# chipping yips



## roekevin1982 (Dec 5, 2012)

any cures?????? suffering bad


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 5, 2012)

roekevin1982 said:



			any cures?????? suffering bad
		
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 look up v-easy on here. Great aid to get your shoulders rocking properly and keeping wrists out of the shot


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## roekevin1982 (Dec 5, 2012)

thankyou will look it up. need the help for  next year


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## garyinderry (Dec 5, 2012)

simple

1. put the ball back in your stance. off the back foot.
2. lean some weight onto your left side. keep it there.
3. grip down sightly and move your hands also to the left. have you hands in line with your left thigh.
4. swing back and make a slightly decending blow into the ball. DO NOT SCOOP ! keep your hands ahead of the club head.

if you do this and hold the grip tight then you will hit a nice clip of a chip shot. alot of people talk about soft hands. i am practising this shot over 100 times every day at the minute. this is the best way to do it imo.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48PlO1NUvUs&feature=related

this is something similar to jim here. i have my hands slightly further forward than jim also the ball slightly further back. 


try it now if you can   weight on the left side is the most important part then decending blow!


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## Doon frae Troon (Dec 5, 2012)

Hello Kevin and welcome
By chipping I assume you mean short shots from around the green.

Use your putting stance/stroke/grip with a 5 iron until you feel comfortable and accurate then just work your way down the clubs.
I tend to use an 8 iron where I can, try to avoid using anything higher than a 9 iron.


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## ScienceBoy (Dec 6, 2012)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Hello Kevin and welcome
By chipping I assume you mean short shots from around the green.

Use your putting stance/stroke/grip with a 5 iron until you feel comfortable and accurate then just work your way down the clubs.
I tend to use an 8 iron where I can, try to avoid using anything higher than a 9 iron.
		
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Works for me!


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## One Planer (Dec 6, 2012)

roekevin1982 said:



			any cures?????? suffering bad
		
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What specifically are you suffering with?

Taking the club away? Breakdown in technique? Poor contact? 

All of the above?


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## JT77 (Dec 6, 2012)

like gareth says, what is it yoyr having problems with, ill also add, what yardage is giving problems, and is it chipping or pitching strokes that are the worst?


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## MadAdey (Dec 6, 2012)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Hello Kevin and welcome
By chipping I assume you mean short shots from around the green.

Use your putting stance/stroke/grip with a 5 iron until you feel comfortable and accurate then just work your way down the clubs.
I tend to use an 8 iron where I can, try to avoid using anything higher than a 9 iron.
		
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I am with you on that doon. My first choice around the green is always my 7i. Easy little shot to play. I think too many people try and manipulate shots too often around the green. If you want to just chip it on and let it run out then use less loft, not more loft, then try and de loft it.


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## duncan mackie (Dec 6, 2012)

'chipping yips' will impact a 7iron as much as a wedge, as anyone who has experienced them will tell you. it can strike the most competent of golfers (as can putting) and is closer to a complete inability to take the club away from the ball than simply gettting the ground when using a wedge etc 

the only cure is to rebuild your confidence, which in itself will require competence, such that the only thing you eventually consider when playing the shots is the positive outcomes, and the ball going in the hole.

this process starts with good lies and easy shots - as above this will be an 8 iron from the fringe to a flat green (or sloping toward you) to prove that 'it's easy' to you inner demons. then gradually moving on over time to the same underlying shot with a lob wedge in a poor lie 5 yds above a steeply sloping away from you green with water the other side!

it's about being able to perform under pressure - generally with such yips *you* create the pressure, and it grows until you just can't perform.

you can't cure it but you can do your best to conquer it

to anyone who truly believes they don't suffer in any way from performance related pressure I suggest you go into the garden and hit a few short lob shots from good lies - then place a nice pane of glass on it's edge 6ft in front of you and play the same shots over this - even better if you have a greenhouse and can play shots over that..... the latter will emulate the way a yip sufferer can feel faced with a really simple chip from the edge of a green!


