How to Hit a Stinger

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 19, 2021 References

Tiger Woods helped popularize the stinger—a golf shot off the tee where the ball travels far and low across the ground. It’s a great move to have handy for windy days, or when you need to avoid trees overhead. Want to master this challenging shot? You’ll need to get prepared, perfect your stance and swing, and practice, practice, practice!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Getting Ready

1
Work on your normal swing. The stinger is a difficult shot. You should make sure you can consistently make contact with your normal swing, before moving on to the stinger. Even if you are pretty confident with your normal swing, it could help to warm up before moving on to the stinger.
- The stinger requires a lot of head speed, so work on getting longer hits.
- If you’re still working on breaking 100 yards (91 m), come back to this shot once your game is stronger.
2
Pick a long iron, fairway wood or hybrid club for your shot. People usually use a 2- or 3- iron for the stinger, but a fairway wood also works. You can use almost any club down to a pitching wedge to hit the ball off the tee. Don't worry too much about the decision. You can always try different clubs.
- A hybrid club may make it more difficult to hit the stinger, because hybrids tend to carry the ball higher, and you want a low flight. ^{[1]
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3
Prepare a narrow stance and proper ball positioning. Stand with your feet slightly closer together than normal. Put slightly more weight on your front foot than back foot. The ball should be in the middle of the stance or about one ball length back. You can try both ways to see which way you prefer. ^{[2]
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4
Grip about 1 in (2.5 cm) down from normal. Choking down will shorten the shaft and provide the added control you need to hit the stinger. Grip the club firmly.
- Your arms and the shaft should form a “y” shape. ^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Learning the Swing

1
Bring your backswing up. The backswing should be smooth and full. Unlike a punch shot, which has a shorter backswing, you want to have a full backswing and a normal, full shoulder turn. At the top, your hands should be about level with your ears. ^{[4]
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- Try to stay relaxed and focused. It may help to count in your mind.
2
Lead the downswing with your lower body. Your normal shoulder should swing, because it’s not a punch shot. As you swing, stay balanced and centered over the ball.^{[5]
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- Don't rush the shot and keep the club close to the ground.
3
Hit on-plane. The clubface should be square to the ball, not open or closed. At impact, the club will have a slightly descending blow. Keep your arms relaxed through impact, and your wrists firm. ^{[6]
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- Try to produce a clean divot on the forward side of the ball.
4
Finish by keeping your wrists firm. Unlike a normal swing, your hands will not turn over. The left elbow (for right-handers) folds toward the ground. This finish will feel pretty different from a normal swing. ^{[7]
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- Your follow through will probably be shorter than normal, since you are maintaining the wrist angle.
- The shortened follow through helps reduce loft to keep the ball close to the ground. ^{[8]
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5
Practice with hitting short distances and work your way up. Grab a 6 iron and try to hit about 30 yards (27 m). Once you've got that down, increase your yardage as you work on extending your follow through. It may be a tricky shot to master, but it's worth the work. Don't give up! ^{[9]
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- When you master the stinger, you'll have a fantastic move to use in windy conditions or any time you want the ball to travel low and far.