A Chicken Wing in golf occurs when the left arm (for right handed players) separates from the body through the impact area and causes your elbow to fold and point behind you.
If your left elbow points behind you, it will be very difficult to maintain balance and you will feel like the club is heavy and struggle to control the finish position.
As a result, it becomes more and more challenging to create power and it puts too much force on the outside of your left elbow joint.
If you're suffering from tennis elbow or you tend to hit the ball high and short in distance, you may be suffering from the chicken wing.
THE LEFT HANDED DRILL
Try this drill to help learn the proper release of your left arm on your follow through. Begin your swing from a balanced starting position with only your left hand on the club in a proper grip position. Now swing the club. As you move through impact, keep your left upper arm close to your chest and rotate your forearm and wrist so that your elbow points down.
Try to feel like the elbow folds towards the ground. By improving the rotation of your left arm through impact, the club will begin to feel lighter, making it easier to generate speed through impact. It improves your ballclub contact, resulting in better ball flight.
Keri Moffat is a CPGA Teaching Professional and the Director of Instruction at Mayfair Lakes in Richmond. She is the recipient of the 2011 PGA of BC Teacher of the Year award.
Book lessons online at www.golfbc.com
