Clay you are by far the number one online tutor.... As long as I can remember, I have had a problem of coming over the top in my down swing, causing a slice. I have been following a number of your video’s and now have great rotation and release. I think your emphasis on repetition practice swinging, to imbed mussel memory, has been the key for me. And this includes driver, irons and chipping.... Thanks a million man.
This has revolutionised my swing, all i needed was a simple explanation and this is it right here. I was constantly rushing down and not giving my self the time to get into the optimal impact position correctly, as a beginner i love plain advise like this! Thank you, your a fantastic teacher.
Thanks Gayle! We are glad you like the videos. We have a great bonus series on the website for that over the top. Check it out here: topspeedgolf.com/courses/never-slice-again/. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Best instructional video I've seen for a long time! I have a mate who tries to get as much torque and tension at the top of the backswing and in doing this, he's locked up the right hip and then can't use the lower half in the downswing. I've been trying to explain this for months but have failed and I think you've just nailed it in this video.
You are an amazing instructor Clay. I've watched a lot of TH-cam vids regarding golf instruction, you have a great teaching ability where you explain technique with such detail and clarity with just the right amount of the science behind it. You got a great way of taking something very technical and simplifying it. Keep it up man! Thanks for all this amazing instruction buddy! Top speed golf is awesome!
You are showing all the secretes to the game! NICE job. Flat out the club, I feel you can't flatten it out enough. And lock and load is the key to the whip power. I love this video as well.
Thanks Brett! It's tough to shallow it too much because it's not a natural movement for most people. It can be done though :-) Hope you're playing great! Quentin | TSG Instructor
I disagree...clay is the only one I've found that actually has a new way of explaining the complicated action of the golf swing everyone else just repackages cliche's
Great video....I am very guilty of swinging way too fast.used to be a pretty good golfer lowest handicap achieved was 7....had 5 spinal ops between 2000 and 2009 let my club membership slide and now I play like I have never played golf before. Superfast swing and have lost my balance...no matter how I try and slow it down the demons take over when out on the course. Its tragic almost as bad as having the yips. Great video clip I know I am going to have to get my head down and get this frustrating bad habit sorted in order to at least play reasonable golf again. Love the video clay.thank you
Love this simple explaination. Brilliant!!...Exactly why and when I start to hurry my downswing and lose my Tempo, Rhythm, and Timing. I usually come right over the top as a result...Thanks!
Hi Brian, glad you liked the video. This is very common and might be one of the biggest swing faults I see. I even do this from time to time. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
One thing that might help people stop rushing their downswing is too REALLY think light grip. As a former racquetball player who over gripped the racquet, lightening up my golf grip has worked miracles for creating lag and cleaner ball striking. A tight grip makes you want to lead the downswing with your hands and arms and it shortens the swing arc causing topped shots and even total misses.
Hi Leroy Thank you for your comment. We couldn't agree more. Less tension in the grip will certainly help not rush the downswing. Keep up the good work!
Hi Jordan, we all have our good and bad days, and sometimes it's harder to find our way out of the bad. I see the video you watched and think this one might help you get to those better days of golf quicker topspeedgolf.com/topic/golf-posture-power-turn-dont-give-up-easy-yardage/. Hope this helps you out for even more confidence. Keep on grinding my friend ~ Andrew | TSG Instructor
Great video Clay as always. I have a problem with swallowing out the golf swing on the downswing but will work on it. Could you do a video series on how to hit with a strong grip for all your strong grip golfers followers like me? There are little to no videos on that other than Shawn Clements videos. Thx buddy!!
Thanks Clay another great video, my thoughts on power is once you getting to the top your body rotation leads the arms hands and club a bit like a hammer thrower thus creating lag and a feel of pulling the club through the swing plane and finally releasing the hands though the ball
@@TopSpeedGolf Thanks Quentin,yes i am more consistent in my ball stricking and power/accuracy, body rotation is the key and of course rotaion sets the tempo of the swing thus timing is amost( built in) to any desired shot , many thanks for your videos, your tuition is top class!!
In the downswing, I have the feel that I am really just 'placing' the club behind the ball.. real slow from the top of the backswing, by letting the club drop as i am starting starting my turn. It gives a lot of time to make sure the path is inside. Then as the club is about to reach the ball.. accelerate and turn through....hard. When I do this, I hit it solid. I do mean slow to the ball too... feels really slow until AFTER the ball is hit. Seems counter intuitive but it increases swing speed where it matters.
Thanks for the video content! Forgive me for butting in, I would appreciate your opinion. Have you researched - Paneevelyn Swinging Clubsman (Sure I saw it on Google)? It is a smashing one off product for revealing an effortless golf swing technique without the hard work. Ive heard some decent things about it and my m8 after a lifetime of fighting got astronomical success with it.
