John Smoltz: From the Mound to the Senior Tees
The guys kicked things off talking about John Smoltz’s move into senior golf.
Jeff and Scott broke down how a Hall‑of‑Fame pitcher can suddenly become a legit threat on the Champions Tour — apparently elite hand‑eye coordination doesn’t disappear just because you stop throwing 97 mph.

Why Your Short Game Deserves More Love
Then Jeff went full professor mode, reminding everyone that if you want to score, you’d better learn to putt and chip like you mean it.
Scott chimed in with the painful truth: amateurs spend 90% of their time on the range and 10% on the putting green… when it should probably be the other way around.

PGA Tour Putting Stats: Prepare to Feel Bad
John pulled up some Tour putting numbers, and the room collectively sighed.
Tour pros make everything inside eight feet.
Amateurs?
We think we do… until someone actually measures it.

Jeff hammered home the point:
If you can’t aim your putter, you’re basically guessing.
And most golfers?
They’re guessing.

Why Club Fitting Isn’t Optional
Scott jumped in with a sermon on club fitting — especially putters.
Lie angle, loft, head shape, grip size… all the stuff amateurs ignore but complain about when they miss a four‑footer

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This week on Those Weekend Golf Guys, John and Jeff dragged their buddy James Hong away from Harbor Links on Long Island — probably the only place in America where you can lose a golf ball and get a parking ticket at the same time — to talk about golf courses and the vacations we pretend are “family trips.”

We kicked things off with the Top 10 U.S. states for golf, which, shocker, starts with Florida. Because of course it does. If there’s a patch of grass in Florida bigger than a doormat, somebody’s already built a par‑3 on it.

Then we zoomed out to the global leaderboard. The United States leads the world in total golf courses (again, shocking), and Japan comes in second — which blows people’s minds until they realize the Japanese take golf as seriously as they take sushi knives.

From there, the show turned into three guys swapping war stories.
James talked about life at Bethpage State Park, home to five courses, including the Black — the only course in America that warns you at the first tee that you’re not good enough to be there.
Jeff and John reminisced about South Carolina, including hidden gems like Shira State Park, where the fairways are gorgeous, the greens are pure, and the mosquitoes are roughly the size of rescue helicopters.

And because we can’t resist a passport stamp, we headed overseas to places like Costa Rica, where the Iguana Course gives you ocean views, jungle vibes, and the occasional lizard who looks at your swing like he could do better.

We wrapped with some real‑world advice for planning a golf vacation:
Do your homework — the internet is full of lies and stock photos
Call the pros or staff directly — they’ll tell you what the website won’t
Use reciprocal club agreements — the secret handshake of golf travel
And be careful with tee‑time aggregators — some are great, some are… let’s say “optimistic” with availability

Another classic episode: part travel guide, part therapy session, part “three golf guys bragging about where they’ve played.”

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This week on Those Weekend Golf Guys, John Ashton and Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Jeff Smith dove into one of the most misunderstood pieces of the golf swing: the grip. Not the “hold it like a baby bird” nonsense you’ve heard a thousand times — Jeff broke down the real way to find the grip that actually fits your body.

Jeff’s method is beautifully simple: Get into your golf posture, let your arms hang naturally, and look at how your hands want to sit. That natural orientation tells you exactly how the club should fit into your fingers. No twisting. No contorting. No trying to copy a tour pro’s hands from a magazine cover. Just match the club to your body and suddenly the clubface behaves, the tension disappears, and your swing stops fighting itself.

John, of course, pointed out that most amateurs spend years trying to “fix” a grip that was never right for them in the first place. Jeff agreed — if your grip doesn’t match your natural arm hang, you’re basically signing up for a lifetime of compensations.

After solving the world’s grip problems, the guys shifted gears to something just as important: golf leagues. Jeff and John both made the case that leagues are the secret weapon for golfers who want to get better and have more fun.

Weekly play builds consistency. A little friendly pressure sharpens your focus. And the social side? That’s where the real magic happens.

You show up, you play, you laugh, you meet people, and suddenly golf becomes more than a game — it becomes your community. As John put it, leagues are where golfers find their people.

Another fun, fast, useful episode — equal parts instruction, entertainment, and “why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?”

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Practice Formats, Pressure, and Tech
The conversation shifts to practice formats that actually build skill under pressure — worst ball, best ball, and other creative ways to force better execution. Jeff also shares his experience with golf tech, explaining why he prefers Foresight over TrackMan. Spoiler: software accuracy and hardware reliability matter. The segment wraps when Jeff heads off to teach a lesson.

• Arrive 30–45 minutes early
• Warm up with practice swings
• Chip with attention to posture and club length
• Putt for distance control, not hole‑making The goal: build confidence, reduce pressure, and walk to the first tee already feeling sharp.

