Serious Coaching For Serious Players

At Rob Houlding Golf Academy and my  International Junior Academy I am passionate about my mission which is to be the leader in the development of top golf athletes and of strong healthy lifestyles. I offer my clients superior science-based programs, facilities, technology and experience that deliver comprehensive information and insight. I combine these assets with my proprietary motion based skill development methods and mental skills for optimizing golf performance. Together with my associates we are driven to be the best coaches possible and to coach highly motivated players. Hence the slogan “Serious Coaching for Serious Players”.

My methods have proven to be a powerful tool, effective in guiding individuals and teams to success in golf performance. Currently I have 4 of my students on the National Development Team and a 5th who just turned pro. Currently 7 of Canada’s Top 20 Nationally ranked junior girls are my clients .Very simply I see what we do as empowering people to play better golf to and to be winners on and off the course.
Increasingly, amateur and professional golf athletes are recognizing the value of employing our total coaching approach to health and golf skills performance management to achieve optimal results both on and off the course.

My  approach to helping tournament players both Pros and Amateurs develop the skills  needed to play competitive golf and win is very simple. ” The goal is to hit 18 putts for birdie per round. “. A player that can accomplish this goal and who is a reasonable putter will  have the opportunity to win tournaments. That is the first step which is then followed by learning how to hit approaches even closer to the hole increasing the opportunity of makable putts.

The goal is to hit 18 putts for birdie per round. - Rob Houlding

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With this being the  prerequisite skill level to win, how do I go about teaching  players to do this?

For new clients the first step examines every aspect of the players skills and overall game. I break it down to 10 areas I feel are critical to scoring and winning.

1. Where are we beginning- what does the players current software contain about how to play golf.
2. Ability to execute tee shots consistently
3. Ability to execute approach shots with distance and directional consistency
4. Ability to execute recovery and short game shots consistently
5. Ability to read greens and  execute putts consistently
6. Ability to consistently follow a preshot routine and execute with rhythm, balance and trust
7. How well does the players equipment and set make up fit and perform
8. Ability to fuel the system and hydrate for practice and competition
9. What level of flexibility , strength and endurance does the player possess
10. How is the player managing their adaptation to physical conditioning  programs and recovery

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Next we examine the players athletic conditioning and movements to determine if they are capable of allowing our swing preferences for the individual to consistently work. If necessary I introduce other members of the team that are physiologists, personal trainers and nutritionists.

Like the chicken and egg theory which comes first?

Of course we also look carefully at the player’s mental game but here is the thing I find. Confidence to create scoring opportunities is dependent on having great fundamentals that allow a player to see, feel and trust what they want to do. Rarely do I meet individuals who can consistently fire on all cylinders, therefore I seldom have people come to me with total confidence in every part of their game. That becomes the focus of my job which is to instill real confidence in my players once the foundation skills are established.

How do we manage the  corrective and building process.

Once the analysis is done we establish a prioritized training plan addressing all the critical issues to consistent scoring. Generally  I spend a considerable time helping the player  to feel  the correct movements involved in the various skill areas and to understand  the principles behind them. Often this is without a club in hand.  The  first priority is to help the client develop a clear understanding of how their personal swing works best and why. I then use proprietary techniques that will allow the player to produce the desired outcome on a consistent basis.

Put the clubs down for a moment and lets work on coordinating correct movement patterns and build strength.

To accelerate this development process I  have created a specially designed golf specific gym and indoor practice area in addition to a complete outdoor facility at King’s Links. The indoor facility has the most recent Trackman launch monitors that accurately show ball flight indoors and out, a 1400 square foot putting and chipping green with different speeds and breaks for teaching green reading and putting skills, a full gym with a wide variety of specially designed golf specific fitness equipment , a balance lab and a Putting and Wedge Lab. Yes we take this very seriously and all of your progress is measurable. Once the player’s foundation and coordination  is functioning correctly everything gets easier for me as the coach and for the player .Great things start to happen and things that were difficult become easier and make sense.
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Benefits of our approach

In addition to scientifically monitoring your golf swing and I have many successful years of developing winning players. My teaching approach is motion and balance focused not position focused. Not only is it faster to develop it works the best under pressure. Teaching an 8 year old like Jesse Lee advanced techniques is possible because the correct foundations have been developed.  He was taught by me from day one at age 4 that golf balls are best  hit with the feet, legs and movement of the club in relation to one’s center of balance and core motion.Now 9 he hits the driver 220 and finished 4th in the recent Taylormade World Junior. Yes this is possible to do with a focused 4 year old using my specialized techniques. You can see how we started his training in his file in the “client/case sudies” section.  His swing foundation and motion have already developed  along with his many short game skills.

