Yips Tips

[Patch]

It's my opinion that the yips in putting is a lack confidence is making a short putt. Confidence breeds fear, and fear breeds nervousness. The golfer misses a few short putts, which wrecks their confidence. 

Excessive wrist action during the putting stroke can mimic the yips. It allows too much free play in the hands. That's a technique problem, and not the yips in my opinion. 

Couple of things the OP might try to solve his putting problem might be to set up and hit alot of 1' foot putts. I do mean a lot. At least 60 or so. Then when the 1 foot confidence is high, move to 2' feet. Again, hit alot of those. As the confidence grows move back another foot. During all this maintain firm wrists, and elbows, while using a rocking motion with shoulders.

Another is a grip change that will some what quiet the hands and wrists. Forget the old grip. Place both hands on club grip in extremely open positions. The right hand turn way to the right, and the left hand turn way to the left. In other words the hands will be opposing each other. Neither one is dominant, and helps to keep the wrists firm. As the putting stoke gets better, you gradually move to a more normal grip. 

I have also heard for a right hander, that changing to a left hand low grip can help with the yips. 

Worst case fix would be to not play the game for a week, maybe more, and come back clear headed after the time away.  

As silly as this sounds, I know a guy who conquered his yips by practicing his putting while drunk. It was his last resort to be able to continue to play the game. It worked for him. 

[Swingster]

@davidg , Iacas is correct.  There is no real cure for the yips.  The only thing you can do is change something.  Switch to lefty and you will never have another yip problem... 

[donnay_ding]

2 things that can work for yips.........1) just before making the stroke close eyes and keep them closed till the ball has been struck.......2) putt with driver (but not every putt, perhaps try 25-50%, and perhaps not for any putt over 10 paces) (hold it like the pros used to hold their broomstick putters....left hand holding with fist at top of shaft and right hand on the shaft below the grip...avoid any illegal anchoring)