If your putting game is falling apart due to shaky hands or sudden jerks, you might be battling the putting yips. This common issue affects up to 48% of golfers at some point, disrupting their confidence and performance. The yips stem from a mix of mental pressure, overthinking, and even neurological conditions like focal dystonia. But here’s the good news: with the right techniques, tools, and mindset, you can regain control over your putts.
Key Takeaways:
- What are the yips? Sudden, uncontrollable muscle movements during a putt, often triggered by stress or repetitive strain.
- Impact: Increased scores, loss of confidence, and avoidance of competitive play.
- Causes: Mental pressure, overthinking, repetitive muscle use, or neurological issues.
- Solutions:
- Adjust your grip (e.g., claw or front-hand-down grip).
- Use drills like one-hand putting or rhythm counting.
- Try new equipment like weighted or long-shaft putters.
- Practice mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or visualization.
- Seek help from coaches or sports psychologists if needed.
This guide dives into practical drills, grip adjustments, mental strategies, and when to seek expert help. Whether you’re dealing with minor twitches or severe yips, these steps can help you rebuild your putting confidence and consistency.
What Are the Putting Yips
What Putting Yips Are
Putting yips show up as very fast, out of place moves or thoughts that mess up your swing when putting. People used to think these issues came just from fear of playing bad. But now, they know some are from brain problems like focal dystonia, where your muscles tense up on their own during certain acts. In the golf world, people say things like “locking up”, “the jerks”, “the shakes”, “the wiggles”, or “whisky fingers” to talk about it. Knowing these words helps understand what players mean by this tough issue.
Signs of the Yips
You see the yips by first seeing how your body acts. The clear sign is an arm or wrist snap out of your control as you swing to hit the ball. This twitch can mess up where you aim or make you hit too hard. Some players shake or shiver, while others just stop and can’t finish the swing they began. The odd part is the yips don’t show up in practice, only in real games. These body signs are clues that the yips may be messing up your play.
How Yips Hurt Your Game
Yips can ruin how good you feel about your game, how regular you play, and your fun playing. They start a bad loop: fear of yips makes you tense in every putt, which just makes things worse. Easy, normal putts now feel too big, making you doubt your skills and struggle with each hole’s plan.
The mind trouble is just as hard. Many players don’t trust their way of playing, doubting every step and choice. This mind stress makes the body issues even stronger, turning yips into a lasting problem. Over time, the worry about putting can mess up other game parts. In the worst places, the stress gets so big that players skip matches or even think about leaving golf for good. Seeing that between 25% to 50% of old players get the yips at some point, good to know you’re not by yourself – and help is out there.
Putting Yips – 4 Step Fix
What Causes the Putting Yips
The reasons for the putting yips are hard to nail down, mixing mind, brain, and body facts that are not the same in each golfer. It’s this mix that makes the yips a tough problem to fix.
Mind and Feel Triggers
Being scared to do bad is a big main cause. When you are scared, your body gets ready to fight or run, and it lets out stress stuff that messes up your putting. This fear messes up the brain paths that are needed for smooth, right moves.
The fear of not doing well makes it even worse. If you always think you’ll miss a short putt – like a three-footer – your body gets tight. This tightness often leads to the sharp moves you don’t want. Slowly, your brain starts to treat each putt like a big deal, which makes you even more scared.
Thinking too much is another issue. When you go over each part of your move, you mess up the muscle know-how you’ve built for years. Tough spots, like games with high stakes, make this worse and raise the chance of yips.
But the mind stuff is only part of it. Brain issues also count a lot.
Brain Causes
For some, the yips tie back to a brain issue called focal dystonia. Like a hand cramp, it makes muscles move on their own, and can cause wrist jumps, shakes, or even a stop in your putting move.
Not like scare-driven yips, focal dystonia starts in the brain’s move control spots. Years of the same putting can mix up these paths, sending wrong signs that lead to wild moves. What’s tough is that these jumps can happen even when you feel sure and cool.
This often comes from using the same muscles too much. Golfers who practice putting a lot – those who’ve done it for years – stress the same brain paths. With time, these paths get too jumpy and mess up during putts.
Also, focal dystonia is task-linked. You might do great in practice but get bad jumps in a game. This makes it hard to find and fix when you compare it to yips from mind stuff.
Other Things That Add On
Age and years of playing also raise the chance of getting yips, mostly for those who’ve played for more than 25 years. Each miss adds to a fear of failing, making a bad loop of worry and body signs.
