Yips on Chips

[wils0646]

Yep, I have them. It's made my short game a living hell. I used to be an above average chipper about two years ago, but all of a sudden, I developed the yips on my chips one summer. I'm even blading chips badly enough that they go 20-30 ft. past the hole. Obviously it's mental, but I don't know what to do.

Anyone have any advice on what I can do for this problem?

[cold]

For me I was either lifting up or taking the club back too fast - I lost the confidence in a slower, well tempo'd stroke.

[pine2palm]

It is all in your head. Concentrate on just hitting the ball before the ground (pinch) and nothing else. Let the "feel" part of your game take effect. I know I could have just told you face to face since we live in the same house, but I thought this would be better.

[neudi]

just go to the practice green as well...the more u hit better shots the more you will know how it feels and what to do.

[jamesduncan]

whats also helped me is to concentrate on some technical things to get my mind off the "pressure" aspect of it.

These 2 points have helped me get more control over my technique:

Weight solidly on my left foot

and

Leading with my left hand.

I was blading and chucking alot of chips simply because my wieght was shifting back to my right when I didnt keep tabs on it

Hope that helps too

[Guest]

I open up my stance. Right handed--Left foot a few inches behind right foot. Can create a pull if over swing. Two very good golfer once gave me two tips when chipping near the green.

1. Pretend you have a golf ball in your hand and try an underhand throwing motion trying to throw the ball to the hole. I do it a few times or what you need. This gives you an idea of how hard/long you want to swing. It's a feel thing as your throwing motion and swing motion are very similiar length/speed wise .This will let you relax knowing that you have confidence in your swing length.

2. Now that you are ready with the postive thought of your swing always accellerate throw the ball . Deaccelleration leads to all nasty thing.

If your confident in how long your swing will be and accellerate throw the ball keep you head still it should help.

Let me know as I have never shared these tips other shared with me. My friends have seen me do it but don't get it. I can chip and putt it's the rest of my game that XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[Rick Martin]

Have been fighting them (short game yips) for years. Probably started as early as the mid-1990s. No matter how much I practice, they come out, during the round. I thought I had it beat a year ago, but they've returned. Mostly psychological, I'm sure. Probably started off with bad technique. Used to be very creative around the greens with lob shots, etc with a lot of right hand, but no more. Wouldn't wish the "disease" on my worst enemy. It really affects one's ability to enjoy the game.

[SloverUT]

I don't know for sure that I have the yips but my short game is simply killing me.  When I first started playing I was actually pretty good from 100 yards in, and particularly with close chips.  Now I seem to hit every one of them fat or blade them 20 yards.  It has become a shot I fear more than I enjoy because I get embarrassed when I can't hit a simple chip shot.

[saevel25]

Quote:

It has become a shot I fear more than I enjoy because I get embarrassed when I can't hit a simple chip shot.

Same position i was in for a long time. Suddenly you think, "Don't chunk it", then you blade the chip, or you think, "Don't blade it", then you chunk it.

The way i fixed it, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, just practice the hell out of it. Because you got to get to the point were you need to get a good percentage of them as good chips to build confidence. If you never practice it, your at the whims of your golf game.

As for technique, i find the issue with this is, poor technique, and being afraid to hit the ball.

As for technique, get 100% of your weight on your front foot. Practice chipping with your right foot in the air (great drill for balance :p), or if your falling over, with your right foot behind you on its toe. This way 100% is on your left, and your rotating around your front leg. This really has helped me with chipping. Nearly impossible to thin a shot this way, unless you are seriously afraid of your club hitting the ground (coming up out of the shot)

[the chopper]

I have a video link that may help. I know there is a big respect here in Europe  for Padriag Harrington' short game. In fact he has admitted in the past he was happy just getting near any green knowing within himself he would make his up and down in two almost every time that used to be his game.

The sound quality is not the best and his accent for some can be difficult too so i will briefly tell you his key points which work big time and stand true with most coaches i know.

