Chicken Wings make for a great appetizer but in the golf swing they are a great appetite suppressant. As Jamie tells us below, he has them despite being a real low 3 handicap player. He speaks of checking out his club head on the downswing, relating it to time on a clock. The problem here is when using time on a clock for reference points, I need to know what side of the ball you stand on to more accurately diagnosis the problem(s) and prescribe the cure(s.) For Jamie, I am assuming he is playing right handed.
Jamie Pasterick says:
Hey Don,
I really enjoy your DVDs and daily blog. My question is, how do I prevent the dreaded 'chicken wing'? On my follow through, I can feel my right elbow flaring out from my body. I am a 3 handicap, but I hit the ball very inconsistently. My consistent miss is a duck hook left and it happens on almost half of my full swing shots. I duck hook with every club, even a wedge. I believe the duck hook is due to my poor downswing. If I stop my swing half way down towards the ball, my club head is pointing to 7 o'clock (assuming 12 o'clock is my target line). It seems logical that my club head should instead be pointing more towards 6 o'clock.
Thanks for your help and I look forward to your blog every day.
Regards,
Jamie
The Surge says:
Let's start with your checkpoint point position of 7 o'clock half way down. You wonder if it should be at 6. I would guess you assume it would be approaching directly on the aiming line. Sounds logical, but at halfway down the club should still be approaching from slightly inside, with the hands leading the shaft and club head. So, at this point the club is in a good position.
The next thing to consider is the 'BIG A''¦alignment, for which I am giving you the 'BIG R,' as in aiming right, which as you know is aiming wrong. I have to believe your aim is off, since you did not mention dropping the club on your toe line to check it. For a good player like yourself checking your alignment should always be your first checkpoint as it should be for all players. Remember the alignment mantra'¦90 to 95 percent of all swing problems arise out of alignment.
HELLO EVERYONE! I cannot stress this point enough of dropping/placing your club to your toe line after bad swings and/or bad shots to check your aim. Your aim should always be your first point to check. When it is bad, then your next swing focus should be on aiming properly and your swing thought becomes just making a good swing. Remember, Secret #5 is, 'Who Cares?' Do the next swing right. So once you ID bad aim as the problem, the swing broke down because of bad aiming. So aim correctly and then just make a good swing on the next shot.
Now back to Jamie's Chicken Wing, which he is swinging and not eating. When aiming right (for a rightie) the body is in the way between the aiming line and your forward arm and club. With your club at 7 o'clock approaching from the inside as it should be, you are blocked big time to the ball. Most high handicap golfers would likely be at 4 or 5 o'clock, already way outside the aiming line, pulling down and across the ball with a high probability of hitting a big slice.
But being still inside the aiming line, you will, on that approach, hit a power block. Not wanting that, you have to start clearing your left (front) side, pulling left. The hips and shoulders go left and the club is pulled and flipped outside the aiming line approaching impact. You sense the club will now get flipped outside your hands, so to hold the club back inside your hands, the 'counter move' is the Chicken Wing' of your left (forward) arm and elbow. Your left arm Chicken Wings, the wrist breaks down, flipping the club to impact on an outside to in path. With a square clubface you would hit big pulls left. Since you say you duck hook everything, your clubface is closed as you are releasing it through impact.
The cure starts with correct parallel left alignment. Then, just focus on making a good swing and you should be hitting it square, solid and straight with both arms extended straight out, approaching and through impact. If you want Chicken Wings you will have to order them in the grill room after the round.
The Surge!