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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S003. Golf Ball Position Tips for Fade and Draw

In this video, you’ll learn golf ball position tips for fade and draw shots.

This will help you out whenever you need to work your ball right or left.

And if you’re having a rough time straightening out your shots, the ball position tips you get in the video can help you make some quick, on-the-fly fixes on the course.

You’ll discover some interesting data in the video…

I break out my FlightScope to show you how the ball flight changes with your ball position.

First, you’ll get a quick recap of your ball position for a standard shot.

For a standard shot, you’ll want the ball positioned around the logo of your shirt.

That position allows you to strike the ball just before the low point of your swing, compressing the ball and taking a small divot.

And your ball flight for a standard shot should be straight or maybe you’ll hit with a slight draw.

But what if you’re looking to fade the ball?

Try this…

Put the ball up in your stance to take advantage of your club path, which naturally curves out-to-in past the standard ball position.

Also, open up your stance to increase the out-to-in path you need for a fade.

What about hitting a draw?

Just do the opposite of what you did for a fade…

Put the ball back in your stance and let your wrists turn over.

Check out the video to see the FlightScope stats.

The spin axis stats are especially interesting.

Watch now for golf ball position tips for fade and draw and to work your shots like a pro!

D009. Golf Drill for Speed | Bend & Extend

In this video, you’ll discover a great golf drill for speed.

We all want more swing speed.

Wouldn’t it be great to…

Whip your driver through contact with 120 mph club head speed…

And crush your 6-iron 190 yards?

But what does it take to do that?

First, you have to get your left hand working up through impact which helps accelerate your club.

Part of that move includes getting your hips and shoulders to rise up.

However, most golfers struggle to get the speed they want…

…because their hips are sabotaging their swings.

The problem is caused by sliding (or bumping) your hips too far towards the target.

This makes it difficult to rotate your hips properly and maintain your lag.

Here’s a drill to help you avoid bumping your hips…

Drop your club and open your shoulders to the target, letting your back foot come off the ground.

In this position, drop down then extend upwards.

This drill will help you get the feeling of rising up in the downswing and follow through.

Practice this drill, then practice swing in slow motion with hip rotation.

Once you get a good feeling for these movements, you’ll improve your contact zone.

A bigger contact zone means you’ll be able to make more consistent contact with the ball.

Watch this video now to learn these great loading and extending drills…

And an awesome golf drill for speed!

G022. Golf Swing Left Knee Movement Is Key

In this video, you’ll discover the proper golf swing left knee movement.

Your left knee is crucial, not only for rotating your hips, but also for consistent contact.

Move your left knee correctly and you’ll get a great golf swing that’s nice and effortless.

First, you’ll learn how your hips need to rotate throughout the golf swing.

What you don’t want to do is bump your hips toward the target in the downswing.

This makes it difficult to rotate your hips and bumping may lead to unnecessary hip pain.

To avoid bumping your hips, I want you to start by rotating your hips back by about 45 degrees in your backswing.

As you start down, turn your left leg out a bit towards the target.

(Rory McIlroy is a great example for how your left knee should move in the downswing.)

You’ll find that this left leg movement will allow you to easily rotate your hips.

Quick tip…

To avoid bumping your hips, focus on your belt buckle and make sure it’s not sliding towards the target.

Your belt buckle should be rotating, not sliding much.

Next, you’ll discover how to improve your “impact glide.”

The “impact glide” refers to shallowing out your club head near impact which gives you a longer, more consistent, impact zone.

There are a few drills I want you to work on…

First, in the downswing, get your left leg to move out and bend your legs.

Then rotate your hips and straighten out your left leg through impact.

Do a hundred reps while pausing to check your movements, then do a hundred reps with a nice, fluid swing.

Watch this video now to discover how the correct golf swing left knee movement can help you get much more consistent ball striking!

G021. Eliminate Early Extension!

In this video, “Eliminate Early Extension!,” you’ll discover how to keep more of your lag and compress the ball.

Extending your club early kills your golf swing…

And is caused by standing up out of your posture too early.

As you come out of your posture, it’s natural to cast your club just to make contact with the ball.

The problem is that you’re destroying your lag and giving up tons of distance!

In the video, you’ll learn about the two swing moves you need to focus on to eliminate your early extension…

  • prevent sliding your hips too far towards the target, and
  • start allowing your hips to rotate more

And you’ll get a few super easy drills to help get rid of your early extension once and for all.

First, you’ll see me demonstrate what your swing should look like.

During your backswing, you should start to slightly squat down (very slightly — make sure you don’t overdo it).

And as you near contact with the ball, you should start to come up.

This will help you “cover” the golf ball and hit with plenty of forward shaft lean.

Even through contact, your shoulders will stay in posture.

You’ll eventually stand up out of your posture, but you should do this after you make contact with the ball.

Remember, standing up out of your posture before you make contact is what’s causing you to extend the club early.

Next, you’ll see how your hips can cause you to extend the club early.

