Strap in as we ride alongside Hugh Foley, a golfer with dreams as vast as the fairways he treads, in his quest for professional tour glory. Listen to the candid revelations from Hugh's past year on the greens, where he dissects the quest for that elusive stroke of consistency, and the strategic tee shots that might just tee up his future success. With every swing, Hugh and his coach, Jeff, chase the harmony of balance and rhythm, understanding that the key to translating range practice into on-course results is in the details. His mantra, borrowed from the cool confidence of Ice Cube, reminds us that a strong putting game is only as good as the approach that sets it up.
We then pivot to the mental game, which, as any golfer knows, can be as tricky as a bunker shot. As Hugh eyes the prize in the West of Ireland and the Euro Nations, we chat about how redefining success to include the feeling of calm in each round can reshape a golfer's trajectory. The conversation swings towards the technical tweaks—like a new driver in the bag—that could drive Hugh closer to the leaderboard. It's a light-hearted, yet earnest, discussion about the highs and lows of chasing under-par rounds, with a nod to the upcoming M3 events and a self-reflective glance at driving stats. Through laughter and support, we send Hugh off with best wishes for the season, eager to check in again on his journey up the ranks.
Strap in as we ride alongside Hugh Foley, a golfer with dreams as vast as the fairways he treads, in his quest for professional tour glory. Listen to the candid revelations from Hugh's past year on the greens, where he dissects the quest for that elusive stroke of consistency, and the strategic tee shots that might just tee up his future success. With every swing, Hugh and his coach, Jeff, chase the harmony of balance and rhythm, understanding that the key to translating range practice into on-course results is in the details. His mantra, borrowed from the cool confidence of Ice Cube, reminds us that a strong putting game is only as good as the approach that sets it up.
We then pivot to the mental game, which, as any golfer knows, can be as tricky as a bunker shot. As Hugh eyes the prize in the West of Ireland and the Euro Nations, we chat about how redefining success to include the feeling of calm in each round can reshape a golfer's trajectory. The conversation swings towards the technical tweaks—like a new driver in the bag—that could drive Hugh closer to the leaderboard. It's a light-hearted, yet earnest, discussion about the highs and lows of chasing under-par rounds, with a nod to the upcoming M3 events and a self-reflective glance at driving stats. Through laughter and support, we send Hugh off with best wishes for the season, eager to check in again on his journey up the ranks.
Okay, welcome back to the Irish and podcast. So we're kicking off the journey series and I'm joined by Hugh Forley this evening. Hugh, how are you All?
Speaker 2:
right, Gary, I'm good. Good to be back on the podcast. 2024, hopefully a good year for both of us.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, hopefully. So I suppose this one, for anyone that doesn't follow my social media, is closely. So I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was going to start following a couple of players throughout the year, and so we have kind of a list put together and I'll introduce you to them all individually, but we're going to kick off with Mr Forley this evening. So first question for you this time next year where would you like to be?
Speaker 2:
It's a good question, I think. So many options to choose from and if I'm being ambitious, then 12 months from now I'd love to be playing on a pro tour somewhere.
Speaker 1:
So ultimate goal is pro tour. So I suppose, like for us at the moment and I like these are going to become a bit of a regular occurrence where I'm going to chat to Hugh throughout the year to see how he's going so I suppose, looking at 2024 and like, if the long term goal goal is to turn pro, let's look at like some small steps that may help you get there. So, first off, like, take the back end of last year when you sat down at the end of the year, what was the one area or the one thing you really looked at and said I need to get better in this area going forward.
Speaker 2:
I did a lot of analysing and self inflection and yeah, just figured that my good golf was good enough, few good results, european am and rhythm playing against the top guys in Europe and some in the world. So good stuff is good and it's consistently good in some areas and inconsistent in other areas. So basically working hard now on those inconsistencies to try and make myself a more rounded player. But yeah, I found you know sport in general like it doesn't, you know, it doesn't, you don't deserve anything, it doesn't owe you anything. So you get what you, you get what you earn and to me it was just a message that not quite there yet, just haven't learned everything I have to learn yet.
Speaker 2:
I mean golf, like you're always learning. So still learning a lot and to keep pushing that and try and try and become a better all around player. So you know, a lot of marginal gains is, I guess, one thing a lot of sports guys talking about and zero that guy, david Brailsford everything is working with United now who works a lot on that marginal gains and it can be like that because it's such small, such small margins. But yeah, kind of like a whole rounded approach and trying to try and improve the inconsistencies definitely.
Speaker 1:
So inconsistencies. So let's talk a little bit about what you like. What will be the one that kind of stands out here Probably?
