC,
Superstition Mountain, AZ

So [music] if it comes from torso, so from here, how much can I twist? So then [clears throat] I can’t hit it very far from here. Okay. So So my point with this is you made the answer that most people do cuz we’re indoctrinated that it’s your core and your body rotation is where most your speed comes from. Well, do you play baseball? I know you said when we were playing pickle ball that you played baseball. >> Yes, I did play uh travel league softball uh for probably 10 15 years after college. So, I will tell you too, I also play travel league volleyball and I have a hip injury, torn labum, but this whole lot hip is very tight. >> Okay? >> So, I have trouble kind of keeping it loose and breaking it. So, I definitely favor staying still more than I do. >> Well, and that’s okay. And and see in golf that’s okay. >> Okay. Cuz there are people who the amount that their hips turn relative to their shoulders is all over the map. >> Yeah. >> The problem is the industry gets this model going and they try to work everybody towards the model average thinking that that’s going to make everybody better. Well, not really. >> All I want you to do is take take a couple of these balls and just throw them out in the fairway. Okay. All right. Now, you’re probably wondering why I did that to you, >> okay? >> I just learned a whole lot about your DNA for motion. >> Okay? >> I learned how this relates to this. >> Okay? >> And how how all this stuff fits together, whether it stays connected or whether it moves independently. >> You have virtually no separation. >> Oh, okay. And when you threw that ball, when you throw the ball, you did this. So as you throw the ball, your right hip, right shoulder, and your arm all move together like this. >> When I throw the ball, see, my hips go way before my arm goes. I was a pitcher, >> okay? >> And I’m a lot looser. So, what that tells me is when we start looking at your golf swing, it starts it tells me from your DNA when we start making swings what we can expect to happen relative to shoulders to hips and what we want what what’s actually good for you. >> Okay. >> Cuz if I get you doing something that you either physically can’t do or the DNA in you doesn’t want to do it for motion, >> right, >> you’re screwed. >> Yeah. Just get to where you, you know, you feel like you’re making some decent swings for you and hit a couple where you get them in the air and you feel like you hit them pretty solid. All right, come on over here. That’s a That was pretty good. Is that a nine iron or is that a wedge? If you’re enjoying this player lesson, you might consider joining our annual membership. Then you get access to the entire lesson. Plus, then you can see how I apply the M system to these players and how the M system is going to help you with whatever you’re doing in your game. So, there’s kind of one common spot everybody looks at and they look at here and they look at this spot coming down and you run the club into the ball. They look at that one now. I mean, overall, you do, you know, a lot of pretty good things. >> Okay? >> You know, there isn’t there isn’t anything there that’s that’s ridiculous. >> Okay? >> Right now, we’re going to look at you from this angle from face on. So they’ll look at your posture and then they look at waist high in your back swing. So they look at you right there and they’ll look at you at the top of your swing. Then they’ll look at you halfway down. Then they’ll look at impact and they look over here. Now here’s what we’re going to do with you. Your swing is basically right now you’re just going at it with your shoulders. It’s the fact that your your hands and arms and wrists virtually don’t do anything. >> Okay. >> So, let me see your club. >> So, your swing basically looks like if I was going to imitate it, and hopefully I don’t break my back doing it. >> Please don’t. >> No, but but anyways, your swing looks like you go. So you look like you’re doing this and you’re just pretty much hitting it all with what you can do with your shoulders. >> So my question to you is where does most of your speed come from in a golf swing? >> Uh it’s going to come from the the portion of the the body, the torso, right? >> Okay. Oh, that’s a good that’s a good that’s a good answer. So if it comes from torso, >> so from here, how much can I twist? >> Not a lot. >> So then [clears throat] I can’t hit it very far from here. >> Okay. So So my point with this is you made the answer that most people do because we’re indoctrinated that it’s your core and your body rotation is where most of your speed comes from. The reality is there’s a there’s a uh um biomechanics guy named Sasha McKenzie. >> Okay. >> And I just watched the presentation that he made and he basically said this 80 they’ve measured it now. 84% of the speed you hit the golf ball comes from the width of this this >> and the lever system in your wrists. 