Alisha Lau Aims to Take Game to Next Level
October 22, 2014
Alfie Lau, Inside Golf
By all measurements, 15-year-old Richmond golfer Alisha Lau has had a 2014 golf season to remember.
Lau finished T5 at the BC Junior Girl's Championship in early July and just a week later, finished third at the BC Women's Amateur.
Travelling to Ontario at the end of July, Lau finished T20 at the Canadian Junior Girl's Championship and then capped off her summer by tying for low medalist in stroke play – with another BC golf prodigy, Naomi Ko - at the PNGA Junior Girl's Amateur in mid-August before losing in the semi-finals of the match play segment of the competition at the Olympia Golf & Country Club in Washington State.
So it was no surprise that Lau was invited to attend the British Columbia Golf High Performance Camp at Northview in Surrey on Oct. 18 and 19.
"I think I learned the most during Jody (Jackson)'s talk on the mental and emotional part of golf," said Lau, who turned 15 earlier in the week. "I'm interested in how the mind works and how it will help me during tournaments."
For example, Lau was asked to play a par-5 with only one club until she reached the green, meaning she had to divide the hole into thirds and hit the same club until she got onto or near the green.
Choosing 5-iron, she hit two great shots, only to find herself only 110 yards away from the hole. "I didn't take enough off for the dogleg," said Lau. "That's the part of the mental game they want us to work on."
Lau said she's much more of a feel player who relies on tactile sensations. Even when she feels tension before a shot, she gets that back into check by adjusting her grip pressure.
Talk to any of the other High Performance coaches and they'll tell you that Lau is pretty close to the complete package.
"Her K-Vest readings were very good," said Matt Palsenbarg. "The only thing she needs to continue to do is get stronger, but that will come."
During the 'worst ball' scramble, with coaches Matt Cella and Helene Delisle watching, Lau merely hit two perfect drives in the fairway, then her worst approach shot was on the back fringe, 10 feet from the hole and both of her subsequent chips were to tap-in range.
At another hole where coaches were observing, she hit a mediocre chip 20 feet past the hole, but didn't dwell on that, jarring the par putt and walking confidently to the next hole.
Her maturity wasn't lost on the coaches, as with an unequal number of boys and girls in the camp, Lau was one of two girls who played her 9 holes with 3 boys.
Lau also impressed Jackson with her high emotional intelligence, scoring some of the best results in testing conducted at the clinic.
Jackson said part of Lau's future success will depend on making sure she doesn't play too many tournaments and refining her game so that she can access "The Zone" where she's playing without thinking and her game becomes both effortless and timeless.
As for Lau's fitness, she's no slouch either, for she isn't just a golfer.
"I play volleyball and basketball in high school (at J.N. Burnett in Richmond) and I used to play soccer and softball. I also did ballet when I was younger and that's definitely helped with my balance and core strength."
Having competed at a high level at so many sports and activities, Lau said she isn't fazed by much on the golf course.
"When you play sports and it's the fifth set in volleyball or the last seconds in basketball, there's going to be pressure, but for me, when I'm on the golf course, I tell myself it's OK, I've been here before. I can do this. It's the same looking at a big putt as it is playing the fifth set down one point."
For 2015, Lau would love to be selected to play the Western Canadian Championships at Wood Buffalo, Alberta, but she would also like to do even better at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
"I just have to work on continuing to get better," said Lau, who works with Rob Houlding at his Surrey facility.
Follow Alfie Lau on Twitter at @AlfieLau.
Editor's Note: Alfie Lau and Alisha Lau are not related.