Leadbetter University coach shares knowledge which revived Westwood’s career

One of David Leadbetter’s trusted lieutenants believes the knowledge available on the new online coaching platform can help rebuild a professional career and provide the knowledge for sustained coaching success.

Sean Hogan – a key contributor for the new Leadbetter Golf University – established himself as master instructor under the wing of the legendary golf coach and has since forged his own reputation as one of the world’s leading coaches.

Originally from Dublin, Hogan was a member of the Irish national junior golf team alongside Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington before a scholarship at the University of South Florida set him on his path to coaching some of the greats of the game.

Since then, he has worked with a huge selection of Major winners, Ryder Cup stars and PGA Tour winners including Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Trevor Immelman, Freddie Jacobson and Lydia Ko.

But his module Evolution of the Golf Swing for the Leadbetter Golf University aims to pass on some of that knowledge which helped resurrect the career of Westwood after he plummeted down the world rankings before rediscovering the form that spurred him on to another 21 professional victories and seven further Ryder Cup appearances.

Hogan explained: “I share David’s philosophy which is always about helping people get better, whether those are Major champions, elite-level players or those ‘weekend warriors’.

“It’s been a fantastic coaching journey for me and I feel privileged to have been able to work with some incredible players who have gone on to achieve great things in the game.

“Looking back, working with Lee Westwood back in 2003 was very satisfying and I always look back on that with a lot of pride.

“When Lee came to us, it was almost ‘game over’ and it seemed like he was almost ready to quit playing golf totally.

“He was down to around 250 in the world rankings, his confidence was gone and it was a case of putting his game back together block by block. It took a while but then he got those fundamentals back and then he could start to show what a class player he is all over again. He did the hard work himself but it was great to play a part in that and see him back where he belonged.

“With elite players like him, it can sometimes just be a subtle tweak and being able to shore up a weakness in their game and get back to that solid, reliable technique from before.”

Although coaching and technical knowledge is important, Hogan believes it’s essential for golfers to be able to undertake their own learning too.

He said: “Some players these days are very coach-reliant and want you to have all of the answers, whereas others, like Ian Poulter for example, want that information but will then take ownership of that themselves.

“Ian wanted input but was pretty self-reliant, so effectively was taking the best bits which worked for him. In my view, that’s the best way to go. Of course we want to help them, but we also let them figure it out and find their own path. After all, back in the day, players had to work everything out for themselves.”

With other modules available on youth development, physical, technical and mental coaching methods, there is a wealth of combined expertise available for up-and-coming coaches to learn from.

Hogan said: “There will be several modules but this one is to make sure it’s a key piece of the tool box for coaches. You get a real sense of David’s philosophy and a very clear understanding of his take on the golf swing. A good coach never stops learning but that’s why the Leadbetter Golf University is such a great platform to understand best practice and key values from some experts in their field.”

For more information on Leadbetter University, visit: https://university.leadbetter.com/

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As an avid golfer since the age of eleven Dan lives and breathes all things golf.  With a current handicap of eleven he gets out and plays as often as his work life (and girlfriend) allows. Dan confesses to still being like a kid at Christmas when it comes to seeing the latest golf equipment. Having served as GolfPunk’s Deputy Editor, and resident golf geek for the past 13 years and working for golf's oldest brand, John Letters Dan brings to GOLF RETAILING an excellent understanding of the sector.