Paving pathway for player development

Paul Gallagher talks to Neil Manchip, the player the GUI believe is the ideal choice to develop coaching in Ireland

During his full-time playing days Neil Manchip could mix it with the best, and did so when he triumphed over Darren Clarke to secure the 1999 Smurfit Irish PGA Championship at the Island. But all the while the canny Scot honed his skills as a teaching professional, his other real passion in the game, and earlier this year he was installed as National Coach to the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI).

Manchip (32) is one of the youngest candidates to fill the role as national coach and in a short time has gained immense respect from the elite players he teaches and GUI officials who strive to provide a platform of excellence for the country's best golfers to maximise their full potential, while also making the game widely accessible for all to participate in.

It could be said Manchip found himself in the right place at the right time to assume the role of national coach when his predecessor, Geoff Dixon, stepped down.

"Neil emerged as one of the top candidates who came for interview when we invited applicants to come forward for the role of national coach," explains Shay Smith, GUI general secretary, who looked to replace Howard Bennett after the long-standing and respected coach retired.

"In the end, the job was given to Geoff but within a year it was clear the role didn't suit the Englishman and he resigned the post to pursue other things back home in England. It was at that point (the beginning of 2005) the GUI decided to give Neil the opportunity to work with the team panels to see what the reaction would be and it was very, very positive from all the players.

"Neil has been officially working with us since the beginning of the summer and has taken charge of all our teams," added Smith, who also managed something of a coup by bringing on board the highly rated European Tour coach Pete Cowen in a consultancy capacity at the same time.

In January 2006 the GUI will relocate to its new headquarters at Carton House in Kildare, where the Irish Open was staged for the first time this year and returns again next year. Carton will be home for administration aspects of the oldest golfing union in the world, but of equal importance from a coaching perspective, Carton will house a state-of-the-art academy.

It includes all the latest video swing-analysis equipment and indoor assessment area, two practice putting greens, bunker and pitching areas and the extensive range, where input and advice from Ireland's best players proved invaluable.

"Neil wasn't around for the initial planning stages of the academy at Carton House," explains Smith, "But we were very fortunate to have the full support of Padraig (Harrington), Darren (Clarke) and Paul (McGinley). Padraig was particularly involved in the design of the academy. He paid many visits and spent long hours assisting in the planning and layout of the place. It was Padraig who suggested building numerous tee areas in different parts of the academy range to provide varying conditions and the opportunity to shape different shots depending on the wind direction.

"At one point Padraig used the place to practise himself so it was a patch of ground he was already very familiar with and he's been absolutely brilliant in helping us."

As the GUI prepares to embark on a new chapter at Carton House it appears the ideal time for Manchip to bring his vision and coaching methods to fruition in world-class surrounds. And by way of hitting the ground running Manchip is in the process of putting together the high-performance winter-coaching programme with the help of Cowen.

"Ideally I would like to see a comprehensive national coaching structure in place from bottom to the top so as to give a clear pathway for players to develop," enthuses Manchip. "I think there is potential to improve communication channels between coaches and that will be one of the key tasks for me."

Here Manchip is referring to the coaching trail from initial lessons with perhaps the local club pro, coaching at provincial level and then onto senior-level teaching with the national coach for the elite panels. In theory a player could receive three or four varying methods of coaching, which Manchip insists could be confusing for the individual.

"Coaches are always going to have different teaching methods, and that's fine, but to get the best out of our players we coaches need to be singing from the same hymn sheet," he explains. "The worst thing we can do is confuse a player with different advice. So, it's imperative that we structure the whole process correctly and keep the communications channels flowing.

"Ideally, less information equates to better instruction as that will free the way to allow the players to use their own natural ability. And the more you prise that notion out of the individual the less they think about the swing. In turn they think more about ball to target and that's an ideal thought process."

Smith explains how Cowen has helped enhance greater continuity across all the coaches: "Pete has already held a two-day seminar back in April with all our provincial coaches (four coaches plus Manchip). This is to ensure they are all working together in the same way. The first session went very well and we will be repeating that again later in the year."

In reference to the high-performance initiative there are two committees, one responsible for juniors (under-18), the other for youth and senior panels.

"Neil is a member of both committees and he's there to guide and put together the full programme, so, effectively he also takes on the role as technical director."

The Junior Golf Programme, aimed at getting kids to play the sport, is also seen as a crucial cog in the overall working and strategy within the GUI and its coaching responsibilities.

Because Manchip comes to the role from a strong playing background he has "empathy" for what his players on the Irish teams go through when competing. Not only can he assist with the mental side of the game, "which has become a hugely important factor in the game these days. The psychology aspect is where the likes of myself or Pete can help our players, as we've trained in linguistics," notes Manchip.

