I hate chicken wings. No, not the kind with hot sauce, the kind I see often at the golf course.
Not only do they look bad but they can help turn a bad shot worse.
Let’s get started on getting rid of your chicken wing.
You have the chicken wing not because you want to but because you have to. The chicken wing is basically a compensating move for an error that happens earlier in your swing.
Golf is a game of compensating errors. We have left errors compensating for right errors. We also have shallow errors compensating for steep errors.
A steep downswing is headed for a crash landing with the ground with a compensating move, like the chicken wing.
When you make the chicken wing move, you shorten your left arm which shortens the radius of your swing therefore allowing your steep downswing to avoid the ground.
To really fix this problem, we need to address the steep downswing.
Many steep downswings share another error, that being a weak grip, which leaves the clubface open and causes a steep over-the-top downswing.
Check your grip and make sure that it isn’t too weak. You need a square clubface at the top of your backswing and at impact.
Your over-the-top and out-to-in downswing is next.
Place a head cover or other obstacle outside and behind the golf ball so it will force you to swing more from the inside to avoid the obstacle.
Now that your downswing is better, you can eliminate the chicken wing.
The best drill for eliminating the chicken wing is to put a glove or head cover under your left arm and keep it there while you swing.
Keeping the glove or head cover under your arm will force your left arm to rotate. Notice that when you do this, your left elbow will be pointed at the ground after impact. This is what you want.
Now you are ready to hit some balls.
Check your grip, leave the obstacle outside the ball and leave the glove under your left arm. Tee up a golf ball and start by swinging slow.
Feel the club come more from the inside on the downswing and feel the left arm rotate and fold through and past impact.
Try these tips and the only chicken wings you will have will be on your plate, not on the golf course.
