Those Weekend Golf Guys

By Those Weekend Golf Guys, BleavComedy Sports Golf

Those Weekend Golf Guys episodes

July 26 Golf Shots Don’t Care About Your Feelings
This week on Those Weekend Golf Guys, the crew dove into the messy, hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking world of golf performance — especially the mental circus happening between a golfer’s ears.
They kicked things off with a story about a player who had all the physical tools but confidence lower than a worm’s shoe size. Classic case: the swing was fine, the fundamentals were fine… but the brain? Oh boy. Total chaos. Jeff jumped in with the reminder every golfer needs tattooed on their forehead: range golf and real golf are not the same sport. You can stripe it on the range like you’re auditioning for a commercial, but the second you step onto the first tee of a tournament? Suddenly your hands shake, your heart races, and you forget how to hold the club. Welcome to competitive golf.
The guys hammered home the idea that a golf shot is a golf shot — whether you’re on the range, on the course, or staring down a college coach who may or may not be watching. But getting golfers, especially juniors, to believe that? That’s the trick.
Then came the junior‑golf deep dive. iPad shared a win with a 15‑year‑old from Montana who turned his game around once he got the right mental tools. But he also pointed out the obvious: how a kid handles pressure usually comes down to how they’ve been raised. Some kids soak up coaching like a sponge. Others crumble the second they think someone’s judging them. And yes — parents are often the biggest variable in the whole equation.
Jeff broke down performance variance in a way every sports parent needs to hear. He compared it to basketball: you don’t score the same number of points every night because the gym, the opponent, and the pressure all change. Golf’s the same. But parents see one bad round and act like the kid’s scholarship just burst into flames.
Speaking of pressure… Jeff and Joe talked about the cost of chasing big tournaments. Flights, hotels, rental cars, food — suddenly you’re two grand deep before the kid even tees off. And then you hear a college coach might be there? Yeah, that’ll tighten the screws on everybody.
Joe wrapped things up with some of his best emotional‑management tools. The big one: the detachment mechanism. Kid hits a bad shot? Instead of spiraling into a meltdown, they say, “Isn’t that fascinating.” Boom — emotional reset. No shame, no panic, no identity crisis. He even teaches players to jokingly blame their playing partner for the shot just to break the tension. It works way better than you’d think.
The final message was simple and loud: your golf game is not your identity. Kids need hobbies, interests, and confidence that don’t depend on whether they shot 72 or 92. Because the second golf becomes their whole personality, the game stops being fun — and that’s when everything falls apart.

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47 min
July 19 Relax… It’s Just a Golf Shot, Not a Tax Audit
This week on The Weekend Golf Guys, Tom and Jeff teamed up to remind golfers everywhere that your brain can wreck a round faster than a topped tee shot. They hammered home the idea that if you’re not having fun out there, you’re basically paying good money to be miserable — and that’s just bad economics. Frustration, fear, and those wild expectations we all carry around? Yeah, those are the real swing killers.

Tom talked mindset, Jeff talked mechanics, and together they made one thing crystal clear: your setup and your patterns matter way more than whatever complicated nonsense you saw on YouTube at 2 a.m. Jeff even pulled out some wisdom from Dr. Bob Christina, explaining how your physical structure — the way you stand, balance, and move — shapes your swing more than any “try this one weird trick” tip ever will.

Then Jeff rolled out one of his classic lesson moves: he takes the golf ball away. Just removes it. Students freak out for a second, then suddenly start swinging like actual athletes instead of nervous wrecks trying not to embarrass themselves. No ball means no fear, no overthinking, no “don’t shank this.” Just balance, motion, and a swing that finally makes sense.

Tom backed him up, pointing out that golfers don’t need a dictionary of technical jargon. They need simple, practical stuff they can actually use — grip, stance, alignment, and a brain that isn’t screaming at them. Keep it simple, and the swing gets better. Make it complicated, and the golfer gets worse. Every. Single. Time.

The show wrapped with Tom sharing how folks can reach him for instruction, and of course, we reminded everyone to subscribe, leave a review, and keep the game fun — because golf is hard enough without you turning it into a science project.