84%. >> Okay. So, if if this and especially this lever system doesn’t work, which on you, this lever, I’ll show you in a minute. This lever system virtually doesn’t work. >> You’re holding it stiff and you’re hitting it like this. >> So, you’re only getting as much speed as you can create with how fast your shoulders turn. >> Okay? >> So, when I hit it to hit it that far, I mean, I’d only have to go like this. Oh yeah, >> that went just as far as that went farther than the other one. So here’s the first thing we’re going to do. I want to give you a sense of how you create speed. >> Okay, >> so I go at people different ways, but I want you to have some aha moments. So here’s what I want you to do. I want you to take the club and set it on your shoulder with a baseball grip. >> Okay, now here’s all we’re going to do. We’re going to take the club and I want you to just >> Okay, >> just throw the club head out of me and let it snap. Let it Okay, good. Good. Do it again. >> Do it again. Okay, one more time. >> Now, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to take that same concept and I want you to bend down a little bit. Do the same thing and do it right here. >> And just snap it. >> Okay, hang on just a second. Just This is so good. I can’t even believe it. Hold on. I I just want to get this so we can put it side by side so you can see what I’m you can see what I’m talking about. Now, in golf, [snorts] for most people, unless you’re so flexible where your hips can rotate at the at a speed that matches the speed of your arms. >> Mhm. On the back swing, by the time your left arm gets parallel to the ground, >> you should have a 90° angle between the club shaft and the >> Okay, >> you’re not quite 90. >> Yeah. >> Now, here’s that one. You’re not bad, but here’s the one you’re pitiful at on the follow through side. By the time your right arm gets parallel to the ground, right there. One more. Right there. >> That elbow. Yeah. >> No, the club head should be clear up here. >> Oh, wow. Okay, >> now you go. Wow. But now watch this. >> Oh, wow. >> Okay. Yeah, >> there’s the tour. >> No, I’m serious. >> Absolutely. >> So, here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to take your baseball grip. So, we’re not doing golf grip. >> Okay. >> And you’re going to you’re going to start right here and you’re going to put the club and you’re just going to go. Then you’re going to go here and you’re just going to go. Then you’re going to go down behind the ball and you’re just going to go and just hit it with your hands and arm just like you just did. >> Okay. >> Now, when you get down to the ball, I don’t care if you miss the ball or where it goes. Okay? So, start up there and just do what we did. Just snap it. Good. Now do it a little lower. Set it up a little lower. >> No, if you’re going to hit the ball, then put the club behind. Start with the club behind so you know where the ball is. >> Okay. >> So, if you’re going to the ball, then put the club. >> Okay. Now, set the club down. Get up to the ball close right there. Now, just do the same thing. Just hit it with your hands. Just stand there and crank it back and just hit it with your hands. >> That’s closer to golf than what you had before. Do it again. Okay. Now, you hit it high, but you see how solid you hit it. >> Yeah, I did. >> Now, there’s speed. >> Okay. >> Speed has very little to do with how much tension or how hard your body moves. Now, the reason I did this with you is I want you to start loosening up. >> Okay? >> Because tension is not speed. >> It’s robbing your game. >> It’s slow. You’re so afraid the ball’s going to go crooked that you’re trying to control where the club is. >> Yeah. >> Well, when you serve a tennis ball, if you’re trying to control the racket, you might get it in play, but they hit it down your throat. So, you got to have speed. >> Hi, I’m Mike Molasa. Go to maskagolf.com to take a look at the M system. This is the most important part of the site because it’s a process. It goes skill number one, task number one, and it takes you through the golf swing rather than randomly being out there trying to put it together, which virtually hardly anybody figures that one out. So, make sure you go to maskagolf.com, sign up so you can see how to really build your game the right way so you don’t ever lose it again.