The Stinger is the shot you turn to when accuracy matters most. Low, penetrating and built for control, this ball flight cuts through the wind, stays in trouble and pops out. While many professionals can hit the stinger, few have made it a specialty shot Gary Woodland – as we saw this week in Texas for Kids at the Houston Open.
“The sting has been a big blow to me my whole career,” Woodland said in the year 2023.
The origin of the shot, Woodland said, dates back to his college golf days. As he said GOLF Top 100 Teachers Chris Mayson, the stinger became a solution when distance wasn’t the problem – control was.
“I’ve always hit the golf ball hard, but when I was in college I had no idea where it was going,” Woodland said. “I was working with Randy Smith at the time and he said, ‘We’ve got to find a way to get it on the freeway.’
Let’s break down Woodland’s 3 keys to hitting a snag.
1. Open stance, behind the ball
When hitting a putter, Woodland says his priority is catching the ball — and that starts with putting. He begins by slightly opening his stance toward the target. Then Woodland returns the ball to his position.
According to Mayson, these adjustments work together to form the correct path to the ball.
“He’s got the ball back in his position, which makes the club go in,” Mayson says. “That’s why he’s shifted his reach more to the left to compensate for the position of the ball.”
2. Handle logo on target
“The biggest key for me is that I want to keep the back (of my lead hand), so I want the Crown C logo to be on target as long as I can,” Woodland says.
Keeping the back of his forehand — or the logo of his grip — on target allows Woodland to control his clubface through impact, which is key to catching the ball. When he does, the result is exactly what he’s looking for: a shot that comes out hot, low, and piercing.
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