If your hips slide forward towards the target too much, it’s extremely difficult to rotate your hips properly.

Here’s how to stop your hips from sliding too far forward…

As you start your downswing, make sure your lead leg is angled out and allow your hip to turn behind your body.

Once you’ve stopped sliding your hips too far forward, focus on rotating your hips more.

Getting more hip rotation will allow you to eliminate your early extension and hit the ball with more forward shaft lean.

Work through these moves in slow motion before you practice hitting balls.

Watch this video now to eliminate early extension…

And learn how to rotate your hips for more ball compression!

S005. Correct Golf Grip Does NOT Matter | The Secret Tip That Does

In this video, you’ll discover that the correct golf grip does not matter.

The golf grip is a wildly controversial topic.

Some folks will tell you that you need a strong grip…

Some say a neutral grip is the best way to play…

And some will say that a weak grip is the best grip.

You know what?

It just doesn’t matter!

Ben Hogan had a weaker grip.

Tiger Woods uses more of a neutral grip.

And David Duval plays with an extremely strong grip.

Which grip you use is completely up to you.

What does matter then?

Well, there is one mistake that I see many golfers make.

It’s what I call the “long thumb,” which is when your thumb sticks way out and doesn’t cinch with your index finger.

The problem with the “long thumb” is that it makes it tough for you to control the club.

Here’s a secret tip that’ll help you make sure your thumb and hand is in the correct position…

Draw two lines that connect on your thumb and index finger.

When you grip the club, the lines should be close to each other.

If not, then you’re thumb is likely too far down the shaft and your won’t have the control you need.

Next, let’s look at some real data…

In the video, I break out the FlightScope and demonstrate some shots with a weak, neutral, and strong grip.

I typically use a neutral grip when I play, but I was able to hit decent shots with a weak and strong grip.

And I’m sure those shots would be better with more practice.

Again, the point of all this is to show you that hitting with a weak, neutral, or strong grip isn’t nearly as important as most golfers think it is.

All that matters is your preference.

Watch this video now to get the truth about which grip is the best!

OM01. The A-Swing | Is It for You?

In this video, you’ll discover if the A-Swing is for you.

David Leadbetter has popularized this new method; so, let’s take a closer look.

As with all swing systems, there are advantages and disadvantages to the A-Swing.

I like certain parts of it, but other parts I don’t like.

In the first part of the video, you’ll learn what the A-Swing is all about.

The swing starts by taking the club on a more outside path with the club pointing right of the target at the top.

As you start the downswing, the club shallows out quickly.

This is really good for helping players that are coming in over the top and slicing the ball.

The problem with this extreme action is that it’s really easy to overdue it and start to flatten the club way too much, which will cause you to block the ball.

So, that’s why I prefer a more parallel plane.

A parallel plane is more repeatable because you don’t need to make a huge adjustment from the top, as you would in the A-Swing.

In summary…

The A-Swing is meant to help correct coming over the top in the downswing, to get players to shallow out their club and plane.

It’ll help teach players to come more from the inside.

However, I don’t recommended the A-Swing for long periods because it may lead to some bad habits and inconsistencies.

In contrast to the A-Swing, the Top Speed Golf system focuses on the 5 most important moves in the golf swing.

Every professional golfer performs these 5 moves during the golf swing to get more power and consistency.

Watch this video now to discover the advantages and disadvantages of this new swing method…

And compare it to a more repeatable swing such as the Top Speed Golf system.

C005. How to Hit a Golf Ball Dead Straight

In this video, you’ll discover how to hit a golf ball dead straight.

Focus is on the club path and club face angle.

Control those two parts of the swing and you’ll be able to hit it dead straight.

In the video, I’ll walk you through the steps it takes to control your club path and club face.

But, I must warn you…

The steps you’ll learn will take you outside your comfort zone.

But the overall goal is to help you develop more awareness of your club so you can control your shots better.

First, let’s work on your club path.

Close your club face and practice hitting shots with a club path that’s severely in to out.

This should help you hook the ball.

Next, open up your club face and hit shots with an out-to-in club path.

You should be fading your shots.

Remember, the goal of this extreme exercise is get a better feel for your club path and club face.

Once you develop a better feel for the extreme shots, it’ll become easier to make smaller adjustments later when you’re trying to hit the ball straight.

For example, if your shot starts off straight, then turns left of the target, that means your club face is fine, but you’re club path is a bit too much in to out.

Make a slight adjustment to your club path, and you’ll start hitting the ball straight.

Watch this video now to finally learn exactly how to hit a golf ball dead straight!

D008. Driver Distance Secrets | What Manufacturers Won’t Tell You

In this video, you’ll discover the driver distance secrets that the manufacturers don’t want to tell you.

So, before you go out and buy the newest $500 driver, realize that the people recommending the club are doing their jobs.

They’re making it sound like the only reason you’re struggling is because you don’t have this new shiny, super expensive driver.

Ask yourself…

Will a $500, $700, or even a $1000 make you a better driver?

