I was going to title this article ‘A GOOD CASE OF THE YIPS’, but I have never seen a ‘Good One’!
The ‘Yips’ are generally ‘Involuntary Musculo-Skeletal Movements’ or spasm in varying degrees. It is logical to refer to them as ‘Twitches’ but there are many of these descriptive names that suffice or apply. Many very normal golfers (who perform well) struggle from time to time just ‘Triggering The Stroke Pattern’. They cannot accomplish a smooth ‘Take-Away’.
Let us see if we cannot provide two methodologies that might help any ‘Yipper’ improve and avoid this affliction?
1) Can’t Pull The Trigger … If this applies to you, when you take that ‘Last Look Down The Line’ (DTL) and return back to the ball, you will do so at a natural pace. If it happens to be 5 Feet Per Second, do that as a ‘Routine’. Here is the ‘Magic Key’ that might help. As you reach the ball with your ‘Captain Eyes’, ‘At A Pace’, start your hands movement as you reach the ball. Do so at the ‘Same Pace’ … ‘Breathing Out’. Exhaling smoothly and softly creates relaxed movement. Your ‘555 Team’ finds is useful to practise your ‘Putting Stroke’ with a Penny under the ball. As your golf ball departs, call the penny ‘Head or Tails’. Ocular Acuity significantly controls manual activity.
2) Can’t Make The Direction Change or Transition Move … Yippers almost always struggle to accomplish this key aspect. It is very common for them to ‘Bounce Off The Top Of Back Swing’ (TOB) … to arrive at the predetermined ‘Back Swing Limit’ (short or long) and to quickly, spasmodically, change directions in a ‘Jerky Fashion’. Our students often tell us they feel like they are stepping on the brakes and then on the gas, almost at the same time! That visualization works for me, but the stroke malady does not! How might we improve this frightening direction change? By saying our ‘Little & Timing Word’ as we reach TOB … Breathing Out! These both ‘Mentally & Mechanically’ reduce the troublesome spastic or involuntary movements.
There are more simple suggestions if you so desire?
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