The Keys To Hitting The Tiger Stinger

Chris Mayson

Chris Mayson

PGA / LPGA Tour Coach, Golf Digest Best in California, Golf Digest Best Young Teacher in America

This is probably my favorite shot of all time, this is the stinger. I ruined my golf swing by hitting too many stingers. I started it right when Tiger invented it back in the early 2000s. I was in college and moving through into my professional career and I got really good at it. I had a little blade, a 2 iron, and I’d get the stinger out and I could hit it probably 280. It really was a terrific shot for me, but I ruined my golf swing because with this shot, you want to play the ball back in your stance almost center, and aim a fraction to the left at the top of the swing. I used to blow my left wrist a lot and it used to get the face really shut and then from there, I would rotate really hard, the handle would get way forward to deloft it, and then I’d continue to rotate through. The ball would come out like a bullet, really low, but then as soon as they got to driver, I couldn’t get it up in the air and started hitting snap hooks. Only do this when you have to, but that’s what you need to do to hit the stinger.