Wow. Great video. For all the years I've played, I always struggled with hitting the ball to the right, fading it, and scuffing the ball a lot with the bottom blade. Watching your video has made me realize that it's likely because I'm not "bowing" my left wrist like you mentioned in this video. I'm guessing bowing the wrist will allow me to close the club face and it angles the clubface downwards for a more solid donwards impact. Cant wait to work on my swing now. Also, I have to work on the slight downward dip at impact then back up and follow through movement. I was never taught to slightly dip. It feels so awkward doing all of these things at once. Hoping muscle memory kicks in in the end and all goes well!
Clay you always explain so perfectly breaking down all steps. One thing once your wrists have past the ball before impact should I rotate them or keep them stable
Thanks! I know it can be confusing. You want to shallow the club in transition. If you start down steep then you'll typically shallow your angle of attack late and flip the club so that you don't stick the club in the ground a foot behind the ball. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
just recently found your tips Clay . like the way you put your instruction across. for someone who's not very flexible and has probably a half to 3 quarter swing can I still get lag .
Flexibility can be trained my friend, i've been working with my dad for a long time now, trying to get back a bit of his former punch, and it's actually quite easy to train, and you can definitely add lag at three quarters, but it'd be far more practical to add a little extra. I've seen extremely old and extremely obese players, have the dream swing, so your build and injuries does very little to impeede on your golf swing, there are certain physiotherapists that can help you with some excersises(i recommend the one specialized in golf) try and check them out if you cant add flex on your own =)
dear clay, you have heard this before so here it is. i understand the lag but as the club length increases i find more difficulty in my performance and of course i am slicing my driver. my pro tells me to practice the short irons but that driver kills my game.
Sergio is a perfect example of proper lag. His actually starts on the downswing. I've never seen anyone else swing like him & he's known as 1 of the best drivers of the ball.
Thanks Clay. I understand "shallowing" the club but I cannot seem to do it no matter how hard I try, especially without flattening my shoulder plane. Can you elaborate on HOW to actually go about shallowing the club please?
Hi Mark, there are several things that go into this. One of the keys is to relax that right hand (assuming you're right handed). I would highly recommend The Move drills from the website to help you start shallowoing the club in the downswing. Here is the link if you want to check it out: topspeedgolf.com/courses/the-move/. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
I recently started to slow down my back swing and my shots have been great. The problem is why? Im not sure why that is do you have input on that? So I go back slow thing swing through. Any info will help. Thank you.
Should the hips stop at 45 degrees and then the shoulders go beyond 90 to create more power or should the hips go beyond the 45 to allow the shoulders to exceed the 90..thanks
Hi Kenneth, your hips don't need to stop. Average hip turn on Tour is about 50 degrees. I would make as big of a range of motion as you can and then ease off of it some to find a good happy medium that gives you max control and distance. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
I have a question regarding the torso movement in the downswing : The torso moves 'only' because the hips pulls it or the golfer 'can' help with an extra effort the acceleration of the torso? thanks, in advance!
Should not the arms shallow out automatically as long as one swings correctly; or does one need to "think about" shallowing out the arms on the way down?
Clay,I'm a broad shouldered barrel chested guy and do not have the range of motion to go back 90 degrees without losing balance. Would doing everthing you have outlined with a 3/4 back swing work? Would I need to release my hands quicker to make up for the lack of rotation in the backswing?
Great video Clay. I definitely feel that I can get more club speed and lag when shallowing the club. I have a question about how you say to shallow it at the top of your backswing as a way to not rush into the backswing. When I change my wrist angle before the downswing, it seems jerky. Is it wrong to try to do this in one plane, where you bring your backswing up at that angle and then just start the downswing from there?
HI Dan, if you're swinging on a flat plane then the club is pretty much already shallowed out. It's hard to get much speed from a flat position. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
3:00 Interesting - if you turn enough you'll have more time to pickup speed and swing smoothly down. Bobby Jones said the exact same thing in his film series made back in the 1930's! Everything old becomes new again!
l am the longest Drive, l have the problem when my ball fall on the 1,5 m deep bunker beside the green, how to hit the ball direck to hole/green, l wait you lesson thank for that
Hi Clay. Do you have a video or making sure your downswing is in sync? Ive seen a lot of videos that suggest to unwind with the lower body quickly but would that not result in a stuck club? How do you fire with the lower body but ensure you dont get stuck?
