271: Tony Ruggiero on Building Champions & Fixing Smylie’s Swing | The DEWSWEEPER Interview
Update: 2025-10-07
Description
Smylie Kaufman catches up with his longtime swing coach and one of golf’s most respected teachers, Tony Ruggiero — known across the game as The Dew Sweeper.
They revisit how their partnership began back in college, swap hilarious “Jingle Bell” tournament stories, and dig into what makes a great coach. Tony shares his journey from broke instructor at the Flora-Bama to a Top 50 Coach in America, plus lessons learned from legends like Butch Harmon, Hank Johnson, and Cam McCormick.
The two break down how to actually change your golf swing, the importance of the pivot, and why simple is usually better. Stick around for live swing breakdowns and plenty of laughs along the way.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Smylie & Tony catch up over steak, wine, and Saints football
02:45 – How Smylie met Tony and the origins of “TPC Sunkist”
06:30 – The Jingle Bell stories & early lessons that shaped Smylie’s swing
11:00 – Tony’s coaching roots and what Hank Johnson taught him
17:00 – From broke teacher to Top 50 coach: life lessons from Flora-Bama
25:00 – Teaching tour pros vs. amateurs: what really matters
32:00 – Lessons from Butch Harmon & why confidence beats mechanics
40:00 – How to actually change a motor pattern in your golf swing
53:00 – Smylie, Charlie & Tony break down viewer swings
1:03:00 – Final thoughts: practice smarter, play freer, and have fun
They revisit how their partnership began back in college, swap hilarious “Jingle Bell” tournament stories, and dig into what makes a great coach. Tony shares his journey from broke instructor at the Flora-Bama to a Top 50 Coach in America, plus lessons learned from legends like Butch Harmon, Hank Johnson, and Cam McCormick.
The two break down how to actually change your golf swing, the importance of the pivot, and why simple is usually better. Stick around for live swing breakdowns and plenty of laughs along the way.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Smylie & Tony catch up over steak, wine, and Saints football
02:45 – How Smylie met Tony and the origins of “TPC Sunkist”
06:30 – The Jingle Bell stories & early lessons that shaped Smylie’s swing
11:00 – Tony’s coaching roots and what Hank Johnson taught him
17:00 – From broke teacher to Top 50 coach: life lessons from Flora-Bama
25:00 – Teaching tour pros vs. amateurs: what really matters
32:00 – Lessons from Butch Harmon & why confidence beats mechanics
40:00 – How to actually change a motor pattern in your golf swing
53:00 – Smylie, Charlie & Tony break down viewer swings
1:03:00 – Final thoughts: practice smarter, play freer, and have fun
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