How to Hit a Stinger

A stinger is a golf shot that has a controlled and penetrating ball flight. These shots are used to help golfers that are trying to hit a full distance shot that continues in the air for a long time and allows the player to get the ball out of the wind or simply to control the ball flight.

The stinger shot is sometimes called a knockdown shot or punch, but all of these shots are a little different. If you have always wanted to know how to hit a stinger, stay tuned!

When should you hit a stinger?

There are a few times that hitting a stinger can be really beneficial. The first that comes to mind is windy conditions.  But there are also times that you can use this shot to get the ball out of the woods or to keep the ball under a branch if you have a blocked shot to the green.

Some players find that they make better contact when they try to hit a stinger shot, and they will just start using it as their basic shot preference during each round. The stinger shot does not vary enough from the normal swing to make this a difficult golf shot.

How to hit a stinger like tiger

If you are ready to hit a stinger like Tiger, follow these steps to learn it quickly and start incorporating it into your golf game on the golf course.

1) Adjust the setup

When you want to hit a stinger like Tiger, keep the ball in the middle of your stance and ensure that your weight is balanced.

Many golfers believe the golf ball needs to be placed back in the stance, but this is not necessary. If you normally play your 7 iron in the center and you are trying to hit a 7 iron stinger, the center of the stance is just fine.

Remember that normal ball position changes for each club you hit, so if your club selection for your stinger is a hybrid, you may be playing it back a little from the normal forward position.

2) Alter the backswing slightly

The backswing does not need to be as long as it typically is. If you are trying to ensure your attack angle is ideal, it makes sense to keep your backswing just a bit shorter. If a normal shot goes to parallel with the stinger, you will want to stop the swing just before it gets to parallel.

This position will help ensure that you have the proper shaft lean at impact and that the club face is slightly delofted.

3) Accelerate

With this type of shot, it is essential to accelerate. If you remember watching Tiger hit these stinger shots, you can remember that he had some of the highest club head speed of any of his shots. Tiger Woods would not be able to hit the stinger that he is known for without the club head speed he had at impact.

Always expect to accelerate through the impact position if you expect to get the ball to have that lower and more penetrating ball flight.

4) Finish low

The stinger is one of the coolest shots that golfers can learn to hit. If you are playing a tight fairway with firm conditions, this is a perfect solution. However, if you are not able to finish low, the ball will get too high, and you will notice that the stinger is no different than any other shot in your bag.

Keep your finish much lower than a regular shot and try to hold it the way that Tiger always did. Your left wrist will remain firm, and your body rotation will continue through impact.

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What club do you use to hit a stinger?

The great thing about hitting a stinger shot is that you can use any club in your bag. Golfers will even use their driver or a fairway wood to hit a tee shot stinger. Depending on the situation that presents itself on the golf course, the stinger can easily be adjusted and used on several different clubs.

Can you hit a hybrid stinger?

A hybrid stinger is a really great shot to master when trying to get enough distance on an approach shot to a green. The angle of attack will help players get an extra roll and potentially run a ball up on the green from far out.

With the forgiveness of a hybrid, it is not hard to learn to hit the stinger, especially if you are using a 3 hybrid or 4 hybrid.

Learn more about hitting a Golf draw vs Golf fade. 

Can you hit a stinger with a driver or fairway wood?

A stinger can be hit with a driver or a fairway wood following the same technique we gave for the irons. It’s important to remember that delofting the club at address or creating too much shaft lean will create more of a punch shot as opposed to a stinger.

It is best to save these for getting out of trouble. The fairway wood and driver need a slightly abbreviated backswing and that hold type finish.

How do you hit a stinger draw?

The best way to hit a stinger draw is to adjust your stance to accommodate it. Since you will be making swing change adjustments to hit the stinger, it’s best not to add any others in. Instead, take a slightly closed stance and aim to the right of your target. If you do this correctly, the ball will loop back around to the left.

How do you hit a stinger fade?

Similar to the stinger draw, the stinger fade is a fun shot to hit. With this shot, it is best to aim a little left of the target with a more open stance.

The club at impact will have a slightly open face, even though the club is still going to promote an overall lower loft. It takes time to produce a clean divot and hit a perfect stinger fade, but it is possible.

How do you hit a stinger with a driver?

Hitting a stinger with your driver requires you to choke up on the club a bit and ensure that you only take a 3/4 backswing. It also makes sense to ensure that the ball is teed a little lower. If the ball is teed high, it becomes even harder to knock it down at the moment of impact.

The stinger with the driver is not a difficult shot, but it should be practiced at a driving range. Sometimes when players attempt a shot like this, the golf ball will have a tendency to go to the right simply because of the different feeling at impact.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now feel you can hit a stinger and do exactly what Tiger Woods has done on the golf course so many times.

The stinger in golf is a shot that takes a few simple adjustments, a bit of clubhead speed, and some effort in holding onto your finish. If you can do these things, chances are you will be successful in being able to hit the stinger shot and play golf in almost any condition.