Patrick Foy (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)

Attachment: Rac Chiec Driving Range, Him Lam Driving Range and Sunshine Driving Range
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He joined our course at the Xili Resort in Shenzhen, China from the 2nd to the 4th of november.

Professional Qualifications 

• Master Golf Teaching Professional
• 2006 World Golf Teachers Federation Top 60 Ranking
• United States and European Golf Teachers Federation Instructor
• U.S.G.T.F Course Examiner
• E.G.T.F Certified Putting & Short Game Specialist
• PING Certified Custom Club Fitting Specialist & Authorised Retailer
• Harold Swash Accredited Instructor Level Two

Playing record 

• British Open Golf Tournament Qualifiers (Wildernesse G.C England Jun 1998)
• Malawi National Golf (Zone 6 Namibia 1996, Zimbabwe 1997, Swaziland 1998)
• Mauritius Open Golf Tournament (Le Paradis, March 1995)

Bio

Patrick is the first and only HSPSE Accredited Instructor in Vietnam and is currently teaching at three Driving Ranges in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon. He has taught nearly 6000 lessons in the past 6 and his students range from 6 year old children, complete beginners, ladies to accomplished golfers and Professionals. In all he has taught nearly 40 different nationalities with varying degrees of English. Although right handed, his ability to demonstrate all aspects of the game left handed using the “mirror image” reduces the need for verbalization.

Patrick believes that the perfect golf swing or the quest for the perfect swing is a myth.
Everyone has a ‘natural’ or ‘innate’ swing. A competent teacher realizes this and whilst there are basics to be adhered to, a student must be allowed to swing as freely, comfortably and naturally as possible. This leads to confidence that their swing will work. If this philosophy is realized then instruction of the swing can be made simpler. The biggest downfall to teaching is over complicated instruction.

Earlier in 2008, 17 year old Joon Lee of Korea and a resident of Vietnam, was crowned Champion of the Vietnam leg of the Faldo Series Asia. He shoot two rounds of 76 at the Nick Faldo designed course Ocean Dunes in Phan Thiet. Joon began his golf with Patrick and has been a student of Patrick’s  for the past six years.

Personal Message

When Michel asked me to add something on putting to my “bio” I thought “wow”......”putting? We all think we know something (if not everything!!) about the golf swing but what do we actually know about putting?

OK… we all know a few basics with regards to putting i.e. eyes over the ball, keep still etc etc....and we may even think, “what’s difficult about it?” Most days (when we do get to play!) we putt reasonably well but on the bad days or on the pressure putts, we don’t…we crumble!

Since I attended the Swash Putting Schools Accredited Instructors Programme, my own confidence and ability have improved enormously and so have the quality and delivery of my lessons.

I now know that if I grip the putter incorrectly gravity…yes.... gravity, will affect my putting.

What I learnt from Phil and Michel is not what I have always believed, as you will have seen in my bio, that “Everyone has a ‘natural’ or ‘innate’ swing” i.e. one needs to teach the body in front of them, in other words, it is very personal.

However, putting is not. Using the Swash methodology, everyone and anyone can improve their putting. Simply said, there is pretty much a “fool proof” method that does not have to be regulated or limited according to one’s physical characteristics and natural skill/ability.

Not only is it “tour proven” (Padraig Harrington, Henrik  Stenson and many more believe and endorse it) but for me, most importantly my students come back beaming and say “I had less than 30 putts in my 1st round of golf after your lesson”.

If we apply the four fundamentals and physically position ourselves to apply these fundamentals, putting does become easy and we can all achieve the “pure roll”!!!