Top Speed Golf

The Only 5 Golf Swing Pieces That Really Matter

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Welcome to Clay Ballard's Top Speed Golf Instruction

I founded Top Speed Golf in 2015.

Here's what it's all about...

When you analyze the swings of any top player in the world -- whether it's Jim Furyk, Adam Scott, or anyone else -- there are 5 aspects they all have roughly in common:

1. Stable & Fluid Spine

2. Power Turn

3. Top Speed Lag

4. Compression Line

5. Straight-Line Release

I've found that these 5 pieces will give you 95% of your results.

My Top Speed Golf system teaches you those 5 aspects in a step-by-step, course-based fashion.

"Does it work?" you may be wondering...

Click here to get started with the 5 components of the Top Speed Golf System!

Or check out all my latest content below...

clay 11111 smallerSome of My Highlights...
Handicap: -4
Top Swing Speed: 126.8
Lowest Round: 61
Given Over 6000 Golf Lessons
Instructed Many Professional Golfers
Played Division 1 College Golf and Mini Tours
Most Consecutive Birdies: 6
Certified FlightScope Professional
Swing Catalyst Certified
T.P.I. Certified
Named by Golf Digest as a top instructor in Florida
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3.2 How to Stop Sliding and Gain Speed | Compression Line

In this video, you’ll learn how to stop sliding and gain speed in your swing.

First, you’ll get a recap on what the compression line is and why it’s so crucial for a making a powerful swing.

Also, you’ll see how the compression line changes as you hit longer clubs.

Then, you’ll learn about the 2 most common mistakes players make with their compression line.

  1. Shifting your weight so much that you slide in front of the compression line, and
  2. Keeping your weight behind the compression line.

Finally, you’ll discover how to avoid the common mistakes…

And you’ll learn the one crucial move for getting your compression line right.

Watch this video now to get an in-depth look at the misconceptions about your compression line….

And learn how to clear your hips and release with tons of speed!

3.3 Wedge Distance Ladder Drill

In this video, you’ll learn the wedge distance ladder drill.

This is a great drill for improving your 10- to 50- yard wedge shots.

You’ll practice the drill at 10 yard increments and back it up every time you stick the ball within a club length of the pin.

And yes…

It does get challenging as you approach 50 yards.

But stick with the drill.

It’s fun and you’ll definitely improve your wedge shots at different distances.

Also, you’ll get great tips at each increment as you’ll need to be more aggressive as the distance increases.

Watch this video now to learn my wedge distance ladder drill.

Improve your wedge shots and stick it close to the pin!

BH003. The Snap Hook Myth | Don’t Be Fooled

In this video, you’ll learn why you shouldn’t be fooled by the snap hook myth.

Many golfers are fooled when trying to figure out the root cause of the snap hook.

Snap hook a shot out a bounds…

And a buddy will explain to you how you double-crossed…

…which is coming over the top and making contact with a closed club face.

Is that what’s really happening???

Nope.

What’s really happening is the opposite.

You’re coming in way from the inside with a reasonably square club face.

Cool fact: about 75% of the ball direction is determined by the club face.

However, a severe in-to-out club path can put tons of side spin on the ball and help cause a snap hook.

In the video, you’ll see the FlightScope data for a true snap hook.

I hit a nasty snap hook and you’ll see the data on my club path.

It clearly shows a severe in-to-out path and I make contact with the club face slightly closed.

The key is to realize that a snap hook is not caused by coming over the top.

OK, now you know what’s going on when you snap hook the ball…

So how do you fix it?

First, get your path going more towards the left (or less in to out).

Second, stay in your posture.

It’s typical for a snap hook swing to come out of posture with the shoulders going up and out.

Overall, you should feel like you’re trying to hit a cut shot.

Put these two tips together and you’ll fix your snap hook in no time.

Watch this video now to destroy the snap hook myth…

And fix it for good!

C011. How to Improve Your Golf Game Fast | Variability Training

In this video, you’ll learn how to improve your golf game fast.

So, are you a range rat?

Do you spend tons of time putting in thousands of reps…

…hitting the same shots over and over and over?

