Stop The Chicken Wing: Fix Your Follow Through

Chicken Wing Golf Swing:

chicken wing golf swing

You can fix this by putting something under your lead arm such as your glove’ keeping it connected to your body. This will not generate the power you were hoping for, so the chicken wing swing comes into play as you desperately try to save your shot from being a weak effort that goes nowhere. It is likely that the lower body hasn’t been involved in the downswing sequence, and hasn’t initiated the downswing. To make up for this, the arms start the swing and have to either cast or throw the club ‘over the top’ at the start of the downswing.

This set includes two 48-inch alignment sticks that can be configured multiple ways to help straighten your swing and improve your golf game. This training aid will help teach key fundamentals of set-up and ball striking, including alignment, ball position, and swing plane. However, there is something to be said for keeping the left arm straight through the impact position.

That means that the bending of your arms happens because of your incorrect action that happens before you hit the ball. Although this common flaw does not keep all players from hitting a good shot, it’s important to start to get rid of the chicken wing, as it generally means there are other problems in the swing. These parameters will most easily allow you to commit to keeping your arms in front of you and syncing up the arms and body as you continue to rotate without stalling through impact. Perhaps the easiest way to accomplish this is through some very tried-and-true drills that completely leave all the technical thoughts aside and allow you to almost automatically feel the proper motion.

It’s never explained correctly, and most professionals will shake their heads when a beginner comes to them with this left arm that will barely even move. There is no drill that I know of, or a teaching aid that will help you if you are consitently on too steep of an angle in the downswing. You have to fix the root cause of the problem ‘ you have to learn to ‘lay the shaft down,’ or flatten your transition.

By allowing the lead arm to bend, you create a whip-like effect that generates more clubhead speed and distance. Additionally, the chicken wing promotes a more consistent swing path, reducing the chances of slicing or hooking the ball. Great players have their hips shifted more toward the target at impact.

His face is square, he rotates well through the bottom of the swing without stalling, he shallows the club out and he stays in the shot and has great low-point control and a very stable release. You will still see his chest facing the target fully at the same time his hands get there. Experiencing a chicken wing in your golf swing can significantly hinder your game. The chicken wing refers to a faulty swing motion where the lead arm (left arm for right-handed golfers) bends excessively during impact, resembling the shape of a chicken wing. This swing flaw affects clubhead speed and has a psychological impact on a golfer’s confidence. One of the most common misconceptions about the chicken wing golf swing is that it’s a flaw or mistake.

Ideally we’d also like to have speed, but it is actually not mandatory especially at the recreational level. This gives the feel of what players call staying ‘connected’ through the swing and there are many videos of professionals, including Tiger Woods, using this in practice or pre-round warmups. Using training aids or swing drills are by far the best way to integrate several moving parts at once and shore up the entire motion of your swing.

If you have seen your swing on video with your pro, he has probably pointed out this steepness. If you’re one of the many in this position, these drills are worth a try. When, and only when you get into this position to start down will you feel the freedom to extend your arms, particularly click here for info your left arm, into impact. You will not fear fat, in fact, you will start to top the ball, UNTIL you learn to stay down, keep rotating and extend the arms. In golf, a ‘chicken wing’ is the shortening of the left arm (for a right-handed golfer) in the downswing and into impact.

Katie has also worked with golf publications for more than 20 years, helping to provide instructional content for golfers of all abilities. Katie is based at Hamptworth Golf Club, on the edge of the New Forest, where she helps players improve all areas of their game on a daily basis. To correct your posture and spacing, be sure they said to bend forward from your hips so that your arms can hang directly below your shoulders. If this does happen, you’ll become too crowded, and you’ll lose the bend forward from your hips. Follow these step by step practice plans and watch video lessons to learn how to improve your golf swing, chipping, and putting fundamentals.

chicken wing golf swing

If your arms start to bend and get a little too loose, the chicken wing is the mistake you will see come up. Another common mistake that leads to a chicken wing is a lack of rotation in the upper body. When you fail to rotate your upper body fully through the swing, it can cause your lead arm to collapse and result in a chicken wing. If your grip is too weak, it can lead to a breakdown in the lead arm and cause a chicken wing to occur.

However, there are also issues with the basic setup and stance that can cause problems in the swing. Another great drill for getting rid of the chicken wing golf swing is one that works on the follow through only. Instead of taking a backswing, you will start at your setup position and then just go to a full follow through. Despite examples like Jordan Spieth and Lee Westwood, 99% of the time it comes along with moves that are going to make success random or non-existant, and rob you of power in the process.

Before these technical terms became widespread in golf instruction, it was a lot easier to identify on video as the lead arm forming a triangular ‘chicken wing’ shape from the face-on view of a golf swing. This can also be seen easily from down-the-line as the bent elbow will be the first thing to appear on the lead side of the body, very early after impact as the arms pull across the body. To do this, you must push your body a bit and almost force it to get into the proper position. The follow through only drill ensures that you don’t take a chicken wing golf swing, as you will feel the arms rotate correctly up to the top of the swing. The consequence of this, and technically the best way to keep your left arm straight, is to have a good body turn back and through the ball.

The George Gankas Shallower training aid accomplishes this same thing. You will never chicken wing if you ‘keep the club in front of you’ by rotating the torso and minimizing the hand travel through the swing. The hands only need to move a few inches to either side of your midline throughout the entire swing, believe it or not.

A backswing that travels too straight back for too long can delay your turn. If you don’t turn on your backswing, once again, you would need to shallow this steepness by pulling in your arms. Golf Swing Central is a place to break down both over here your swing and the swing of others, be they amateurs or professionals. Continuous posting of swing aids, or lessons/instruction will result in a ban. Having a chicken wing means that you are lifting your elbow and flipping your wrist.

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