O'Hair leaves swing coach Foley - Brian Manzella response p4

[Lifter]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sean O'Hair not only is looking for his game, he's now looking for a new swing coach.

O'Hair, who has missed his past five cuts and has not finished among the top 20 all year, has decided to split with Sean Foley after a relationship that began nearly three years ago in the Canadian Open.

During their time together, O'Hair won the Quail Hollow Championship and played in the Presidents Cup. But whatever had been going right started going very wrong this year, and it was time for a change.

O'Hair fired caddie Paul Tesori at the end of last year, and recently split up with caddie Brennan Little. Foley was next to go.

"He hasn't been happy with how this year has gone, and he feels he needs to make a change in direction with his instruction," Foley said Tuesday. "We had a good run up until the 2011 season. Sean is a good friend of mine. I love the kid. But this is business. I don't look at it from an emotional standpoint but a rationale standpoint.

"He has to do what's good for his career," Foley said. "He'll have my complete support, and I'll always cheer for him."

Foley more famously began working with Tiger Woods in August, and his stable includes Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose and Stephen Ames. For O'Hair, it was not an issue of time with the coach as much as it was wanting to change.

"What worked so well for so long ... you keep doing the same thing and it doesn't work as well," Foley said. "It's like in the NBA. You win a championship one year, two years later the coach gets fired for having a losing record. That's the business."

 

[gmbtempe]

I hope he gets it worked out, he seems more talented swing the club though then mentally playing the game, not sure who is going to fix that.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Whoa! This is big news. It just goes to show you its dangerous to have your reputation built on how Tour players perform. BTW, dont tell me for a second that not getting any time wasnt part of the issue. If you're Tiger's coach, thats ur only student. Watch the mass exodus of the rest of them.

 

[DCgolf]

Three tops 10s since 09. Probably time. That's tour instruction for you; what have you done for me lately?

 

[otto6457]

I don't want to derail the thread too much and I'm a huge fan of Sean since he's from Lubbock originally and I love his golf swing.

But....

What is a "Foley swing"? Does he have a certain set of positions like Haney or a look like a Stack and Tilt? I've searched the web and I haven't really found any information on his swing "philosophy"

And was O'Hair hitting it badly this year or is it a lack of scoring...or just wanting away from the Tiger circus?

 

[jdswets]

I hope he gets it worked out, he seems more talented swing the club though then mentally playing the game, not sure who is going to fix that.

Agreed. there was a story from 5 years ago or so, that he was particularly lost and went to Barnes and Noble to find a swing key to get him through a tournament. I thought I was the only one who did that

 

[dbl]

What is a "Foley swing"? Does he have a certain set of positions like Haney or a look like a Stack and Tilt? I've searched the web and I haven't really found any information on his swing "philosophy"

It's pretty findable that Foley is seen as a S&T-light guy. For Woods, he was getting the leftward lean and whatever the release is that's "so different" (according to Woods). See this article for basic background:
Foley enjoying challenge of coaching Tiger - News | FOX Sports on MSN

 

[otto6457]

It's pretty findable that Foley is seen as a S&T-light guy. For Woods, he was getting the leftward lean and whatever the release is that's "so different" (according to Woods). See this article for basic background:
Foley enjoying challenge of coaching Tiger - News | FOX Sports on MSN

Thanks dbl

I had found some forum posts that claimed Foley was a S&T teacher but nothing from Foley himself. I also was confused since Mahan and O'Hair were not considered S&T players and they don't even look similar to each other but both were in Foley's stable.

One thing about it.....Foley doesn't seem shy about going after Haney and what he was doing with Tiger.

 

[dbl]

And Haney fired back repeatedly (in 2011).

You can see what our host has said in this thread, post 17

http://www.brianmanzella.com/golfing-discussions/15105-foley-woods-trackman.html

 

[trickyric67]

the student teacher relationship is only good while results are good. I don't think that it has to do with weather a teacher is good or bad but rather when the magic wears off it's time for a fresh perspective. Football teams fire coach's who have won Super Bowls and Baseball teams fire managers who have won World series championships. there is almost always a point were the results stop coming in sports and change is necaessary. Sometimes it's the player who leaves and sometimes it's the coach as in Haney and Butch. BTW Butch was cutting back his time with Tiger significantly so in effect he was telling Tiger it was coming to an end.

 

[Virtuoso]

This is not a serious set-back for him based on his goals. Sean has to worry about the performance of his players but his ultimate goal is to get respect from other human beings for being one, and to help people become more content.

