Putting Yips Thread

[Hays33d]

New study suggests that it may be more of a physical issue than previously thought.

http://www.discoverychannel.ca/shows...=9244&sid;=9215

"Although performance anxiety may cause the yips in many golfers, muscle and nervous system deterioration caused by prolonged overuse may be at the root of the problem for other players," says Smith. "This may explain why some get relief and play successfully by changing their grip or by switching to a longer putter."

[Stacey_E]

The Yips: a condition of varrying causes that can always be diagnosed visually as such...if you see a long putter, the person holding it has had or currently has the yips. Usually accompanied by a low confidence in the flat stick and the ability to take a longer club length drop when so allowed.

[BSweet]

Perhaps you could go to google and type something like "driver yip hank haney" in and see where it takes you. The first link that appeared when I did that was pretty helpful.

Haha so I read the article on Hank Haney....wow! He was hitting is driver 150 yards OFF LINE! I'm glad he got rid of the problem, but i think he went about the wrong way doing it. Why are you going to change a swing that has worked for years?

[ERC7.5]

Since you asked, assuming you want a serious answer and assuming I'm not out of order for quoting, here's what Stan Utley has said about them:

This is what I've been experiencing. I am extremely confident in my line reading (I have no problem reading putts as I've learned from letting my partner putt first in my scramble league.....too bad he never believes me. He hits his line with good speed and makes the line I call out look perfect.). However, when i stand over my putt, I see something totally different (I believe it's due to the change in perspective) and instead of trusting my read, I usually end up turning my club face in to compensate for my over read on a left to right breaking putts. Right to left breaking putts do not bother me at all. I believe that, for me, this is due to me looking "up" at the putt instead of down and being less concerned in running the putt well past the hole. Left to right benders kill me! One of the most discouraging things to deal with in golf (for me). The "S" word is an easy fix compared to this totally mental handicap.

[alf174]

slightly o/t, I developed the equivalent in clay target shooting called a "flinch". It can quickly break down your confidence and it snowballs because its difficult not to think about it. I switched to a release trigger and I can see how that would be synonymous with a switch to a belly putter. When there is a will there is a way!

[Teedub7]

I'm a sophmore in high school and i was trying to make the golf team this week, and i did make varsity, #9, but since im a sophmore, the coach moved me to the fresh/soph team #1. Anyway, i had the terrible terrrible yips all tryouts, and i cant figure it out at all. I've played around with different grips and this year alone i've used 6 different putters. I've used the claw, left hand low, overlap, interlock, traditonal, firm wrist and everything you can think of. So, i saw this Superstroke putting thing in Golf Magazine, and was wondering if you guys think it is a legititmate purchase. Right now i have no confidence on the green, and the coach just shakes his head watching me putt. When i asked him what to do, he said, u need to get ur head out of your rear end when you putt, but i dont really know how to do that. I hate putting right now, im scared to death of what could happen, i even pulled a sergio on one hole and four putted. Please help.

[chingali]

It sounds as if your coach is on the right track.

Choose a method, practice with it a LOT and stick with it and you'll be fine. The method you choose is up to you but I'd be sticking with something basic, forget the claw, reverse handed etc and just practice something simple.

[ks8829]

video tape your putting stroke to us and let us see you putt at different angles front, back, side. A picture or in this case a video is worth a thousand words.

[ks8829]

try the following:

1) putting with your irons
2) use a long putter
3) get a large grip
4) get mental help
5) write 50 times a day that your are a great putter
6) practice distance control only
7) stop trying to make a putt but start making a good stroke on your putts.
8) make sure your putting fundamentals are sound
9) watch videos of Tiger putting
10) never again say you are a bad putter to yourself or anybody else
11) before every putt say to yourself that I am going to make a great stroke on the ball
12) keep all your putts low (Lee Trevino)
13) relax and have fun putting
14) Have the best putter you know give you a lesson

[Jay-Bird]

My putting has improved greatly this year. I employ a series of tips from reading, from friends and competitors, from youtube videos . . .

Try to establish a routine. Repeat the routine everytime you have a putt of 12-18 inches or more.

This is my routine. It works for me. First I mark and clean the ball, always. (From Tiger videos) - I make mental pictures of the putt. I read the line and commit to it, and replace the ball with the proV1 line straight down my read line. I take a mental picture of the line from behind the ball. I imagine the ball rolling from where it is into the cup along the break line - study that imaginary line and take a mental picture. Then I approach the ball and take three uninterrupted practice strokes - to get my stroke smooth and on line. Then I stand over the ball and once again, imagine the ball rolling from where it is into the cup. For the third 'picture' I follow the line from the ball to the hole, AND back from the hole to the ball. Then as I look back to your ball - staying COMITTED to the line I make the smooth stroke within three seconds of looking from the hole to the ball (while the third picture is still fresh). I keep my head down and putt on the imaginary line. I Commit to it. I Believe it.

Once you've figured out how to hit the ball down the line; all you really have to worry about is the speed.

I now believe that anything within 20 feet has a decent chance of going in.

That's my two cents. Good luck with the season.

[tazrestling27]

Lately, I have been struggling with putting yips. From 6 ft I would make about 22 out of 30. Today I switch my grip I am a lefty did opposite hand high right hand instead of left and made about 47 out of 50. Just curious if anyone else has use opposite hand high and preferred it. I will just have to get good with distance control.

[mvmac]

These might help

http://thesandtrap.com/t/16375/putting-yips

http://thesandtrap.com/t/14132/what-are-the-yips

http://thesandtrap.com/t/14117/help-with-the-yips

[Bayou Boogie]

Try this method--I have yipped for 20 years and it has worked wonders for me!

[Wally]

One suggestion I have is to stop tallying your score if you are. Last round I played, I didn't do this and my round was less stressful and more pressure free.

[gabe]

I've got the cure for the yips! Played with a guy last week who dropped 8 strokes off his game! First time he has broken 80, now he thinks he can break 70! Using the craziest putting grip I've ever seen, perfect pendulum everytime! I see a tour player doing this soon!sometimes you just don't know where the next great idea will come from. He got from a video a friend told him about on You Tube-average league player from New England who has created a perfect putting stroke! Been doing it for over twenty years , been showing people from Florida to the Carolina's this guys the moe normand of putting! His grip takes some getting used to but once you master it you will never go back to your old grip. The video is filmed in the snow, with a guy and his dog! Fun to watch and will have you reaching for your putter trying to figure out what he's doing! You will be amazed, and if it works for you , you have cured you yips!!