Hi Juan, thanks for the question. You want to start the downswing from the ground up. You can get stuck if you let the club get too far behind you but as long as you keep the hands more in front of the chest then that won't happen most likely. The key is syncing up your hips with your shoulders. We have a great video on the website about this. Here is the link if you're interested: topspeedgolf.com/topic/how-to-compress-a-golf-ball-hip-shoulder-alignment/. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Hi, it's hard to say why but I would imagine it's because you're chicken winging which basically means that your arms are outracing your body. You'll want to check it on camera but try to get your body opening up more. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
Hi Jerry, great question. This is all relative to the individual. Some do it naturally without much thought or have been trained to do so. Most average golfer don't do this naturally and need to train to do so. This is what Clay goes over on the website in The Move section. Here is the link if you want to check it out: topspeedgolf.com/courses/the-move/. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
How do I control where the ball hits the face? Hitting into the wind you talk about hitting off the top of the face. Please elaborate. A thanks Rusty Hosel
@@TopSpeedGolf I went to a named chain golf store today and had the guy offering suggestions to my swing. Wow he was soooo wrong. In one ear out the other. Just wanted to pass this along. Gotta watch out, lots of bad advice.
Aside from the great instruction, I really love that Mr Ballard wastes little time in getting to the point in his videos. So often, instructors spend too much time describing the problem and selling themselves before getting to the point.
Great video, just compared it to my normal swing and i realize im not going enough in the backswing normally. Probably is a reason to my early extension (since i figure im rushing the downswing with a shorter backswing)? Thanks for great videos!
What I don't like about this is it get's you the go zone or the dead zone it's a real fine line. I have found it's probably better to flare your feet and narrow them up. By doing this you create easy rotation in both directions and your never locked up which is instant terrible golf shot! By narrowing your stance it restricts hip over rotation,yet allows for a big turn with the hips and upper body in an unlocked fashion for some it's way past 45 and 90 deg,yet with a narrow stance you become grounded like a tight coil! This set up that he is dictating is for most lpga tour players and young male golfers It aids in a little extra power boost but sometimes not. I recommend what I said for strong men who are past the age of 25 and cant get out of coming out of it to the right,topping it and popping it up all signs of an aggressive upper body move with little hip rotation in both directions.
The weight balance starts shifting back to the lead foot about 2/3 of the way on the backswing so there's roughly equal balance in the feet by the top of the backswing. Here is great video with an animated swing that illustrates this: th-cam.com/video/b-l_4-pzRFI/w-d-xo.html Best of luck! Nate | TSG Instructor
I dont like the part "shallow the shaft", cause thats probably just a feeling, not a real thing that happens. If that would really happen, the face would be open. I like the rest alot though, in particular the transition move "going down", what makes the left hip turn and geetting it out of the way.
Hi, if you're already shallowing the shaft then you wouldn't need to but if you're coming down steep then you'll have to make a compensation to get the club back on plane otherwise you'll come over the top, stick it in the ground or both. This compensation usually involves standing up and flipping. When you shallow it, you square the face by bowing the lead wrist. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
In one of Clay's other videos he says to feel that the club is behind you at impact; this will get the grip ahead of the club-head and the bowed left wrist will automatically square up the clubface at the ball.
Turn your trail foot out some at address and let the lead heel come of the ground in the backswing to free up the hips. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
This is glorious, been searching for "putting pressure on the golf ball" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Penamillorn Peerless Prevalence - (just google it ) ? It is an awesome one off product for discovering how to learn an effective golf swing method without the normal expense. Ive heard some great things about it and my cousin got great success with it.
Hi Clay. I have a question about what you were doing with with your wrists on the downswing. I am a good ballstriker, and at 5'9", 165 Lb., I have lots of lag and effortless power. I hit my 9 iron 160 Yds, and Driver around 290 consistently. I do have a tendency to flip my hands at the bottom, and it causes big hooks, or draws my wedges enough to miss greens. What were you doing when you cupped your wrists on the downswing, Does that help you keep the club head square through impact?
Thank you. I will work on that when golf season comes next spring. That's the bad part about living in Michigan.... Having to spend the first month trying to find my swing again.
please will you help me ...I have tried for years to make my first move from top of my swing be my hips and left leg to start moving before my hands ...but just cant ...been able get it to a point where they fire at same time but feels so awkward when I try to make my hips and left leg fire slightly first ....any suggestions ...I have been told I have a pretty good swing but can sometimes get fast and come over the top a little ...and if I could fire my hips and left leg just a split second earlier than my hands I know that will eliminate the slight over the top action...
Hi Donny, thanks for the comment. We have a lot of great content on the website about this. Check out one of our videos here: topspeedgolf.com/vault/2-keys-to-start-your-downswing/. Best of luck. ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Top Speed Golf - Clay Ballard thanks for the link ...hoping to go from five handicap to scratch ...and the issue I described previously is one major thing I will need to address to get there ...
Donny Wilcox-First let me say that I am no Clay Ballard but I have suffered from time to time with this same problem. A drill I go back to when I catch myself swinging from the top is setting an alignment stick into the ground just outside of my front foot. Then I will take my stance with a club in hand, make a complete back swing. Now I have proper weight on my back foot. Begin the down swing be transferring weight on to front foot by "sliding"your hips slide to the inside of your front foot. Then your hips will release then your trunk then your shoulders. I stop the drill as soon as my hands begin to drop. I will go through this drill until I fell I have enough muscle memory to play without making a conscious effort for a proper sequence. Basically I try to remember to use all larger muscles and not fast twitch muscles. I want to think swing and not hit. I hope this helps. Clay has several videos that are designated to the back swing. Check them out.