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## roekevin1982 (Dec 6, 2012)

thankyou for all the relpys, all taking on board my biggest problem is chipping the ball with a card in hand, i partice good then when i get to the course my action brakes down, with every short shot, need a way to get of getting partice to the course,


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## garyinderry (Dec 7, 2012)

heres luke doing a front edge chip. this is the kind of shot im working on getting away from. this is fine is there is a small bank to go up. even then a 60 for this shot seems excessive. i tend to put the ball in the air a little too much. why he is using a 60 here im not sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETO0SvEBXts


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## One Planer (Dec 7, 2012)

roekevin1982 said:



			thankyou for all the relpys, all taking on board my biggest problem is chipping the ball with a card in hand, i partice good then when i get to the course my action brakes down, with every short shot, need a way to get of getting partice to the course,
		
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Sounds to me like you're being too mechanical with your swing.


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## garyinderry (Dec 7, 2012)

roekevin1982 said:



			thankyou for all the relpys, all taking on board my biggest problem is chipping the ball with a card in hand, i partice good then when i get to the course my action brakes down, with every short shot, need a way to get of getting partice to the course,
		
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do you practie at all before starting your round. you may just need to oil the hinges before you play for real. all the pros do it. most amatures dont. i think you will find it helpfull to do a few simple chips before you tee off just to build up some confidence.


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## Foxholer (Dec 7, 2012)

duncan mackie said:



			'chipping yips' will impact a 7iron as much as a wedge, as anyone who has experienced them will tell you. it can strike the most competent of golfers (as can putting) and is closer to a complete inability to take the club away from the ball than simply gettting the ground when using a wedge etc 

the only cure is to rebuild your confidence, which in itself will require competence, such that the only thing you eventually consider when playing the shots is the positive outcomes, and the ball going in the hole.

this process starts with good lies and easy shots - as above this will be an 8 iron from the fringe to a flat green (or sloping toward you) to prove that 'it's easy' to you inner demons. then gradually moving on over time to the same underlying shot with a lob wedge in a poor lie 5 yds above a steeply sloping away from you green with water the other side!

it's about being able to perform under pressure - generally with such yips *you* create the pressure, and it grows until you just can't perform.

you can't cure it but you can do your best to conquer it

to anyone who truly believes they don't suffer in any way from performance related pressure I suggest you go into the garden and hit a few short lob shots from good lies - then place a nice pane of glass on it's edge 6ft in front of you and play the same shots over this - even better if you have a greenhouse and can play shots over that..... the latter will emulate the way a yip sufferer can feel faced with a really simple chip from the edge of a green!
		
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Only 'proper' response to the OP's problem.

My sympathy and best wishes!

I've seen a fellow hacker with chipping yips - he 'cured' them using the claw grip he used to overcome his putting yips!
Also seen a Pro with chipping yips. Absolutely devastating to observe! I get a bit 'quick' from dodgy lies, but watching someone with chipping yips is like watching an octopus play golf - everything gets out of sequence and un-coordinated in a desparate attempt to actually swing the club back (in the first place) and through!

I don't believe there is a general cure, you just have to find what helps you overcome it. Breathing properly might help. Accepting a bogey is an easy solution for we hackers - not for Pros though! Valium, Prozac or Beta-blockers (or alcoholic replacements)? 

Yips are definitely something unique to golf! And it's always a battle for a sufferer to work out whether the lack of confidence causes bad technique or bad technique causes lack of confidence. Somehow, and it could just involve a change of wedge/bounce, the faith in the chip swing has to be rediscovered!


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## garyinderry (Dec 7, 2012)

easiest way to drop the pressure on yourself is to accept that you wont hole this chip but happy to get it in a general area. this reduces the pressure although it is in complete contrast to many that say to concentrate on a small area. (see luke in the vid above). 

aiming at a small area is fine if your chipping well. not for someone who has the yips.

i would like to see a video of this. its something none suffers find hard to comprehend.


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## duncan mackie (Dec 7, 2012)

garyinderry said:



			easiest way to drop the pressure on yourself is to accept that you wont hole this chip but happy to get it in a general area. this reduces the pressure although it is in complete contrast to many that say to concentrate on a small area. (see luke in the vid above). 

aiming at a small area is fine if your chipping well. not for someone who has the yips.

i would like to see a video of this. its something none suffers find hard to comprehend.
		
