Coach Profile: Danny Cowell
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Before playing on the links, Danny Cowell was on the pitch with plans of becoming a professional footballer. But multiple knee injuries and surgeries derailed those plans… arguably for the better. Danny’s focus soon shifted to golf, where he picked up the sport at a rapid pace and soon became a coach.
Danny is currently a putting specialist at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy with a 4.96-out-of-5 star rating on Skillest.
Zach Gray:
When did you start golfing and what got you into it?
Danny Cowell:
I was very light into golf originally. I played football (soccer) and I was doing very well with that, borderline about to sign professionally. Then I had four knee operations (two on each knee) between the ages of 16 and 20. After the surgeries, my stamina was definitely low. My legs basically wasted away on crutches for months at a time. There were certain things the surgeon said to avoid, like a running, swimming, and cycling. So football was done.
In the meantime, I’ve always found coaching and body mechanics quite interesting. So I got a sports science and biomechanics degree and started picking up golf. I joined my dad for nine holes and he suggested I take it up as a hobby. I got a membership at a local club, went out with a few members to get a handicap and started off at six. Just over a year I got it down to scratch. Over the years I did a lot of studying, looked into the PGA here in the UK, and continued studying. Wasn’t a long amateur career, maybe five years.
Zach:
Between your education and your own personal injuries, I’m sure it’s great experience with helping any golfers who may have injuries of their own.
Danny:
Exactly. Some people might check out videos on YouTube and try certain drills they may have seen, but everyone’s an individual. So it’s key to know what their movement patterns are like to make them as successful as they can be, rather than trying to change every pattern. That could potentially cause more injuries. It’s good for people to learn how they play golf, not necessarily seeing someone else to mimic and then making injuries worse.
Zach:
On Skillest, you’re a putting specialist. I think it’s safe to say a majority of recreational golfers haven’t had a putting lesson, so what can they expect from one?
Danny:
I’s not like we’re looking at ball flight, so it can definitely be done at home . They don’t need a driving range, enough room to swing, anything like that. It can be done at home, in a studio, on a course, wherever it may be. We’re looking at thing like pushes, pulls, etc. But overall, everyone can almost learn to putt like a pro.
Doesn’t matter how big, strong, thin, whatever you may be. Everyone’s capable of doing it because the movement is done in a way where it’s can be so controlled.
Zach:
Which do you prefer: mallet or blade putter?
Danny:
For me personally, blade.
Zach:
Is there massive difference between the two?
Danny:
If you’re someone who is not as consistent with a strike, a mallet would help in losing less energy on the ball. Whereas if you’re a confident putter, I would suggest a blade putter. It’s funny, I actually just did some testing recently in the studio with a blade putter seeing how much energy you can lose in a ball off different strikes.
Zach:
What would you say to someone who is hesitant to take an online lesson?
Danny:
It’s definitely an eye opener for people, especially for those who may feel uncomfortable doing face-to-face lessons. Certain people may find that they can potentially open up, speak a bit more, and obviously learn at their own pace. They can always refer back to a video message or analysis, whereas someone taking in-person lessons may only have a notebook to reference. With Skillest, you can go back on the app whenever, plus send a coach a message whenever.