Oh Dear Ernie!

[Deleted member 1418]

I four putted the first at the Centurion a few weeks back; turned a 15ft eagle putt into a very impressive bogey 6! RickG laughed so much it was a good job he had his special 'weak bladder' pants on!!!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I hope that people on here will now believe that "the yips" are real, and be a bit more sympathetic toward those who suffer from them! It is often very good golfers such as tour pros that get them in early middle age.

He doesn't have the yips, he was careless. If he had the yips then he seemed to find the cure when he walked off the first tee because after that it seemed to me like he putted OK

 

[Slab]

As I said you need to look again.

Only the last two were standing on one foot or backhanded.

So, forgetting those, four putts from three feet with a twitch like an electric shock is sufficient evidence of the yips.

I think you're forgetting the second putt, that definitely wasn't his normal stance, and if its not his normal stance its not his normal swing, call it arrogance or embarrassment but his left foot is behind his right and left toe pointing near right angles to his right (he's not but its almost a cross legged stance!)

That's only his second putt remember, that's when he had the opportunity to finish properly. After that I think a great many might twitch faced with 3 putting from 2ft
The third was rushed (maybe he just wanted off the green) the 4th he composed himself a bit but snakes have taken up residence in his head (maybe seeing a green jacket disappear in a puff of smoke) 5th was past caring as was the 6th

So I'll give the 1st & 4th (just, he didn't even kneel to look down the line) as proper putts for a pro, the rest were a nonsense


edit: if nonsense is too strong for some then certainly a lottery as to whether they'd go in or not

 

[Deleted member 1418]

He doesn't have the yips, he was careless. If he had the yips then he seemed to find the cure when he walked off the first tee because after that it seemed to me like he putted OK

I think he's come out as saying he has been suffering from the yips. I agree with you re. the first - a number of them were just careless - but I think a result of the first two. I was using the 'track' feature on the Masters website on Ernie after that and he missed about 4 or 5 3-footers according to that, including on 17 and 18.

 

[Deleted member 1418]

So sad to see him struggling though as he and Seve are my all time favourite players. IMO still easily one of the best swings out on tour.

 

[Piece]

It's great to see some experts on here talking about the putting yips, who quite clearly have never had them.

 

[Crocodile JD]

I don't know of anyone suffering from them but at least I know how to spot them now, they'll be balanced on one foot and hitting backhanders. Truly a terrible condition to have

Slab you just don't want to let this lie do you but you are so wrong!

Reading your posts is nearly as embarrassing as watching poor Ernie putting!

It is unequivocally the yips ! If he had meticulously lined up the second put and missed the same as the first that would have destroyed him and he knew it so he tried to be more blazay deliberately just as we all do at times to take the pressure off and it often works wonders

Look what happened when his caddy did git him to step back, mark his ball and go through his routine....yes he missed again!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

He certainly looked very jerky on the first putt - almost like he stabbed the ball towards the hole

 

[pokerjoke]

Slab you just don't want to let this lie do you but you are so wrong!

Reading your posts is nearly as embarrassing as watching poor Ernie putting!

It is unequivocally the yips ! If he had meticulously lined up the second put and missed the same as the first that would have destroyed him and he knew it so he tried to be more blazay deliberately just as we all do at times to take the pressure off and it often works wonders

Look what happened when his caddy did git him to step back, mark his ball and go through his routine....yes he missed again!

You are so wrong
Not once does he mark his ball,get your facts right first

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Marking the ball would make no difference.

The yips are totally involuntary and will not manifest themselves on every hole.

Subconscious action and no warning, rather like addiction you never can be cured, only go from day to day, hole to hole. Just look at Langer's history.

One thing is sure, once you have them they are always there in the back of your mind and no amount of changes to your physical technique will ever remove the fear of their return.

 

[Crocodile JD]

You are so wrong
Not once does he mark his ball,get your facts right first

Yawn....yeah yeah he didn't, on his forth putt he stepped back and went for the pocket as if to go for the marker but didn't actually mark. He did make a much more deliberate attempt going through a proper set up etc

Well said MetalMickie sense prevails

 

[delc]

Marking the ball would make no difference.

The yips are totally involuntary and will not manifest themselves on every hole.

Subconscious action and no warning, rather like addiction you never can be cured, only go from day to day, hole to hole. Just look at Langer's history.

One thing is sure, once you have them they are always there in the back of your mind and no amount of changes to your physical technique will ever remove the fear of their return.

Actually, changing your technique is a recommended way of curing the yips. This could be the long or belly putter (until anchoring was banned), claw grip, or cross-handed grip. One of my friends ended up putting left handed as the only way to cure them, despite being right handed in every other respect. :mmm:

 

[pokerjoke]

Yawn....yeah yeah he didn't, on his forth putt he stepped back and went for the pocket as if to go for the marker but didn't actually mark. He did make a much more deliberate attempt going through a proper set up etc

Well said MetalMickie sense prevails

Yawn yawn
What about an admission you were wrong.

I for one like Ernie and he probably has some sort of yip disorder but as a professional he was unprofessional in his approach imo.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Actually, changing your technique is a recommended way of curing the yips. This could be the long or belly putter (until anchoring was banned), claw grip, or cross-handed grip. One of my friends ended up putting left handed as the only way to cure them, despite being right handed in every other respect. :mmm:

Not a cure at least not permanently.

Physical technique cannot totally overcome a subconscious problem.

 

[MendieGK]

Anyone saying the yips aren't a proven medical disorder Google - Focal Dystonia.

Love how people are saying he was unprofessional. Clowns

 

[patricks148]

Jesus, i bet he would be on dels side:rofl::rofl:

 

[Ross61]

Jesus, i bet he would be on dels side:rofl::rofl:

Perhaps he could endorse dels campaign for bigger holes.

 

[delc]

Not a cure at least not permanently.

Physical technique cannot totally overcome a subconscious problem.

I don't think it's a mental problem at all. I changed to the claw grip some 14 years ago after developing a bad case of the tips, and without changing anything else still have a nice smooth and totally yip free putting stroke. I can also putt quite well using just my left arm and hand, but anything involving my right arm is as twitchy as hell, despite my best efforts to control it.

The medical term for the yips is focal dystonia. A dystonia is an involuntary twitch or movement, and focal means that only a small part of the body is affected. In my case it seems to be my right arm and hand.

 

[patricks148]

Perhaps he could endorse dels campaign for bigger holes.

4ft by the look of it should do it

 

[MendieGK]

He missed a 2ft putt on the 1st and a 5ft putt on the 2nd today.
Clearly doesn't have an issue at all does he!

Just doesn't care.