A good setup and correct sequence creates  functional  positions that will repeat under pressure. Uncoordinated movement creates dysfunctional positions. Unlike many tour players I meet in their twenties and early thirties my junior clients wont be starting all over again at 25, the emphasis will be more on the mental game and carefully refining physical and mental development.

“Uncoordinated movements create dysfunctional positions.”- Rob Houlding

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Only the most successful  teachers and the majority of historically successful players learn these methods. Nick Faldo is one of  the best examples of a modern day player that had to rebuild his swing to win Majors. Nick had to change his swing to incorporate the better use of his lower body  with the same principals we teach. David Leadbetter and I have shared thoughts on this and  agree on this principal producing superior results over time. In my business I am usually meeting tour players when they are struggling. I have never had a struggling tour player or top amateur come for a lesson who’s set up and swing was properly coordinated . I have also never met one that knew how to fix themselves. There is a simple reason for this. You can’t fix a player who prefers a hitting action with any long term results but you can easily help a player who’s swing motion is temporarily out of sync.

You can’t fix a player who prefers a hitting action with any long term results but you can easily help a player who’s swing motion is temporarily out of sync.-Rob Houlding

Rhythm and balance are the most important attributes of a great player. The balance points and consistent coordination of the parts allows effortless power and consistent outcomes. It is the only thing a player should be making an effort to control while swinging,pitching or putting. Without this you have no hope of playing well for four days.-Rob Houlding

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About Our Results in 2010

My clients results in 2010 and 2011 are unmatched by any other academy or teacher. Currently we have 7 of Canada’s Top JUnior Girls as clients and a several top ranked junior boys. Unlike other academies claiming to be the best based on the past playing results of their teachers, I allow my students results to confirm the value of my program. Our clients have won the following titles this season:

Four Players appointed to the 2011 Team Canada National Development Team
2011 Canadian Juvenile Girls Champion and 2nd and 6th place
2011 BC Junior Boys and Junior Girls Champions with several top tens
1st Callaway World Junior Championship Boys 15-17
1st BC Amateur Championship (youngest player in history to win)
1st Canadian Junior Boys’ Championship Juvenile Division
1st BC Junior Boys’ Championship
1st BC Junior Girls and 5 of the top 10 players
1st CN Future Links Pacific Championship
1st Shaughnessy Junior Invitational
1st Zone 4 Amateur Championship
1st Canadian Men’s Amateur Inter-provincial Team Championship (Team BC)
1st Toyota World Junior Golf Team Championships Zone Qualifier (Team Canada)
Plus Numerous Wins on the CJGA, AJGA and FWCT Junior Tours
2010 PNGA Player of the Year and BC Athlete of the Year
2010 NCAA Player of the Year and 2009- World # 1 Ranked Amateur
Why is using this technology important to my training?

Optimal performance in golf hinges upon careful analysis of the player’s mental processes and skill development. On the skills side we can then take the player further.
Our Elite training is highly sophisticated. We can identify a player’s readiness and limiting factors so they can steer their training regimen and also perform within their ability on a given day or week.
In addition to our skills assessments we provide a precise snapshot of performance-impacting factors to help you plan your training strategy and elevate your performance:
Identify strengths and risks
Prevent overtraining and overreaching
Shorten recovery time
Reduce negative stress
Enhance productivity
Improve and protect overall health
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Does your current golf program take your game this seriously?

Additional Benefits

This day in age college educations and attempting to get a Tour Card are very expensive. Our programs are saving families tens of thousands of dollars in education costs per year through the successful attainment of scholarships. On the pro side our players are getting a return on their investment through increased performance and prize money. We know how to help you prepare to realize your goals.

Please feel free to contact me today for more information about how myself and associates can help you reach your goals .

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