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Topics Covered
Whether teaching pros can watch TV coverage and instantly spot what tour pros are doing wrong when they blow up — including Rory’s Masters unraveling

Whether amateur golfers can accurately diagnose their own swing faults when shots start flying offline

How being just 1–2 degrees open or closed at impact can produce huge misses, especially at higher swing speeds

Why you shouldn’t automatically assume it’s a swing problem — and why checking your setup (posture, alignment, ball position, grip, stance) should be your first move

Key Insights
Pros don’t lose their swing — they lose timing, decision‑making, or emotional control under pressure

Amateurs almost always misdiagnose their misses, focusing on backswing positions instead of impact factors

Impact rules all — a clubface just one degree open at 100 mph can create 10–15 yards of curve, and two degrees can be disastrous

Swing speed magnifies errors — the faster you swing, the more brutally the ball exposes tiny mistakes

Setup is the silent killer — most “swing problems” are actually posture, alignment, or ball‑position issues that sabotage the shot before the club even moves

• Before changing your swing, check your setup — it fixes more issues than you think
• If your ball is curving, start with clubface control, not your takeaway
• When watching pros, look for patterns, not isolated bad swings
• If you’re swinging faster, you need more precision, not more effort
• Self‑diagnosis is tricky — get feedback from a pro or use tools that show impact data

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Understand the three specs that matter most when buying wedges

Learn how to build a wedge setup that fits your game and home course

Discover simple drills to improve contact, spin, and distance control

Know when to use high bounce vs. low bounce

Stop guessing yardages and start scoring inside 100 yards

Ball Position Tip
Hold the club with your normal, relaxed grip and make a few small, natural swings back and forth — nothing forced, just brushing the grass. Notice where the club consistently strikes the ground.
That spot is your true low point, and that’s where the ball should go.

Wedge Fitting Tip
If you’re going to get your wedges fitted, work with a brand‑agnostic fitter — someone who isn’t tied to a single manufacturer. That way, you’re choosing the wedge that fits your swing, not the one they’re obligated to sell. And make sure the fitting happens on real grass, not a mat. Mats hide fat shots, change bounce interaction, and give you a totally false sense of how the club performs.

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Guests
Jeff Smith – Top 100 instructor, Golf Digest
James Hong – Renowned junior coach and teaching professional

Topics Covered
• Why indoor swings don’t always translate outdoors
• The biggest mistakes golfers make when leaving the simulator
• How to quickly recalibrate distance control on real grass
• Adjusting to outdoor variables: wind, temperature, turf interaction, and uneven lies
• The role of preshot routines in creating consistency
• How routines help manage nerves, tempo, and decision‑making
• Smart early‑season practice strategies
• Managing expectations during your first few rounds of spring

Key Takeaways
• Indoor practice builds mechanics; outdoor golf demands adaptability.
• Your first few rounds should be about reacclimating, not scoring.
• Expect your distances to change — and give yourself time to re‑measure.
• Turf interaction is the biggest shock when leaving mats behind.
• A strong preshot routine is your anchor when conditions change.
• Early‑season success comes from patience, tempo, and smart decisions.

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Golf Equipment and Club Fitting
John and Jeff discussed golf equipment, particularly focusing on driver technology and club fitting. Jeff shared his experience testing new Titleist drivers and getting fitted for the right combination of head and shaft. They also talked about John's consideration of replacing his 5 and 6 iron with hybrids, with John noting that Callaway clubs felt right to him despite not having decided on the brand yet. The conversation touched on how sound affects feel when playing different clubs, and they briefly discussed the potential for replacing an entire club set rather than just individual clubs.

USGA Rules Discussion Concerns
Jeff discussed his concerns about USGA rules, particularly regarding penalties for balls landing in divots versus penalty areas. He expressed frustration that players who hit straight drives into divots face more penalties than those hitting sideways shots into penalty areas, and suggested a simpler approach where players could simply place their ball a few inches out of divots rather than going through complex relief procedures. While Jeff noted there is ongoing discussion about these rules among officials, he mentioned that USGA representatives are not currently engaging with him on this topic.

Hybrid Golf Clubs Market Discussion
Jeff and John discussed the increasing popularity of hybrid clubs among golfers of all skill levels, including professional players like Scott Monroe. Jeff highlighted the advantages of modern hybrids, including wider sole plates and increased mass that help with ball launch and forgiveness. They also referenced past marketing strategies for golf equipment, comparing current hybrid offerings to previous infomercial products that promised easy improvement for golfers.

Golf Club Discussion and Recommendations
Jeff and John discussed golf clubs, with Jeff recommending John consider buying a complete new set rather than just replacing specific clubs. Jeff shared insights about golf enthusiasts who frequently upgrade their clubs, comparing it to a "golf nut crazy person" behavior similar to car or boat enthusiasts. The conversation concluded with plans to have Scott Munro return to their show next week to discuss golf equipment further.

Golf Equipment and Fitting Discussion
Jeff and John discussed golf equipment and fitting, particularly focusing on hybrids. They planned to bring in a club fitter for an upcoming episode to discuss fitting in detail. The conversation covered how customization in golf, including stance width and club fitting, can improve performance. They emphasized the importance of getting properly fitted rather than buying off the rack, and promised more equipment and technique discussions in future episodes.

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