SS Wonderful thank you ...and I dont know your skill level and even if you are no clay ....your advice is very much so appreciated ...and I will try this tomorrow inside into a net because rite now in Tennessee where I live the weather has turned nasty and very cold ....but as soon as I can get on range I will take it outdoors as well....I just got fitted two weeks ago for a new set of iron (apex cf16s) and been itching get on range as well as the course ....so again Thank you ...much appreciated ...wish I had words wisdom in return ...
Did I miss it? What part of this instruction addressed the RUSHING? Clay spoke about turning and shallowing but nothing about 'do thisif you rush your down swing' opposite of rush is slow. I rush and then all your advice goes out the door
i love clays approach to teaching but it has to be said that his swing at 5.28/5.29 does not show any shallowing of the club shaft /plain, this is yet another tutorial were the action is more of a positive feel than physical task, and yes i know the clip shows this from the wrong angle ,but nevertheless its clear the hands stay on plain..and both hips and shoulders start the downswing at the same time, even if it feels like the hips start the downswing..Clay is great and would kick my butt everyday using just his putter...
I'm a self taught and from the instructional videos I bought, the instructor said that the lag is a myth of a slow swing. If you hold the lag as you shown, you'll shank the ball.
Clay you are by far the number one online tutor.... As long as I can remember, I have had a problem of coming over the top in my down swing, causing a slice. I have been following a number of your video’s and now have great rotation and release. I think your emphasis on repetition practice swinging, to imbed mussel memory, has been the key for me. And this includes driver, irons and chipping.... Thanks a million man.
Thanks!
This guy knows his stuff. Brilliant teacher. Thank you, Clay!
Thanks!
Best Golf teacher on the web, he knows how to get the key movements across !!
Just started back at golf from hand operation and found Clay and really enjoy every instruction he does very well explained.
Thanks!
This has revolutionised my swing, all i needed was a simple explanation and this is it right here. I was constantly rushing down and not giving my self the time to get into the optimal impact position correctly, as a beginner i love plain advise like this! Thank you, your a fantastic teacher.
Love, love, love your tips Clay..still struggling with 'over the top' but am dedicated to get rid of that awful habit once and for all!
Thanks Gayle! We are glad you like the videos. We have a great bonus series on the website for that over the top. Check it out here: topspeedgolf.com/courses/never-slice-again/. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Best instructional video I've seen for a long time! I have a mate who tries to get as much torque and tension at the top of the backswing and in doing this, he's locked up the right hip and then can't use the lower half in the downswing. I've been trying to explain this for months but have failed and I think you've just nailed it in this video.
You are an amazing instructor Clay. I've watched a lot of TH-cam vids regarding golf instruction, you have a great teaching ability where you explain technique with such detail and clarity with just the right amount of the science behind it. You got a great way of taking something very technical and simplifying it. Keep it up man! Thanks for all this amazing instruction buddy! Top speed golf is awesome!
You are showing all the secretes to the game! NICE job. Flat out the club, I feel you can't flatten it out enough. And lock and load is the key to the whip power. I love this video as well.
Thanks Brett! It's tough to shallow it too much because it's not a natural movement for most people. It can be done though :-) Hope you're playing great! Quentin | TSG Instructor
Thanks for these videos Clay - you and Shaun Clement are the best instructors on TH-cam, by far. Your drills have me pure-ing the ball, Thank you!
If you want to learn how to play golf like a pro then go here: GolfBig. info
Quinn Richards
No thanks TSG is the nuts
I disagree...clay is the only one I've found that actually has a new way of explaining the complicated action of the golf swing everyone else just repackages cliche's
Great video....I am very guilty of swinging way too fast.used to be a pretty good golfer lowest handicap achieved was 7....had 5 spinal ops between 2000 and 2009 let my club membership slide and now I play like I have never played golf before.
Superfast swing and have lost my balance...no matter how I try and slow it down the demons take over when out on the course.
Its tragic almost as bad as having the yips.
Great video clip I know I am going to have to get my head down and get this frustrating bad habit sorted in order to at least play reasonable golf again.
Love the video clay.thank you
Wow, 5 spinal operations!? That's crazy. Glad you're still able to golf! Keep it up and play well 😃
Love this simple explaination. Brilliant!!...Exactly why and when I start to hurry my downswing and lose my Tempo, Rhythm, and Timing. I usually come right over the top as a result...Thanks!