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50 min
July 12 Fear, Focus, and the Phone That’s Ruining Your Round
What Jared Shared From His Book, “EVERYDAY GOLF PSYCHOLOGY”
1. Emotions aren’t random—they’re signals
• Anger, fear, embarrassment, overconfidence… none of these are “mental weaknesses.”
• They’re outputs of something deeper: expectations, flawed goals, poor preparation, or misjudged skill.
• Trying to “stay calm” without understanding why you’re upset is like trying to fix a slice by adjusting your grip every hole.
2. Overconfidence is a silent killer
Most golfers don’t realize they’re overconfident until they’re already playing poorly.
Overconfidence often comes from:
• A few good practice sessions
• A hot streak on the range
• Misjudging actual skill level
• Tournament performance exposes the truth: practice success ≠ competitive readiness.
3. Fear of embarrassment is more common than fear of failure
Recreational golfers especially worry about:
• Looking stupid
• Holding up the group
• Hitting a bad shot in front of others
This creates tension, rushed routines, and poor decision-making.
Focus: The Real Engine of Performance
4. Focus is driven by goals, not discipline
Jared was adamant:
“Focus isn’t something you do—it’s something your goals create.”
If your goals are vague (“play well today”), your focus will be vague.
Clear goals = clear attention.
5. Phones destroy focus more than people admit
• Even checking your phone between shots fractures your mental rhythm.
• The brain doesn’t fully “return” to golf for several minutes.
• Recreational golfers underestimate how much this matters.
Accessing Information During Shots
6. Great players access more detail, not less
They see:
• Wind patterns
• Lies
• Shot windows
• Tendencies
• Emotional state
Most amateurs try to “simplify” too much and end up ignoring critical data.
Bridging Practice → Competition
7. Practice must simulate pressure
Otherwise:
• You build skills you can’t access under stress.
• You create false confidence.
• You never learn how your emotions behave in competition.
Jared’s strategies included:
• Adding consequences to practice
• Tracking emotional patterns
• Practicing decision-making, not just mechanics
• Using post‑shot evaluations to build awareness

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46 min
July 05 Positive Self‑Talk: Because Yelling at Your Ball Hasn’t Worked Yet
This week on Those Weekend Golf Guys, John Ashton is joined by two of our favorite smart‑aleck swing whisperers, Scott Monroe and Jeff Smith, for a conversation that wanders all over the golf landscape — in the best possible way.
We kick things off with the U.S. Open, where the golf was great, the crowds were… enthusiastic, and the etiquette was somewhere between “country club polite” and “rock concert adjacent.” From there, we jump into the hot‑button topic of music on the golf course — does it help you groove or make you shank it harder? Depends on who you ask.
Scott drops an absolute gem of a story about a pro in Australia who literally blacked out mid‑round and kept playing. Yes, really. That leads us straight into the mental side of golf — why this game demands a totally different headspace than sports where you never stop moving. We dig into hypnotism, visualization, and positive self‑talk, including Scott’s upcoming work with hypnotist Ricky Kalman, who might just be the next secret weapon for golfers everywhere.
We also talk about the future of young talent: Can late bloomers still make it? How has NIL changed college golf? And what does the modern path to the pros look like now that 19‑year‑olds have sponsorship deals bigger than our mortgages?
It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s a little chaotic — in other words, it’s exactly what you expect from Those Weekend Golf Guys

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46 min
June 28Your Brain Is the Real Hazard
This week, John and Jeff dive headfirst into the part of golf that ruins more rounds than bad lies and slow groups combined: the mental circus inside your own head.
Pressure, Panic & Playing With People Who Scare You
Jeff kicks things off with a story about playing at his father‑in‑law’s club — the classic “I swear I’m better than this” round — where he tried so hard to impress everyone that he played like a man who’d never held a golf club before. John jumps in with how working with Jeff helped him stop trying to prove anything to anyone and start leaning into humor, fun, and the occasional self‑burn. Because nothing lowers expectations faster than making fun of yourself before anyone else can.

Golf With Better Players (AKA: The Intimidation Olympics)
Jeff talks about playing with golfers of all skill levels and how he tries to make people comfortable by pretending he’s not a Top‑100 teacher. John admits that playing with Jeff can be intimidating — because watching someone flush it on command is a humbling experience — but it all circles back to the mental game being the real separator.

U.S. Open Talk: Courses, Carnage & Wyndham Clark
The guys break down the U.S. Open setup and whether the USGA intentionally picks courses designed to make grown men cry. They talk about Wyndham Clark’s win, how a previous meltdown shaped his mindset, and that ridiculous recovery shot on 16 that basically said, “I’m winning this thing, thanks.”
Hero Shots & Why Pros Go Full Send
John and Jeff debate a player choosing the aggressive route instead of taking an unplayable. Jeff calls it a hero shot. John calls it Tuesday. They agree that when the difference between first and second is millions of dollars, you don’t lay up — you swing like you mean it.

Golf Psychology: Your Brain Is Not Your Friend
The guys get into why telling yourself “don’t hit it in the water” is the fastest way to hit it in the water. Jeff shares his Golf.com first‑tee jitters video and how negative thoughts become self‑fulfilling disasters. They lay out real fixes:
Deep breaths

Fast, loose practice swings

A single, clear target

ZERO math mid‑round
Because nothing ruins tempo like trying to calculate your handicap on the 14th tee.

