Even tour pros look for golf tips on the internet

russell-knox-putt

We’ve all turned to the internet for help when our golf game isn’t on song. Don’t believe us? 74,000 people a month search for “shank” on Google, and it’s not because they’re trying to buy some delicious lamb for their dinner. 

One breed of golfer we assumed was beyond search bar diagnosis was tour pros. After all, these are the world’s best golfers, possessing an enviable combination of natural talent and comprehensive technical knowledge, with access to the finest (and most expensive) golf coaches, capable of hitting shots and shooting scores the rest of us can only dream of. Surely there’s no chance they’re just like the rest of us, frantically Googling away late into the night, searching for the magic elixir ahead of their early morning tee time? Turns out, they’re no different from you or me. 

“I was really struggling,” says Russell Knox. “The first couple of rounds in Malaysia last year, I didn’t play very well and I putted horribly. I went online and Googled ‘How to improve my putting’.”

Hold on. That’s 30-year-old Russell Knox, a man who’s been a professional golfer for nearly a decade, admitting to searching online for tips to improve his performance on the green.

“I found a little tip from the Stocktons, and it really helped me over the last two days in Malaysia.”

The tip helped Knox to weekend rounds of 67 and 68 at the CIMB Classic, securing a T-21 finish. 

Impressive, but still not proof that the internet is the all-conquering behemoth of knowledge that many would have us believe. 

Oh, the following week, Knox shot rounds of 67, 65, 68 and 68 to secure his debut European Tour title, the WGC-HSBC Champions. 

“It worked,” says Knox.

Well done, the internet.

And the tip? 

“I was getting a little tight and tense over the ball, and Mr Stockton just said, ‘Look a couple of inches in front of the ball’. I would just stare at that point instead of staring at the ball while I was making my stroke. It was amazing how much it freed me up. It took my focus off my stroke a little bit and alowed my arms to release easier. For some reason, everything went in.”

So there you have it: the internet can help you win a European Tour event.

If you’re looking for some golf tips, our Tips & Tuition section might be a good place to start.