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Lee Westwood leaves Sean Foley


Deryck Griffith
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I don't know why but I find this to be very interesting.

Maybe there wasn't a synergy in personalities?Β  Maybe Sean's coaching style didn't match what Lee was looking for or "hoping" at all?Β  Thoughts?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/10635262/Lee-Westwood-splits-from-coach-Sean-Foley.html

Deryck Griffith

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" I just wanted to work on swing positions and stuff like that a bit more,” Westwood said. β€œI didn’t feel Sean coached like that, so it didn’t really fit what I wanted to do. "

So presumably he's hung up on what he used to play like rather than the numbers and data Foley works on with his students. He wants "monkey see, monkey do" instead of "monkey learn".

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"I just wanted to work on swing positions and stuff like that a bit more,” Westwood said. β€œI didn’t feel Sean coached like that, so it didn’t really fit what I wanted to do."

So presumably he's hung up on what he used to play like rather than the numbers and data Foley works on with his students. He wants "monkey see, monkey do" instead of "monkey learn".

My take is he's just old school ... he's looking for someone to help him maintain his established swing positions, notΒ Β over analyze parameters of his golf swing using all the high tech modern methodology ...

John

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It almost sounds to me like he's just looking for a coach to validateΒ what he feels about his own swing. The article certainly makes it seem like Lee doesn't want to make any mechanical changes.

Bill

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It almost sounds to me like he's just looking for a coach to validateΒ what he feels about his own swing. The article certainly makes it seem like Lee doesn't want to make any mechanical changes.

exactly - I saw an interview with him recently - he said something like he's been around too long, has made enough money & is not interested in re-working his golf swing ... he may need help getting it back to where it belongs from time to time, but no wholesale changes.Β Β  This definitely isn't what Sean Foley is about ...

John

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It almost sounds to me like he's just looking for a coach to validateΒ what he feels about his own swing. The article certainly makes it seem like Lee doesn't want to make any mechanical changes.


I think you are on to something.Β  Someone to validate what he is already doing.

One on hand, Foley can be very technical and being that Westwood is, as he said "old school," the technical nature of Foley's teachings probably just didn't jive for him.

Then again on the other hand, I have seen Foley say that he takes different approaches with each student.Β  He said Rose loves lots of technical information and Mahan, for example is the opposite.Β  He responds better to more "big picture ideas" and approaches Mahan accordingly.Β  So, if this is the case, how come he couldn't find the proper communicative balance with Westwood?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by billchao

It almost sounds to me like he's just looking for a coach to validateΒ what he feels about his own swing. The article certainly makes it seem like Lee doesn't want to make any mechanical changes.

exactly - I saw an interview with him recently - he said something like he's been around too long, has made enough money & is not interested in re-working his golf swing ... he may need help getting it back to where it belongs from time to time, but no wholesale changes.Β Β  This definitely isn't what Sean Foley is about ...

I get that too. Lee is a stick in the mud. I get the feeling he could not take the coaching to heart which is fine. They both are saying nice things about each other and sometimes things don't work out.

"My ball is on top of a rock in the hazard, do I get some sort of relief?"

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Then again on the other hand, I have seen Foley say that he takes different approaches with each student.Β  He said Rose loves lots of technical information and Mahan, for example is the opposite.Β  He responds better to more "big picture ideas" and approaches Mahan accordingly.Β  So, if this is the case, how come he couldn't find the proper communicative balance with Westwood?

This is obviously pure speculation, but maybe the problem isn't in communication, but the message? If Westwood wants to swing his old swing and Foley wants to make changes, unless one side convinces the other to change their position, the relationship was bound to fail at some point.

Bill

β€œBy three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius

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I have nothing to back this up, but I just get the sense Foley is one egomaniac arrogant jackass. Albeit, he surely knows what he is doing. Westwood to me seems to be confident, but unable to handle the constructive criticism of a coah like that. Personalities just didnt mesh at all. Sadly, I think Lee's lack of major(s) is more mental than anything. Not sure any coach is gonna fix that.

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I have nothing to back this up, but I just get the sense Foley is one egomaniac arrogant jackass. Albeit, he surely knows what he is doing. Westwood to me seems to be confident, but unable to handle the constructive criticism of a coah like that. Personalities just didnt mesh at all. Sadly, I think Lee's lack of major(s) is more mental than anything. Not sure any coach is gonna fix that.

Tell us how you really feel, @atb5079 .

Honestly, if you don't know the guy, or anything about what goes on behind the scenes, it's probably better not to make not to make assumptions and label people like that.

Bill

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He just comes off that way in interviews. Dont get butt hurt.

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exactly - I saw an interview with him recently - he said something like he's been around too long, has made enough money & is not interested in re-working his golf swing ... he may need help getting it back to where it belongs from time to time, but no wholesale changes.Β Β  This definitely isn't what Sean Foley is about ...

This would be my guess, pretty much the reverse of Harrington whose long time coach Bob Torrance sacked him for wanting to make major swing changes too late in his career. Which really didn't work out well for Harrington.

Having said that it is less than a year ago that a combination of Phil's brilliance and Lee's chocking dog impression backed Lee out of the Open victory.

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Given Lee's stated goals for what he wants to get from a teacherΒ and Foley's well known way of teaching, the real question is not why they are splitting but why Lee went to Foley in the first place.

But then again, what the hell do I know?

Rich - in name only

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He just comes off that way in interviews. Dont get butt hurt.


Well he seems very analytical and there is rarely a coach that doesn't teach something he is not an adamant believer in. Analytical people are sometimes not the best with PR. I would say that most of the coaches kind of rub me wrong in different ways but to say they are a holes because of my brief experience.... I say no.

"My ball is on top of a rock in the hazard, do I get some sort of relief?"

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Dont get butt hurt.

Unnecessary and childish comment. If you want to have a discussion about Sean Foley, fine, but let's not resort to name calling. Also, the assertion that I would get "butt hurt" over how you feel about someone I've never met is completely absurd. I was merely pointing out that it's not polite to make assumptions of people.

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Bill

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Haha! If this thread could get more participants, it might serve as a crude study on how adults baselessly speculate on matters they know little about I'm not surprised Lee is only interested in making minimal changes to his swing. Major changes take some time, and time isn't necessarily on Lee's side with respect to winning a major.

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Based on numbers, it looks like Westwood's putting got worse last year and his long game is about the same. I didn't pull up the numbers though, I'm basing this on a reputable source who compiled them. I wonder if there's a public database where you can input dates for strokes gained for so and so and get the numbers and do a comparison.

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Haha! If this thread could get more participants, it might serve as a crude study on how adults baselessly speculate on matters they know little about

I'm not surprised Lee is only interested in making minimal changes to his swing. Major changes take some time, and time isn't necessarily on Lee's side with respect to winning a major.


Aren't we all on this forum to debate our thoughts?Β  Opinions?

Heck, we are all crazy golf fans and when two high profile people split after a short time, it's interesting and somewhat fun to speculate on what happened.

Deryck Griffith

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Note:Β This thread is 3690 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic.Β Thank you!

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