Speaker 2:
off the tee needs needs a bit of work. It's it's just inconsistent, like it's not bad, it's not great, it's right in the middle. So if I look at my best advances, because I was put myself in position off the tee, european arm was a little bit more forgiven and just enjoyed that so much. I think if I can get myself off the tee, I was always I was thinking that is it the ice cube line? And today was a good day. Do you know what it's on? Today was a good day. And he's like get me on the court and I'm trouble. So I always think that I remember singing that in one of the events because I put in great. So I feel like if I can just get myself on the green, if I can get myself on the court, then I might be, might be a bit of trouble. So that's, that's wrong. That's the motto for the year. Maybe singing, that's all.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I, I stopped playing as I'm walking behind you. So, like, I suppose, for me, looking at you, like mentioning off the tee, like I've talked to Trent Lee over the last kind of couple of years and I'd know you for being like a really good long iron player, particularly off the tee, like and if, like, if you'd asked me what your strengths were, it's that it's the long errands off the tee and obviously in and around the greens or you're very, very strong. So, looking at getting that a bit more consistent, so like, what's the plan at the moment? I know you were in Robins tongue today. So like, what are you working on that's going to help you in that area?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I'm working working hard with Jeff and we're working harder, probably, on the course. I find it's quite easy to hit balls on the range and like I spent two and a half months there in Australia by myself and I have to say, like two or three days back at home and he's already you know, I feel so much better about my game than two and a half months of like grinding as hard as I could and sending videos back. I'm trying to figure it out by myself. So that's, that's been one thing. Like it was a big learning curve, australia. But One thing we learned is that videos that you take on the range and that you post online or you send to people are not. It's not the real story, that's not what's happening on the golf course. So basically found that on the golf course I'm just the basics aren't quite there. So a bit more discipline needed on the basics, bit of balance, bit of rhythm, so all that stuff can go out.
Speaker 2:
When you're playing tournaments and you just stop looking at those things, your mind goes elsewhere. I mean, look at every sport they always talk about like the all blacks being great at the basics. I heard them talking about man City there being great at the basics, like you think it's like this that they're magic Everywhere else and and they are in certain certain ways, but they also do the basics really well. So we're gonna work on kind of basics for the driving. And then, yeah, I have done well with long, aren't so those are. Other times I've done well is when I've kind of left the driver Alone a little bit and just played more three woods, irons and position off the tee which can work out links as well. So and but yeah, get the next step. Hopefully we get that driver working a bit better. How are you gonna measure that? Then? This was I think it's just, I Think I was always. You just kind of know, would you be talking about like stats or I was.
Speaker 1:
Not up to you, like if you're not a stats go, you're not a stats go, like will you be using stats there to measure your successes and, in them, areas and?
Speaker 2:
that, yeah, I suppose I actually haven't really thought that far. It's a good point. I Feel like I think I just play so much golf and I play so much tournament golf and I do a lot of analyzing, I'm a lot of honest analyzing. I think that I just, you just have a good feeling. Yeah, you know, you know when you're when your drivers cost you and when it's not. So like the Spanish amateur Actually drove it really well For a couple of the days, for my two best scores and for the first day I was in play a lot, but it was a driver that cost me the last hole in the first round, so I went from three under in the top five.
Speaker 2:
I think I was triple bogie. So you know, in one sense I don't really you can be Harsh on stats to say like I don't need a stat to tell me that that was the problem. Yeah, and at the same time I probably hit about nine or ten really good drives there. So my driving wasn't that bad, but it's you know on certain certain things. So, no, I think I know myself how I think and how I try and play. Shots is More what needs work and maybe discipline, rather than Needing to hit every fairway and then count that. But I think I think I'll. I think I'll know I have a good feeling If I fixed it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I suppose and like you mentioned feeling feelings a couple of times I think that's something that I've seen with you over the years Is that like when you get a feeling, so I, when you get going, you kind of continue to keep going. You just kind of If you even mentioned there like singing a song you just kind of tend to rule it. What's there so like, is that something that you're conscious, it consciously look at? Is that like when you're holding puts in your own deep, it's just a case of keep pushing all the time as a yeah, I think I think that's something you learn along the way you do it from From a young age, I think.
Speaker 2:
You have that comfort zone and then you're always just trying to push that. So, whether that was, like you know, level power back in the day and then it goes to 200, 400, 600. So you're always, you get to that point and you, you slow, open, your mind interferes. You go through that enough times that the next time you do you say no, hang on, even though I'm nervous, let's keep going. So yeah, yeah, I would say yeah, push on that. I was happy. Now, like in practice of you know, I haven't already had that in practice either of you know. So I've started to get that played. The other day there With Sean and and Padre against For 12 holes, I had that feeling back again and I was playing that kind of golf again. I felt great. So I'm very excited to be back, hopefully, in that zone.