Hi Brian, glad you liked the video. This is very common and might be one of the biggest swing faults I see. I even do this from time to time. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
One thing that might help people stop rushing their downswing is too REALLY think light grip. As a former racquetball player who over gripped the racquet, lightening up my golf grip has worked miracles for creating lag and cleaner ball striking. A tight grip makes you want to lead the downswing with your hands and arms and it shortens the swing arc causing topped shots and even total misses.
Hi Leroy
Thank you for your comment. We couldn't agree more. Less tension in the grip will certainly help not rush the downswing. Keep up the good work!
grip strength is very touchy topic. ive tried higher than average light grip and sometimes you feel like you dont have complete control of the club.
Thanks I find that I tend to rush through on my down swing this video teaching lesson breaks it down.
Glad to help!
Excellent lesson and best visual I have found demonstrating a complete turn, and using the turn and not the arms to take the club back.
Thanks Chris!
Great video, I appreciate how you break down the golf swing.
Had a couple rough range days, this really helped build some confidence today. Thanks for the tips
Hi Jordan, we all have our good and bad days, and sometimes it's harder to find our way out of the bad. I see the video you watched and think this one might help you get to those better days of golf quicker topspeedgolf.com/topic/golf-posture-power-turn-dont-give-up-easy-yardage/. Hope this helps you out for even more confidence. Keep on grinding my friend ~ Andrew | TSG Instructor
Great video Clay as always. I have a problem with swallowing out the golf swing on the downswing but will work on it. Could you do a video series on how to hit with a strong grip for all your strong grip golfers followers like me? There are little to no videos on that other than Shawn Clements videos. Thx buddy!!
Clay that is the best explanation I have ever heard thanks very much
I love the repeated video of the full swing on the side. super helpful :)
This is REAL hard to do if you're not REALLY flexible. Great swing idea if you're young and pliable.
Thank you Clay!!! Your explanation and demonstration help me a lot.
No problem Tom! Glad you liked the video.
Thanks Clay another great video, my thoughts on power is once you getting to the top your body rotation leads the arms hands and club a bit like a hammer thrower thus creating lag and a feel of pulling the club through the swing plane and finally releasing the hands though the ball
Hi Bob, thanks for sharing. I agree 100%. Hope you're playing great! Quentin | TSG Instructor
@@TopSpeedGolf Thanks Quentin,yes i am more consistent in my ball stricking and power/accuracy, body rotation is the key and of course rotaion sets the tempo of the swing thus timing is amost( built in) to any desired shot , many thanks for your videos, your tuition is top class!!
Another great set of drills. UK loves this Clay
Like the picture in picture. Helps to see a swing.
In the downswing, I have the feel that I am really just 'placing' the club behind the ball.. real slow from the top of the backswing, by letting the club drop as i am starting starting my turn. It gives a lot of time to make sure the path is inside. Then as the club is about to reach the ball.. accelerate and turn through....hard. When I do this, I hit it solid. I do mean slow to the ball too... feels really slow until AFTER the ball is hit. Seems counter intuitive but it increases swing speed where it matters.
Hi John, thanks for sharing. Hope you're playing great! Quentin | TSG Instructor
I totally agree with you, Clay!
Great as I have a tendency to rush my downswing
Thanks!
Great Illustration Clay!
Thanks. I hope your doing well!
Scratch Golf Acadliuio
Thanks for the video content! Forgive me for butting in, I would appreciate your opinion. Have you researched - Paneevelyn Swinging Clubsman (Sure I saw it on Google)? It is a smashing one off product for revealing an effortless golf swing technique without the hard work. Ive heard some decent things about it and my m8 after a lifetime of fighting got astronomical success with it.
Wow. Great video. For all the years I've played, I always struggled with hitting the ball to the right, fading it, and scuffing the ball a lot with the bottom blade. Watching your video has made me realize that it's likely because I'm not "bowing" my left wrist like you mentioned in this video. I'm guessing bowing the wrist will allow me to close the club face and it angles the clubface downwards for a more solid donwards impact. Cant wait to work on my swing now. Also, I have to work on the slight downward dip at impact then back up and follow through movement. I was never taught to slightly dip. It feels so awkward doing all of these things at once. Hoping muscle memory kicks in in the end and all goes well!
Thanks for sharing! Best of luck!
this video is great. since increasing my shoulder turn i'm 1 club longer on all shots.
If you want to learn how to play golf like a pro then go here: GolfBig. info
Clay you always explain so perfectly breaking down all steps. One thing once your wrists have past the ball before impact should I rotate them or keep them stable
Wow shallow out, such a new concept!!!
Thanks! Hope it helps. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
Good instructions as usual, I enjoy watching your videos always.
Thanks Khaled!
What I need to practice good one Clay !
Thanks!
Thank you Clay that is what I have been doing and my golf is not that good really I need to work on this.
Thanks for an excellent instruction, gave me my swing back.
