PUTTER YIPS!

[vinnyv20032003]

How to get rid of them!

I've been a good putter in the past, but recently I've just gotten the yips and I haven't been able to make anything! Its gotten into my head too, its not good! What on Earth can I do!

[Swingtheclub]

I beat the yips chipping by becoming more agressive with them and challenging them.

 

I figured if I was going to make a yip move . instead of trying not to make the move I tried hitting the ball with the move.

 

At first I just hit them a little solider but they were still yips, slowly as I got better it just went away.

 

I had been yippin chips and pitchs at times for twenty years it slowly went away. I now consider myself to have a pretty good short game that gets better every round.

 

I think the same thing can be tried with putting, but what helped my putting the most was when I quit drinking and lowered my blood pressure.

 

There is a lot out there on the web I have a great article on my lap top at work if I remember I will post it.

 

Other than that look around here.

 

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Putting+y...ss&ei=UTF-8

 

I think the thing is if you keep trying to make a technically better stroke it gets worse try and be successful with a yip stroke.

 

You will find it very difficult to yip on purpose.

 

Good luck.

[bobcat]

Go to the LEFT HAND LOW GRIP but instead of placing your right thumb down the shaft, place the right thumb BEHIND your left wrist in the area where the left wrist normally bends/breaks down.

 

The right thumb "braces" the left wrist, preventing wrist breakdown during the stroke. Furthermore the completely different "feel" of the LHL grip will help take away any feeling that you are going to "yip", (or wrist flip), the stroke.

 

LHL is fundamentally a much better way to putt. It squares up your shoulders and makes it far easier to start putts on the intended line. Chances are your confidience will improve almost immediately, but ensure you practice with it a few days before putting it into play on the course. It takes a little bit of time to master distance control when you first make this change.

[tbowles411]

I let my right hand guide my stroke to the target. I also went to a MUCH heavier grip (155 grams). I make better contact now. I may not make it, but I know it's not due to jumpy hands.

[Roberta131]

I have always been an excellent putter but I have been getting progressively shaky over the years. It never got serious until yesterday when I totally yipped a four footer. After the round I went to my locker and put my Scotty away and took out the two ball and practiced left-hand low. Today I had 29 putts and it felt great. I am still trying to figure out the best LHL grip but I was able to release the putter beautifully. Other friends have had great success with some form of the claw and the long putter.

[bgolfing]

puttingzone.com cured me. Great advice if you take the time to read it. Distance stuff is great.

One tip that really helps is concentrate on the putter, putt to the bottom. I think you get too ball focused and try and hit it. Concentrate on setup, putting straight out of your stance, putt to the bottom and leave a little space between putterhead and ball as that takes thoughts away from ball and into putter.

[jmc]

Bob Rotella would argue that the putting yips are all in your head and probably offer the following:

 

The only way to get better is to become confident once again and not have any fear of the outcome when you're putting.

 

Don't become mechanical if you're were a feel putter before.

 

Just trust your innate stroke and visualize making the putt.

 

Don't put pressure on your short term goals - make up fun games with putting.

 

Again - don't "think" of stroking the putt, just visualize and do it.

 

---

 

Hope they help!

[taylormadefan]

Bob Rotella would argue that the putting yips are all in your head and probably offer the following:

 

That's really funny because Stan Utley says the exact opposite - yips are 100% mechanically related. Utley believes that putting energy to the handle of the putter versus the head is what causes the yips in both putting and chipping. Keep the butt of the club pointed at your navel and you'll be fine. He has a whole chapter devoted to this in his book "The Art Of Putting."

 

I'm sure the truth of the matter is somewhere in between Rotella and Utley.

 

Good luck!

[randrews581]

Several years ago I had a terrible case of the yips. My right wrist would twitch at the bottom of every stroke. I tried everything I could think of to get rid of them - left hand low, the claw, belly putter, added weight, sports psychologist. After double hitting a putt on the 17th hole of a local qualifier for our provincial junior championship, forcing me to miss the cut by a shot, I was about ready to give up golf altogether when I picked up my Dad's old Bullseye and started putting around left handed. Problem solved!! I play hockey and baseball from the left side so it was probably an easier transition for me than most, but the results were almost instantaneous. To this day, when I pick up a right handed putter I still twitch at the bottom of my stroke. I get squimish just thinking about it. Oh well, if all else fails give it a try. Couldn't hurt.