Speaker 1:
So you'll be going shortly to the west of Ireland a trophy that you had in your cabinet one time so you'll be looking to to get it again. So talk will practice a minute for me. So, like, like you mentioned practicing with Sean and Padre. Again, I suppose, jeff, your coach like what's it? What's a standard setup, like we say, for the day's practice for you?
Speaker 2:
Again, it's that holistic approach of everything. He actually has this sheet of 30 to 40 principles and you might look at them as basics. You've got attitude, discipline, and then you've got more technical things like bunker shots, chipping, draws, fades, pitching the list is 30 to 40 and the idea is you score yourself against the best in the world. It's generally working off that. It's not the same for me as it might be for Sean and stuff. We do a lot of collective training, which is great for practicing under pressure and keeps you going longer. You know yourself like if you go to the range by yourself, you might do a book of that tip where during the summer, like we've done nine till nine days like that and maybe even longer. But now during the winter it's more.
Speaker 2:
I'm going to the gym. We've got a trainer, dion, up there in Roggensen, which is great. So we go up there and do an hour, hour and a half and then eat and food and then practice them from 12 to 6 or 12 to 7, whatever it is. Now it's just a mixture of everything. I couldn't really nail it down to. He's definitely not a coach that believes in. You just turn up once a month for a 30 minute session and then you're gone. It's more. You know it's really more deep than that, like today we had like an hour or two chat about that consistency and where it can get better. And it's not just a swing. It's how I'm thinking. It's the shots I'm trying to play. You know your stock shot, your basics, and so it's yeah, it's just a lot going on.
Speaker 1:
All right, jeff but it's great, that kind of minute detail that you go into something that I suppose interests me anyway, but like so for you at the moment it is pretty much like it's a full time job in terms of, like your commitment to golf.
Speaker 2:
Full time job and trying to get as much experience as I can and that is kind of international experience and trying to be ready, so like yeah. So if you're asking where I want to be in 12 months, it's definitely I want to be good enough to play. I'm sure a lot of lads who want to turn pro eventually are at that. They want to be good enough in 12 months. You know you want to win the British Open this year. You know if you qualify, but it's getting ready.
Speaker 2:
So I've had like some success on links and stuff in Ireland and then I feel like the key is to go and play around the world and you know you're playing different courses, different grasses, playing different players. You pick up things from them. There's so much detail to the game. Yeah, so we're looking at myself and Matt are going to Seminole, I think in April, and then Korea later on in the year and like we played Aaron Hills and Bahrain and stuff and I think to be a pro. So in 12 months to get there I have to have put in all that work and not even just go to these places but then actually start to play well and to show that you're good enough and that you're learning all all these things and you're putting it into practice to actually be good enough now, next year and 12 months time to start beating professionals and and doing well on those doors 100%.
Speaker 1:
So if I wasn't jealous enough of you before with all of the lovely golf courses you play, I don't know. I don't want to sit in them as well and definitely should hit more bars than I do take videos, I think at this point not really going to get there, but we can all. We can all dream, but I suppose a little closer to home. So let's talk the next three events. What's your schedule for the next three West?
Speaker 2:
of Ireland maybe build up. We've got the Betty's down scratch couple of stuff. But the main challenges West of Ireland and then fingers crossed for start, a grand day, euro nations, and then the Coleman, the invitation in the seminal, so it's two in April and one at the end of March. So just kind of getting ready for that. Totally different golf courses, all three of them.
Speaker 1:
So yeah, just get ready for those, yeah and I suppose that's again leading back to the 12-month goal. If you want to be a pro, particularly in Europe, you're gonna have to learn to play a lot of different things. But what does success look like for you? For Lee will say after them, tree tournament. So what would make you happy at the end of the tree them?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I think I was a bit too results based last year, kind of get on the World Cup team, too much focused on like if I answered that last year I would have told you, well, if I win one, I might get on that World Cup team, or if I get top five, is not them, I push on to that team, whereas that's not really. You don't know what's gonna happen. The West Ireland oh, it's gonna happen. You can get a bad tee time or you could play a ladder shoots 500 and knocks you out.
