Take a Golf Magazine Top 100 teacher Jeff Smith and pair him with an outstanding radio personality and you have the formula for one helluva show.
Host John Ashton has enjoyed success as a morning personality on radio stations from Bangor, Maine to Dallas, Texas. He’s also embarrassed himself on many golf courses in the same locations. John is a hacker, struggling to break 80 (OK, 90) but has a passion and enjoyment of the game, a skewed sense of humor and a great outlook.
Jeff Smith, PGA, enjoys the innate ability to create word pictures so, even on the radio, his tips and techniques to improve your game are clear, easy to follow and help listeners cut strokes on their very next round.
Golf, Weather & Other Things Trying to Kill the Game
John and Scott kick things off talking about the kind of heat and humidity that makes Florida golf feel like you’re playing inside a crockpot. Scott mentions mold — actual mold — growing on courses, because apparently Florida grass has decided to become a biology experiment.
Jody Mudd, Mac O’Grady, Greg Maddux… the guys bounce through golf legends and oddballs until Jeff jumps in with a story about Maddux asking him for swing help at a tournament. Because of course Greg Maddux wants to get even better at something.
John and Jeff brag (modestly… okay not modestly) about their recent FanDuel wins — Texas, Oklahoma State, Louisville, Ole Miss — basically everything except the teams you bet on.
Jeff talks about the charity tournament at Pine Canyon where he ran into half of Major League Baseball and a couple NBA guys. The conversation detours into Indiana basketball history and Gus Johnson yelling things at high volume, because that’s what Gus Johnson does.
Which Athletes Make the Best Golfers?
Jeff lays out his official rankings:
Hockey players — apparently if you can slap a frozen rubber disc at 100 mph, you can hit a golf ball.
Tennis players — footwork, rotation, anger management… they’ve got it all.
Baseball pitchers — elite sequencing and way too much free time between starts.
Jeff shares a story about a pitcher who got better the moment Jeff stopped trying to “fix” him and instead let his swing match his natural throwing motion.
Sometimes the best coaching is just getting out of the way.
Athlete Psychology: Why They Hate Lessons
John brings up his other show, The Approach Shot, and how athletes — even ones with 12 coaches per game — suddenly turn into stubborn toddlers when you suggest a golf lesson.
Jeff adds that one pitcher told him he hits golf balls 10 times more often than he throws pitches.
And the feel of a good golf swing reminded him of his favorite pitch.
That’s why pitchers get good fast: reps, reps, reps.
Swing Fixes, Hickory Clubs & Louisville Golf Nostalgia
Jeff shares a setup tweak that instantly improved a player’s swing — just moving the feet and letting the body do what it already knows.
John and Scott go down a fun rabbit hole about Louisville Golf, persimmon heads, hickory shafts, and the revival of hickory tournaments.
Because nothing says “I love golf” like willingly making the game harder.
Grass Talk: Bermuda vs. Paspalum
Florida courses are ripping out Bermuda and putting in Paspalum, and Scott explains why that changes everything.
Short game on Paspalum?
You fly it.
Short game on Bermuda?
You chip it.
Short game on either?
Most golfers panic. Jeff points out that players struggle because they try to use the same technique everywhere — and grass does not care about your feelings.
Chipping on Difficult Grass
Jeff breaks down:
The hook chip
The slide technique with a gap wedge
How to use bounce without digging a trench
Scott backs him up with stories from a South Florida seminar where instructors basically said, “Stop trying to be fancy — hit the center of the face.”
Fast greens + grabby grass = more people putting from 40 yards out.
And honestly, sometimes that’s the right call.
Leading Edges, Hybrids & Putter Geekery
Jeff gets into the weeds (literally) about leading‑edge design:
Rounded edges = forgiveness
Sharp edges = sadness, especially on Bermuda
He talks about modern putters with weight shoved forward and softer edges to help the ball behave.
Scott jumps in with the “match the putter to the stroke” sermon, noting that even tour players struggle with putting.
Lead tape, grip tweaks, prototype teardrop putters — it’s all on the table.
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Uphill Lies, Downhill Lies, and the Lies You Tell Yourself
09-13-2026
Lesson Tee vs. On‑Course Work
Jeff breaks down the difference:
Lesson tee = mechanics
On-course = thinking
Golfers get in trouble because they grab a club based solely on yardage. Jeff explains why 155 yards is NOT always a six‑iron—especially when there’s wind, elevation, trouble in front, or a lie that changes loft.
• Becoming Your Own Caddy
Jeff urges golfers to talk to themselves like a caddy would:
Is long better than short?
Is left better than right?
What’s the wind doing up there, not just at your ankles?
Most golfers toss grass in the air and pretend it means something. Jeff explains why that’s adorable… and useless.
The Invisible Enemy: Wind
Jeff goes deep on how wind affects ball flight:
Wedges balloon and stall
Trees tell the truth
Clouds tell the real truth
Ground wind ≠ sky wind
Rule of thumb: whatever you feel at ground level, it’s worse up where your ball is flying.
• Lies That Lie to You
Uphill lie? Adds loft.
Downhill lie? Takes loft away.
Jeff explains how to brace the downhill leg, match shoulder tilt to the slope, and choose the right club so your six‑iron doesn’t suddenly become a four‑iron or an eight‑iron.
• Rough Reality Check
If the ball is sitting down, your six‑iron is a fantasy. Jeff walks through how to test the grass, choose the longest club with enough loft to cut through, and why the ball should NOT be shoved back in your stance unless you enjoy hitting low screamers.
