Patience Is Part Of Perfection: Foley

FORT WORTH, Tex. – One of the familiar faces joining us on this whirlwind tour of Nike Golf’s expanded research and development facilities here came from outside the media in the form of Sean Foley, coach to several tour players including Canadians Stephen Ames and, most recently, Lorie Kane.

After we watched the final moments of the New Orleans Saints punching their ticket to the Super Bowl, we got talking about the pursuit of perfection, which is the ultimate goal of any coach and player looking to take a game to the next level and beyond.

However, good intentions can go awry and that stress for success can be a press when patience is what’s required for that next step.

“I’ve actually worked on the same thing with Stephen for two years, exactly the same thing. When he gets it, he really flushes it and he hits it more than good enough to play at a very high level that week,” said Foley.

“It’s not about trying to get it perfect and perfect and perfect, just trying to get them where they understand it and they’re comfortable with it,” he added, saying that there are times when it’s best for a coach to lighten up on the teaching and put the emphasis on preparation.

“The only thing I’ll really coach the day of an event is just making sure that ball position, alignment, things like that are good. Stephen’s basic is the ball’s way up, while Hunter (Mahan’s) more centred, so it’s the individual,” said Foley.

While the pursuit of perfection is the ultimate goal, a coach can force the issue. Students will learn at their own paces, says Foley.

“If you have a passion for something and you’re such a perfectionist about it, perfect always has to be the template, but realizing that we’re human, we only handle so much and we can only change so fast,” he said. “It’s really making sure that I’m not giving too much information.

“When I first started working with Justin Rose, I said, `Look, we’re going to work on this,’ and we’re doing it and he said, `What’s next?’ I said, `You’re not going to find out for two months,’ because his caddie told me if you tell him, he’s going to start thinking about it,” said Foley.

“I look at it like a chain link fence,” he added. “I try to build the chain link fence one sequence or one link at a time, so when something goes off, you just fix that one chain link. You don’t have to scrap the whole fence and start over.

“I’ve done a lot of studying and motor skills learning on how long it takes to actually have something turn into where it’s a natural habit and it’s thousands and thousands and thousands of reps.”

When you’re in it for that long, patience does indeed become an integral quality.

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