Changing how you play often adds more trouble. Always changing how you putt messes up set muscle know-how, making your moves not smooth.
Hard spots don’t just make yips worse – they can start them. Golfers who often play in big games or high-stake games face stress often, which can eat away at their trust over time.
The mix of these things shows why even skilled golfers fight the yips. A bit of worry can make you think too much. This breaks your smooth swing, makes you miss putts, and brings more worry. Soon, what was once an easy skill turns into a big, hard task.
Physical Skills and Moves
To beat the yips, you need both mind focus and body aim. The moves and drills shared here teach your body how to make smooth, sure moves. By working on the body issues that the yips bring, these steps can end the cycle of shaky moves that mess up your play.
Drills to Stay Steady
Body drills add to mind plans and hit the yips’ body issues head-on.
Using one hand in drills works well to spot and fix shakes. Start by holding your club with only your main hand (left hand if you are right-handed) and try putting close, about 3 feet away. Keep it smooth and under control. Then, switch to your other hand and do it again. This way, you work on each hand alone and get them back under control.
Rhythm counting drills move your mind off the fear of a miss. In this drill, count “one” as you swing back and “two” as you swing through. This steady beat helps keep a smooth pace and eases the strain that can start the yips.
Using a beat tool can push rhythm work even more. Set it to 60–80 clicks each minute, like the calm beat of a heart. Swing back on one click and through on the next. Doing this drill for 15–20 minutes often can build a smooth, steady pace.
Grip Tweaks That Help
At times, just changing how you hold your club can firm up your play and cut wrist moves.
The claw hold is one way that lessens wrist bend. By changing how your hands hold the club, this grip cuts down on jerky moves and builds trust in your play.
Another good choice is the front-hand-down grip, where your main hand sits below the other on the club. This change moves control to your shoulders, helping you play smoother and more steady. While it may feel odd at first, many players see a quick lift in how they play with this grip.
Club Gear Tweaks
If grip changes don’t do enough, changing your club itself can bring more firmness and control.
Moving to a big-head club can change your game. These clubs have bigger heads and hold steady better as you swing. Their build also makes you use your shoulders more, which cuts down wrist moves.
Another route is to change the club’s shaft length. A longer shaft makes you stand taller, using bigger muscle groups and less small wrist and hand muscles, which often get tense.
Weighted clubs are another pick to think about. These clubs have more weight at the handle end, which changes how the club feels and balances. The added weight can calm your hands and give better feel, making it simpler to find and fix strain as you play.
| Change in Tools | Why It Works | Who Needs It |
|---|---|---|
| Big head on the putter | Makes it steady and stops it from turning | Golfers who can’t hit the same way each time |
| Tall stick | Helps you stand tall and use big muscles | People who use their wrists too much |
| Heavy handled putter | Keeps your hands calm and helps you feel more | Golfers who hold the club too tight |
Try out new gear in practice, not when it really counts. This can show you what suits you best. Some players may just need to tweak their grip, while others could see gains from testing new putters. Research points out that close to half of the keen golfers have dealt with the yips, and many got some short-term control back by making these changes. Such tweaks can bring back your control and trust in your play.
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Mind Tricks to Beat the Yips
Your mind is key in getting past the yips. Mental changes are often more useful than how you move. The yips start from a mix of fear, strain, and missed shots. To break this, you need special mind tricks.
Keeping Sharp and Here
Staying in the now is strong. It blocks bad thoughts from taking over. When you stick to the now, you don’t think about past or future misses. This change stops too much thinking that can start the yips.
Take three long breaths before each shot. Feel the club and the ground. This easy act calms you and moves your thoughts from fear.
A short, calm phrase also helps. Say to yourself, “smooth and steady” or “trust the shot” before you putt. This fills you with calm, not fear.
Mindful walking after a shot helps too. Each step, note how the grass feels. This keeps your brain in the now, so you won’t overthink at the ball.
With a calm mind, a set way to get ready for a putt can keep you steady and less worried.
Making a Pre-Putt Plan
A set way to get ready helps you take charge. Doing the same thing each time you putt cuts down doubt, calms you, and builds trust.
A basic plan could be checking the green, doing two test swings while seeing success, then lining up right. This makes you feel at ease when under stress.
Seeing your shot in your mind also helps. As you test swing, see the ball rolling right and going in. This makes the real shot feel easy and doable.
