We all like a good chicken wing, but in golf the flaw known as the “chicken wing” can cause major problems. When the chicken wing happens we would see slicing, topping and thin shots. Not to mention anyone that has the chicken wing will have a major decrease of power. This flaw in the golf swing is simply when your left arm (right arm for left handed golfers) buckles or folds through impact and mimics a wing. When a player has the correct impact and through position his/her body has rotated past the ball and the left arm is straight and extended. The left wrist is flat rather than the folded left arm and cupped wrist which occurs when the lower body stalls or stops all together.
Lee Westwood who’s likely got the best resume without winning a major championship, has a very predominant left arm separation after impact. However, for him he’s put in hours of practice and likely grew up with this move his entire golf life. Westwood does many great things in his swing, and his body compensates well for the separation.
For shorter shots, those that struggle with the chicken wing will be very frustrated as it’s nearly impossible to make solid contact with pitch shots. For these players it’s important to fix this flaw with short game shots and it will gravitate into the long game.
The following tips will help you get rid of the nasty “chicken wing” during your swing
When a chicken wing occurs it’s very likely the body has stopped rotating and the arms take over in order to complete the swing. Proper rotation of the body happens from the ‘core’ or torso. In a one piece takeaway the torso and arms begin the rotation, while the lower body controls the movement from side to side. Golfers that rotate their upper body correctly, have their elbows very close to their body. This would be considered a compact swing with the torso and arms working together to create proper rotation. Next time you practice, make it a point to ensure you finish the swing with your chest facing the target. During a round, when you make a practice swing make sure you focus on rotating your chest to the target. If you can get your chest and arms working together in the golf swing, you’ll remain better connected and eliminate that nasty chicken wing slice.
One tip that can help create more rotation through the ball is to swing through to the left (right for left handed golfers). Many times, golfers are under the concept that the correct swing path needs to be inside to outside or straight down the target line. The further away the club travels from the body without rotating, it’s very likely a chicken wing will occur. An ideal swing path would be to have a one piece takeaway from the target on the backswing and on the follow through the arms and club would travel inside or left of the target line. If you can get the feeling of swinging to the left, the proper position at the hips to look for through impact would be for the right arm to be straight and the club parallel to the ground. In a chicken wing, the club gets more vertical as the left arm breaks down. Get into the habit with a swing thought taking the club away from the target and swinging to left field through impact.