[Swingtheclub]

Several years ago I had a terrible case of the yips. My right wrist would twitch at the bottom of every stroke. I tried everything I could think of to get rid of them - left hand low, the claw, belly putter, added weight, sports psychologist. After double hitting a putt on the 17th hole of a local qualifier for our provincial junior championship, forcing me to miss the cut by a shot, I was about ready to give up golf altogether when I picked up my Dad's old Bullseye and started putting around left handed. Problem solved!! I play hockey and baseball from the left side so it was probably an easier transition for me than most, but the results were almost instantaneous. To this day, when I pick up a right handed putter I still twitch at the bottom of my stroke. I get squimish just thinking about it. Oh well, if all else fails give it a try. Couldn't hurt.

 

Yips already and you're only 24 Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mikpga]

Make as many one foot putts as you can. Make as many foot and a half putts as you can.

 

Putt to a tee.

[randrews581]

Kenk7us2002,

 

I was something like 17 at the time. I'm convinced the yips are all mental. It was the summer before my senior year and I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to perform well in the big tournaments to hopefully grab a scholarship down south. After missing a number of putts inside 5-6 feet I really started beating myself up and getting really timid/nervous over the short ones. It wasn't long after I developed this twitch at the bottom of my stroke. All is well now though, putting from the left side seems to have totally mixed up the messages coming from my brain and I'm able to put the ball on line more times than not.

[Kurt in Kalamazoo]

Hey VinnyV -

I know your thread is 2 years old, but when it comes to the yips...better late than never!

If you are still having putting "issues" - don't give up hope! There is a promising putting method that has proven effective in curing the yips - and I'm living proof!

I'm an avid golfer, play to an 8-handicap - but for years I suffered from a severe case of the yips. Then in 2006, I discovered a simple putting method that cured my yips. The key to my technique is I completely eliminate any movement of my (dominant hand & arm - my right hand) during the putting stroke. I believe this "lack of movement" blocks the neurological signals that trigger the yips in many golfers. I just know it works, I've been putting "yip-free" since 2006 and have been able to help other golfers as well.

In fact, I have been in contact with Dr. Charles Adler who is heading up the research on the yips at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. They have just completed a series of studies on the yips and their findings should be released to the public later this year. I have offered to test my putting method on the golfers they tested to determine how effective it can be in curing the yips. Dr. Adler informed me that the research they are currently involved with only focuses on the movement disorders with the yips and not on any possible treatments - but (based on funding) they may consider doing research on possible treatment techniques in the future.

Since I discovered my putting method, I have been on a mission to help other golfers who suffer from this mysterious, "maddening" putting curse. I have even developed a website and am currently developing a video that golfers will be able to download from my site that demonstrates my putting technique that cured my yips. I would be happy to disucss my technique with you - and you can get contact information from my website at:
mastergolfenterprises.com.

I know I will be able to help many golfers cure their yips and I hope my technique works as well for you as it has for me. Believe me - I know the frustration of having the yips and [u]what a relief it was[/u] when I finally got rid of them!

I hope I can help you too!

Kurt in Kalamazoo

[hayam]

why is there a last minute twitch of the muscle at impact. Lost of alignment and rhythm ( tgm) when motion starts.. hand trying to play catch up...

everything should move in the same Rpm..

[Shark12302]

OK, the Yips just got me, twitch at impact regardless of the length of putt. I am right handed so the twitch hit my dominant hand, right at impact. Horrible feeling.
I also tried putting left handed and found just as fast of success as randrews581.

If you get the yips, try it. The fix could be immediate. I am left eye dominant and play a lot of tennis, so the one handed backhand may have helped.

[dlam]

My theory is that lower hand(right ) wants to involuntary twitch like in a snap hook
Keeping that right hand calm is a tough job
Happens in chipping too when I have a short rolling chip
My right and left hand just twitches together and the ball just runs 20 yards past the hole rather than gentle roll