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John Jacobs demonstrating the common chicken wing fault in the golf swing… and how to fix it!. | Credit: Matt Lincoln
You might be wondering, what on earth does a chicken wing have to do with my golf game? Bear with me, all will become clear.
Some of the best ball striking lessons talk about connection in the golf swing, but John Jacob’s has used decades of coaching experience to distill his expert advice into practical steps to fix the chicken wing fault specifically.
Below, John explains what a chicken wing is in the golf swing, and how to fix it, so that you can shoot lower scores and cut your handicap in 2026…
Why A ‘Chicken Wing’ Is Stealing Distance From Your Golf Game
The disconnection you see here with the lead arm separating from the chest is what’s referred to as a ‘chicken wing’.
The arms have initiated the downswing, and the club gets thrown across the body on an out-to-in swing path across the line of the target.
Look where the lead elbow is pointing. This all leads to loss of control and a lack of power.
Notice the chicken wing in your golf swing? You need to listen to John’s advice in order to boost your ball striking | Credit: Matt Lincoln
To fix the chicken wing, we need everything to be connected. What we want to see is this drive through the lower half.
The alignment sticks are purely for illustration purposes and show just how symmetrical the golf swing is.
Note how the left and right arms are relatively level through the backswing and it’s the same in the forward swing.
To marry it up, take some gentle practice swings, noting these positions. This will help to prevent your lead elbow from flaring out through impact.
Left and right arm is relatively level through the backswing | Credit: Matt Lincoln
Imagine that you’re going to throw a bucket of water over a dirty car. If you were to adopt a chicken wing, you would have no momentum and that water would go all over you.
mirror the position in the follow-through | Credit: Matt Lincoln
As you can see with the alignment stick, I’ve extended nicely through the ball. I’ve swung my arms back and mirrored that position on the follow-through. That bucket of water will have shot down the target line as intended!
Punch practice
Hit little punches, ensuring that at the end of the swing the club is pointing through to the target. It will help you sharpen up your strike and regain control of your impact position.