Keep your plan simple. Easy steps work better under stress than a hard plan that might fall apart when you’re nervous. You want your plan to be smooth and needs little thought.
Dealing with Bad Putts
Even with a good plan, bad putts happen. What you do next can make the yips worse or better. Bad talk after a miss feeds fear and strain, but seeing misses as a chance to get better is the way forward.
See bad putts as ways to learn. When bad thoughts come in, think, “I’ve made this before and will again.” Focus on the doing, not just the end result to keep up your trust.
Look at misses as chances to learn, not as fails. A miss can show you more about the green or how you lined up. This way of thinking keeps your brain busy and stops you from being too hard on yourself.
In the end, know that not making every putt is just part of playing. Even top golfers don’t sink every short one. Seeing this can cut down on the fear and tightness that mess up your swing.
When you’re out there practicing, build up good self-talk. If you miss, say things like “nice try” or “getting better.” Make this habit of kind inner talk a norm, and take it into games. It helps you keep cool when things get tense.
Beating the yips in your head takes time and work, just like making your moves better. Mind training can clear a path for smoother, more sure putting.
When to Ask for Help from Experts
Trying out drills and mind tricks may help at first, but they might not be enough always. If you keep having trouble for weeks even after many practice hours and mind work, it might be time to ask for help from pros. A lot of golfers see that their game issues don’t fully go away without help from experts, as doing things on your own has limits.
A big sign that you need expert help is if you keep moving in ways you can’t stop when putting, even just while practicing. If you’re doing worse at putting, feel unsure, or find playing in tournaments scares you, it’s a good idea to talk to a pro. It’s very troubling if the trouble makes you skip certain putts or if you stop having fun in the game. Feeling scared each time you putt is another warning sign that help from a pro could change things.
Getting Help from Coaches and Mind Trainers
A golf coach can look at how you putt in new ways and spot issues you might miss. They’ll check your grip, how you stand, and even your gear to suggest changes that might stop the bad loop of yips. Often, little changes – like a new putter or a different way to set up – can make big differences when a skilled coach helps you.
On the mind side, mind trainers focus on deep thoughts causing yips. They teach ways to relax, change bad thought habits, and fix worry about how you play. For instance, they might help you make a calm routine before you putt or show you how to handle big moments.
Many find that mixing coaching on technique with mind work gives the best results. Studies show that combining mind and body therapy can seriously lower issues for many. This method deals with both mind and body parts of yips, offering a full fix.
When looking for pros, start by asking at your golf club or through PGA pros. The group for Applied Sport Psychology also has lists of pros who work on sport issues. If coaching and mind methods don’t fix it, maybe it’s time to check with a doctor.
Doctor Help Options
If the yips seem to come from body nerve issues, doctor help may be needed. Signs like muscle tightness, shakes, or stops that don’t get better with coaching or mind work might mean it’s more about body nerves than just worry.
A nerve doctor can look at your trouble through how you show it and maybe use video to find the main cause. They’ll tell between worry-driven yips and nerve issues, as fixes for these differ. For serious nerve trouble, nerve shot treatments have helped many up to 80%, but this is usually for very bad cases.
The check-up often starts by talking about your symptoms, when they began, and what sets them off. The brain doctor might watch you putt and, if needed, ask for tests like EMG to check muscle work. They’ll also look if recent sickness, hurt, or other things may add to the trouble.
At times, if worry is a big issue, drugs could be given to help handle it. Yet, most health pros like to try mind and safe ways first. The aim is to find the easiest and least bothering way to make your putt smooth again.
If you think it’s a brain issue, don’t wait to get medical help. Getting help fast boosts your shot at getting better and stops the yips from being a long-run block. Not caring for the signs might cause lasting play woes and shake your belief in your skill.
Many golfers look for good guides to up their game, mainly when they face putting problems. How To Break 80 provides a bundle of tools to tackle such issues, including the feared yips. Their site offers video lessons, step-by-step guides, and constant help to bring back player’s trust on the greens.
This method shows the worth of planned practice, which can lead to big changes. From video classes to eBooks and free guides, the aim is to better your putting skills and beat common issues.
Precision Putting Video Class
The Precision Putting Video Class ($49.00) targets putting yips with drills to train muscle memory again. The class has tasks to tweak your grip, cut unwanted moves, and make stroke flow better, all to get back a smooth putting move.
