Sean Foley speaks at Professional Golfers Career College in Orlando
- Thread starter Mad Hatter
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StewartBannatyne
New
He's an interesting guy for sure. I enjoyed watching it. I really thought his opinions on method teaching and labelling of yourself were rather interesting. It shows why he's one of the up and coming teachers out there.
Stew
Stew
Virtuoso
New
Some random thoughts on Foley:
Well, he has some knowledge.....but wouldn't it be incredible if he actually knew as much as he wants you to think he knows.
Just enough explicit self-modesty to expose it as possibly false self-modesty.
He exudes too much of what I hate creeping into my own teaching, ie, " I can't quite help this guy hit the ball better so I'll go one level deeper into the anatomy, psychology, physics, brain chemistry, etc, so that the burden is on him to understand instead of on me to actually teach."
Tended to become more of "I have a dream" speech than a teaching clinic for the PGCC.
Says just enough intelligent things to be able to mix in silly things. He mentions that virtue and passion is more important than talent. True for life, but if he meant golf performance, virtue is not going to help you get that 3-iron in the air. His #1 student has clearly shown that talent is more important than virtue when it comes to playing good golf.
Foley emphasizes that he couldn't care less what journalists (or anyone) say about him and then goes on to make a point about how low the standards are to become a "journalist" in the modern computer blog, forum, twitter world. So, has he "transcended" what they say or not?
Actually, Tiger and Foley are perfect for each other. One will "do more for the people of the world than Gandhi" so can you imagine the necessary qualifications of his teacher?
Well, he has some knowledge.....but wouldn't it be incredible if he actually knew as much as he wants you to think he knows.
Just enough explicit self-modesty to expose it as possibly false self-modesty.
He exudes too much of what I hate creeping into my own teaching, ie, " I can't quite help this guy hit the ball better so I'll go one level deeper into the anatomy, psychology, physics, brain chemistry, etc, so that the burden is on him to understand instead of on me to actually teach."
Tended to become more of "I have a dream" speech than a teaching clinic for the PGCC.
Says just enough intelligent things to be able to mix in silly things. He mentions that virtue and passion is more important than talent. True for life, but if he meant golf performance, virtue is not going to help you get that 3-iron in the air. His #1 student has clearly shown that talent is more important than virtue when it comes to playing good golf.
Foley emphasizes that he couldn't care less what journalists (or anyone) say about him and then goes on to make a point about how low the standards are to become a "journalist" in the modern computer blog, forum, twitter world. So, has he "transcended" what they say or not?
Actually, Tiger and Foley are perfect for each other. One will "do more for the people of the world than Gandhi" so can you imagine the necessary qualifications of his teacher?
birly-shirly
New
Very astute points by Virtuoso, I think. The guy strikes me as someone who would have been successful at whatever he tried to sell. It just so happens to have been golf.
A couple of golfing issues struck me in what he said.
1. That drill that Tiger was rehearsing and that had people all excited on another thread is clearly the same stuff he was teaching Justin Rose. So he really means it. Didn't he say that he wanted the player to feel that his nose and sternum were ahead of the ball?
2. He actually seemed to be saying that he liked weight transfer back and through.
3. Didn't he ask, "When did an amateur ever get too steep?" meaning, I take it, that we never do. Comments from our professional colleagues please?
4. Didn't he say, with some pride, that he'd had students take lessons for 8 (I think) years and NOT improve?
A couple of golfing issues struck me in what he said.
1. That drill that Tiger was rehearsing and that had people all excited on another thread is clearly the same stuff he was teaching Justin Rose. So he really means it. Didn't he say that he wanted the player to feel that his nose and sternum were ahead of the ball?
2. He actually seemed to be saying that he liked weight transfer back and through.
3. Didn't he ask, "When did an amateur ever get too steep?" meaning, I take it, that we never do. Comments from our professional colleagues please?
4. Didn't he say, with some pride, that he'd had students take lessons for 8 (I think) years and NOT improve?
Richie3Jack
New
Virtuoso
New
Hey Birly, i think he means that all amateurs are scoopers (even while cutting across it--which makes perfect sense when looking at their sequence), and i would agree that most of them are but not all. BUT, I think there is some confusion there in terms of what his critics are saying, or at least what I would say. I think most teachers would agree that staying on the left side is a valid method for getting a a scooper to trap the ball. What is less clear is whether an S&T type method is the best way for an acomplished player (who can already hit down on the ball from the inside) to perform with more power and precision.
