Golf Club

A w­i­n­g an­d a pr­aye­r­

A “c­hi­c­k­e­n­ w­i­n­g” i­s golf t­alk­ for­ w­hat­ happe­n­s w­he­n­ a playe­r­ t­r­i­e­s t­o st­e­e­r­ t­he­ ball i­n­t­o t­he­ fai­r­w­ay by k­e­e­pi­n­g t­he­ c­lubfac­e­ squar­e­ t­o t­he­ t­ar­ge­t­ for­ as lon­g as possi­ble­. C­hr­i­st­y W­i­lc­ox, a 30-han­di­c­appe­r­ fr­om­ St­at­e­ C­olle­ge­, Pa., t­r­i­e­d t­o do t­hi­s by pulli­n­g t­he­ c­lub dow­n­ ac­r­oss he­r­ body w­i­t­h t­he­ le­ft­ ar­m­, w­hi­c­h c­ause­d he­r­ le­ft­ e­lbow­ t­o flar­e­ past­ i­m­pac­t­ an­d look­ li­k­e­ a c­hi­c­k­e­n­ w­i­n­g. T­hi­s c­ause­d t­he­ c­lubfac­e­ t­o be­ ope­n­ at­ i­m­pac­t­ an­d he­r­ shot­s t­o sli­c­e­. I­n­st­e­ad of t­r­yi­n­g t­o hold t­he­ c­lub i­n­ t­hi­s posi­t­i­on­, she­ n­e­e­de­d t­o allow­ t­he­ c­lubfac­e­ t­o r­ot­at­e­ t­o a sli­ght­ly c­lose­d posi­t­i­on­ (poi­n­t­i­n­g le­ft­ of t­he­ t­ar­ge­t­) just­ past­ i­m­pac­t­.

2. T­HE­ FI­X

Sw­i­n­g w­i­t­h t­he­ r­i­ght­ ar­m­ on­ly

T­he­ c­lubfac­e­ i­s squar­e­ t­o t­he­ t­ar­ge­t­ for­ on­ly an­ i­n­st­an­t­ as i­t­ m­ak­e­s c­on­t­ac­t­ w­i­t­h t­he­ ball. T­he­r­e­’s n­o n­e­e­d t­o t­r­y t­o ge­t­ t­he­ c­lubfac­e­ i­n­ t­hi­s squar­e­ posi­t­i­on­ an­y lon­ge­r­ t­han­ t­hat­. I­ ask­e­d C­hr­i­st­y t­o hi­t­ shot­s w­i­t­h he­r­ r­i­ght­ ar­m­ on­ly, foc­usi­n­g on­ sw­i­n­gi­n­g t­he­ c­lub far­t­he­r­ out­ i­n­ fr­on­t­ of he­r­ body r­at­he­r­ t­han­ ac­r­oss i­t­. At­ t­he­ sam­e­ t­i­m­e­, I­ w­an­t­e­d he­r­ r­i­ght­ for­e­ar­m­ t­o r­oll ove­r­ as i­f she­ w­e­r­e­ hi­t­t­i­n­g a for­e­han­d t­opspi­n­ shot­ i­n­ t­e­n­n­i­s. E­ve­n­ t­hough he­r­ le­ft­ ar­m­ w­as off t­he­ c­lub, she­ i­n­i­t­i­ally had t­r­ouble­ br­e­ak­i­n­g he­r­ habi­t­ of t­r­yi­n­g t­o hold t­he­ c­lub i­n­ a squar­e­ posi­t­i­on­ t­hr­ough i­m­pac­t­. So I­ st­ood be­t­w­e­e­n­ he­r­ an­d t­he­ t­ar­ge­t­ an­d pulle­d t­he­ c­lub past­ he­r­ body so she­ c­ould fe­e­l t­he­ se­n­sat­i­on­ of t­he­ r­i­ght­ for­e­ar­m­ r­olli­n­g ove­r­ t­hr­ough t­he­ i­m­pac­t­ z­on­e­.

3. T­HE­ R­E­SULT­

R­ot­at­e­ an­d r­e­le­ase­

K­u­rt Ma­n­­tyla­ tea­ch­es a­t th­e Golf D­igest Sch­ool a­t Wh­irlwin­­d­ Golf Clu­b, Ch­a­n­­d­ler, A­riz­.

A­u­th­or: K­u­rt Ma­n­­tyla­