Hi Jan
Thank you for your comment. We're glad you found the video helpful. Good luck with your game!
I love your videos. I thought shallowing of the club during down swing was bad though.
Thanks! I know it can be confusing. You want to shallow the club in transition. If you start down steep then you'll typically shallow your angle of attack late and flip the club so that you don't stick the club in the ground a foot behind the ball. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
just go for it!
just recently found your tips Clay . like the way you put your instruction across. for someone who's not very flexible and has probably a half to 3 quarter swing can I still get lag .
Flexibility can be trained my friend, i've been working with my dad for a long time now, trying to get back a bit of his former punch, and it's actually quite easy to train, and you can definitely add lag at three quarters, but it'd be far more practical to add a little extra. I've seen extremely old and extremely obese players, have the dream swing, so your build and injuries does very little to impeede on your golf swing, there are certain physiotherapists that can help you with some excersises(i recommend the one specialized in golf) try and check them out if you cant add flex on your own =)
Great swing!
Thanks!
dear clay, you have heard this before so here it is. i understand the lag but as the club length increases i find more difficulty in my performance and of course i am slicing my driver. my pro tells me to practice the short irons but that driver kills my game.
Well done, thank you.
Thanks J.C.!
Sergio is a perfect example of proper lag. His actually starts on the downswing. I've never seen anyone else swing like him & he's known as 1 of the best drivers of the ball.
Hi Mike
Thank you for your comment. We couldn't agree more and you can see that it is proven successful. Thanks again and good luck with your game!
Thanks Clay. I understand "shallowing" the club but I cannot seem to do it no matter how hard I try, especially without flattening my shoulder plane. Can you elaborate on HOW to actually go about shallowing the club please?
Hi Mark, there are several things that go into this. One of the keys is to relax that right hand (assuming you're right handed). I would highly recommend The Move drills from the website to help you start shallowoing the club in the downswing. Here is the link if you want to check it out: topspeedgolf.com/courses/the-move/. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Absolutely great. Do this.
Thanks Chris!
I recently started to slow down my back swing and my shots have been great. The problem is why? Im not sure why that is do you have input on that? So I go back slow thing swing through. Any info will help. Thank you.
Should the hips stop at 45 degrees and then the shoulders go beyond 90 to create more power or should the hips go beyond the 45 to allow the shoulders to exceed the 90..thanks
Hi Kenneth, your hips don't need to stop. Average hip turn on Tour is about 50 degrees. I would make as big of a range of motion as you can and then ease off of it some to find a good happy medium that gives you max control and distance. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
I have a question regarding the torso movement in the downswing : The torso moves 'only' because the hips pulls it or the golfer 'can' help with an extra effort the acceleration of the torso? thanks, in advance!
Great video..
Like it! Thanks.
Thanks!
Good clear instruction, just needs the practice and feel now.
Many thanks.
Thanks Nigel! Best of luck :-)
Should not the arms shallow out automatically as long as one swings correctly; or does one need to "think about" shallowing out the arms on the way down?
Great instruction!
Works for me.
Clay,I'm a broad shouldered barrel chested guy and do not have the range of motion to go back 90 degrees without losing balance. Would doing everthing you have outlined with a 3/4 back swing work? Would I need to release my hands quicker to make up for the lack of rotation in the backswing?
Good lesson "encouraging"
Great video Clay. I definitely feel that I can get more club speed and lag when shallowing the club. I have a question about how you say to shallow it at the top of your backswing as a way to not rush into the backswing. When I change my wrist angle before the downswing, it seems jerky. Is it wrong to try to do this in one plane, where you bring your backswing up at that angle and then just start the downswing from there?
HI Dan, if you're swinging on a flat plane then the club is pretty much already shallowed out. It's hard to get much speed from a flat position. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
3:00 Interesting - if you turn enough you'll have more time to pickup speed and swing smoothly down. Bobby Jones said the exact same thing in his film series made back in the 1930's! Everything old becomes new again!
Hi Bob
Thank you for your comment. It's amazing how those guys back then had it down so right. Best of luck with your game in 2018!
Nice video Clay. after you shallow out the club, when your club is back to parallel to the ground, how do your hands work into impact?
You don't do anything to hold lag or to release. Release will happen naturally if the body keeps moving and the arms keep moving.
Great advice
l am the longest Drive, l have the problem when my ball fall on the 1,5 m deep bunker beside the green, how to hit the ball direck to hole/green, l wait you lesson thank for that
I would make sure the face is open enough. Open the face, ball forward, swing hard.
I like that 😁
Thanks!
Hi Clay. Do you have a video or making sure your downswing is in sync?
Ive seen a lot of videos that suggest to unwind with the lower body quickly but would that not result in a stuck club?
How do you fire with the lower body but ensure you dont get stuck?
