Day #16: January 16th, 2026
Avoiding a “chicken-wing” arm motion comes down to keeping the elbow under the shoulder, the hand behind the ball, and the swing relaxed and straight through the target line. When those pieces work together, you get a cleaner release, more efficient revs, and better accuracy.
What is “chicken-winging”?
Chicken-winging is when the elbow flies out away from your body and outside your wrist through the downswing and follow-through, creating a V-shaped arm like a chicken wing.
This usually means the arm is no longer under the shoulder, which weakens leverage, reduces ball roll quality, and can stress the elbow and shoulder over time.
Why bowlers chicken-wing?
Muscling the downswing instead of letting the ball swing freely often forces the forearm to rotate early and pushes the elbow out.
Poor alignment or footwork (like the ball drifting behind the back or crossing over your body) makes the arm “search” for the line, which can cause the elbow to kick out to get back online.
Key fundamentals to focus on
- Keep the hand behind the ball: At setup and into the swing, your palm should face forward, matching your hips, not turned to the side or “around” the ball early.
- Keep the arm under the shoulder: Think of your elbow staying in line with your shoulder and target so the hand and ball swing like a pendulum under that line instead of outside it.
On-lane drills to fix it
- “Pendulum” drill: Stand at the foul line with your normal stance and simply swing the ball back and forth without releasing, focusing on a loose arm, elbow under the shoulder, and palm facing the pins.
- One-step release drill: Start one step behind the foul line, swing the ball, take one slide step, and release while feeling your hand stay behind the ball and your elbow pointed at your target instead of flaring out.
Simple physical cues you can use
- Towel-under-arm cue: Off-lane, fold a small towel and hold it in your armpit while making slow-motion swings, keeping the upper arm close enough that the towel doesn’t drop; this teaches a compact, inside elbow position.
- “Show the inside” cue: Imagine a strip of tape on your inner forearm and try to “show” that tape to the pins through the swing and release, which encourages the elbow to stay in and the hand to stay behind the ball.