Curing the yips!

[delc]

I certainly have and it appears very contradictory. The only thing that makes us perform tasks is the brain. When people talk about muscle memory it's nonsense, muscles have no way of memorising afaik it's all down to the brain and poor technique.

So, as I understand it, if your brain realises that the task you've set it can't be completed by the method you're using it will try and abort the swing or change it - if what I'm saying is correct then it is mainly psychological surely

Have you read the Mayo Clinic report on the yips? They suggest that it's a condition called Focal Distonia, which is the neurological breakdown of the pathways that control a well learned and automatic skill, carried out by the unconscious mind. The problems come when the neurological pathway fails and the conscious mind tries to control this automatic learned skill. This can affect musicians as well as golfers. This is why the yips don't affect beginners, however bad their technique is.

 

[chrisd]

Have you read the Mayo Clinic report on the yips? They suggest that it's a condition called Focal Distonia, which is the neurological breakdown of the pathways that control a well learned and automatic skill, carried out by the unconscious mind. The problems come when the neurological pathway fails and the conscious mind tries to control this automatic learned skill. This can affect musicians as well as golfers. This is why the yips don't affect beginners, however bad their technique is.

So it is all in the brain?

 

[duncan mackie]

But I still maintain that the only thing stopping the take away is your brain!

I thought I was agreeing?

I usually give the following example to illustrate the impact fear can have on our physical actions - it's blindingly obvious.

Take a 6" square beam and place it across a couple of bricks - walk along it, jump up and down on it etc

Take same beam and place it at 30' - many will be completely unable to even lift one foot of it let alone jump 1" high

The physical action/activity is exactly the same; the issue becomes the minds perception of the consequences of 'failure' - however silly this might appear to others. We all know it doesn't really matter if you miss the putt/fat the chip/put it in the bunker etc etc

There may be physiological causes for some (as referenced) but that really doesn't matter as we are generally dealing with the symptoms!

 

[chrisd]

I thought I was agreeing?

I usually give the following example to illustrate the impact fear can have on our physical actions - it's blindingly obvious.

Take a 6" square beam and place it across a couple of bricks - walk along it, jump up and down on it etc

Take same beam and place it at 30' - many will be completely unable to even lift one foot of it let alone jump 1" high

The physical action/activity is exactly the same; the issue becomes the minds perception of the consequences of 'failure' - however silly this might appear to others. We all know it doesn't really matter if you miss the putt/fat the chip/put it in the bunker etc etc

There may be physiological causes for some (as referenced) but that really doesn't matter as we are generally dealing with the symptoms!

Sorry Duncan, I wrote that badly. Yes I knew you were agreeing as is Del but I guess he won't say so!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

So it's old age that means you should get your HC increased

You blame poor putting on some "condition"

You want bigger holes so that you don't miss as much

It all appears to be excuses for not being able to score as well you believe you should ?

If you played lawn Bowles they have a massive trench behind - you should be able to hit that.

Why don't you just go out and just hit the ball - walk then hit it again and just chat to yoir FP and enjoy yourself.

 

[chrisd]

Why don't you just go out and just hit the ball - walk then hit it again and just chat to yoir FP and enjoy yourself.

You'll find out next Sunday !! :whoo:

 

[Break90]

Have you read the Mayo Clinic report on the yips? They suggest that it's a condition called Focal Distonia, which is the neurological breakdown of the pathways that control a well learned and automatic skill, carried out by the unconscious mind. The problems come when the neurological pathway fails and the conscious mind tries to control this automatic learned skill. This can affect musicians as well as golfers. This is why the yips don't affect beginners, however bad their technique is.

like Gladys Knight and the yips??

i'll get me coat

 

[chrisd]

like Gladys Knight and the yips??

i'll get me coat

Or the Four Stops - share a cab?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have to say in my opinion, it is bad technique aligned to a mental issue. Sorry but dress it any way you like that's what it come down to.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You'll find out next Sunday !! :whoo:

Looking forward to it - should be a great two days of golf and banter :thup:

 

[Break90]

Or the Four Stops - share a cab?