He is not here to revolutionize golf instruction as much as to touch individual lives. When he goes to bed at night, he wants to feel like he's left the world a better place than he found it.

 

[dbl]

Virtuoso, there are two Seans under discussion, SF and SO'H....

Makes for 'better' reading, I guess, assuming you are writing about O'Hair.

 

[suns11111]

Not a stat junkie, Sean I believe was a below average short game / putter. I am under the impression hes a typical golfer, if you dont change your not trying to get better........not like he will go broke. Think hes a great ball striker and even better person watching on TV or watching him while I followed him in the gallery. Wish him all the best!
JeffS

 

[oldpro]

Whoa! This is big news. It just goes to show you its dangerous to have your reputation built on how Tour players perform. BTW, dont tell me for a second that not getting any time wasnt part of the issue. If you're Tiger's coach, thats ur only student. Watch the mass exodus of the rest of them.

You are right on the money Kev...here's a funny video...Think Tiger when watching LOL

YouTube - The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger (original narration by Randall)

 

[ekennedy]

This is not a serious set-back for him based on his goals. Sean has to worry about the performance of his players but his ultimate goal is to get respect from other human beings for being one, and to help people become more content.

He is not here to revolutionize golf instruction as much as to touch individual lives. When he goes to bed at night, he wants to feel like he's left the world a better place than he found it.

Wow, that's touching. Kind of like having Deepak Choprah following you around the course.

 

[jeffy]

I'd noticed that O'Hair's ballstriking stats have only declined with Foley. A pleasant surprise to me that he didn't hang with him longer.

 

[Richie3Jack]

Here's what I have for O'Hair so far this year (out of 185 golfers)

Advanced Total Driving: 119th
Adjusted Danger Zone: 95th
Adjusted Short Game: 166th
Putts Against Average from 3'-25': 130th

IIRC, his ballstriking stats were solid in 2009, but I expected great stats. And he was very average in 2010.





3JACK

 

[Virtuoso]

Wow, that's touching. Kind of like having Deepak Choprah following you around the course.

What's great about Foley is that he doesn't just deal with the golf swing; he essentially coaches human beings that deal with love, hate and fear. Just analysing the physicality of it would fall short of what he considers his mantra which is to be the change you want to see in the world without simultaneously condemning what you want to change. So, he's not just thinking his way to better action, but acting his way to better thinking. It's that freedom of thought that releases someone from the entanglements that the golf swing creates. Sean even goes so far as to reference Bob Marley's explicit denouncement of European Imperialism and the implicit denouncement of mentally enslaving yourself. These comparisons have critical relevance to the golf swing.

When a coach is this knowledgeable about the world, he brings to the table external capsules of wisdom that are universally helpful. It's a global view, not a sheltered "local" view. I guess some of this comes from his experience as a persecuted canadian student at Tennesse State. He didn't have a problem with it but a lot of people did. But, he could perseverve because he understood the plight of other underprivileged people in the world. His parents taught him that so perhaps we in the golf world have them to thank as well.

My only wish is that he had to prominence sooner--studying what he has to say would have made me a better teacher and human being.

 

[Kevin Shields]

How do you know he's on the lesson tee talking about having peace in your life? He may talk about that in interviews but unless you are there how do we know thats part of the program? Any Tour players touting this as part of his teaching or is it all fluff?

 

[trickyric67]

are you a friend of his?
you are pimping hard for him and I gotta tell ya, I don't want life lessons from my golf instructor, fix or improve my game unless you are ordained or have an MD.

What's great about Foley is that he doesn't just deal with the golf swing; he essentially coaches human beings that deal with love, hate and fear. Just analysing the physicality of it would fall short of what he considers his mantra which is to be the change you want to see in the world without simultaneously condemning what you want to change. So, he's not just thinking his way to better action, but acting his way to better thinking. It's that freedom of thought that releases someone from the entanglements that the golf swing creates. Sean even goes so far as to reference Bob Marley's explicit denouncement of European Imperialism and the implicit denouncement of mentally enslaving yourself. These comparisons have critical relevance to the golf swing.

When a coach is this knowledgeable about the world, he brings to the table external capsules of wisdom that are universally helpful. It's a global view, not a sheltered "local" view. I guess some of this comes from his experience as a persecuted canadian student at Tennesse State. He didn't have a problem with it but a lot of people did. But, he could perseverve because he understood the plight of other underprivileged people in the world. His parents taught him that so perhaps we in the golf world have them to thank as well.

My only wish is that he had to prominence sooner--studying what he has to say would have made me a better teacher and human being.