How to Fix the Chicken Wing That Is Costing You Distance

A "chicken wing" — the lead arm breaking away from the chest through impact — is a common swing fault that costs golfers both distance and control, according to coach John Jacobs.

What is a chicken wing in the golf swing?

Jacobs describes it as a disconnection in the downswing: the arms fire early, the club gets thrown across the body on an out-to-in path, and the lead elbow points away from the target rather than staying tucked through impact. The result is lost control and reduced power.

How do you fix a chicken wing?

Jacobs' fix centers on keeping the arms connected to the body and driven by the lower half rather than the arms alone. He uses alignment sticks to check that the lead and trail arms stay level and roughly symmetrical on both sides of the swing, mirroring the backswing position into the follow-through. Rehearsing that symmetry with slow, gentle practice swings helps stop the lead elbow from flaring out at impact.

A drill to groove the fix

Jacobs recommends imagining throwing a bucket of water at a dirty car: a chicken-wing motion sprays the water sideways with no momentum, while a connected swing sends it straight down the target line. Hitting a series of short punch shots, finishing with the club pointing at the target, reinforces the same connected extension through the ball.