What Is A Chicken Wing In The Follow-Through?
A chicken wing follow-through is a swing flaw where your lead elbow bends sharply and points away from your body after impact.
“Chicken Winging can not only create a loss in power, but it tends to add loft to the club and excessive spin to the golf ball.” (source)
How It Affects Your Golf Shots
- Loss of Distance
Without proper arm extension, you never release the full energy of the swing. The result is shorter shots. - Inconsistent Contact
A collapsing lead arm changes the swing arc, leading to inconsistent contact. - Slices & Pushes
The open clubface and lack of release often send shots weakly to the right for right-handed golfers. - Poor Ball Flight Control
Your shots lack penetration as all energy gets stuck in the arms instead of transferring to the ball.
What Causes A Chicken Wing Follow-Through?
- Over-The-Top Downswing
An over-the-top motion forces your arm to bend after impact to avoid sticking the club into the ground. - Limited Body Rotation
Lack of body rotation through the strike prevents proper arm extension, causing the elbow to bend outward. - Weak Grip
A cupped lead wrist or weak grip causes the clubface to open. This makes your body bend the arm in order to square the clubface. - Excessive Tension
Gripping tightly or swinging with stiff arms prevents a smooth release of the golf club. - Lack of Weight Transfer
Hanging back on the trail leg leaves no room for the arms to extend. The elbow folds as a way to reach the ball. - Casting
Trying to lift the ball into the air by casting encourages the lead elbow to bend. - Fear of Left Miss
Many golfers subconsciously hold the release to avoid hooks. This move forces the arm to pull across the body and bend.
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What Other Faults Does A Chicken Wing Cause?
- Cut-Off Finish
Instead of the arms flowing naturally around your body, the swing ends abruptly, compromising rhythm and timing. - Low Point Gets Messed Up
A chicken wing followthrough makes the swing arc unstable and therefore the low point becomes inconsistent.
Swing Cues & Feels
- Knuckles Down
Keep your knuckles facing down and let your forearms rotate naturally through impact. - Body Rotation
Turn your belt buckle and chest to the target and let your arms simply follow through.
Swing Adaptations
- Flare Your Feet
Flare your lead foot 20–30° toward the target to make hip clearance easier and encourage smoother rotation through the swing. - Three-Quarter Finish
Focus on a three-quarter finish instead of forcing a long, textbook follow-through.
FAQs About Chicken Wing in Follow-Through
Can a strong grip help prevent a chicken wing?
Yes, a slightly stronger grip can promote proper extension and rotation.
Does the chicken wing happen with every club?
It’s most common with mid-irons and wedges where players try to guide the ball. But it can appear with any club.
How do I spot this fault in my golf swing?
The GolfWiz AI app can detect a chicken wing for you instantly. The app highlights 50+ swing mistakes and shows you the exact drills to fix them. Start for FREE now.
Is it possible to be a good golfer and still have a chicken wing?
England’s Lee Westwood is an example of a world-class golfer with a chicken wing, but for most golfers it’s a sign of inefficiency. A connected follow-through will almost always improve performance.
Could my equipment be causing it?
Poorly fitted clubs that are too long, upright or heavy can force compensations that lead to a chicken wing.
Other Names
- Elbow Separation
- Lead Arm Breakdown
- Collapsed Lead Arm
- Cut-Off Follow-through
- Barring
- Pull Elbow
Final Thoughts
The chicken wing follow-through is a sign that your arms and body are out of sync. It reduces power, consistency and accuracy. You can build a better swing by focusing on body rotation and extension.
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