How to cure the putting yips

How To Cure The Putting Yips

We hear the word “yips” banded about in the golf world. A yip manifests in a number of ways such as freezing, an involuntary movement that you can’t control or a jerk. Research has shown that 33-to-48% of all serious golfers have experienced the yips of some kind. What’s more, golfers who have played for more than 25 years appear most prone to the condition. Perhaps their knowledge and experience in the sport is making them overly analytical of their game, trying to fix a problem that may not be there. 

What causes putting yips?

Despite extensive discussion and research around the yips in golf, the exact cause is yet to be determined. One possibility is biochemical changes in the brain that accompany ageing. Excessive use of the involved muscles and intense demands of coordination and concentration may exacerbate the problem. Focal dystonia which involves involuntary spasms in small muscles in the body has also been mentioned as a possible cause for the yips – just take a look at Ernie Els at the 2016 Masters and Bernard Langer at the Ryder Cup in 1991.