How to Hit a Low Iron Stinger

Henrik Stenson outdueled Phil Mickelson in a memorable Sunday at the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon this past weekend. What you may not have noticed is that, similar to many of the golfers facing the windy links course, Stenson replaced his 4-wood with a 2-iron for the week.

Stenson hit 41 out of 56 fairways (73.2%) for the week, good for 5th in field. The accurate iron game also led him to hit 56 out of 72 greens (77.8%), easily the best in the field.

Whether you find yourself battling the conditions in the British Open or just needing to hit the fairway to win $5 off your buddies in your weekly game, it’s good to have a “go-to” shot that you can feel confident in hitting the fairway.

Enter the long iron “stinger” shot.

Popularized by Tiger Woods during his late 90s to early 2000s dominant run, the stinger is a perfect low-risk shot that can beat the wind and run down the fairway…especially in the middle of summer as dry grounds harden up.

So just how do you hit the low stinger shot?

In the video below by Callaway Golf, pro golfer Nicolas Colsaerts gives three tips to hit an accurate long iron stinger that will run down the fairway. He demonstrates how to:

1. Put the ball back in your stance
2. Keep the weight on your left side
3. Use a shorter follow through.

Take these three tips, and your 3-iron, out to the range and perfect your stinger shot. You just may need it next time you’re on the tee.

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