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Why is Tiger's Short Game so Bad? Does he Have the Yips?

mvmac

By mvmac,
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mvmac Incredible Member

mvmac

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From a Ted Bishop article

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/tiger-woods-in-denial-about-yips-bill-harmon-tells-ted-bishop

Quote:

Bishop quotes Harmon:

“There are very few pros who don’t think that Tiger has the yips around the greens,” Harmon said. “The first step in solving the problem is admitting that you have a problem. That is not a weakness, but a strength.

“I don’t buy all of this release stuff. In the last two events that he has played in he had the two worst cases of yips I’ve ever seen from a Tour pro and this coming from arguably the greatest short-game player ever. I’ve had -- and sometimes still do -- the yips pitching. I know what it is when I see it. It will be interesting to see where he goes with it because as he said, he’s doing it in a public forum.”

Mike McLoughlin

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Shorty
Shorty

My thought is that a lot of players on this site may be surprised to learn how awful their short games are if they had to chip off closely mown fairways like the pros play. Especially those who

mvmac
mvmac

I disagree he has the yips, his technique sucks (pic @cipher posted). Yips to me means some kind of spasm type of motion or strong mental issue. He's not in denial that it needs to get better.

Zeph
Zeph

We should pitch in and get him one of these. "Best wishes, Tigs Members of TheSandTrap.com"

Rick Martin Great Member

Rick Martin

Who says TW doesn't realize that he has the yips - what does Harmon want TW to do, go on Golf Channel to talk about it? It's pretty embarassing - and not a cure by "announcing it" as Harmon says......did Snead ever get over his putting yips? He talked about it all the time.

Like any part of the game, just needs to find a cure for his technique - there are bandaids for bad short games - first of which is improve your GIR.

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Yukari Great Member

Yukari

Who says TW doesn't realize that he has the yips - what does Harmon want TW to do, go on Golf Channel to talk about it? It's pretty embarassing - and not a cure by "announcing it" as Harmon says......did Snead ever get over his putting yips? He talked about it all the time.

Like any part of the game, just needs to find a cure for his technique - there are bandaids for bad short games - first of which is improve your GIR.

I understand what you mean, but if only it was that simple.  The "cure" seems more difficult than a bandaid.

I am not sure if it's yips.  I noticed that in some instances, TW is looking at where the balls going rather than keeping his head down through the impact.  I know I've had issues with chips (and putts) when I try to see where the balls going instead of concentrating on the impact.

Don

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beachbreak Well Established Member

beachbreak

Six months of chili-dipping and skulling. If it's not the yips what is?

He really doesn't have to admit it to anyone.

I'm sure he's trying his best to overcome it.

I'm down to a 10 handicap. At this rate, I'll get to scratch at 90 years old!

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Patch Incredible Member

Patch

I don't have a clue as to what is wrong with Woody's short game. For arguably the best player to ever play the game, to suffer like this is a total mystery. I don't think anyone has the answer. To me there are only three answers to his problem. One is he continues to do what he's doing, but over comes the issue, and plays on. Two, he changes his technique to over come the issue. Three, as already stated, is that he improves his GIRs to take some pressure off his short game.

There is a fourth answer, but it's not a fix. That fourth possibility is that he will have to leave, or at the very least take an extended vacation from the game. Several months? A year or two?

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Rick Martin Great Member

Rick Martin

Yips don't really present themselves all the time on the practice area or even during practice rounds - usually they happen when there's some sort of pressure involved.....he can practice all day long  and not have them show up until he's actually under the gun during an event - especially with an audience of fellow players, gallery, and TV.......

and I'll tell you what ------he better fix this before the first full week of April.....you don't need the yips at Augusta National where the chips and pitches are made off of downhill tight lies......that would be a yipper's ultimate nightmare........

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boston blackie Well Established Member

boston blackie

I think I had the yips when I was a child, so I may be immune to it.  However, for those that never had it, they can still get vaccinated           I think. :loco:

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Torres9 Well Established Member

Torres9

You guys love the word "yips" There's no such thing as yips in my opinion. It's a synonym for excuse created by the weak minded. and someone certainly cannot declare another individual to have a condition, only they choose believe in. It's simply a way to rationalize why Tiger was #1 in world 8 months ago and now after this tournament, he struggled in the short game? It's no different in my opinion than saying "he's been cursed by voodoo" I find it equally as strange when some admits they themselves have this yip thing. It's kind of giving up, right? Just my 2 cents.
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ghalfaire Great Member

ghalfaire

You guys love the word "yips"

There's no such thing as yips in my opinion. It's a synonym for excuse created by the weak minded. and someone certainly cannot declare another individual to have a condition, only they choose believe in. It's simply a way to rationalize why Tiger was #1 in world 8 months ago and now after this tournament, he struggled in the short game? It's no different in my opinion than saying "he's been cursed by voodoo"

I find it equally as strange when some admits they themselves have this yip thing. It's kind of giving up, right? Just my 2 cents.