Speaker 2:
So I think this year now is definitely all around getting better. So it's to be more, yeah, maybe be a bit more comfortable on the tee, off the tee and Stroke averages, maybe you know again, it's different. You know you're playing West of Ireland, playing Sada Grande, really tough courses. So it's not like you can't go and say I want 68, 69, but if you can make a par in your head, like you know, so Sada Grande, 68 might actually be a 72, but so if we can get around that For the week, so I think that would be a start. I definitely look at you know, that's what Jeff said to me there. He's like if you just keep shooting 68, then everything else looks after itself. So, yeah, I think After those three events, if I've shot a few rounds under par and start to feel comfortable again on the golf course and start enjoying again, then that's a good start to the year.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so I suppose it's almost putting yourself in the, the uncomfortable positions, are you like close to trophies and top of leaderboards that? I suppose that is normally to get yourself kind of in the swing and add again and feeling comfortable there like is that.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, exactly. Yes, pain was was a nice taste for me there. I was a pity in the first round. I was like good because I was really up there and I feel like, like you said, once you get up there you get into that comfort zone and then you start rolling with that. The triple bogey pushed me back towards the cut line and then that you know you have half of that on your mind and happen going forward. So, bush, you know Australia did not didn't go well for me. So, yeah, I felt great sharpness again coming from Spain. Again, I was in around the top 10 for a lot of the week. So I starts to feel good again to see your name up there and Don't know what is you just kind of switches your mind around now to think, think that way going forward. So hopefully is more of that in the next three. Yeah, no, 100%. And I suppose. Then another thing what's the setup at?
Speaker 1:
the moment. So what's in the bag? What's your?
Speaker 2:
yeah, I've got lads lads like sometimes, but I've got all strict since I've looked after really well from from Strix in and you and my class for four years since like 2018. So I've got pretty much four wedges. I guess. If you include the pitch and wedge, I've got 61 degree for the trickier shots, you know the short sided ones. Then I've got 50 56, 50 pitching wedge to to four iron For a little bit stronger, and then I've got two iron, which the Strix and two iron is is a club that a lot of people use.
Speaker 2:
We're at, we're on the British open range. There During the summer at Highlake we sneaked on and saw Scotty Schaeffer had the two and three iron in his bag from Strix and, and then Ian Steel was bringing out a good five or six of them, two different players and stuff. We were trying them for the week. So that's a that's a lovely club when you get it, when I, when you get it gone, and then of Strix and three wood and I have a Mix between Strix and driver and the Callaway driver. So at the moment I've got Callaway. I think I have the new Callaway stairs. I rushed in the door and I think and you know, kat the corner and if you come across her from Wales at the events. But she's great for helping them, helping guys get get some stuff. So I've got the New smoke driver. Hopefully that's gonna be in the bag soon. And what's the? What's the theory with the change? I suppose, like is that the only?
Speaker 1:
club that's changing in the bag from last year. I think it's the only club that's changing in the bag from last year.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, a little. Just it's very unforgiving. It's at the triple diamond paradigm for a good nine or 10 months and it's just not very forgiving. It's very low spin, which is great into the wind, but downwind is hard to get it up in the air. And you know, it's just very much one dimensional, very straight, very low, and yeah, just need to hopefully be able to shape it a bit more, get a bit higher and spin can kind of keep it a bit straighter when you miss hit it. So I was getting a lot of knuckly bad shots. That's what happened in Spain. I'd kind of like a knuckle pull, draw and you know it's just it's hard to stop then and it runs itself into trouble.
Speaker 1:
So hopefully the new one is a bit more, behaves a bit better Now you've got the same direction, but one is a horrible slouch rather than a knuckly draw, because I play golf the wrong way round, so they don't go straight right now, which is a big shame, like you know. They don't go fair for me, but no. So I suppose then, looking at it so like Betty's Town, is generally the curtain kind of razor, like it's the warm up for the West for a lot of people, but of course it probably suits you a little bit. I suppose it's a bit quirky off the tee. So I suppose if you get comfortable around there and what is far, far far, you suppose, just getting a competition feel back on Ling Sculls before the West- and yeah, it's like competitive reps, I guess, under pressure playing.
Speaker 2:
under pressure I mean you can just go around your home course all the time, you know where to hit it, you know where to miss it, you know all the rough kind of cut back and it might be in Betty's Town but, like you said, it's a bit. There are a few holes that you know you can lose balls and things and it does narrow your focus in a bit. So that would be good. It's not very, it's not overly similar to Ross's, but yeah, it's more competition and hopefully get under par. Probably need to get a few under par rounds under the belt this year, which would be nice. So hopefully a conference booster too.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I suppose, like the next time we're chatting, I suppose, like we'd be kind of looking at, I suppose, how the M3 events go. And it was an honest reflection from yourself as well in terms of, like, how you think you're driving stats or your stats after tee are coming along. But yeah, you know, I massively enjoyed that one. Best of luck for the year. As I said earlier, we'll keep it a bit charted because I want to get you on a couple of times where I don't want to have all of your your year taking up talking to me, like you know. But best of luck for the year and I will catch you in slay work very shortly Super yeah cheers Gary.