Stinger, the Tiger tee shot.

Mr. Larson

Fascinated by this. Has anyone tried it out? What are the benefits, is it a difficult skill? Is it just useful into wind? Seems like it's a bit of all flash for no reason. Intrigued...

Spudmonkey

I've tried it a few times but it's virtually impossible for an ordinary golfer to play it. Your left wrist needs to be bowed through impact and it takes incredible strength and technique to be able to pull it off.

Anytime I've tried it I've only carried it 160 yards or something or pulled it badly. It's an awesome shot to see in reality. I saw him play it at the JP McManus pro-am 12 years ago and the ball just whistled off into the distance.

WHIP IT!

Jabberwocky wrote: »

Fascinated by this. Has anyone tried it out? What are the benefits, is it a difficult skill? Is it just useful into wind? Seems like it's a bit of all flash for no reason. Intrigued...

I must say it's one of my favourite shots to watch in golf... I don't think it's a bit of flash, it's a way of putting one in play, in any conditions - wind, rain etc - without laying it up just 220 yards with an iron. He still puts it out there 275 with a 'stung' fairway wood. The best shot of the lot to see on shot-tracker too

Mind you, he put one into some oul one's garden yesterday! :pac:

WHIP IT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRvjOXUyzvY

Jimmy Iovine

Jabberwocky wrote: »

is it a difficult skill? Is it just useful into wind?

For almost everyone playing in the world it's next to impossible, and only a shot that you hit in your dreams the night before a big round.

For Tiger it's just another shot. I'd imagine that an awful lot of the players on tour would not be able to play it.

I also reckon it has played a part in his knee problems. The pressure he puts on his left knee driving it into the ground when he swings it would cripple must people.

Like Spudmokey I've also seen it. He broke it out a few times at the '10 British Open. It's unbelievable to see. Just any pro golfer is amazing to watch really though. Even the worst of them hit it at such a speed compared to how anything you'll ever see.

stockdam

I saw him hit one at the 18th at Mount Juliet. It was an impressive shot.

Mr. Larson

What's the criteria for the need to play the shot then? Given that hitting the fairway is always the goal?

Tones69

Jabberwocky wrote: »

What's the criteria for the need to play the shot then? Given that hitting the fairway is always the goal?

Only reason i can uf the wind is into u and u wanna keep it down? Get more roll out

Goldenjohn

A friend of mine off17 hits them constantly! It's just his shot shape...last summer he blasted one from the tee, hit a large boulder about 40 yards from the tee and landed on the tee box 10 yards behind where he tee'd off. One of the funniest things I've seen on a golf course, broke my sh1t laughing...although he still took the money :rolleyes:

acejeff

its not in any way flash for no reason, when it's working it's an incredibly effective shot, with it he has such control over spin and trajectory, virtually eliminates the elements and manages to get the ball in play. Developed with a view to winning major championships, most majors are played in dry, fast running conditions and this tee shot suits these conditions perfectly. The reason it is still able to get out there 270ish off the tee because of so much run. For him it's minimum fuss maximum effectiveness.

I think as previous posters have alluded to it's virtually impossible for us mere mortals to hit this shot as tiger does, however you can take things from it - ball back in the stance, a more compact swing at the top, keeping the club delofted through impact and holding the release of the club, covering the ball, controlling the trajectory and spin. I can't hit this shot with a 2 iron, don't have the strength to get any sort of launch with it, but with a 4/5 iron in the wind able to get the ball in play with good distance in fast conditions rather than getting loads of spin and height with driver/3 wood

gerire

as a golfer who plays right over left a use a similar shot with a 9 iron into a wind ball doesnt get over 25 ft into the wind and stops sharp.

only down side that if it aint spot on i do hook the sh1t out of it and as its into the wind i tend to be miles from the target but its worth it for when it comes off. i do assume that because my left hand is on the bottom of my grip it makes this shot easier for me to play

tommyombomb

played last night and hit one of these. got it 200yard from the fairway. what trying it at the start of the summer but gave up.

Im sickened now I as I dont know how I did it.

it could be possible i just scuffed my shot and hit the bottom of the iron.

I play cack handed if that helped the situation. going to hit the driving range and hit a 100 balls tomorrow and see if I can replicate it

whytenc

Spudmonkey wrote: »

I've tried it a few times but it's virtually impossible for an ordinary golfer to play it. Your left wrist needs to be bowed through impact and it takes incredible strength and technique to be able to pull it off.

Anytime I've tried it I've only carried it 160 yards or something or pulled it badly. It's an awesome shot to see in reality. I saw him play it at the JP McManus pro-am 12 years ago and the ball just whistled off into the distance.

Serious question but is'nt your left wrist always supposed to be bowed through impact on every shot? (full swing shots anyway).

This is pretty much the way I hit my 4 and 5 irons when I hit them well, albeit unintentionally.

I take a long relatively flat swing and two big focuses for me has been starting the swing down with a hip turn and suppinating the wrists (bowing) through impact as advised by Ben Hogan. When I execute this correctly the ball fly's off low and straight with a lot of run on it.

Never tried to consciously pull off a "stinger", its just the way I swing and I must say its been really paying off for me lately as Im keeping the ball in play a lot with minimal fuss.

TheDoc

Can do it with irons, cannot for the life of me do it with woods or driver.

Then again, thats not difficult, the magic is he is doing it with a driver and still retaining massive distance. Anytime I try it I seem to generate more spin and it goes high

It did give me the thought of learning to do something similar with approach irons when playing into the wind. Had a tendancy to go high and drift when playing an iron into the wind.

So decided to go a club more, reduce my swing length ( to 1/2 or 3/4) and play a type of "stinger" into the pin.

Got it down, can still do it today to good effect, then learnt this is just a normal approach shot

Gutted.

PARlance

TheDoc wrote: »

Got it down, can still do it today to good effect, then learnt this is just a normal approach shot

Gutted.

I'm partial to the odd stinger too... Only problem is that I shouldn't really be hitting a stinger for long putts!

Seves Three Iron

If you read Haney's book on Tiger he says one of the great regrets he has from his time with Tiger is that he never convinced him to go with the stinger drive regularly. Tiger just couldn't trust it and the confidence just wasn't there. Could do it nicely with two iron, three wood but not the big stick. If the world's best player can't do it then that probably tells its own story about whether normal folk should try building it into their game.

TheDoc

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

If you read Haney's book on Tiger he says one of the great regrets he has from his time with Tiger is that he never convinced him to go with the stinger drive regularly. Tiger just couldn't trust it and the confidence just wasn't there. Could do it nicely with two iron, three wood but not the big stick. If the world's best player can't do it then that probably tells its own story about whether normal folk should try building it into their game.

It looks like the benefits are pretty fruitful, but only a handful of people would benefit.

It looks a more controlled backswing and a much safer ball flight, but you need the swing speed and power to ensure you dont loose so much distance