Bagger Vance, Tunnel Vision & The Good Kind of Zoning Out
Jeff brings up The Legend of Bagger Vance to explain that magical moment when the world blurs, the target sharpens, and the swing just happens. John nods approvingly, mostly because it means he gets to reference a movie he actually remembers.

Thinking vs. Doing (Spoiler: Thinking Loses)
Jeff reminds listeners that you can’t think your way through a golf swing — it happens too fast. It’s like trying to play guitar while reading the sheet music for the first time. As Jeff’s buddy John Dunnigan says: “When you think, you stink.”
Warm‑Up Like You Mean It
They talk about warming up without a ball first to avoid early‑round negativity. Jeff suggests hitting the ground with a tee to find balance and rhythm before you start judging yourself.

Stop Doing Math & Start Playing Golf
The guys wrap by reminding golfers to stop calculating their score mid‑round and focus on one shot at a time. They tease an upcoming episode with sports psychologist Jared Tendler, who will either validate everything they’ve said… or politely tell them they’re full of it.
They close with the usual: subscribe, leave a review, and stay tuned for more mental‑game wisdom — or at least entertaining nonsense.

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41 min
June 21 How to Escape Rough… Without Being a Dumb Ass
John and Jeff spent this episode diving into the stuff golfers pretend they know how to handle but absolutely do not: dumb lies in thick rough, dumb decisions in thick rough, and the Dumb Ass penalties that come from both.
They kicked things off with the age‑old debate: the hand wedge. Does it count as a stroke? Depends on the group. Some guys call it “winter rules,” some call it “improving your lie,” and some call it “I’m not writing down a 9 today.” But the point stands — if you’re going to cheat, at least be consistent.
Jeff rolled out his “loop of control” — brain → hands → clubface → ball → brain — which is basically his polite way of saying, “If your grip is trash, everything else is going to be trash too.” Check the clubface before you swing. Seriously. It’s free.
Then they got into the real meat: hitting from the rough. Jeff explained how to read the grooves, steepen the swing, and for the love of all things holy, use a wedge. If you’re pulling a 5‑iron out of knee‑high rough, you’re not a hero — you’re auditioning for a DA penalty.
Speaking of which… Jeff told the story of a Big Ten Championship at French Lick where a college player made such a catastrophically bad decision on the 17th hole that it cost his team the entire tournament. Not a rulebook penalty. A Dumb Ass penalty. The kind you earn by ignoring every smart option available and choosing violence instead.
They broke down the unplayable lie rule, too — when to use it, how to use it, and why it exists to save you from yourself. You can take one unplayable. You can take two. You can take three. The Rules of Golf don’t judge you. Your buddies will, but the rules won’t.
And finally, they wrapped with the two kinds of penalties in golf:
• Rulebook penalties — the ones the USGA wrote
• Idiot penalties (DA penalties) — the ones you write yourself by doing something dumb
Most golfers worry about the first category. Most golfers suffer from the second.
Jeff and John reminded listeners that knowing the rules — and knowing when to stop being a Dumb Ass — will

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41 min
June 14 Why Your Swing Needs Loft, Not Hype
This week, John and Jeff take a friendly flamethrower to one of golf’s biggest myths: that all the fancy, high‑tech, tour‑speed gear is somehow going to magically fix the game of a golfer who swings like a normal human being. Spoiler alert — it won’t.
Jeff breaks down why so much of today’s “longer, faster, lower‑spin” equipment is built for people who swing 115 mph and have personal trainers, not for the senior golfer who just wants the ball to get up, go forward, and not disappear into the right rough. He shares real stories from his slower‑swing students and the gear that actually helped them hit better shots without needing a physics degree or a new chiropractor.
The guys dig into wedges that make life easier instead of harder — Wilson Harmonize, Cleveland CRS‑X, Callaway Sure A+2 — the kind of clubs that don’t care about your ego, just your scorecard. Then they talk golf balls, explaining why lower‑compression options like the Titleist TourSoft can give seniors more launch and carry, even if they don’t spin like a tour ball around the greens. And honestly, if you’re not delivering tour‑level speed, who cares.
They wrap it all up with the most important lesson of the episode: Stop buying the logo. Start buying what works. Get fit, test gear, ignore the hype, and play equipment that matches your swing — not the guy on TV.

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40 min
June 07Grip It, Don’t Rip Yourself Off
Golf Instruction & Slice‑Fixing Reality Check
John and Jeff kicked things off by tackling the world’s most popular golf shot: the slice. And instead of giving listeners the usual “just swing more inside‑out” nonsense, Jeff broke down how he actually fixes slices in real lessons. Turns out the problem usually isn’t the swing at all — it’s the hands:
A left hand so weak it should be on the injured list

A hand position that practically begs the clubface to stay open

Or a wrist hinge that’s doing interpretive dance instead of squaring the face

Jeff hammered home the idea that your natural arm hang determines your proper grip — not what your favorite tour pro does, not what a YouTube thumbnail promises, and definitely not what your buddy Chad insists is “the only correct grip.”