Football Break – FanDuel Accuracy & Michigan’s “Extra Second”
John and Jeff take a detour into college football, roasting Michigan’s infamous “extra second,” praising FanDuel’s spooky accuracy, and sharing stories about Indiana fans who sometimes forget they have a football team.
• Closing – Off to Sedona
Jeff heads off to Oak Creek Golf Course for desert-style teaching, psychic energy, and maybe aliens. John stays in the studio where the wind is controlled and the lies are only metaphorical.
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Bad Teachers, Broken Swings, and Why Jeff Drinks
09-06-2026
00:00 – Cold Open: “So… You Changed Teachers, Didn’t You?”
Jeff warms up with a couple of cautionary tales about students who wandered off and came back with swings that looked like they’d been assembled by IKEA.
03:12 – Why Picking the Right Instructor Matters
We dive into the big truth: golf instruction isn’t one‑size‑fits‑all. If your teacher thinks it is, run. Fast.
07:45 – The Franken‑Swing Files
Jeff breaks down how well‑meaning golfers get turned into confused pretzels when instructors force them into positions their bodies simply can’t do.
12:10 – Grip, Stance, Ball Position: The “It Depends” Fundamentals
A lively rant on why fundamentals aren’t commandments — they’re adjustable tools that must fit you, not the instructor’s favorite tour player.
17:30 – Golf Courses: Environmental Villains or Community Heroes?
We take a detour (because of course we do) into water usage, economics, and why golf courses aren’t the bad guys people think they are.
22:55 – How to Choose a Teacher Who Won’t Break You
Jeff lays out the criteria: look for instructors with a track record of improving all kinds of golfers, not disciples of a single swing religion.
28:40 – Sneak Peek: Jeff’s Top 100 Teacher Conference Talk
A preview of Jeff’s upcoming presentation on ball position — why it matters, why most golfers get it wrong, and why fixing it changes everything.
32:00 – Final Thoughts: Your Swing, Your Body, Your Teacher
We wrap with the big takeaway: find a coach who teaches you, not their system.
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Jeff Played Pebble Beach. John Played… Whatever Was Open
08-30-2026
John’s in the studio, holding down the fort like a man who hasn’t seen daylight since Tuesday, while Jeff is literally driving through the desert on his way back to Flagstaff — still high on the fumes of a three‑day golf binge on the Monterey Peninsula. And not just any golf binge. Oh no. Jeff went full “bucket‑list flex” and knocked out Pebble Beach, Clint Eastwood’s super‑secret Tehama, and the mythical unicorn of golf courses, Cypress Point.
Jeff breaks it all down with the excitement of a kid who just found out recess is now three hours long. Pebble’s wind tried to knock him over. Tehama’s hills tried to roll him back down to sea level. Cypress Point was so gorgeous it should’ve come with a warning label. And the man played each round with one golf ball. One. Per. Day. That’s not golf — that’s wizardry.
Naturally, the boys detoured into college football, because it’s early season and everybody’s already losing their minds over rankings that don’t matter yet. Jeff and John talk matchups, meltdowns, and why Week 1 is basically a giant Rorschach test for fanbases.
Then Jeff flips into full instructor mode — breaking down how to survive golf on hilly terrain without looking like you’re auditioning for a blooper reel. Ball above feet, ball below feet, uphill, downhill, stance tweaks, shoulder tilt… all the stuff that keeps you from chunking it like you’re digging for truffles.
They wrap things up with a shoutout to FanDuel Sportsbook, plus a tease about future listener golf trips. Because if Jeff can get onto Cypress Point, maybe — just maybe — you can too. Or at least you can hear Jeff brag about it again.
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How to Spot a Sandbagger Before He Steals Your Gift Card
08-23-2026
What Sandbagging Actually Looks Like
Jeff breaks down the most common sandbagging tactics he’s seen in the wild, including:
Forward‑tee manipulation — playing casual rounds from the up tees, then submitting those scores for handicap calculation.
Intentional bad lies — dropping balls into rough, roots, or hazards “just to see what happens,” conveniently inflating scores.
Penalty‑stroke amnesia — magically forgetting to count OB, water balls, or unplayable situations.
Casual‑round heroics, tournament miracles — mysteriously shooting 10–12 shots better only when prizes are on the line.
Jeff’s take: real low‑handicap players win net tournaments. If the 18‑handicap is suddenly posting net 63s, something smells like week‑old range balls.
How to Spot a Sandbagger
The guys talk through the tells:
Look at club championship history — who consistently performs way above their stated handicap.
Compare casual‑round scoring vs. tournament scoring — massive gaps are red flags.
Watch for “I never play this well” miracles — especially when they happen every time a trophy or gift card is involved.
Cheating Stories That Make You Shake Your Head
Jeff shares two jaw‑dropping incidents:
The Fake Hole‑in‑One — a golfer pre‑placed his ball in the cup before the group arrived, then “found” it. The only thing missing was confetti and a marching band.
The Vaseline Driver Guy — a player secretly applied Vaseline to his driver face to reduce spin and straighten shots. Creative? Yes. Legal? Absolutely not.
The Rule: Confront Cheaters Immediately
Jeff’s message is blunt and correct:
If you witness cheating, you must call it out right away.
Not later. Not after the round. Not “I didn’t want to make things awkward.”
Integrity only survives if honest players defend it in the moment.
Road‑Trip Vibes
All of this unfolds while Jeff is literally driving through Arizona, proving once again that he can teach, rant, and diagnose golf pathology even while navigating desert highways.
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