Jackson Reid
In golf, a chicken wing is a common swing fault that occurs when a golfer's lead arm disconnects from their body, leaving a gap between their elbows and causing the lead elbow to point up. This often results in a weak shot and can be caused by a variety of factors such as crowded posture, poor wrist action, an out-to-in club path, or a steep downswing. While it can be a challenging habit to break, golfers can improve their swing by focusing on their fundamentals, ensuring proper wrist mechanics, and allowing their lower body to initiate the downswing.
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What You'll Learn
A steep downswing
Additionally, a steep downswing can be caused by a crowded posture at address, where there is not enough room for the golfer's arms to hang naturally. This can lead to the arms being pulled in and the chicken wing occurring during the downswing.
To correct a steep downswing that leads to the chicken wing, golfers should focus on improving their posture and spacing at address. They should bend forward from their hips so that their arms hang directly below their shoulders, ensuring there is enough room for their arms to swing freely.
It is also important for golfers to understand the proper golf club path and work on their wrist mechanics. By mastering the correct wrist positions and club path, golfers can achieve a more mechanically sound swing and eliminate the steep downswing that leads to the chicken wing.
Drills and exercises can also help golfers correct a steep downswing. For example, practicing half swings at half speed, focusing on extending the left arm, can help to improve the arm position during the downswing and reduce the occurrence of the chicken wing.
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Poor wrist action
To correct this, it is important to master wrist mechanics and focus on keeping the left arm straight. This can be achieved by doing half swings at half speed, concentrating on extending the left arm throughout the drill. The left arm should be as straight as possible but relaxed.
Another drill to correct poor wrist action is to place an alignment rod or spare club on the ground at a 4:30 angle relative to the ball. Imagine standing in the middle of a clock face, with 12:00 in front and 3:00 to your right, so 4:30 is slightly behind and to the right. Make a normal backswing, ensuring your lead wrist remains in a neutral or slightly flexed position. From the top, let your arms fall so the club head “tracks” down that 4:30 path. You’ll feel more inside-out and less “over the top.”
Additionally, it is important to address any issues with your grip, as a weak grip can also contribute to the chicken wing.
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Lack of lower body strength
The "chicken wing" is a common fault in golf swings, where the lead arm disconnects from the body, creating a gap between the elbows. This often results in a weak shot that lacks power and can confuse golfers about how their force didn't translate to distance.
One of the main causes of the chicken wing is a lack of lower body strength. When the lower body isn't involved in initiating the downswing, golfers tend to compensate by starting the swing with their arms, leading to the "chicken wing" motion. This can be due to a lack of strength in the lower body, which can be improved through specific golf exercises.
To correct this issue, golfers should focus on engaging their lower body during the downswing. This can be achieved by letting the front knee collapse towards the back knee during the swing, rather than just bending it straight forward. Additionally, working on chest rotation can help reduce the need to "chicken wing."
Another factor that can contribute to the chicken wing is a crowded posture, where there isn't enough room for the arms to hang naturally. To address this, golfers should ensure they bend forward from the hips, allowing the arms to hang directly below the shoulders.
Furthermore, golfers should focus on their wrist mechanics and ensure their wrists are in a neutral or slightly flexed position during the swing. Excess tension in the arms and shoulders can restrict natural rotation and impact the release through the ball.
By addressing these issues and improving lower body strength, golfers can effectively reduce the occurrence of the "chicken wing" in their swings and improve their overall performance.
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Incorrect posture
To correct this, golfers should ensure they are bending forward from the hips, allowing the arms to hang directly below the shoulders, with enough space between the body and arms.
Another aspect of incorrect posture that can lead to a chicken wing is a bent left arm, which can cause the lead arm to disconnect from the body, creating a gap between the elbows. To fix this, golfers can focus on keeping the left arm straight during the swing. This can be practised with half swings at half speed, ensuring the left arm is extended but relaxed.
A chicken wing swing can also be caused by a steep downswing, which can be the result of a misunderstanding of the proper golf club path. Golfers can correct this by focusing on flattening their transition and developing a more inside path to prevent the club from travelling on an out-to-in club path, which can cause the lead arm to move away from the body.
Additionally, incorrect wrist positions, such as an extended lead wrist, can lead to an open clubface and a steep angle of attack, promoting a chicken wing finish. Mastering wrist mechanics and maintaining a neutral or slightly flexed wrist position during the swing can help eliminate the chicken wing.
Finally, a chicken wing swing can be caused by a lack of aggression when coming through the golf ball. Encouraging an inside-out path can help golfers release the club fully without fear of pulling the ball left or leaving it wide right.
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Weak grip
A weak grip is one of the potential causes of the "chicken wing" swing fault in golf. The chicken wing swing is characterised by the lead arm disconnecting from the body, creating a large gap between the elbows and causing the lead elbow to point upwards. This often results in a weak shot that lacks power and can be confusing for golfers as the force applied in the swing does not translate to distance.
The chicken wing swing is often caused by other issues in the swing, such as a steep downswing or an out-to-in club path, which can lead to the lead arm moving away from the body. A weak grip can contribute to these issues and cause the golfer to make unnecessary compensations in their swing, such as pulling their arms in towards their body, which can result in the chicken wing position.
To correct a weak grip, golfers can focus on their fundamentals and ensure they have a proper golf grip. This can help improve arm rotation and eliminate the chicken wing swing. Additionally, golfers can work on drills to improve their wrist mechanics and wrist positions, which can help achieve a powerful and mechanically sound release position.
The chicken wing swing can also be caused by a lack of lower body involvement in the downswing sequence. To compensate for this power leak, golfers may rely more on their arms, leading to the casting or throwing of the club "over the top" at the start of the downswing. This can be addressed by focusing on initiating the downswing with the lower body and improving chest rotation, which can help create more space for the swing and reduce the need for the chicken wing position.
By addressing the underlying issues, such as a weak grip, and making adjustments to their swing mechanics, golfers can eliminate the chicken wing swing and improve the power and accuracy of their shots.
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Frequently asked questions
A chicken wing in golf is when a golfer's lead arm disconnects from their body, creating a gap between their elbows. This often happens when a golfer is trying to manufacture power, usually because there is some sort of power leak earlier in the swing.
A chicken wing in golf can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Poor wrist mechanics, especially an extended lead wrist
- A steep downswing
- A weak grip
- Lack of lower body strength
- Incorrect posture
To fix a chicken wing in golf, you can try the following:
- Focus on your fundamentals, such as your grip and clubface address
- Allow your lower body to initiate the downswing
- Improve your wrist mechanics
- Ensure your posture and spacing are correct, with your arms hanging directly below your shoulders
