The yips in sports: what they are and what helps

What the yips mean in sports

Mayo Clinic describes the yips as sudden, uncontrolled movements of the wrist or hand. They most often happen when golfers are putting, but they also affect athletes in sports like cricket, darts and baseball. The most common symptom is a sudden muscle jerk. Some athletes also feel shaking, twitching, spasms or a brief freeze in the middle of the movement.

The yips are different from a slump. A slump is a run of poor results. The yips are a skill you own that suddenly won’t come out of your hands the way you send it. That’s why they’re so frustrating, and why it helps to understand them before you try to fix them.

For a long time, people assumed the yips were just nerves. Researchers now know that for some athletes there’s a physical cause too. Anxiety still matters, and it links the yips to sports performance anxiety, but it’s not the whole story.

Explore sports performance anxiety.

Two kinds of yips

In a 2003 review, Aynsley Smith and colleagues at Mayo Clinic described the yips as a continuum between a focal dystonia and choking. Based on how 72 affected golfers described their own yips, they split them into two types. A 2006 study by Cathy Stinear and colleagues found evidence for the same two subtypes.

Mayo Clinic notes that dystonia-related yips are likely linked to overuse of certain muscles, similar to writer’s cramp, and that the yips are more common in people who are older, have played golf for many years, and play in tournaments. In the 2003 review, the yips added an average of 4.9 strokes per 18 holes for affected golfers.

The yips in golf, baseball and other sports

The details change by sport, but the pattern is the same: a short, precise skill that used to be automatic.

What helps with the yips

Mayo Clinic’s treatment advice starts with changing the movement itself, since that changes which muscles do the work. Then it adds pressure management and, when needed, medical care.

1. 01

   Change the grip or equipment

   Golfers can try a new grip or a different putter. In other sports, a different bat, ball grip or hand position can help. Small changes shift the job to different muscles.

2. 02

   Change where your eyes go

   Mayo Clinic suggests some golfers look at the hole instead of the ball while putting. In throwing sports, lock eyes on a chest-high target and let the arm follow.

3. 03

   Adjust the movement

   Change hand position, posture or footwork. Moving more slowly and deliberately helps some athletes cut down on sudden jerks.

4. 04

   Practice in a low-pressure setting first

   Symptoms often get worse under stress. Practice with no score, no clock and no audience. Then add pressure back a little at a time.

5. 05

   Use mental skills for the anxiety side

   Mayo Clinic lists relaxation, breathing and visualization as ways to reduce anxiety and improve focus. A short routine and a target cue give your head a job besides the last miss.

6. 06

   Work with a specialist

   Physical therapists, occupational therapists and sports medicine professionals can help retrain movement patterns.

When to see a doctor about the yips

Because the yips can have a neurological cause, don’t treat them as only a mental problem. See a doctor if the yips don’t ease with grip, equipment or practice changes, keep getting worse, happen even when you feel calm, or show up in other activities like writing. Mayo Clinic notes there’s no single test; a doctor may do a neurological exam to rule out other causes, and video of the movement can help.

You may start with your primary care team, who can refer you to a sports medicine specialist. Mayo Clinic lists medicines and, in some cases, botulinum toxin injections as options for some people, though most people with the yips don’t need injections. If you compete in a sanctioned sport, check your governing body’s rules before taking any medicine.

If worry about the yips spreads beyond sport, affects sleep or mood, or makes you want to quit, talk to a licensed mental health professional too. Mental training is practice for performance skills, not therapy or medical treatment. In a crisis in the US, call or text 988.

The yips in young athletes

Young pitchers, catchers and infielders sometimes suddenly can’t make a throw they’ve made for years. It’s scary for them and confusing for parents. Keep it low-key, avoid making them prove it in front of others, and talk to your pediatrician if it lasts.

• Choking under pressure: why it happens
• How to help your child with sports anxiety

Give your head a job

The yips feel like losing a skill. Usually the skill is still there. With the right changes, the right help and a routine you trust, many athletes find their way back to it.

That’s what reset is built for. It’s the mental training app for athletes: two minutes a day, three steps. Notice. Name. Return. Try a 2-minute reset, or join the waitlist.