Sean Gardner with his sons, Isaiah, left, and Solomon in Sea Island, Ga., last summer.
Sean Gardner is a Director in the financial sponsors group at William Blair & Company, a Harlem resident, and a regular at The Bridge Golf Learning Center. He recently fielded some questions from Executive Director and Co-Founder Farrell Evans.
FE: Since we opened The Bridge Golf Learning Center in May, you have been taking lessons regularly with one of our teaching pros, Brian Hwang. What are some of the improvements you have made over that time?
SG: I have learned a great deal from Brian. Beyond providing the proper techniques in swinging and putting, he has helped me to develop the right mental approach and body and ball positioning each time I use a different club to ensure that the rhythm and consistency of my game are there. It is so easy to fall into bad habits when you are starting out, so it is great to have someone to keep you on track.
FE: You’ve long been a golf fan, but you’ve only recently taken up the game as a player. How has that prior knowledge contributed to your development as a student of the game?
SG: Watching the game casually over the years has made playing the game now less intimidating and kept it very fun. Though frustrating at times to have your swing deconstructed and reconstructed as you take each lesson, you realize how much goes into each shot and better appreciate the adjustments that professionals make in real time and over their careers. You can now truly marvel at some spectacular shots that they make look so routine.
FE: Why did you decide to take up golf seriously in your early 40s?
SG: I have always been a fan of most professional sports and enjoy staying physically active in my spare time. As you get older and realize that you are probably either approaching or at your peak performance level, you want to tackle all the sports you enjoyed from afar but never made the time for. Golf falls in that category for me, plus it is one of the few sports that you can comfortably play into your twilight years. It also affords you the ability to socialize with friends or colleagues as you play.
FE: Do you watch golf tournaments differently now that you understand the swing and have experienced firsthand many of the other facets of the game?
SG: I definitely watch tournaments differently and fully appreciate the level of consistency and skill required to win any tournament, much less a major, over a multi-day period. Given the difference in terrain each tournament presents, how weather impacts the level of play, and just dealing with loud spectators, you can see how easy it is to be off your game or just miss being in contention.
FE: What’s your favorite club and why?
SG: I know a lot of people would say the driver, and no doubt there is no better feeling than hitting a ball dead center off the tee, but I am going to have to go with the hybrid. It is such a versatile club that can be used in so many different ways. Though it took some time to get used to it, the hybrid produces a great shot, plus it allows you to get out of tighter lies, rough or bunkers a lot more easily than an iron.
FE: What’s your New Year’s wish for your golf game?
SG: My New Year’s wish is to get as much tee time as humanly possible so I can see the fruits of more consistent play, which should mean more pars and a few birdies. Hopefully I can start to demonstrate this over a few holes and then over a front or back 9. To play a full round at par or below would be pretty cool.