Chicken Wing And Bent Arm During The Golf Backswing (Video) - by Peter Finch
Chicken Wing And Bent Arm During The Golf Backswing (Video) - by Peter Finch

If we analyze Lee Westwood’s backswing, the bend in the left arm isn’t maybe as extreme as people think it is because the real bend in the left arm, the real chicken wing certainly becomes a lot more apparent as the club is actually swung through impact. They even at the top of the swing there are some things that give a clue as to what is to come. On Lee Westwood’s backswing there is that kind of slight kink in his left arm as he addresses the ball. I don’t know if he actually takes it back. That kink remains there. But apart from that, the actual path and the actual playing that his club takes is absolutely fantastic. And that’s one of the reasons why his swing is so consistent. He comes up, he’s up to the top, that slight kind of kink in the arm. But as he gets to the top of the swing, you actually see his head just start to dip down towards the ball. Now the reason for that is as that bent left arm actually moves towards the body, he actually shortens the reach of the driver. Now as the reach of the driver is shortened, he has to move his body a little bit closer to the ball to actually enable him to strike the centre of the club a lot more consistently.

But that driver backswing is really, it’s something that a lot of people can’t copy, even if you have that slightly soft left arm, because it gets in all over the position. It is that slight bend but it is that lovely wide take away. It’s a great hinge of the wrist; a fantastic backswing turn, and he sets himself wonderfully for the downswing. Apart from that slight kink and apart from that slight dip down towards the ball at the very top of the swing, it is an incredible backswing technique and something that a lot of people can learn of. What’s the main thrust of this and the main action of the swing and where it all starts to become a little bit funky, so to speak, is when he actually moves down into impact and strikes the ball. So we’ll move on from the settle, we’ll move on to the top of the backswing, and let’s look at Lee Westwood’s swing where he approaches impact. 2016-06-15

If we analyze Lee Westwood’s backswing, the bend in the left arm isn’t maybe as extreme as people think it is because the real bend in the left arm, the real chicken wing certainly becomes a lot more apparent as the club is actually swung through impact. They even at the top of the swing there are some things that give a clue as to what is to come. On Lee Westwood’s backswing there is that kind of slight kink in his left arm as he addresses the ball. I don’t know if he actually takes it back. That kink remains there. But apart from that, the actual path and the actual playing that his club takes is absolutely fantastic. And that’s one of the reasons why his swing is so consistent. He comes up, he’s up to the top, that slight kind of kink in the arm. But as he gets to the top of the swing, you actually see his head just start to dip down towards the ball. Now the reason for that is as that bent left arm actually moves towards the body, he actually shortens the reach of the driver. Now as the reach of the driver is shortened, he has to move his body a little bit closer to the ball to actually enable him to strike the centre of the club a lot more consistently.

But that driver backswing is really, it’s something that a lot of people can’t copy, even if you have that slightly soft left arm, because it gets in all over the position. It is that slight bend but it is that lovely wide take away. It’s a great hinge of the wrist; a fantastic backswing turn, and he sets himself wonderfully for the downswing. Apart from that slight kink and apart from that slight dip down towards the ball at the very top of the swing, it is an incredible backswing technique and something that a lot of people can learn of. What’s the main thrust of this and the main action of the swing and where it all starts to become a little bit funky, so to speak, is when he actually moves down into impact and strikes the ball. So we’ll move on from the settle, we’ll move on to the top of the backswing, and let’s look at Lee Westwood’s swing where he approaches impact.