Ravi Shankar? That's it I'm off

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Have you read the Mayo Clinic report on the yips? They suggest that it's a condition called Focal Distonia, which is the neurological breakdown of the pathways that control a well learned and automatic skill, carried out by the unconscious mind. The problems come when the neurological pathway fails and the conscious mind tries to control this automatic learned skill. This can affect musicians as well as golfers. This is why the yips don't affect beginners, however bad their technique is.

It's just occurred to me that the reason you got the yips is because you're obsessed by them. I bet you couldn't believe your luck when the mag had an article on it, it gave you a chance to post more obsessive nonsense

 

[richart]

Looking forward to it - should be a great two days of golf and banter :thup:

:mmm: I will wait to see what the draw on Monday looks like.

 

[delc]

It's just occurred to me that the reason you got the yips is because you're obsessed by them. I bet you couldn't believe your luck when the mag had an article on it, it gave you a chance to post more obsessive nonsense

I'm not in the least bit obsessed with the yips. I'd much rather have never had them! However if you like playing golf and develop them, you have to find a way round them if you wish to continue playing at a reasonable level. Whether they are caused by a lack of confidence, Focal Dystonia, poor technique, or the man in the moon, it would be nice to understand and find a cure for them, as they do affect quite a few middle-aged, long term golfers.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I'm not in the least bit obsessed with the yips. I'd much rather have never had them! However if you like playing golf and develop them, you have to find a way round them if you wish to continue playing at a reasonable level. Whether they are caused by a lack of confidence, Focal Dystonia, poor technique, or the man in the moon, it would be nice to understand and find a cure for them, as they do affect quite a few middle-aged, long term golfers.

Do they, because I know a lot of golfers of the type you describe, none have the yips, in fact, I've never met anyone with them. I know bad putters, but putting badly isn't the yips.

 

[Ethan]

There is probably a spectrum, with some, probably few, who have a tic-like twitch to those whose technique is poor but who scraped by before their technique found them out. Claw grips and suchlike may treat either version of the malady.

 

[delc]

In answer to HawkeyeMS I have come across quite a few senior golfers with the yips. One right-handed player at my former club had them so badly that he ended up putting left handed, because that was the only way he could do it. It's not shaking hands BTW, because I played in a match against a guy who was suffering from Parkinson's disease: He had shaking hands but could still putt quite well!

I know that my problem is related to my right arm or hand. Earlier this year I watched the delectable Cheyenne Woods practising her putting on the practice green at the Buckinghamshire course in Denham. She normally putts left hand below right, but she was practising four footers just using her right hand. She still holed about 40 out of 40 putts, which was seriously impressive. I went back and tried the same exercise on our practice green and the putts went everywhere except into the hole! Yet I found that I could putt quite well gripping with only my left hand.

 

[Foxholer]

As I posted earlier, you don't currently have the Yips, so you would be completely daft to go back to a style that encouraged their return.

For the long ones, where Claw can indeed be a bit awkward, why not try Left below Right. Yipiness is normally a 'close to the hole' condition - more delicate touch; higher success expectation - so generally not an issue for longer putts.

But definitely forget anything that might encourage the Yips to return, as it's quite possible that even going back to Claw grip might not solve it!

 

[delc]

I tried putting left hand below right after I first developed the yips. It was good for short putts, but I found it very hard to get any feel for distance. Also it's a different grip to what I use for chipping, which is a related skill. One of my fellow seniors at my club both chips and putts left hand below right after getting the yips, but he still looks rather twitchy.

I have continued to practice conventional style putting on the practice green as well as claw grip, and it hasn't affected the latter at all. Playing under pressure on the course I am most likely to yip very short and very long putts using the conventional grip. I'm not bad at middle range putts with it.

 

[Foxholer]

I tried putting left hand below right after I first developed the yips. It was good for short putts, but I found it very hard to get any feel for distance. Also it's a different grip to what I use for chipping, which is a related skill. One of my fellow seniors at my club both chips and putts left hand below right after getting the yips, but he still looks rather twitchy.

I have continued to practice conventional style putting on the practice green as well as claw grip, and it hasn't affected the latter at all. Playing under pressure on the course I am most likely to yip very short and very long putts using the conventional grip. I'm not bad at middle range putts with it.

Seems more and more like you don't actually have a problem with the Yips at all!

And maybe never did!

So I'm out!