Okay...the lightsaber helped a bit, too. However, when Malak sucks the force out of the suspended Jedi I just couldn't keep up with him until I used grenades.

First off, whenever he stops to pull the force out of a Jedi pod there is a brief pause in the action. Hit him with an adhesvie grenade and you've got a few leisurely rounds to:
1) heal (using the start button method)
2) activate your verpine shields
3) throw your lightsaber at Malak
4) hit him with loads of grenades

This is done all from the safety of distance. And best of all, Malak won't lift a finger to stop you! He won't throw his lightsaber until AFTER he's released from the adhesive grenade. He won't defend himself at all! It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

I hope this helps someone who is having problems killing Malak. I didn't have the skills to suck the force out of the pods myself, so I couldn't use that strategy.