"Course management is another key area, knowing how to cope when nervous and general all-round decision-making on the course. The aim is to play the shot you can pull off nine times out of 10 rather than hitting and hoping.

"Fitness is another crucial part I intend to introduce, especially with the younger players," adds the Scot. "Rather than just treating the game as a sedentary pastime, we will strive to get fitter, stronger and become more flexible. You only have to look at the best golfers in the world today. They are all fit and those that aren't are getting fit. Top-level golfers are athletes nowadays."

And yoga is something Manchip intends integrating into the fitness programme. "It's great for flexibility, balance and keeping your mind and body in harmony, which is what a golfer needs," says Manchip in that dry-witted manner he appears to have perfected.

Aside from dedicating time to the gym - and yoga - Manchip is a general all-round sports fan when away from the fairways.

"My wife, Aideen, is from Mayo so we often find ourselves at Croke Park following her home county. We both enjoy the Gaelic games. Personally, rugby would be my main sport and that stems from my school days back in Edinburgh."

And it was while growing up in the Scottish capital that Manchip first turned his hand to golf at Turnhouse Golf Club.

"Neither of my parents played but me and a bunch of school friends would haunt Turnhouse all summer, often playing three rounds a day if we could.

"I then studied economics at college but always knew that was never going to be my chosen career path. Then Kevan Whitson, who was the professional at Turnhouse at the time, asked me if I wanted to become his assistant. I liked the idea and did a day-release course in business studies for a year before Kevan moved to Royal County Down in 1991. I followed him over at the start of 1992 to complete my PGA training and that's how the whole Irish leg kicked off for me.

"Leonard Owens, the head pro at Royal Dublin, then invited me down in 1999 and I've been the teaching professional to him ever since. I then became the Eastern District coach for the Irish Ladies Golfing Union (ILGU) and since 2002 have been coaching the junior panels and senior team for Leinster.

"Coaching is something I've always enjoyed. Sometimes competing at tournaments I'd find myself looking at what other pros were doing on the range and wishing I could have a word with them if I saw a fault in their swing I could advise them on."

That said, Manchip was probably too busy fine-tuning his own swing because through he 1990s, and to a lesser extent since, he was a prolific winner on the Irish PGA circuit. Added to his PGA Championship win in 1999 he has also won the Irish Club Professionals title on three occasions (1997, 1999 and 2002) and numerous other pro-ams.

But now that he has embraced the coaching aspect of the game, his own competitive playing days have taken more of a back seat.

"I don't regret having less time to compete. I have no ambitions of playing on tour. At one stage I would have but looking back I was never dedicated or perhaps good enough to play at the top level," says Manchip, giving an honest assessment of himself.

"I went to the European Tour pre-qualifying six times, never got to final school, but have played in a dozen or so European Tour events, mostly the Irish ones, and a few challenge Tour events. It was all good experience but unless seriously dedicated you're wasting your time because there are so many great players out there trying to make the grade."

And that's the type of advice Manchip would give to any amateur he teaches who holds aspirations of joining the professional ranks.

And does he find it difficult juggling his time these days?

"Not at all. Obviously my first preference is to the GUI and right now we are very busy putting together the winter programme as the playing season comes to an end. Secondly, my priority is to Royal Dublin, where I still teach golfers of all standards, then my own playing schedule comes third.

"I think it's important to keep playing, if not full-time, at least to a level, as it helps to demonstrate shots rather than just speak of them when the elite panels get together."

And because Manchip is juggling aspects of his coaching and playing expertise in different guises at present "the finer details of his GUI contract are still being negotiated and put into place", explains Smith. "But we're confident we have found the right man in Neil to take things forward and develop the role of national coach."

Neil Manchip: Factfile

Born: Edinburgh
Residence: Dublin
DOB: 18/01/1973
Age: 32
Status: Married (Aideen)

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS

1999 Smurfit Irish PGA Championship (-13) (Darren Clarke 2nd -10)

2002 Irish Club Professional Championship

1999 Irish Club Professional Championship

1997 Irish Club Professional Championship

2002 Greenore Challenge

COACHING DEVELOPMENT

1991 Began PGA assistant exams at Turnhouse GC, Edinburgh

1992 Moved to Royal County Down as assistant to Kevan Whitson

1994 Completed PGA Exams (seventh from 150)

1999 Joined Royal Dublin as head teaching pro to Leonard Owens

2002 Eastern District coach for the ILGU

2002 Coach to Leinster junior and senior panels

2005 Becomes National Coach to the GUI