Is the latest club that’s featured in TV commercials going to have you bombing 310 yard drives?

Just in case you’re thinking…

“Well, maybe”…

Pump the brakes because the miracle driver doesn’t exist.

In fact, I bought a $100 used driver around 6 years ago…

And I prefer it over any of the new, expensive drivers because it’s the right driver for me.

So, here’s the first of the driver distance secrets…

You need to realize that all the new drivers by the top brands are equally “hot.”

What I mean by this is that all the top drivers have a .83 COR (essentially if you throw a ball 100mph at the sweet spot of the driver, it’ll come back at 83 mph).

If the COR exceeds .83, then the driver is illegal.

But, if all the top drivers have the same COR, that doesn’t mean you won’t find a driver that performs better for you.

There are several different factors that affect which club is best for you…

  1. Swing speed
  2. Launch angle
  3. Club head consistency

Swing speed

In general, the lighter the club, the faster you’ll be able to swing.

Also, the longer the club the faster your swing speed.

Of course, it’s not all good news; the longer the club, the more inconsistent you’ll be.

If you can, try different length drivers and if you can control the longer shaft, then by all means, stick with a longer shaft.

Launch angle

The weight of the shaft can affect your launch angle.

Players with a slower swing speed will benefit from a lighter shaft due to a higher launch angle.

However, players with a faster swing speed can benefit from a tad bit heavier shaft and a lower launch angle.

So make sure you test out different shafts before you throw down tons of cash.

Heck, you can even lose distance by buying a $1000 shaft if it’s not right for you swing.

Consistency

Now, newer drivers can have some advantages in consistency.

New materials and placing weight in different areas of the club can improve your consistency by essentially increasing the area of the club that will result in a solid hit (i.e. the driver can be more forgiving).

Conclusion

Before you rush out and buy the latest and greatest driver, go get fit and test a bunch of drivers to see which is best for your swing.

Line up a bunch of drivers (even used ones) and if you don’t love the driver after a few swings, move on to the next one.

You may be surprised that, after understanding the driver distance secrets above, the right driver for you isn’t the most expensive.

Watch now to get the whole truth!

G020. Shorter Backswing For Better Golf

In this video, you’ll learn how to take a shorter backswing for better golf.

No doubt that you’ve been told to shorten your backswing if you want more control and consistency.

The problem with this advice is that you may gain control, but you’re likely to also lose a ton of distance.

But it doesn’t have to be that way…

In the video, you’ll get some great tips on how to shorten your backswing but still crush your shots.

First, I’ll demonstrate how J.B. Holmes has a much shorter backswing than Bubba Watson.

Now, if you’re watching guys like Bubba Watson and John Daly, it’s tempting to think that you must get a crazy long backswing to be a big hitter.

But this just isn’t true.

So how does J.B. Holmes, with a much shorter backswing, blast his drives?

Well, your distance really comes down to two primary moves…

  1. getting your shoulders to make a full turn which generates momentum in the swing, and
  2. increasing your lag at the start of the downswing

As long as you get a full shoulder turn and generate good lag, you’ll be able to smoke your shots no matter how long your backswing is.

Guys on the PGA Tour have varying backswing lengths, but they all get a good shoulder turn and generate tons of lag.

Watch this video now to get a shorter backswing for better golf… more control yet still getting the distance you want.

SH003. Which Golf Club to Chip With?

In this video, you’ll discover which golf club to chip with.

When you’re next to the green, it’s easy to be indecisive on which club is best to hit it close to the hole.

Should you use your putter, 8 iron, sand wedge, or some other club?

This video will answer your questions on club selection.

First, you’ll learn a general rule of chipping around the green, which is that you want the ball rolling smoothly on the green as soon as you can.

So, if you’re a few feet from the green and the grass is tightly mown with no obstacles, go ahead and putt the ball.

Here are a few tips for putting from the fringe…

  • hit it a bit firmer to get through the fringe
  • match your shoulders to the angle of the slope

What if the ball is further away from the green?

Well, now it’s way more difficult to putt the ball as it’s harder to judge what speed the ball will be rolling when, and if, it gets to the green.

As you’ll see in the video, the club you should use is determined by how much loft you’ll need to hit the ball just on the green.

Here are a few tips for chipping on the green…

  • put slightly more weight on your left leg
  • add a little bit of forward shaft lean
  • keep your left wrist flat through the shot to avoid flipping the club

Next in the video, you’ll see how to chip it on the green from even farther back.

You’ll see a shot where there’s more rough and fringe to deal with, so this shot will need to fly a bit higher and longer to reach the front of the green.

And if you need your chip to fly higher and farther, then you’ll need a more lofted club such as a sand wedge.

In summary…

The key to great chipping is getting familiar with your clubs.

So, practice your chipping with different clubs, and you’ll likely start favoring a few clubs over the rest.

As you get a better feel for your favorite clubs, practice until you’re consistently chipping just onto the green and getting a nice smooth roll to the pin.

Watch this video now to finally understand which golf club to chip with…

And lower your scores!