What Is a Chicken Wing in Golf? Causes & Fix for Beginners
Almost 9 out of 10 golf beginners struggle with the chicken wing. A golf swing chicken wing has nothing to do with the food we eat. It is one of the most common swing flaws that nearly 90% of beginner golfers deal with.
Common Chicken Wing in Golf VS Proper Arm Posture
Why It’s Called the Chicken Wing
In golf, a chicken wing refers to a swing error where the lead arm (the left arm for right-handed golfers, and the right arm for left-handed golfers) bends with the elbow flaring out, instead of remaining fully extended through impact. This creates a wing-like posture (as shown in the picture above), resulting in lost power, narrower swing width, as well as inconsistent, weak or sliced shots.
Four Key Root Causes of the Golf Chicken Wing Flaw
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Lack of body rotation: When your torso stops rotating mid-swing, your arms keep traveling forward, forcing the lead elbow to bend.
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Open club face: An overly open club face on the downswing often triggers a wrist flip or chicken wing motion as players try to square the face at impact.
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Poor hip movement: Hips that fail to rotate back and away from the ball limit space for your arms to swing freely.
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Overactive trail side: Over-pushing with the trail side (the right side for right-handed players) forces the lead arm to lift and flare outward.
Trail Arm Chicken Wing
Chicken Wing Caused by a Flying Trail Elbow
Not all chicken wing issues come from incorrect lead arm movement. As shown in the picture above, a bent lead arm directly causes the chicken wing flaw. Meanwhile, faulty movement from the trail arm — known as a flying trail elbow — can also trigger the chicken wing indirectly.