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this is fine for those with a lack of competence, or a fear of thinning it, leaving it short etc but you need to think more about a player whose 10ft from the green and his playing partners would be happy to bet Â£10 he won't get the ball on the green! 

the video could be rather boring, guy standing frozen over a chip for 2 minutes completely unable to take the club back - then something happens and the ball may, or may not, have moved...basically yips are a complete loss of motor control.


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## chrisd (Dec 7, 2012)

duncan mackie said:



			'chipping yips' will impact a 7iron as much as a wedge, as anyone who has experienced them will tell you. it can strike the most competent of golfers (as can putting) and is closer to a complete inability to take the club away from the ball than simply gettting the ground when using a wedge etc 

the only cure is to rebuild your confidence, which in itself will require competence, such that the only thing you eventually consider when playing the shots is the positive outcomes, and the ball going in the hole.

this process starts with good lies and easy shots - as above this will be an 8 iron from the fringe to a flat green (or sloping toward you) to prove that 'it's easy' to you inner demons. then gradually moving on over time to the same underlying shot with a lob wedge in a poor lie 5 yds above a steeply sloping away from you green with water the other side!

it's about being able to perform under pressure - generally with such yips *you* create the pressure, and it grows until you just can't perform.

you can't cure it but you can do your best to conquer it

to anyone who truly believes they don't suffer in any way from performance related pressure I suggest you go into the garden and hit a few short lob shots from good lies - then place a nice pane of glass on it's edge 6ft in front of you and play the same shots over this - even better if you have a greenhouse and can play shots over that..... the latter will emulate the way a yip sufferer can feel faced with a really simple chip from the edge of a green!
		
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All quite correct Duncan

My regular partner would probably still be close to a single figure handicap if he hadn't got the yips. He now plays off 17, he has a long delightful draw off the tee and putts with his belly putter from anywhere where he can, rather than pitch or chip. He has a very fast decelerating action when trying to chip and usually scuds the ball 60 yards from a 10 yard attempt, or, the club takes a huge divot and the ball travels inches. We've all tried to help but it makes no difference.


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## Deleted Member 1156 (Dec 7, 2012)

Hi Kevin

I'm just coming out of the other side of this problem, had this exact issue for the last 2 years. Work on technique and lots of practice. Then more practice. After that, practice a bit more! It's the only way.

I was getting very flicky with the wrists and thinning or chunking everything. So I worked endlessly on hands ahead of the ball, arms tucked into my sides and then just rocking my shoulders, minimum number of moving parts. Keep your tempo smooth and even, no sudden increase in speed. SMMOOOOOTTHHH is the way to do it. My game isn't back to where it used to be but at least I now don't have a nervous breakdown over every chip shot. Every time I get up and down I bank a bit more confidence. 

There was a standing joke with the guys I play with that I could hit any green on the course from 150 yards but none of them from 10 yards. It's a horrible place to be but keep the faith and practice, practice, practice.

Good luck!!


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## richart (Dec 7, 2012)

duncan mackie said:



			'chipping yips' will impact a 7iron as much as a wedge, as anyone who has experienced them will tell you. it can strike the most competent of golfers (as can putting) and is closer to a complete inability to take the club away from the ball than simply gettting the ground when using a wedge etc 

the only cure is to rebuild your confidence, which in itself will require competence, such that the only thing you eventually consider when playing the shots is the positive outcomes, and the ball going in the hole.

this process starts with good lies and easy shots - as above this will be an 8 iron from the fringe to a flat green (or sloping toward you) to prove that 'it's easy' to you inner demons. then gradually moving on over time to the same underlying shot with a lob wedge in a poor lie 5 yds above a steeply sloping away from you green with water the other side!

it's about being able to perform under pressure - generally with such yips *you* create the pressure, and it grows until you just can't perform.

you can't cure it but you can do your best to conquer it
		
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Spot on. Suffered for years and finally gave up playing  due to the chipping yips. Never had them with the putter though, so one solution is to play on links courses and putt from off the green.


