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There’s been a lot of talk about Lydia Ko getting stronger under new swing coach Sean Foley, but New Zealand’s leading golfer says it’s the mental side of her game that is really seeing gains.
Ko hooked up with Foley, who had previously worked with Tiger Woods, just before the LPGA Tour restart in July and it has been a solid start to their working relationship, with five top-20 finishes in eight appearances.
Lionel Ng / Getty Images
A smile is returning to the game of New Zealand’s greatest golfer, Lydia Ko.
In another coaching change for the former world number one, Ko said it had been an easy transition due to Foley’s simple approach, which helped her eliminate the clutter in her head.
“I felt like my game was going in the right direction during the quarantine and obviously working with Sean we have made it very simple. We don’t get into too much technical stuff,” Ko said. Stuff at his press conference prior to the Drive On Championship in Greensboro, Goergia.
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“I think Sean has been able to clear up some of the questions in my mind and just make it simpler between the ears. Sometimes that’s the most important thing than learning something new.”
Since partnering with Foley, Ko has risen from 55th to 39th in the rankings, but has yet to break a title drought dating back to April 2018.
She came very close in August, finishing tied for second at the Marathon Classic after giving up a five-shot lead in the final round.
In her most recent outing in the PGA Women’s Championship two weeks ago, Ko was just two shots behind the leader halfway before falling out of contention.
Chris Szagola / AP
Lydia Ko has been working on building muscle to hit the ball more, but she doesn’t want to stray too far from her natural game.
Ko says he’s stopped getting stuck looking back at the player who took the world by storm as a teenager and is focused on staying consistent.
“I think especially during the first few moments when I wasn’t competing at the level where I was playing at my best, I compared myself a lot then, and I guess I was referring earlier,” he said.
“I have to try 100 percent when I’m out there, exercise, and do the best I can.
“A lot of times things are out of my control, so I hope I can continue to play consistently well and get more conflicted. That way, you’ll feel more comfortable being in that position over and over again. The more times you do it, the more opportunities. You will be the one who takes the trophy at the end of the week. “
Ko has been working to gain muscle and build strength so he can hit the ball more, but insisted that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.
Ko stressed the importance of not straying too far from his natural game, or size for that matter, something he has learned to embrace the longer he’s been on the Tour.
“When you’re a teenager or in your teens, you always feel insecure about some things and you feel like ‘man, sometimes I don’t belong.’ Either I wish I had this and I don’t, or other people just look bigger and better than Yeah, I’ve definitely been in that position before.
“But the more time I spent and the more time I spent on the Tour with the other women, I think I was able to understand and hug myself. No one is perfect and all you can do is be the best version of yourself and have fun during that process.
“I’m not doing anything to make myself look better to other people and I think that’s great advice that I would tell anyone.”
Meanwhile, Ko, who is based in Orlando, revealed that he considered returning home earlier in the year due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ultimately, travel concerns led her to stay in the US, but she hopes to take a trip to New Zealand in the near future.
“The Prime Minister and everyone involved did an amazing job keeping the situation going. I think (the case numbers) went down to zero at one point, which is pretty incredible considering what was happening elsewhere,” Ko said. .
“I thought about going home, but at the time it was also a bit risky for me to take a long-haul flight, especially since I’m not on the west coast, it makes it a bit more difficult to go home.
“Although I would have loved to be home, fortunately the golf courses and our community in Orlando were very safe, so I opted for that option. But I hope to be back home to New Zealand very soon.”
