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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D017. Hit Your Driver over 300 Yards

In this video, you’ll learn how to hit your driver over 300 yards.

Imagine you’re on a par 5 tee box…

The wind is with you and the fairway is wide open…

You have the green light!

Are you ready to crush it?

If your answer is “heck yeah” then you’ll love this video…

You’ll get simple and quick tips to max out your driver distance.

You may want to push aside consistency for this video.

After all, if the fairway is wide open, then why not go for more distance???

Let’s get started…

Here’s how to let your driver rip…

#1: Launch the ball high

If the wind is with you, hit it high to ride the wind.

You want the driver to crush the ball with a slightly positive angle of attack (nothing crazy, maybe 2 to 4 degrees).

To hit with a higher angle of attack…

Have the ball further up in your stance, off your lead toe is fine.

Also, deloft the driver a bit.

This may seem counter intuitive, but delofting the club will help you make better, more solid contact with the ball when you swing with a positive angle of attack.

#2 Swing with a full turn

For a normal swing, you likely keep your left foot grounded in the backswing.

Allow your foot to come off the ground a bit and let your hips rotate back in your backswing.

These two moves will help you make a bigger turn so you can load up for more power.

Now it’s your turn!

Watch this video now to learn how to hit your driver over 300 yards!

SH020. How to Make More Putts with Your Release | 2 Ball Drill

In this video, you’ll learn how to make more putts with your release.

I have a quick and simple drill for you to practice…

Grab 2 balls from your bag and place them next to each other on the green.

This may seem a little nutty…

But I want you to putt both of the balls at the same time.

If you see both balls rolling close to the same speed, then that indicates that you’re holding off on your release a bit.

To release properly, you need to have the putter face releasing slightly through impact.

So what you want to see is the outside ball going further than the inside ball.

This happens because the putter is releasing slightly and the impact is a little harder on the outside ball.

Note that the release you want is very slight; so don’t release like an iron shot!

Watch this video now to release your putter correctly and drain more putts!

SH019. Golf Lessons | Putting Fundamentals for a Pure Stroke!

In this video, you’ll learn putting fundamentals for a pure stroke.

I review all the major moves that you need to drain more putts.

This is a great video if you’re a beginning or intermediate player.

And it’s a good recap if you’re a more advanced player (it never hurts to review the key fundamentals).

Putter Grip

In the video, you’ll see how to grip the putter with your left wrist on the “lifeline”…

And how you should lock your wrist for  a consistent stroke.

Stance

I suggest putting with a comfortable and stable stance.

I’d keep your stance within shoulder width apart.

You can have a close stance if you want, but it makes a little more sense to widen your stance a bit if it’s really windy on the course.

Ball Position

Imagine there’s a line right up the middle between your feet.

Position the ball to be slightly ahead of this line.

The reason why you want to have it slightly up in the stance is that you want the putter to make contact on a slightly ascending path.

This will help you get a smoother, end-over-end roll on the green.

Bonus tip…add a bit of forward shaft lean to the putter to roll the ball smoothly.

Head Position

You should be able to look straight down at the ball, or close to it.

Here’s a great tip…

Stand over the ball as you normally would and drop another ball from the area just in front of your eyes.

If the ball drops even with the ball or slightly more towards your body, you’re in good shape.

Pro Tip for Feel

You want to feel like your placing topspin on the ball; it’ll feel like you’re brushing up on the ball.

Keep the ball on the ground and have it roll end over end.

What’s Next?

Use the tips you learned in this video, head out to the putting green, and drain more putts!

CD009. The Left Wrist in the Golf Swing | Crazy Detail

In this video, you’ll get a very detailed look at the left wrist in the golf swing.

Normally I focus my videos on the bigger moves in the swing…

But I do get tons of questions that focus on the small details.

One of those questions is about the left wrist.

So in this video, you’ll get crazy details about your wrist to make sure you’re on the right track.

I recommend not spending tons of time performing thousands of reps trying to get the perfect movement in your left wrist.

But you do want to make sure…

  1. You’re not performing a move with your left wrist that’s way off, and
  2. Your left wrist puts you in a good position to make a great swing.

This video will show you, step-by-step, how your left wrist should move in the swing.

You’ll learn…

  • About wrist pronation and supination,
  • How your left wrist pronates in the backswing,
  • How all great ball strikers bow their left wrist in the downswing, and
  • How your left wrist moves during the release.

Watch this video now to discover how your left wrist moves throughout the swing!

B004. How to Hit a Buried Bunker Shot

In this video, you’ll learn how to hit a buried bunker shot.

We’ve all been there…

You hit the ball into a bunker then you just hope that you have a decent lie.

Once you get up to the bunker to check out the damage…

You discover that your lie couldn’t be worse.

The sucker is almost completely buried!

So, what do you do?

Whack it as hard as you can?

Pick it out a bit when your buddies aren’t looking? 😉

In this video, you’ll learn how to hit a great shot out of the bunker.

You’ll discover…

  • How aggressive to swing depending on the lie,
  • How much you should open your clubface for each lie, and
  • Where to have the ball in your stance.

Watch now to master your bunker shots!

G037. When Should You Start the Downswing in Golf?

When should you start the downswing in golf?

I’m often asked this question from students that struggle with their weight shift.

