As the 2026 major season heads toward its finale at the Open Championship, the value of a low, wind-cheating tee ball comes into sharp focus. Scottie Scheffler’s recent Claret Jug victory at Royal Portrush underscored the necessity of controlling trajectory in links conditions—a skill Tiger Woods mastered en route to three Open titles. Central to that success was his signature “stinger,” a piercing, low-flighted shot that finds fairways and releases toward the hole.
While the stinger is synonymous with Woods, its mechanics predate his prime. In a classic lesson originally featured in the January 2001 issue of GOLF Magazine, Hall of Fame instructor Craig Harmon—son of the legendary Claude Harmon Sr.—detailed the fundamentals required to execute this shot. The technique is accessible to any golfer and effective with nearly any club off the tee, from a long iron to a fairway wood.
How to Hit the Stinger
You can mimic the equipment and the fist pumps, but replicating Tiger’s penetrating ball flight requires specific technique. Contrary to popular belief, the stinger was not a Woods invention; the Harmon family taught its mechanics for decades. While few will match Tiger’s 280-yard carry with a 2-iron, the underlying principles allow any player to produce a controlled, low trajectory that maximizes roll.
The shot is invaluable when wind demands a boring flight, but its utility extends beyond the tee box. The same mechanics apply to punch approach shots into receptive greens with clubs as short as a pitching wedge. Here is the breakdown.
Address: Set the “Y”
Position the ball one to two inches farther back in your stance than standard. This naturally sets your hands slightly ahead of the ball at address. Choke down approximately an inch on the grip for enhanced control. These adjustments align the lead arm and club shaft to form a lowercase “y” shape. The objective is to maintain this structure throughout a smooth, full backswing.
Impact: Bow the Lead Wrist
The stinger’s defining low launch and heavy roll are produced by a bowed lead wrist at impact. For a right-handed golfer, the left wrist remains firm and arched toward the target, preventing the clubface from adding dynamic loft. To internalize this sensation, Claude Harmon Sr. had students hit low punch-slices with a long iron, focusing on a “hit and stop” motion. The abrupt halt forces the wrists to stay passive and firm. At the moment of contact, the arms and shaft should mirror the “y” established at address, eliminating the standard release or flip of the hands.
Finish: Rotate the Torso
With the wrists locked in the bowed position, the follow-through becomes a function of body rotation. The torso and arms rotate the club around the body to the left (for a right-hander), producing a low, running draw rather than a slice. Speed is generated by the pace of the body’s unwinding, not by hand action. The finish feels distinctly abbreviated compared to a standard swing; the lead elbow folds downward toward the turf rather than working up and around. This “held-off” finish is the hallmark of the stinger.