A key part is seeing techniques and dealing with tough times. The class shows drills for staying calm when nerves or shaking hands mess with your game. By doing smooth, same strokes – even when under stress – you’ll gain more trust in your putting.
The video shows make it simple to see and get each drill right, helping you see and fix any skill issues. The class also digs into gear tweaks, like trying new putters or grip ways, to ease muscle tightness and better control.
Golf Bettering eBooks
For golfers who like written tips, the eBooks by How To Break 80 give great ideas on mind prep and making routines. The ‘How to Break 80 eBook‘ ($29.00) and ‘Essential Golf Bettering eBook Set’ ($19.00) deal with handling worry and upping trust on the greens.
These guides offer steps for making pre-putt habits that calm your mind and body. From breathing ways to focus methods, the eBooks show ways to stay cool and handle missing putts without getting mad. They also share stories of golfers who beat putting yips, giving you tips you can use in your play.
One useful part talks about how to plan your practice times to build good habits, making sure you don’t keep making the issue worse.
Free Reads and Guides
If you want to check out the site without buying, How To Break 80’s blog shares many free tools. These talk about different putting tools and gear, helping you know more about possible gear swaps.
The free guides aim at real betterment, like the “Ultimate Guide to On-Course Practice Drills”, which teaches how to get better at putting while you play. These helps are great for starting out to find if the platform’s way of teaching is right for you. Also, with new content often, you will always find new drills and hints to keep making your game better. If you are just starting or adding to a course, these free tools are a strong plus to your practice plan.
End Words
The yips hit 33% to 48% of all who love golf a lot, making it a big pain in the game. To get past this, you must deal with both the body and mind issues. Knowing that these muscle jumps can come from fear or brain problems like focal dystonia is a vital first move to get better.
To beat the yips, you might need to change how you move and how you think. Small changes like using a new grip, or a longer and heavier club, can help move the stress from the wrists to the shoulders, making your swing smoother. Adding mind tricks – like deep breaths, seeing your shot, or doing the same thing before you putt – can keep you calm and sure on the green. All these ways work together to help you take back your putt game.
Keep in mind, fixing the yips won’t happen fast. Even top golfers face this and show why you must keep trying different ways. As each person is different, you must try many methods to find what is best for you.
For golfers who want faster gains, expert help can do a lot. How To Break 80 gives strong support with tools like their Precision Putting Video Course ($49.00), deep eBooks, and free guides. These mix the right drills with pro tips for both the skills and mind side of putting. If you’ve just started seeing the yips, or have fought them for long, these tools can help you get better bit by bit.
FAQs
What mindfulness techniques can help golfers overcome putting yips?
When it comes to overcoming putting yips, blending mental focus with relaxation techniques can make a big difference. Strategies like deep breathing, visualization, and staying fully present are especially helpful. For instance, taking slow, deliberate breaths before each putt can ease nerves and sharpen your focus.
Visualization is another powerful tool. Picture the ball gliding effortlessly into the hole – this mental rehearsal can boost your confidence. It’s also important to concentrate on the process rather than the result. By staying engaged in the moment and steering clear of overthinking, you can calm your mind and see improvements in your putting game.
How can I tell if my putting yips are caused by mental stress or a neurological issue like focal dystonia?
Determining what’s behind your putting yips can feel like solving a tricky puzzle, but there are a few key clues to help you figure it out. Mental stress-related yips tend to fluctuate based on your confidence, focus, or the pressure of the moment. These often improve with techniques like relaxation exercises, mental strategies, or targeted practice drills. In contrast, neurological yips, such as those linked to focal dystonia, are typically more consistent and may feel involuntary – like an unexpected twitch or spasm.
Not sure where to start? Begin by addressing potential mental stress. Try deep breathing, visualization, or even working with a sports psychologist. If the problem doesn’t ease up or feels completely out of your control, it might be time to consult a medical professional for a deeper look.
When should I get professional help for my putting yips, and who should I consult?
If your putting yips stick around even after practicing drills and using mental strategies, it might be worth considering professional help. A golf instructor or coach who specializes in putting techniques can analyze your mechanics and offer advice tailored to your specific needs. On the other hand, a sports psychologist can assist in tackling mental hurdles or performance anxiety that may be fueling the problem.
With the guidance of the right professional, you can create a customized plan to tackle the yips and rebuild your confidence on the greens.
