At the age of 13, Danny got into golf.
As with all golfers, getting to grips with the essentials is a frustrating process, but Danny chose to stick to it and got through the growing pains the sport possesses.
Those who stick to golf and persevere through the challenges, tend to enjoy the sport as they have experienced both the pain and pleasure. However, those who give it a go and find the sport much harder than it appears and give up at it, tend not to like the sport so much.
Golf is a true test of one’s character, commitment, attitude and capability to persevere through, pain, frustration and upset.
Danny believes his dedication to and success in golf has proven to be of huge benefit and value to him as he can get through any situation, instance, matter or problem and find a way through both practically as well as mentally.
Danny always packed a powerful shot for his age. Strong with his arm strength, legs and back, in addition to a growth spurt, enabled Danny to hit the long ball.
Danny addressed the weaker areas of his game and progressed from a 24 handicap to the requirements to turn professional in just 2 and a bit years!
Aged 16 and able to turn pro in terms of ability, Danny had to wait a further 2 years, when he turned 18 to become a qualified PGA pro.
Golf is a frustrating sport for all and when Danny was 15 years of age, sports psychologist Jamie Edwards visited Lexden Wood Golf Club teaching members how to “Train Your Brain”. Danny loved Jamie’s presentation and took huge value from the information he shared.
Danny went on to have a 1-1 session with Jamie in addition to a golf psychology session with another golf psychologist.
Always a believer in the strength of and abilities the mind has, ever since those sessions, Danny has been aware of the credibility and justification of his prior beliefs and attitudes. Danny has been a huge advocate of psychology and neuro linguistic programming (NLP) ever since.
When Danny got into golf, he was at a high level in football, respected, known, successful an achiever with reputation for his qualities, abilities and experience.
When he focused on Golf, Danny was moving much further down the ladder on the career path in hope of catching-up and surpassing those at the top, as soon as possible.
Danny hated going from a someone to practically a no-one in golf.
So Danny dedicated hours and hours into perfecting his game, hitting 1000+ golf balls every day.
Danny grew calluses on his bleeding hands time and time again from the hours of pain applied to his hands from hitting so many golf balls. But he had to become the best!
Danny studied those on Tour and understood their working routine.
How many golf balls they hit, how much time they spent putting, chipping, on the green, on the range and on the course. In addition to their sleeping habits and gym activities.
Subsequently, Danny dove in and dedicated hours upon hours into perfecting his game, hitting hundreds and thousands of golf balls every day.
Danny would attract spectators even on the golfing range, admiring his game and abilities to hit the long ball out of the range! Danny could also hit the 75 yard sign 87 times out of 100 balls. He worked hard, focused, repetitively, endlessly.
Danny never wants to lose, always expects to win and even if he loses a battle, will always win the war.
Such dedication, focus and commitment resulted in Danny winning shelve loads of Longest Drive awards, trophies, titles and awards for his success.
Danny was exceptional in head to head golf. He would destroy his competition within no time. Wanting to end the match as soon as possible, as early as he possibly could. Danny was aggressive, relentless and unforgiving. He wants to win at a level most people would never be able to contemplate possible.
When starting out, he was years behind national team level golfers, but within 3 years he was playing head to head and beating golfers at the highest levels for their age.
Of course, he he has also enjoyed a handful of Hole in Ones as well as plenty of Eagles and Birdies.
Danny’s best consecutive birdie run was 8 in a row and he lipped out for 9 in a row!! His best score in golf was -3 under par!
His longest drive was 427 yards although this was in peak UK summer whereby the golf ball would roll out considerably. His typical/average drive was 285 yards at a time when Tiger Woods boasted a 305 yard average.
By the time Danny reached the age of 18 and could turn professional, he realised that Golf was not the dream career move he had hoped.
The problem was, that whilst Danny loved golf and became exceptionally good at it, Golf was more of a business decision than a dream of his.
Danny saw golf as a money-making channel and route to fame, success and riches than because all he had ever wanted to do was to be a golfer.
Subsequently, Danny was able to evaluate Golf as a route to fortune as a commercial decision and he deemed golf too lonely a sport, a non-people focused, lone sport and would rather a more people focused, team based business.
If Danny had made the move to work and play in Spain as other golfers did, Danny believes he may have become a golf professional. Unsure whether he would have got to top of the tree globally as a Tour Pro, but certainly a great golfer earning money from golf. But Danny wanted much more than that.
Danny was incredible at matchplay, head to head golf and nowadays, there is big money from gamblers who bet big on head to head match play. Danny believes that is the area of gold he could have done incredibly well in.
Danny believes golf enabled him to mature at a young age, build relationships with those older than him and from all walks of life, how to understand and respect rules, adhere to courtesy and etiquette, how to speak in front of audiences at award winning ceremonies.
There is so much that Danny has taken from golf but some of the biggest benefits is the ability to travel, lead, look after and think for yourself. Something you do not learn from team sports and a skill Danny had to learn when travelling to tournaments alone at a young age.
Danny also believes mental strength, patience, persistence and the reveal of others true traits, mental strength and abilities to control themselves was a huge enlightenment. Adults who were unable to control themselves and allow their emotions to take control of them. Incredible.