Michael Finney
New
there's a lot to like and admire in that guy....and then i have some questions...
it's refreshing to hear his overall approach, although the existentialism is a bit much for me only because i can't comprehend it myself...
birly had some of the same questions that i had.....maybe sean will show up in phoenix and we can exchange some ideas on the golf swing - we'll leave mandela to him.....manzella will have to suffice for now
it's refreshing to hear his overall approach, although the existentialism is a bit much for me only because i can't comprehend it myself...
birly had some of the same questions that i had.....maybe sean will show up in phoenix and we can exchange some ideas on the golf swing - we'll leave mandela to him.....manzella will have to suffice for now
Ryan Smither
Super Moderator
Positive: Certainly an upgrade over Haney.
Negative: Not a fan of the goofy poses.
Positive: Enjoyed some of the "Oprah" discussion at the beginning.
Negative: Was he joking with some of those demonstration shots?
Positive: Seems like a guy I wouldn't mind drinking a beer with.
Negative: Some of his information could use an upgrade.
Positive: I think he'd change his info in a heartbeat if/when he sees the light.
Negative: Not a fan of the goofy poses.
Positive: Enjoyed some of the "Oprah" discussion at the beginning.
Negative: Was he joking with some of those demonstration shots?
Positive: Seems like a guy I wouldn't mind drinking a beer with.
Negative: Some of his information could use an upgrade.
Positive: I think he'd change his info in a heartbeat if/when he sees the light.
birly-shirly
New
I agree with your interpretation of what he was saying - that amateurs tend to scoop or flip or whatever. But he also seemed to be saying that because of the scoop there's no amount of movement ahead of the ball that would be too much movement.
If you take the Justin Rose story at face value, or Tiger's drill, then I'd be tempted to draw the conclusion that these guys have got the speed and the instincts to get the club on the ball before they get too far ahead of it. I have a hunch that we slower moving of the species might be a tad better at getting ahead of the ball than Sean gives us credit for.
Plus, his Justin story, concluding with how high Justin ended up hitting it, sounded dangerously like the old "hit down to maximise backspin". Hasn't that been debunked by Trackman and high-speed cameras?
Mad Hatter
New
Looking at Justin Rose's stats he made a huge improvement in his putting this year. He started working with Dave Stockton this year.
Putts Per Round
Year Rank Avg
2009 106 29.21
2010 17 28.64
Total Putting
Year Rank Total
2009 98 212.3
2010 19 92.0
Putts Per Round
Year Rank Avg
2009 106 29.21
2010 17 28.64
Total Putting
Year Rank Total
2009 98 212.3
2010 19 92.0
mjstrong
New
I didn't watch all of the episodes, just most of the last two, but got the feeling that:
He has some good information, but doesn't quite understand all of it. Perhaps he was filtering it a little for his audience.
I didn't learn anything, but didn't disagree with everything that he said either. I still think it could have been a little better presentation than it was.
He has some good information, but doesn't quite understand all of it. Perhaps he was filtering it a little for his audience.
I didn't learn anything, but didn't disagree with everything that he said either. I still think it could have been a little better presentation than it was.
Chip Putterman
New
The entire time watching the video, I felt like pulling his shirt out of his pants.
He's never seen an amateur swing too steep? I once let a guy hit one of my clubs and he BROKE IT!! He was swinging too steep.
Good luck, Tiger.
He's never seen an amateur swing too steep? I once let a guy hit one of my clubs and he BROKE IT!! He was swinging too steep.
Good luck, Tiger.
Mike Thomas (sunmart)
New member
Why did he go to Tenn. State? How did that come about?
Richie3Jack
New
Black school that has golf scholarships available.
The black schools are notorious for having golf teams with all white players on them.
3JACK
birdie_man
New
Burner
New
Jared Willerson
Super Moderator
What is even funnier is watching the PGA National Minority College Championships and 3/4 of the participants are white...
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