Yips

Yips usually occur during putts shorter than 5 feet, and add about 4.7 strokes to the average 18-hole score of an affected player. 25% of avid golfers develop them during their careers, and yips occur more frequently in golfers who have played for around 25 years. But what are yips?

Yips are mild spasms that cause involuntary motions of the hand or wrist that can ruin the best calculated golf stroke. According to medical researchers, yips are related to neurological problems or performance anxiety or a combination of both.

Although the exact cause of the yips is not known, some researchers believe that yips are a type of focal dystonia - a neurological problem in which sudden, involuntary contractions of a muscle or muscle group occur, especially in people who assume an abnormal posture for a prolonged period of time.

Performance anxiety also seems to play a part. Many golfers report that they experience the yips often during serious play, and sometimes during practice, but most frequently in tournaments. Though golfers who have the yips have anxiety levels similar to golfers who are not affected, yips sufferers have faster-than-average heart rates and increased muscle activity in the wrists. They also grip the putter with greater force.

Yips do not plague only golfers. Other athletes, and even musicians and dentists, can be affected as well.

Resources:

Read a CNN.com article about the yips.

According to Mayo Clinic research, yips may have both physical and psychological causes.

Many people consider golf a low-level physical activity without the possibility of injury ever happening to them. Unfortunately, golfers can suffer injuries just like any other athletes. Learn how to prevent the yips and other golf injuries.

September 6, 2003