Well, you can improve through endless repetition…

But there’s a better (much faster) way to improve.

In this video, you’ll learn how to speed up your training with variability drills.

Before we start, consider how most golfers (including me when I first started playing) approach their training.

They think that in order to be consistent, you need to hit the same shots endlessly.

That does work, but variability training allows you to get a better feeling for your shots…

And ultimately, you’ll get better control of your club.

So the next time you’re on the course and you hit a bad shot, you’ll be better prepared to make the correct adjustment to your swing.

Compare that to repetition training.

If your swing is a bit off, it can be incredibly frustrating because you won’t know exactly what’s causing your problem.

Here are a few variability drills to work on…

First, place a tee in the ground and focus on hitting in front of the tee.

Keep in mind, this is not the shot you want to ultimately hit, but the goal here is to develop better control of your swing.

Second, hit the tee and the ground at roughly the same time.

This is the shot you want and your goal is to have a divot in front of your tee.

Third, hit behind the tee.

The reason this variability drill works is that it gives you a frame of reference for what it feels like to hit behind the ball and the opposite of hitting in front of the ball.

As you familiarize yourself with the extremes, you’ll be able to quickly recognize and correct swing problems.

Next, practice by varying your spine angle.

Try hitting a tee with a reverse pivot.

Then trying hitting a tee while leaning back too much.

Finally, focus on hitting a tee with a stable spine angle.

Again, it’s all about feeling the extremes.

You’ll develop better control of your swing.

Watch now to mix up your training…

And discover how to improve your golf game fast!

C010. How to Make Clean, Crisp, Solid Contact in Golf

In this video, you’ll learn how to make clean, crisp, solid contact in golf.

You’ll get a close look at:

  • how the leading edge of your club affects the club face angle,
  • how to limit your club face rotation for more consistent contact, and
  • how your divots give you great feedback on your shots.

Start things off by studying the leading edge of your club.

Keeping the leading edge aimed at your target, see what happens when you adjust the shaft angle.

If you shallow the club, notice how the club face points left.

As you raise the club vertically, notice how the club face starts pointing right.

So, why does that matter?

Well, to make contact with a perfectly square impact (like the pros)…

You’ll need to shallow out your club path in the downswing.

I call this The Move in the Top Speed Golf system.

This move helps you make square contact with forward shaft lean.

If you don’t do The Move and come in a little over the top, you’re club face won’t be square to the target.

Also note that your divot will look similar to a dollar bill if you make square contact.

Bowing your wrist in the downswing is also part of The Move.

As you’ll see in the video, bowing your wrist helps you come into contact with a more stable and square club face.

This improves your consistency.

Watch this video now and find out how to make clean, crisp, solid contact in golf!

G033. Fairway Wood, Hybrid, and Long Iron | What is the Difference?

In this video, “Fairway Wood, Hybrid, and Long Iron | What is the Difference?”…

You’ll finally find out how far each club hits…

What makes these clubs different…

And which one you should carry in your bag.

Long Iron

This is better suited for players with higher club head speeds…

So if you’re getting around 120 mph club head speed with your driver…

…then that’s plenty for hitting long irons.

Also, long irons are better for you if you want more control over the shot shape.

If you’re closer to being an average golfer (~90% of all golfers)…

…I recommend stopping your irons around a 6 iron.

Anything higher than a 5 iron, you’d most likely be better off with woods or hybrids.

Hybrids

Hybrids play a little longer…

So if you’re looking to replace a 4 iron, you’d want to use a 5 hybrid.

Also, hybrids are more rounded on the bottom.

This will help you if your lie isn’t great; you’ll still be able to get a decent shot.

Note that long irons can be really difficult from a bad lie.

Fairway Woods

Woods will typically launch the lowest and will give you more distance.

This may be great for tee shots but the sole is so wide that it may be difficult to get out of normal to bad lies.

What club is best for you?

Overall, if you don’t have crazy swing speed and you’re looking to make life a bit easier, then make sure you test some hybrids.

All that really matters is that you test out a bunch of different clubs…

And see what feels best for you.

Watch this video now to learn about the different club types…

…then test the clubs to see what’s best for you!