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## Hobbit (Dec 7, 2012)

garyinderry said:



			simple

1. put the ball back in your stance. off the back foot.
2. lean some weight onto your left side. keep it there.
3. grip down sightly and move your hands also to the left. have you hands in line with your left thigh.
4. swing back and make a slightly decending blow into the ball. DO NOT SCOOP ! keep your hands ahead of the club head.

if you do this and hold the grip tight then you will hit a nice clip of a chip shot. alot of people talk about soft hands. i am practising this shot over 100 times every day at the minute. this is the best way to do it imo.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48PlO1NUvUs&feature=related

this is something similar to jim here. i have my hands slightly further forward than jim also the ball slightly further back. 


try it now if you can   weight on the left side is the most important part then decending blow!
		
Click to expand...




Doon frae Troon said:



			Hello Kevin and welcome
By chipping I assume you mean short shots from around the green.

Use your putting stance/stroke/grip with a 5 iron until you feel comfortable and accurate then just work your way down the clubs.
I tend to use an 8 iron where I can, try to avoid using anything higher than a 9 iron.
		
Click to expand...

Sounds good to me.

As for putting a pane of glass in front of you for learning under pressure. As a youngster I used to pitch from the back garden to the front and back again, over the bungalow we lived in. You learn to concentrate very quickly... but being older and wiser I wouldn't want to see my kids doing it.


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## richart (Dec 7, 2012)

drive4show said:



			Hi Kevin

I'm just coming out of the other side of this problem, had this exact issue for the last 2 years. Work on technique and lots of practice. Then more practice. After that, practice a bit more! It's the only way.

I was getting very flicky with the wrists and thinning or chunking everything. So I worked endlessly on hands ahead of the ball, arms tucked into my sides and then just rocking my shoulders, minimum number of moving parts. Keep your tempo smooth and even, no sudden increase in speed. SMMOOOOOTTHHH is the way to do it. My game isn't back to where it used to be but at least I now don't have a nervous breakdown over every chip shot. Every time I get up and down I bank a bit more confidence. 

There was a standing joke with the guys I play with that I could hit any green on the course from 150 yards but none of them from 10 yards. It's a horrible place to be but keep the faith and practice, practice, practice.

Good luck!!
		
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 Still a work in progress I think.


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## Deleted Member 1156 (Dec 8, 2012)

richart said:



			Still a work in progress I think.

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You can really go off some people...................


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## G1BB0 (Dec 9, 2012)

Hobbit said:



			Sounds good to me.

As for putting a pane of glass in front of you for learning under pressure. As a youngster I used to pitch from the back garden to the front and back again, over the bungalow we lived in. You learn to concentrate very quickly... but being older and wiser I wouldn't want to see my kids doing it.
		
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the joys of youth Hobbit, no fear and confidence aplenty

I go mad at my kids for things I was proud to do as a teen... how age changes us lol


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## roekevin1982 (Dec 13, 2012)

thanks for all the tips, i practice every saturday and sunday before i play, i play off 7 and its the short chips/pitches thats costing me, practice normally after a nervy start gets pretty good, i had a good short game but after shoulder surgery i have lost all confidence in it, my long game came back no problem, asked my local pro to look at my techic he said it looks fine and to ease up on the grip pressure helps loads with the little 7 iron shots still struggling with loft in hand tho,


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## the hants reaper (Dec 13, 2012)

I  had the same trouble for ages so i just started to play flop shots over a bunker onto the putting green , i practice this for hours and it help my chipping in the end , this shot routine help me to train my hands not to jab , stab or punch the ball but train both my hands and my mind just to make a swing at the ball , i no longer jab at the ball , worked for me and now chip with a flowing stroke , its all in the mind , the actions of just swinging the club through the line help my chipping in the end , help me so good luck


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## DAVEYBOY (Dec 13, 2012)

I know it's not the best way to play chips around the green but I like to use my 58 and give it a lil pop and land it close with very little run. It's one of the best parts of my game so I'm going to stick with the method. I also feel its harder to control the power with a chip and run compared to my said method but its what I'm comfortable with and doesn't suit everyone.


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