The stinger really came to the fore in Tiger’s heyday, with the great man impressing and entertaining us many a time with that low, penetrating, drilled ball flight. He even hit stingers with his driver sometimes, usually rounded off with that satisfied club twirl of his!
When to play the stinger and why?
The low stinger – a close cousin of the punch shot – is not just about impressing others, though. It’s also a highly practical shot in a variety of scenarios…
* On windy days when a lower flight will be buffeted around less by the breeze
* When you want more roll to chase it further down a firm, tight fairway
* Chasing it up to a back pin on a long green rather than risking flying it all the way
* Keeping it under branches to help you progress further down the hole rather than just chipping out
The stinger can be a handy shot into the wind or for keeping the ball low under trees as Top Coach Peter Finch demonstrates here
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
With practice, some golfers even turn to it as their reliable fairway-finder off the tee when they simply have to hit the short grass.
How to hit a stinger: Club selection
In most instances you will need to take more club than usual for the distance because the lower ball flight won’t carry so far, although you will need to factor in any increased run in firm conditions or downwind.
As you will be delofting the club further at impact, be wary of using too low a loft other than when you need to really keep the flight down. Less loft makes it harder to execute successfully, just as in a normal full swing.
Set-up
Normally with a longer iron, you would have the ball a little forward in your stance. But for the stinger, put the ball in the middle and grip down the club a little. Crucially, now shift your weight slightly towards the target such that 60-65% of it is on your front foot at address, with your hands slightly ahead of the ball.
This will encourage the more descending blow you need to keep the ball down. Narrowing your stance a fraction should also help you to drive your hips through the ball as you swing.
Grip…
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