New book about Lydia Ko’s New Zealand coach Guy Wilson

Anew book has been released about Lydia Ko’s former coach Guy Wilson. The book’s foreword is written by former New Zealand prime minister Sir John Key, and here is an excerpt.

“Guy deserves the recognition he gets when it comes to teaching,’’ Key wrote.

“As talented as the likes of Lydia Ko undoubtedly is, it was through the years of their partnership combined with hard work and teaching that I believe allowed her to become the world champion she is …”

Guy Wilson was in the pro shop when Ko’s mother Tina asked him about giving her fiveyear-old daughter Lydia her first golf lesson. Lydia couldn’t even speak English and could barely see over the counter.

Guy agreed and over the next 11 years, he helped Ko develop one of the most envied swings in golf.

At the end of 2022, Lydia Ko was ranked the No 1 female golfer in the world for the second time in her record-breaking career.

And Guy continues creating stars. He coached Ruoning (Ronnie) Yin who recently won the LPGA Los Angeles Open Championship on April 2 and others currently playing at the highest level in golf.

Discover how he does it in this fascinating story about his style of coaching, guidance, attitude, humour, natural talent and amazing ability to teach and guide students on their way to being the best in the game.

Perhaps the subtitle of this book should read: “The genius behind Lydia Ko and more stars.”

There aren’t many books giving a real, full story on the ins and outs of golf instruction and coaching, especially one involving a superstar like Ko.

This is a must-read for any golf instructor, sports enthusiast, golfer, or anyone who wants to learn more about how this amazing coach continues to create high-performing golfers playing at the highest level.

Reviews

“What separates Guy from other coaches … is this: to look into the person’s eyes and start to understand and learn about the student. True golf coaching is far more about students who are human beings and inspiring them.” – Greg Thorpe, Golf New Zealand high performance manager.

“Guy gave Lydia incentives and she loved that. That was a win-win for both. But here’s the interesting thing as far as that philosophy goes. The only true way it will go well is to help others get what they want. Guy is a prime example of a person who has that philosophy. He genuine- ly wants to see you succeed. When you were a kid did your grandma make something like a great cake that you and the rest absolutely loved? And obviously, grandma is not going to be around forever. So, what do you need? You need a recipe! Guy has the recipe to constantly make more cake.” – David Niethe, sports performance coach for world champions Israel Adesanya, Lydia Ko, and many more.

“Enjoyed it! I think anyone interested in Lydia’s career and interested in understanding the key issues relating to performance on the golf course, would enjoy reading this book. It flows well and plenty of factual information, and life experiences.” – Arnie Haydon. For bookstores ask for “Guy Wilson Creating Golf Excellence: The Genesis of Lydia Ko & More Stars”.

Thirty-two years ago, Jason Eade was preparing to represent New Zealand as a boxer at the Barcelona Olympics. But a motorbike crash changed the course of his life forever. The Wellingtonian has made a full recovery and is now a champion golfer. He is sharing his story of overcoming adversity to help others.