Hi Juan, thanks for the question. You want to start the downswing from the ground up. You can get stuck if you let the club get too far behind you but as long as you keep the hands more in front of the chest then that won't happen most likely. The key is syncing up your hips with your shoulders. We have a great video on the website about this. Here is the link if you're interested: topspeedgolf.com/topic/how-to-compress-a-golf-ball-hip-shoulder-alignment/. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
awesome advise!!!
After contact on the follow through i hv difficulty in rotating my right palm over my left palm. Not used to hex3
Hi, it's hard to say why but I would imagine it's because you're chicken winging which basically means that your arms are outracing your body. You'll want to check it on camera but try to get your body opening up more. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
Nice video, I hadn't thought about it like that
Is the shallowing of the shaft and the left wrist bowing automatic or do I have to think about them all the time?
Hi Jerry, great question. This is all relative to the individual. Some do it naturally without much thought or have been trained to do so. Most average golfer don't do this naturally and need to train to do so. This is what Clay goes over on the website in The Move section. Here is the link if you want to check it out: topspeedgolf.com/courses/the-move/. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Awesome! Do you use the same approach for driver or do we need to make any adjustments?
Question for you clay, how hard should we grip the club from 1-10, where 10 is very hard grip. Thanks
4. It’s always 4.
Is it done on pupose or a normal movement
It's usually a natural movement.
Lovely HD camera , and sound....
How do I control where the ball hits the face?
Hitting into the wind you talk about hitting off the top of the face.
Please elaborate.
A thanks
Rusty Hosel
The best
Thanks Patrick!
@@TopSpeedGolf I went to a named chain golf store today and had the guy offering suggestions to my swing. Wow he was soooo wrong. In one ear out the other. Just wanted to pass this along. Gotta watch out, lots of bad advice.
Aside from the great instruction, I really love that Mr Ballard wastes little time in getting to the point in his videos. So often, instructors spend too much time describing the problem and selling themselves before getting to the point.
Hi Otto, thanks so much for the kind words. I'll be sure to pass this along to Clay. Thank you for watching. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Awesome video
Thanks Scott!
Great video, just compared it to my normal swing and i realize im not going enough in the backswing normally. Probably is a reason to my early extension (since i figure im rushing the downswing with a shorter backswing)?
Thanks for great videos!
That sounds correct. It is important to load the body first.
Thanks for the tips. I just subbed
What I don't like about this is it get's you the go zone or the dead zone it's a real fine line. I have found it's probably better to flare your feet and narrow them up. By doing this you create easy rotation in both directions and your never locked up which is instant terrible golf shot! By narrowing your stance it restricts hip over rotation,yet allows for a big turn with the hips and upper body in an unlocked fashion for some it's way past 45 and 90 deg,yet with a narrow stance you become grounded like a tight coil! This set up that he is dictating is for most lpga tour players and young male golfers It aids in a little extra power boost but sometimes not. I recommend what I said for strong men who are past the age of 25 and cant get out of coming out of it to the right,topping it and popping it up all signs of an aggressive upper body move with little hip rotation in both directions.
Does the shallowing and bowing of the club also apply to the driver?
Hi Iggy, yes sir it does! Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
I thought half way in back swing you start forward club still goes back as you go forward? You didn’t mention that
The weight balance starts shifting back to the lead foot about 2/3 of the way on the backswing so there's roughly equal balance in the feet by the top of the backswing. Here is great video with an animated swing that illustrates this: th-cam.com/video/b-l_4-pzRFI/w-d-xo.html Best of luck! Nate | TSG Instructor
I dont like the part "shallow the shaft", cause thats probably just a feeling, not a real thing that happens. If that would really happen, the face would be open. I like the rest alot though, in particular the transition move "going down", what makes the left hip turn and geetting it out of the way.
Hi, if you're already shallowing the shaft then you wouldn't need to but if you're coming down steep then you'll have to make a compensation to get the club back on plane otherwise you'll come over the top, stick it in the ground or both. This compensation usually involves standing up and flipping. When you shallow it, you square the face by bowing the lead wrist. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
if I shallow the club how do I get the club out in front of me when I bow the wrist. thanks
In one of Clay's other videos he says to feel that the club is behind you at impact; this will get the grip ahead of the club-head and the bowed left wrist will automatically square up the clubface at the ball.
I spent 3 hours yesterday trying this stuff and did not hit a good iron shot once.
Dont exaggerate the move too much
what golf course are you at when recording this
I have a hard time getting my hips to 45degrees plus my shoulders at 90degrees
Turn your trail foot out some at address and let the lead heel come of the ground in the backswing to free up the hips. Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
I can’t stop stepping out with my driver or I am ending up on my back foot which results me in topping the ball help!!