Syncing your arms, hips, and weight shift in the downswing can be a little confusing…

So let’s make sure you have it down pat.

In this video, you’ll learn when to start your downswing.

You’ll learn what to feel in your downswing…

And you’ll learn the science behind the weight shift.

The video starts by exploring what causes your body to rotate and shift your weight.

Every athletic motion involves rotation and weight shift.

A football quarterback shifts back then forward to release the ball with speed.

A baseball player throws with a similar motion…

And shifts his weight while swinging the bat.

Many golf swing methods have attempted to reduce the complexity of the swing by trying to reduce, or even remove, the weight shift…

But those methods fall short when comparing them to more powerful, athletic swings that do have a weight shift.

So how should you swing?

Start by shifting your weight back and load up.

Push down and out into the ground with your right foot as you rotate back and shift your weight back.

The technical term for this is downforce reaction.

That’s just a fancy term to describe where you’re shifting your weight and where you’re applying pressure to the ground.

Now we’re ready to discuss when you should start the downswing.

As your arms approach the top of the backswing…

Your weight should start to shift forward.

There’s a brief separation between your lower body and upper body.

In the downswing, as your weight shifts forward and your hips open up…

Your upper body and arms rotate around and through contact.

Your left leg will start to push down and out.

Watch this video now to discover when should you start the downswing golf…

And learn how to shift your weight throughout the swing!

SS007. Hit Penetrating Iron Shots

In this video, you’ll learn how to hit penetrating iron shots.

How many times have you hit a super high shot, and it just seems to float around then falls straight down?

It’s almost like your 6 iron had the ball flight of a pitching wedge!

Today you’ll learn how to keep your iron shots low…

Because the LAST thing you want to do is hit a high, blooping ball into the wind and lose tons of distance.

To hit your shots low, here’s what you need to do…

First, play the ball slightly back in your stance.

That’ll allow you to hit a little more down on the ball.

Second, deloft your club.

About half way into your downswing, allow your left wrist to bow down.

This will help close your clubface.

Now, concentrate on coming into contact with tons of forward shaft lean.

As you’ll see in the video, the club face is delofted, which will keep the ball trajectory low.

Through impact, feel like you’re trying to put topspin on the ball.

Of course, you won’t be putting topspin on the ball, but feeling like you’re doing so will help you reduce the amount of backspin on the ball.

Put all these tips into your swing and you’ll start to hit with a lower trajectory.

Watch this video now to hit penetrating iron shots!

SS006. Golf Weight Shift to Hit High and Low Shots

In this video, “Golf Weight Shift to Hit High and Low Shots”…

You’ll learn how to change your weight shift for different ball trajectories.

Being able to hit high and low shots is great to have in your arsenal.

If the wind is with you, it’s nice to hit the ball higher for more distance.

On the other hand, if the wind is in your face, you’ll want to hit a lower shot that penetrates the wind better.

How to hit low shots…

You’ll need to get stacked more on your left side.

At impact, you should have a nice compression line.

You’ll see a great example of your compression line in the video, which shows a line from your ankles, through the hip, and to the shoulder.

Important: To avoid unnecessary hip pain and/or injury, don’t bump your hips out past your compression line.

How to hit high shots…

If you’re looking to hit a high shot that rides the wind for more distance, then tilt back your compression line.

This will help get your club coming in at a higher launch angle.

I know changing up your weight shift and compression line can be a bit difficult to learn by reading this post.

So make sure you watch this video to see the moves in action.

Hit it high to ride the wind for more distance…

And hit it low to avoid the wind when it’s in your face.

SH018. How to Hit Your Wedges Close | Watch Clay Hit Shots

In this video, you’ll learn how to hit your wedges close.

My students often request to see me hit my wedges to get a better understanding of what I’m talking about.

So for this video, you’ll see me hit wedge shots (around 45 yards from the pin) while I describe fundamentals, tips, and what I’m feeling with the shots.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll learn in the video…

Stance

The stance is narrower than a full swing, but farther apart than with a chip shot.

For my wedge shots, I keep my feet around 8 inches apart.

If you want a little more spin on your wedges, try this…

Open your stance, open the club face a bit and make contact slightly more towards the toe.

Body rotation

Keep the body moving through the shot – hands, arms, and torso all moving together.

Avoid hitting your wedges with a stiff body and relying on an “armsy” swing. You might hit a good one every once in a while, but you just won’t be consistent.

Feel like you’re keeping everything together with a smooth swing and you’ll be able to hit your wedges well consistently.

Grip

Use a lighter than normal grip on your wedges.

Feel most of the pressure in the bottom few fingers of your left wrist.

Watch this video now to get a look at how I hit my wedges and learn fundamentals and tips for how to hit your wedges close!

L010. Good Flip vs Bad Flip

In this video, “Good Flip vs Bad Flip”…

You’ll discover how to add tons of distance to your drives.

We’ve all been told that flipping the club is the worst thing you can do in the swing because you’ll lose your lag and distance.

That is correct…

But did you know that there’s a good kind of flip?

This good flip will get you more distance.

In the first part of the video, you’ll learn what’s happening with your wrists when you swing with a bad flip.

The right wrist is flat at impact with little power.

A good flip is when the right wrist is bent and releases (or flips) fully past impact.

Watch now to learn how to avoid burning up your lag early with a bad flip…

And discover what it feels like to hit it dead solid!