Rory McIlroy shares what he does with his golf swing to hit a stinger off the tee

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While many will probably initially remember the putts Rory McIlroy missed down the stretch on Sunday when asked to think of a shot the Northern Irishman hit at Pinehurst in the US Open earlier this year, some may recall the drives he was hitting on the 12th tee throughout the week.

It has probably been some time since Rory McIlroy was happy with carrying drives around 250 yards. He has been one of the longest hitters in the world throughout his time on tour.

But on that 12th hole throughout the week, McIlroy decided that he would be best off trying to drill a stinger straight down the middle of the fairway. And it could have hardly turned out any better, with the 35-year-old sending it 329 yards down the hole on Thursday having appeared to almost be in danger of not even making the fairway.

It is a shot that looks extraordinary when executed correctly. But pulling it off is clearly much easier said than done, particularly when dealing with the clubs which already boast the least loft.

How Rory McIlroy hits a stinger

But speaking to Sky Sports – in a video posted in 2020 – McIlroy explained how exactly he goes about hitting a stinger.

“So what I’ll try and do is get my ball a bit further back, I’ll grip down on the club. And really, I’ll just try and bump into my left side, and then I feel like I keep my chest over the ball longer,” he said.

“So usually, when I’m making a full swing, I sort of turn off the ball a little bit, there’s a little more weight transition, and then I get back onto my left. Where with this, I feel like I’m more onto my left side the entire swing, so from there, if you just feel a little bit more pressure down your left leg into your left foot and then just try to make a normal swing.”

Why copying McIlroy is so difficult for the very best

In some ways, there is no-one better for amateur golfers to learn from. Tommy Fleetwood labelled McIlroy the most talented golfer of his generation, and it does appear that his swing is one of the most aesthetically pleasing on the PGA Tour.

But imitating McIlroy is – unsurprisingly – not easy. Collin Morikawa admitted that he could not replicate what McIlroy does with his swing, noting that he gets into positions which should not be possible.

So it may certainly be a shot to practice on the driving range quite a bit before even thinking about unleashing it on the course.