The Yips: Stories and Cures

[tuq]

I've been told that Arnold Palmer said that he thinks the cross-handed putting style is more natural, and that if he was going to teach someone he would advise they go that route. Or something like that.

About five years ago, my game was languishing. I was hovering around an eight HDCP for one simple reason: my putter. I would literally be TERRIFIED to walk onto the green, for fear of what might happen.

Then one day at the outset of a tournament I went left-hand-low, because things literally couldn't get any worse. I missed like an 18 inch putt on the first hole but went on to win my flight by a mile.

Within the next year I was below a one HDCP. The voices have never totally stopped, but they've gotten fainter. I played the last three days and putted pretty atrociously, once again being my own worst enemy.

I've always thought that the weight of expectation is what causes the yips - this is why you so rarely see it in bad players. Good players are expected to make short putts. Faced with this reality, I think a lot of us out-think ourselves.

Saturday our foursome consisted of guys between 2-9 HDCP. Three of us putted cross-handed, the fourth guy has used the claw grip for a couple of years now. What golfing I've done with pros over the past few years, the majority use a non-traditional grip or a long/belly putter.

For reasons I don't understand, some people have said it's embarrassing to change up your grip, as if it's a sign of weakness, but without a doubt that stigma is fading fast.

My last comment/question, since this post is getting long, is if you're having a bad/yippy day, what you try to think of when standing over a short-ish putt? When I'm having a good day all I see and think about is the line and what I need to do. When I'm having an effed-in-the-head day I try to think of positive things, like chicks I've banged who were out of my league, etc., anything to get my mind off of the putt and make it as automated as possible.

This thread may not get much traction but I would be interested in hearing stories and solutions that people may have.

[KotOD]

[ QUOTE ]

I've always thought that the weight of expectation is what causes the yips - this is why you so rarely see it in bad players. Good players are expected to make short putts. Faced with this reality, I think a lot of us out-think ourselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't agree that expectation is the cause of the yips, especially if you mean the Steve Blass yips. I think that expectation may be a part that contributes to a greater mental issue or block that causes the yips, but I've known bad players that have come down with the yips in other sports, so it leads me to believe that it's not expectation.

[JTrout]

I've tried it all. Cross-handed has helped at times.
I think the claw is superior (at least for me) to cross-handed.
But the long putter has given me the best results.
I wish it weren't so. I wish it were illegal. It should be.
Making putts inside 8 ft. is tons easier for me with it.
And I make more long ones.

Stuff I've done in competition to avoid the yips:
Eyes closed
Looking at the hole
humming a tune
blurring vision on purpose (when looking at the ball)
spot putting (forgetting the hole)
Putting left handed(with a bullseye)
chipping (with a 7 iron from inside 5 ft)
praying
cussing
and about everything else.

Each has had some success for short periods of time.

I've never yipped a putt with the long putter, or claw.
I've missed my share, but they weren't "yipped".

[Acein8ter]

I know some people put reverse when they are within a certain distance from the cup. They put normally when outside of ~10ft, the switch to left hand low when inside 10ft.

I've tried it, but have switched back to the traditional putting grip. I just tell myself to keep the puter facing the target line after striking the ball. (A lot of players go inside out / outside in)

[King Spew]

[ QUOTE ]
But the long putter has given me the best results.


[/ QUOTE ]

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I've always thought that the weight of expectation is what causes the yips - this is why you so rarely see it in bad players. Good players are expected to make short putts. Faced with this reality, I think a lot of us out-think ourselves.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't agree that expectation is the cause of the yips, especially if you mean the Steve Blass yips. I think that expectation may be a part that contributes to a greater mental issue or block that causes the yips, but I've known bad players that have come down with the yips in other sports, so it leads me to believe that it's not expectation.

[/ QUOTE ]
I've actually done a fair amount of online research on this topic over the years, both out of curiosity and to help my own game. The studies that have been funded cite too little mental cause for my liking, instead focusing on involuntary muscle twitching. LDO that's the problem, now let's talk about what sort of swing thoughts our mind is sending to those muscles and what to do about it.

FWIW I've never tried long nor belly putters, and a couple of years ago tried the claw grip in a tournament. I only stuck with that for like 12 holes, it felt so awkward. Switched back to cross-handed and immediately putted better. It was like rediscovering my comfort zone.

[crosse91]

I am a left handed golfer, but I putt right handed.
When i was growing up I bought a set of golf clubs but never bought the left handed putter to go along with them. So for all these years I've just putted right handed, cross-grip. I've found now that I'm shopping for serious clubs that I don't think I'll reverse and putt left handed. I'm simply better right handed and cross-gripped.

Also, with a right handed blade putter i can turn it around and make a "texas wedge", which is pretty useful in/around the fringe.

[Ron Burgundy]

I've been putting left-hand low for a few years. I've always been a great putter and always will be. I didn't switch out of desparation or the yips, I just tried it and felt like it was easier to make a straight back/through stroke, and to accelerate through impact (with the follow-through longer than the backstroke).

I highly recommend the book Putting Out Of Your Mind by Bob Rotella. Most of what he talks about in that book are the way I've been thinking about putting since I was 12 years old.


PS: BAN THE LONG PUTTER

[KotOD]

[ QUOTE ]
The studies that have been funded cite too little mental cause for my liking, instead focusing on involuntary muscle twitching. LDO that's the problem, now let's talk about what sort of swing thoughts our mind is sending to those muscles and what to do about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

That Crowley guy seems to have figured it out, but the only way to get to him is to get the yips, then pay big bucks to have him fix you.

[ghostface]

I've never had putting problems. I use the standard grip and my mentality on short putts has always been to get the ball in the hole. I try to think of nothing when I'm putting.