I somehow doubt "the yips" is a synonym for "weak minded" although I would agree it is a problem in the brain and not a physical problem.  I don't know if Tiger has the yips or not but do know he has suffered some significant injuries and is now 39 years old and not played any competitive golf for many months prior to the Phoenix Open.  So maybe it is just a lack of confidence and he needs to play more, or maybe it is the yips and he will never be the same again.  I hope it is the former but only time will tell.

Butch

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Patch Incredible Member

Patch

You guys love the word "yips"

There's no such thing as yips in my opinion. It's a synonym for excuse created by the weak minded. and someone certainly cannot declare another individual to have a condition, only they choose believe in. It's simply a way to rationalize why Tiger was #1 in world 8 months ago and now after this tournament, he struggled in the short game? It's no different in my opinion than saying "he's been cursed by voodoo"

I find it equally as strange when some admits they themselves have this yip thing. It's kind of giving up, right? Just my 2 cents.

I am not so sure that "yips" do not exist. It's a sudden loss of motor skills, without an apparent explanation, which is also medical fact.  That's what the dictionary tells us anyways. Rather you call the problem yips, jerks, staggers, jitters, wrist twitches, or just plain old brain farts, the golfer has lost muscle control, and/or the mental ability to swing a club for the shot at hand. I also think that fear/pressure of missing the shot has a lot to do with it. Some have said  Woody chips fine in practice, but once on the course he fails miserably. Once on the course, in a tournament, when the pressure of making the shot is more compounded, he has not been able to pull it off. The season is still very young for the pros, and I am pretty sure Woody will eventually figure his chipping issue(s) out.

Woody seems to be putting well, and since the putting stroke, and the chipping stroke, can for some, be identical, you may be right that Woody does not have the chipping yips. I don't watch enough of Woody tournament playing to know if he uses the same, or a different stroke for both his putting, and chipping. If he is using a different stroke, perhaps he might want to use his putting stroke for his chip shots.

I remember when the term "yips" was only used when a golfer's nerves went south only during their putting. Now days we have added chipping yips, pitching yips, and driver yips to the list. Perhaps we will add "green reading yips" at a later date. How about "bunker yips"?

I have had long term bouts of poor execution in all facets of my game. I never told myself I had the yips, because I knew the problem would eventually go a way. Sometimes it took a more focused practice on that area of my game that was failing me. Other times it meant taking a break from the game for a while to let my "brain game" reset itself.

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colin007 Incredible Member

colin007

You guys love the word "yips"

There's no such thing as yips in my opinion. It's a synonym for excuse created by the weak minded. and someone certainly cannot declare another individual to have a condition, only they choose believe in. It's simply a way to rationalize why Tiger was #1 in world 8 months ago and now after this tournament, he struggled in the short game? It's no different in my opinion than saying "he's been cursed by voodoo"

I find it equally as strange when some admits they themselves have this yip thing. It's kind of giving up, right? Just my 2 cents.

i hope you never get the yips.  you might have to admit to being weak minded.

How about "bunker yips"?

i have those.

Colin P.

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cipher Super Member

cipher

Does anyone know if he has worked with a short game teacher lately? I still think 10-15 minutes at this point with a someone who really knows what they are doing like Erik or Mike and his short game problems are solved.

Nate

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colin007 Incredible Member

colin007

Does anyone know if he has worked with a short game teacher lately?

I still think 10-15 minutes at this point with a someone who really knows what they are doing like Erik or Mike and his short game problems are solved.

im pretty sure Como can break it down for him.  tigers problems are in his head.

Colin P.

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cipher Super Member

cipher

im pretty sure Como can break it down for him.  tigers problems are in his head.

Maybe, but I still think it is mainly technique issues made worse by what is going on in his head. Fix the technique, you fix the mental issues.

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Nate

:tmade:(11.5) :touredge:(2H) MIURA MB-101(3-PW) :mizuno:(52/56/60)

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