How to Stop the Chicken Swing in the Golf Swing

By Ben Jarratt •  Updated: 07/14/23 •  6 min read

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The golf swing has many parts and nuances that can be difficult to master. One of the more common mistakes is a chicken wing, which takes place when your left arm is not in sync with your body during the backswing. No worries, this article will explore what it means exactly, why this position happens, and how to stop the chicken wing in the golf swing.

What is Chicken Wing in the Golf Swing?

“A chicken wing” can also refer to any kind of bad habit in sports or other physical activities: like an out-of-sync upper body following through on a stroke; or using a different type of grip than intended for the shot being hit. 

These habits are often developed early in life and are especially easily reinforced by practicing with a bad technique or by playing against other players who have the same problems. 

The chicken wing is an example of this- where the backswing motion either does not transfer at all into the downstroke or where the downstroke involves more upper body rotation than normal.

Why Does it Happen?

This common problem happens because you haven’t learned how to coordinate both arms together through contact and impact during your golf swing. 

When one of your wrists rolls too much so that they are not in sync with each other, this results in the chicken winging motion before, during, or after the shot. 

Having inconsistent timing can cause many problems for yourself on the green when you’re trying to get a good score consistently. Here’s why:

These problems can be easily fixed by practicing some simple coordination drills and self-observations on the driving range. 

Also, being aware of how you play will help to prevent making the chicken swing motion during your backswing in the first place. Avoid extra wrist rolls through impact as much as possible!

How to Stop the Chicken Wing in the Golf Swing?

How to stop the chicken wing in the golf swing to get your swing back on track is an important part of fixing any timing problems you may have. These tips will help you overcome the chicken wing in your golf swing so that you can have a consistent game every time.

Try watching one arm while doing this, then watch both at once (this can be tricky!), and finally, try watching your left shoulder as it moves through impact. It should be kept still while really only rotating toward the target a very small amount.

By following these steps, you can learn how to stop the chicken wing in golf swings. Being aware of what is taking place with your left arm as well as with your club at all times during contact is extremely important if you want to develop good habits when hitting shots. 

Many players who have this problem don’t even realize that they have it until they try to fix it. So be aware of your backswing, downstroke, and follow through at all times!

Does a Steep Swing Cause a Chicken Wing?

A steep swing can be a cause of the “chicken wing” if your follow-through is incorrect. 

I am talking about that position where you would have to turn your right arm way too far, and then you will only be able to take a small backswing because it becomes impossible for the clubhead to work back correctly without causing pain or an injury. 

When this happens, make sure to get some help from professionals with fixing your problem, as it could just be that simple. Or, there may be something else going on that we didn’t mention here.

How to Stop the Chicken Wing in the Golf Swing – Conclusion

Chicken wing in the golf swing? You have to break it off! The key is consistency and self-observation while practicing so that you see what’s wrong without having to be told by somebody else. 

When you start playing some rounds of golf games against real opponents, don’t be surprised if they tell you about your chicken wing at some point. Let them know how annoying it was for them to watch your poor backswing and downswing timing!

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