Yips

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In golf, the yips is a movement disorder known to interfere with putting. The term yips is said to have been popularized by Tommy Armour — a golf champion and later golf teacher — to explain the difficulties that led him to abandon tournament play. In describing the yips, golfers have used terms such as twitches, staggers, jitters and jerks.

The yips affects between one-quarter and one-half of all mature golfers.^[1] Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that 33 percent to 48 percent of all serious golfers have experienced the yips. Golfers who have played for more than 25 years appear to be most prone to the condition.

Although the exact cause of the yips has yet to be determined, one possibility is that, in some golfers, the condition may result from biochemical changes in the brain that accompany aging. Excessive use of the involved muscles and intense demands of coordination and concentration may make the problem worse. Focal dystonia is mentioned as another possibility for the real cause of yips.

The yips are most commonly associated with putting, and renowned golf coach Hank Haney has written a book specific to the subject in his 2007 “Fix the yips forever”. He is best known as the current coach of world number one player Tiger Woods. Haney goes on to explain in his book that the yips are not restricted to putting but are also a common, although often undiagnosed, problem amongst advanced players for putting as well as chipping yips and full swing yips.

The yips also affects other sports, mainly baseball, cricket, tennis, and Australian rules football. Guillermo Coria, tennis player from Argentina, who was number three in the world ranking, appears to suffer yips in his service. Nick Riewoldt, a StKilda AFL player also suffers from the kicking yips. In cricket, bowlers who suffer from yips are those who have trouble releasing the ball at the end of their action, such as bowler Keith Medlycott.