Equipment Talk: Overhyped Clubs & Real Value
Then the boys dove into the equipment world, where marketing departments work harder than most golfers do on their short game.

They called out the brands that sell “revolutionary distance gains” every 15 minutes… and then pointed listeners toward the companies that actually deliver value without the circus tent:
Mizuno — feel without the flex

Cobra — tech without the tax

Srixon — performance without the peacocking
The message: stop buying clubs because your favorite player uses them. That guy swings 122 mph and has a tour van following him. You have a day job and a 3‑year‑old headcover shaped like a flaming.

Putter Talk & Status Symbol Madness
Next up: putters. Jeff admitted he’s a LAB guy, but gave nods to Scotty Cameron and Ping — the usual suspects in the “my putter cost more than my first car” category.

John and Jeff roasted the idea that golfers care more about fancy headcovers than actually making putts. Because at the end of the day:
No one on the green cares what brand you’re holding

They care whether you can roll it inside 3 feet without sweating

Performance > status. Always.

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47 min
May 31 Mud, Rain & Bad Decisions: A Golf Survival Guide
Weather Golf: Mud, Rain & Misery
Jeff goes full meteorologist, explaining how weather absolutely wrecks your game — distance drops, mud adds side spin, and TV never shows how bad it really is because half the shots are pre‑recorded.
The guys talk about:
• Why mud on the ball is basically Mother Nature saying “good luck, buddy”
• How to stay safe when the course turns into a Slip ’N Slide
• Why rain golf is character‑building… or at least story‑building
Swing Thoughts & Mental Game Simplification
Jeff shares coaching wisdom from the trenches:
The fewer thoughts you have, the better you play.
They break down how simplifying your swing and ball position can turn a struggling golfer into someone who suddenly looks like they know what they’re doing.
Towels, Gloves & Staying Dry Without a Caddy
Rain round survival school is in session.
Jeff and John cover:
• The “weave your towel through the umbrella” trick
• The “stuff it inside your jacket” backup plan
• Rotating gloves like a Vegas blackjack dealer
• Why worn‑out gloves are basically a confession of bad grip habits
• And yes… buying gloves in bulk is not only allowed, it’s encouraged
Mountain Golf Destinations
Jeff goes on a tour of his favorite elevation‑heavy golf spots across the country, including:
• Pine Canyon (AZ)
• Cliffs at Glassie (SC)
• French Lick (IN)
• Wolf Creek (Mesquite, NV)

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48 min
May 24 Dear USGA: Stop Fixing Things That Aren’t Broken
Pros vs. Amateurs: Two Different Sports
The guys explore how the rollback highlights a bigger truth: professional golf and amateur golf are practically different sports. Jeff explains how equipment, swing speed, and course setup create two completely separate realities. John doubles down on the idea that amateurs shouldn’t be governed by rules designed for the 0.01%.
Jeff’s Equipment Talk & His Upcoming Par‑3 Outing
Jeff shares his personal experience testing the new Titleist balls and how they behave in real‑world conditions. He also previews an upcoming round with an 8th‑grade golfer at a local par‑3 course — a reminder that golf is still about fun, learning, and good company.
Who Should Govern What?
The conversation shifts to the USGA’s role in the game.
John argues that the USGA should focus on amateur golf — their actual domain — instead of influencing the professional game, which operates under entirely different conditions.
Jeff agrees that pros and amateurs essentially play two different sports, and applying the same equipment rules to both groups makes little sense.
Growing the Recreational Game: The “Sorta Golf Manifesto”
John and Jeff brainstorm ways to make golf more fun and accessible for the masses. Their tongue‑in‑cheek “golf manifesto” includes ideas like:
No penalty for lost balls — just pay a $5 “stupid tax” and move on.
Scramble putts for everyone — every player gets a chance to roll one in.
Relaxed rules that keep the game moving and keep players smiling.
The goal: grow the recreational market by making golf less intimidating and more enjoyable.
PGA Championship & Oddball Habits
They wrap up with a look at the recent PGA Championship, including a player whose quirky head‑cover routine caught their attention. John jokes that FanDuel still doesn’t offer odds on “most unusual equipment ritual,” though it probably should

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45 min

About Those Weekend Golf Guys

From the publisher's feed

Take a Golf Magazine Top 100 teacher, Jeff Smith ( (http://jeffsmithgolfinstruction.com) and pair him with an outstanding radio personality and you have the formula for one helluva Golf Talk Radio…