Sean Foley, Legendary Golf Instructor

Willy welcomes Sean Foley. After graduating with an Arts degree and playing on his university’s golf team, his love for golf coaching came after watching David Leadbetter work with Nick Faldo on the range at the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Course in the 1990s. Now, he had coached the biggest names in golf, including Sean O’Hair, Hunter Mahan, Stephen Ames, and Tiger Woods. He has been the head coach for the Canadian Junior Golf Association since 2003 and teaches at Core Golf Junior Academy in Winter Garden, Florida. He is a member of the faculty of Revolution Golf, a company that markets golf instruction videos and related content. The podcast begins with Sean sharing his experiences as a child constantly moving and his early experiences in golf. Moving back and forth between the US and Canada, he ended up working in the golf industry in Florida. “I think it’s harder for the world to sell you the normal nonsense when you’re well-traveled,” he says. He explains his philosophy on insecurity, which is something normal and wired in us and should be accepted instead of fighting against it. Sean credits his ability to maintain his identity as his way of staying strong even after letting go of friends and his environment due to moving. He talks about the difference between situation and circumstance. Stress is usually something we create within ourselves and something we can control. However, he believes that it is up to us to let go of what we don’t have control over. He continues to describe how our feelings are connected to old mental constructs, and we learn to assess and recognize them with age. “Frustration comes from what you think should be real at that moment is actually not real,” he says. He thinks positive mantras are pointless and that it’s better to combat negativity with breathing, sunlight, and exercise, a lesson his father taught him early on. He has always had a deep interest in learning from others. “When knowledge is passed on and goes through different experiences, it becomes wisdom,” he says. He drives home the importance of learning as a coach because it is easy to forget how learners feel while picking up something new. He continues to explain how mindfulness helps players realize that insecurity and a lack of confidence are fleeting. He encourages athletes and coaches to challenge belief systems and drill into strengths to improve on weaknesses.
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