Golf Tips

The Chicken Swing

By T.J. Tomasi, PH.D.; Photography by L.C. Lambrecht

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Wrong Wing, Wrong Swing
The incorrectly executed chicken wing finds the shoulders spinning to start the downswing, but the hips and lower body lagging behind. This forces the club out toward the target line, resulting in a weak sideswipe at impact. For most high-handicappers, the chicken wing is the bane of their games, but if used correctly and “on-call,” it can stop the ball from going left—the mistake most good players fear.

The reasons why average players have trouble with the chicken swing is: 1) they don’t do it correctly, and 2) they don’t do it on purpose. The chart below shows the differences.

Chicken Swing
	Incorrect	Correct
Backswing	Too long	Three-quarters, under control
Downswing Initiation	Shoulder spin	Weight transfer to front hip
Weight	Hangs on right side	Lateral hip shift moves weight to left side
Arms	Outrace the body	Drop downward in sync with body
Path	Outside-in	Inside-out
Right Wrist	Loses its angle	Retains its angle through impact
Left Wrist	Collapses (flips) toward the target	Remains in-line with forearm (no flipping)
Elbows	Both chicken-wing	Left chicken-wings, right stays tucked to hip
Face Position	Open or closed, producing erratic results	Slightly open, producing consistent results

PGA professional Dr. T.J. Tomasi is regarded as one of the top 100 teachers in America. He instructs at Pistol Creek Golf Club located outside Hartford, Conn.

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