Okay, here’s my blog post based on the “chicken wing golf swing” topic, written in the style you requested.
Alright folks, so I’ve been battling this dreaded chicken wing in my golf swing FOREVER. Seriously, years. It’s ugly, it kills my distance, and it just plain feels WRONG. I finally decided to tackle it head-on this week, and here’s what I did.
First thing’s first: acknowledge the problem. I’d been kinda ignoring it, hoping it would magically disappear. Nope. So, I filmed my swing (slo-mo is your friend!) and, yep, there it was in all its glory: that bent left elbow, sticking out like, well, a chicken wing.
Next, I started digging around online. YouTube is a goldmine, right? I watched a bunch of videos, and the common advice was to focus on these things:
- Extending through the ball: Not stopping at impact, but reaching out towards the target.
- Rotating my forearms: Feeling like my left forearm is turning over after impact.
- Keeping my right elbow close to my body: This helps prevent the left elbow from flying out.
Okay, got it. But just knowing it isn’t enough, you gotta DO it. So I headed to the driving range. Here’s what I actually did:
I started with super slow practice swings. Like, painfully slow. Focusing on really feeling that extension and forearm rotation. I felt like I was exaggerating it, which is probably a good thing. I really wanted to feel my arm extend. It’s like a slow motion drill to change that muscle memory.
Then, I tried the “towel drill.” I tucked a small towel under my right armpit and tried to keep it there during my swing. This forces you to keep that right elbow close to your body. It feels weird at first, but it actually helped a lot. You can feel your arm pinned to your body.
After that, I started hitting balls. Not full swings, mind you. Just little chip shots, focusing on that extension. I would even stop in the follow-through to make sure my left arm was straight-ish (it’s still a work in progress!).
I gradually increased the length of my swing, always keeping those key points in mind. It’s tiring. Like trying to re-wire your brain. After hitting about a bucket, I was definitely feeling it. I was also starting to see some improvement!
The results? Well, it’s not perfect. But my chicken wing is definitely less pronounced. My ball flight is straighter and longer. And, most importantly, it feels better! More connected, more powerful. Plus, I’m not so self-conscious about my swing looking like a total mess.
I’m gonna keep working on this. It’s all about repetition and building new muscle memory. But if you’re battling the chicken wing too, give these drills a try. It might just help you break free!