The main thing is having the Sternum or chest-bone in line with or just ahead of the ball. Why? because typically the lowest point of the arc of a swing is directly in front of the sternum.

During the video he demonstrates quite well in what way moving the sternum during chipping causes a variety of bad results and also how the golfer attempts naturally to compensate because the brain realizes some-thin ain't right in this swing. So i suggest trying his little drill and also working hard to ensure your sternum is in the right place throughout the swing

Hopefully this really will help.

[deekay]

I had a problem with fat shots when chipping, and found a good tip that works for me in among Raymond Floyd's 10 Rules published in Golf Digest some time ago. He discovered that he makes the best contact on chip shots if he hovers the club behind the ball just before he commits to the shot. Seems too simple, but like I said, it really worked for me.

Try it, and good luck!

[carpediem4300]

depends on your technique? and what shots are failing you?

my chipping is up and down, so i tend to switch between the hinge and hold method and the putting style method,.........

the biggest thing for me is the mental block, ill hit a few through the green and then im thinking "if i hit this normal power, im going through the green" so i end up quiting on it, hitting it fat and still skulling it,.....you just gottta learn to commit fully,

the quickest fix is to move it well back in your stance and reduce the risk of fatting/skulling,.....take more club so you dont have to hit it as hard.

[saevel25]

Quote:

the quickest fix is to move it well back in your stance and reduce the risk of fatting/skulling,

This always seems like good advice, but i don't think it is.

1) it creates a steeper angle which requires a much more precise strike, if not you end up duffing chips. This takes all the bounce off the club.

2) moving it back, promotes keeping the weight back, i've seen this done a ton in the full swing. Amateurs don't get the ball forward enough, and they end up shifting there weight back because they are not sure they will hit the ball first or not.

If you shorten your stance, get the weight on the front foot, and keep it there through out the chip, i would play the ball anywere from the middle of the stance to just off the inside of the front foot.

[rehmwa]

all - thanks for this thread -

end of season I got really yippy on the very short game

I'm getting a few ideas to try from this one

[dozu]

it's in the techniques.... yips come from small muscles, hands and arms... big muscles simple don't and can't yip..... make sure you arm is well connected to the body... for me, it's a matter of making sure there is pressure maintained at the right armpit, then during the forward chip/pitch swing, make sure I swing my right armpit thru the ball.

clean crisp contact, every time.

[Rick Martin]

Originally Posted by dozu

it's in the techniques.... yips come from small muscles, hands and arms... big muscles simple don't and can't yip..... make sure you arm is well connected to the body... for me, it's a matter of making sure there is pressure maintained at the right armpit, then during the forward chip/pitch swing, make sure I swing my right armpit thru the ball.

clean crisp contact, every time.

Very good points - I'll try concentrating on these ideas next time out - thanks

[Rick Martin]

Originally Posted by the chopper

I have a video link that may help. I know there is a big respect here in Europe  for Padriag Harrington' short game. In fact he has admitted in the past he was happy just getting near any green knowing within himself he would make his up and down in two almost every time that used to be his game.

The sound quality is not the best and his accent for some can be difficult too so i will briefly tell you his key points which work big time and stand true with most coaches i know.

The main thing is having the Sternum or chest-bone in line with or just ahead of the ball. Why? because typically the lowest point of the arc of a swing is directly in front of the sternum.

During the video he demonstrates quite well in what way moving the sternum during chipping causes a variety of bad results and also how the golfer attempts naturally to compensate because the brain realizes some-thin ain't right in this swing. So i suggest trying his little drill and also working hard to ensure your sternum is in the right place throughout the swing

Hopefully this really will help.

thanks for sharing Padraig's video

[dozu]

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

Very good points - I'll try concentrating on these ideas next time out - thanks

welcome.... actually the video above from padraig is a similar idea... arm/body connected as 1 piece, and move the 1 piece thru the ball..... that way the brain won't sense 'something aint right' lol.... good luck.