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The Yips

Den60

Den60

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Not sure if this is the right place for this, this isn't really a "swing tip" question. I have the yips. I played a beautiful course yesterday with some challenging greens. Had numerous very long putts during the round which I hit really well only to miss the next 4 foot putt. Some of the misses were due to speed, a couple because I blocked out the face and pushed it. So, can anyone here give me to tips to nix the yips?
 
Try a shorter backswing and make sure you are accelerating through the stroke.

 
I never really knew the "yips" was a specific thing. I always thought it was just a terminology for completely (but temporarily) losing touch doing just about anything.

Not that any of that helps the OP. But just saying.
 
This may sound really dumb and backed up by ZERO science, but for me, I feel like the bigger putter grips help with things like this. I never wanted to like the Superstroke grips and only have luck with them on certain putter (very few), but I have been struggling with the short putts with my blade putter and skinny Iomic grip. I decided to go in a totally different route and picked up an Odyssey Works 7 with a 3.0 on it. Same length putter but I feel much smoother with this putter right now, and have been making the short ones. Not saying it will work for everyone, but I am amazed at how much better I feel over my putts again... Good luck, I know it can be really frustrating!!
 
I read (I forgot where) that when the yips show up you need to change how you hold your putter like going from a traditional grip to the cross hand or claw type grip. Something about this type of mechanical change will confuse your brain and make it work differently. I haven't experienced the yips myself but I'm nearing that age where they seem to come out and surprise you so the cross hand grip will be the first thing I try.
 
Galen Marek said:
I read (I forgot where) that when the yips show up you need to change how you hold your putter like going from a traditional grip to the cross hand or claw type grip. Something about this type of mechanical change will confuse your brain and make it work differently. I haven't experienced the yips myself but I'm nearing that age where they seem to come out and surprise you so the cross hand grip will be the first thing I try.
Click to expand...

I have recently changed to the claw grip. I have to give it some more time. The thing is on longer putts I am just fine.
 
The yips. I've got them. Golfers have tried putting left hand low. They've changed their putting grips. Their putting styles. They went to heavy putters. Heavier putters are more difficult for that nerve twitch in that right hand to move. Still while it doesn't stop one from sending a 2 foot putt six feet past the hole, it can help minimize it.

They say in that video "accelerate," but the club decelerates when it strikes the ball. That's physics.

You could try Matt Kuchar's style. You could try Matt Kuchar's style and even hold the putter against your arm with your right hand which takes your right hand completely out of the equation.

Or if you have a long putter you could do what I'm doing which is what Bernard Langer explains in this video:

 
I went through this 5 months ago.
It SUCKED.

For me it was 100% mental.

I was getting way more GIR's and knocking on the door of regularly shooting in the 80's.

Little 3-4 putts that I never thought twice about, I started soiling my pants overanalyzing.

I went left hand low. Then back to traditional. I then copied Jack Nicklaus' style. Then I went side saddle...

Finally, frustrated beyond belief, and mentally fatigued from all the changes, I stopped caring.

Lo and behold, that was the answer.

Don't give a crap if you miss, and you miss less.

Unfortunately, it's not easy to not give a crap when it actually matters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I make conscious effort to keep my wrists, arms and hands quiet during the putt, just rocking the shoulders no matter how short the putt is. There's a tendency for us to get lazy on short putts and to just slap at the ball, and that starts the yips.

It shows up once in every three or so rounds, just one putt, and I just focus on my pre putt routine and make sure it's the shoulders driving the putt. No extra motion, no fiddling with any other type of grip.
 
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