Rob Houlding And Alisha Lau – An Award-Winning Team
November 27, 2014
by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf
The giddy smile on 15-year-old Alisha Lau’s face couldn’t hide the fact that she had just been named to Golf Canada’s Development Squad.
But when she came to work for an hour-long session with her long-time teacher Rob Houlding, that smile was replaced by a fierce look of determination.
Lau had just finished working with Ann Carroll, Team Canada Women’s Squad Development Coach and had discovered a new grip.
She wanted to work with Houlding on that grip and as the two watched her swing on the TrackMan at Houlding’s Surrey facility, you couldn’t help but notice how their relationship is based on empowerment.
“I want my players to have the ability to identify what they want to improve and then have the ability to measure their improvement,” said Houlding. “I want them to be independent and strong on their own.”
To that end, Houlding is able to pull up video of Lau’s previous grip, show her how it differs with her new grip and then he lets her decide what she’ll like to do.
It’s a similar story when Lau talks about needing to improve her strength. “We did baseline testing with the (national team),” said Lau. “I think I’m weak in my lower lats, glutes and anterior core.”
Houlding listens intently and takes this all in, but instead of immediately taking Lau up to the weight area, he explains how the strength she needs to build is core strength and being able to whip through the ball with more speed.
Using the analogy of a baseball player and his quick twitch fibres allowing him to swing faster through the strike zone, Houlding is able to show Lau that the strength she needs to build up is core strength, not brute strength.
“I could have you go whip the (weight) balls around and you’ll increase your swing speed by 5 miles an hour in 15 minutes,” said Houlding. “But did you get stronger in 15 minutes?”
Using a pressure plate to show how she can transfer power from her back foot to the front, Houlding shows Lau how core strength and stability go hand in hand. “The more stability you have means your body can rotate faster and the club releases faster,” said Houlding.
“It takes patience. It will click for you. You have to learn the feeling of stabilizing yourself.” For much of the hour-long lesson, nobody else is in the spacious Surrey facility, proof that Houlding’s work truly is one-on-one.
There’s no distraction, nothing but pure golf for the teacher and his student. As part of the empowerment process, Houlding often asks Lau “What do you want to do?” Invariably, she’ll respond with an idea, which leads to Houlding leading her on a specific drill.
When Lau wants to see core strength without a golf club, Houlding has her work with a weighted ball that she can swing. When Lau wants to work on her upper body moving through the ball, Houlding has her put a medicine ball between her legs.
It doesn’t take long for Lau to get her swing speed up to within a couple of miles of her normal swing, proof that her upper core is a vital part of her golf swing.
With each exercise, Houlding is giving Lau the power to analyze her total golf game. After all, in the heat of competition, the only person who can make changes on the fly is Lau herself.
“I used to be so more technical,” said Lau. “Now, if I get to where I need to be and it feels right, that’s what’s important.” Houlding was an early adopter of using technology to measure improvement. With multiple TrackMan units at his disposal, Houlding can also share his lessons with other teachers.
It’s his hope that with Lau on the national development squad, he can work in tandem with Carroll to help develop all of the Richmond teen’s golf talent. “I’d like to start a dialogue with Ann and share what we’re working on with her,” said Houlding.
“My lessons are never an overhaul,” said Houlding. “With a golfer like Alisha, it’s always just a tune-up. I like to think of myself not as a director, but as a stage designer. I just create the atmosphere where the students can perform and be self-organizing.”