Hey Ronald, here is a great drill for you to try: th-cam.com/video/edkMTMTSSX0/w-d-xo.html
This is glorious, been searching for "putting pressure on the golf ball" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Penamillorn Peerless Prevalence - (just google it ) ? It is an awesome one off product for discovering how to learn an effective golf swing method without the normal expense. Ive heard some great things about it and my cousin got great success with it.
Hi Clay. I have a question about what you were doing with with your wrists on the downswing. I am a good ballstriker, and at 5'9", 165 Lb., I have lots of lag and effortless power. I hit my 9 iron 160 Yds, and Driver around 290 consistently. I do have a tendency to flip my hands at the bottom, and it causes big hooks, or draws my wedges enough to miss greens. What were you doing when you cupped your wrists on the downswing, Does that help you keep the club head square through impact?
Only right wrist is cupped left is flat or slightly bowed
Thank you. I will work on that when golf season comes next spring. That's the bad part about living in Michigan.... Having to spend the first month trying to find my swing again.
Dude, 1.3 million views? Whoa.
Hi Scott, we are as surprised as you are. Feeling grateful :-) Play well! Quentin | TSG Instructor
When I load up tp come down, I make to deep of a divot when I hit the ball; why???
please will you help me ...I have tried for years to make my first move from top of my swing be my hips and left leg to start moving before my hands ...but just cant ...been able get it to a point where they fire at same time but feels so awkward when I try to make my hips and left leg fire slightly first ....any suggestions ...I have been told I have a pretty good swing but can sometimes get fast and come over the top a little ...and if I could fire my hips and left leg just a split second earlier than my hands I know that will eliminate the slight over the top action...
Hi Donny, thanks for the comment. We have a lot of great content on the website about this. Check out one of our videos here: topspeedgolf.com/vault/2-keys-to-start-your-downswing/. Best of luck. ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Top Speed Golf - Clay Ballard thanks for the link ...hoping to go from five handicap to scratch ...and the issue I described previously is one major thing I will need to address to get there ...
Sounds like a plan :-) Let us know if you need anything. Best of luck. ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Donny Wilcox-First let me say that I am no Clay Ballard but I have suffered from time to time with this same problem. A drill I go back to when I catch myself swinging from the top is setting an alignment stick into the ground just outside of my front foot. Then I will take my stance with a club in hand, make a complete back swing. Now I have proper weight on my back foot. Begin the down swing be transferring weight on to front foot by "sliding"your hips slide to the inside of your front foot. Then your hips will release then your trunk then your shoulders. I stop the drill as soon as my hands begin to drop. I will go through this drill until I fell I have enough muscle memory to play without making a conscious effort for a proper sequence. Basically I try to remember to use all larger muscles and not fast twitch muscles. I want to think swing and not hit. I hope this helps. Clay has several videos that are designated to the back swing. Check them out.
SS Wonderful thank you ...and I dont know your skill level and even if you are no clay ....your advice is very much so appreciated ...and I will try this tomorrow inside into a net because rite now in Tennessee where I live the weather has turned nasty and very cold ....but as soon as I can get on range I will take it outdoors as well....I just got fitted two weeks ago for a new set of iron (apex cf16s) and been itching get on range as well as the course ....so again Thank you ...much appreciated ...wish I had words wisdom in return ...
Golf advice from Luke Wilson
😂
I need 5:13 this since the drill I made-up to take a back swing from a simulated impact position is hard.
Todd Sloan p
You might be better just sitting on your hands instead of thinking p
Did I miss it?
What part of this instruction addressed the RUSHING?
Clay spoke about turning and shallowing but nothing about 'do thisif you rush your down swing' opposite of rush is slow. I rush and then all your advice goes out the door
i love clays approach to teaching but it has to be said that his swing at 5.28/5.29 does not show any shallowing of the club shaft /plain, this is yet another tutorial were the action is more of a positive feel than physical task, and yes i know the clip shows this from the wrong angle ,but nevertheless its clear the hands stay on plain..and both hips and shoulders start the downswing at the same time, even if it feels like the hips start the downswing..Clay is great and would kick my butt everyday using just his putter...
SO COMPLICATED
Hi Selamat, I agree, we do over complicate things sometimes. I wish this game was simpler too. Play well ~ Quentin | TSG Instructor
Wow you got 110k more views than your adversary. Online golf instruction battle to you on this one
Hi
Buy a #Swingclick. Helps solve the problem.
Hi, thanks for sharing. Hope you're playing great! Quentin | TSG Instructor
@@TopSpeedGolf trying hard to get better. Still not where I want to be. Thank you for providing your guidance.
Clay, let me know if you want to try a #swingclick. I will send you one.
I guess I'm out of the loop. Is Clay not with Rotary anymore?
Clay needs his own show on the Golf Channel.
I'm a self taught and from the instructional videos I bought, the instructor said that the lag is a myth of a slow swing. If you hold the lag as you shown, you'll shank the ball.