HELP! I’ve developed The Yips out of nowhere

[Ethan]

I played in our Club Champs on Saturday and was putting like an idiot, so on the 13th green switched to left hand below right. Had never used it before, but immediately holed a 20 foot swinging putt for birdie and putted well the rest of the way in. "Wow, you should use that all the time" said one of my laying partners after I holed out at 18.

 

[rksquire]

when I'm struggling with putting (granted not yips, but maybe pace, line, general technique with ball coming of face wrong) I have a 'fallback' where I'll abruptly stab the ball with the putter - like a sucker punch. Strength of stab can easily be varied because I'm not thinking about pendulum / smooth stroke etc.

 

[Ethan]

when I'm struggling with putting (granted not yips, but maybe pace, line, general technique with ball coming of face wrong) I have a 'fallback' where I'll abruptly stab the ball with the putter - like a sucker punch. Strength of stab can easily be varied because I'm not thinking about pendulum / smooth stroke etc.

A rap or pop stroke was quite common in the 60s/70s when greens were slower and players generally used a heel shafted blade. Gary Player still uses that sort of stroke.

 

[JohnnyDee]

Failing that can we play for money with no gimmies!

 

[JohnnyDee]

I'm resurrecting this thread because I have finally emerged out through the other side of this absolute nightmare. Over 2.5 years of woe and frustration is NOW FIXED!!!

How?

I reverted to my original putting grip. I mean how I grip the club - not the grip itself. I always used to have a baseball grip (right below left) with the left thumb tucking into the right palm. Over the 25 years of serious club golf it morphed somehow into an overlap as with driver, woods & irons and then the full interlocking. Don't know why though. I always putted well. I also continued to putt well post both changes. I just assumed interlocking would be more solid. But then one day out of nowhere I got the yips and they got worse and worse as each time I went out my putting was a disaster.

Anyhoo, Friday fortnight last I was on the putting green ahead of a comp and going through the horrors as per normal when 'a voice' said: "go back to your original grip." I had honestly never even once thought of doing this. Haven't a clue why not, but nevertheless there it was.

I did it... and immediately everything felt perfect. Every practice putt came right out of the middle. No heel or toe mishits, and as if that wasn't great enough, I began to hole putts from all over the shop. Even silly extra-long, once in a blue moon, no hope attempts I set up, all lagged to the shortest of tap-ins.

I went out with the new (old) grip, rattled in 44 points and won the comp. In the past 2.5 years I couldn't have won a raffle where there was only one ticket and I'd bought it.

Been out 5 times since and putting has been great. Finally no more knee knocking terror standing over 2-footers. What's more I have taken the money in the Swindle 3 times too.

If dear old Paul Daniels had been about he might have said: "That's magic!" as indeed it was/is.

I have since spotted that with the baseball grip my right wrist does not turn to the left as I make the stroke. Whereas it does with the other two grips. I had tried left below right, the claw, different putters and all sorts of stuff but all to no avail. I knew my wrist movement was the culprit but couldn't fight it - particularly if the putt was important to make a score or win a hole.

That such a small change has made such a mahoosive difference is like alchemy. Just don't know why I never tried reverting before.

 

[Imurg]

Good to hear JD.....

 

[JohnnyDee]

Cheers @Imurg

 

[Deleted member 25575]

lol that’s an amazing read!
I once read a book, was a Bob Rotella one and one of the things in there he says is if you’re struggling, go back to the swing you used when you were last playing great. Sort of the same thing here.
Glad you’re through the other side of it, putt it took 2.5 years!!

 

[JohnnyDee]

Cheers, @Albo