Chipping Yips
Also known as: chipping yips, chip yips, yips when chipping, yips around the green, chipping twitch
To fix the chipping yips, take the hands out of the stroke. Use a putting-style chip or a hinge-and-hold chip, and focus on a landing spot rather than the ball. Rebuild with easy chips, then add pressure slowly. If the twitch persists, work with a coach.
The chipping yips are a jerk or flinch in the hands just before impact. They often start after a run of fat or thin chips. Fear of the next bad one makes the hands tense up at the worst moment.
The most useful changes reduce what the hands do. A putting-style chip keeps the wrists quiet. Hinge and hold sets the wrists early so nothing happens at impact. Some golfers change grip, use a more lofted club, or chip with a hybrid from tight lies.
Attention matters too. Look at a landing spot and keep your eyes there, or make a smooth rehearsal and copy it at once. Practice where misses don't matter first. If the problem stays, see a coach, and see a doctor if the twitch affects other tasks.
Tips by skill level
From the fringe or a tight lie, putt instead of chipping while you rebuild.
Change the task enough that the old twitch has nothing to grab: a new grip, a new club or a different focus point.
Example
He flinches over every chip after a few chunks in one round. He switches to a putting-style chip and practices short, easy shots, and the flinch fades over a few weeks.
Why it matters
Chipping yips can cost many shots a round. A simpler stroke and a calmer focus give you a way back.
Common mistakes
- Trying harder to control the hands
- Practicing only the shot that scares you
- Staring at the ball for a long time
- Waiting for it to go away on its own
Frequently asked questions
What causes the chipping yips?
There is no single known cause. They seem to mix anxiety with a learned twitch in the hands at impact. Fear of a fat or thin chip often makes them worse.
Should I putt instead of chip when I have the yips?
From the fringe or a tight lie, yes. It is a smart short-term fix that keeps you scoring while you rebuild your chipping.
Related terms
- YipsThe yips are involuntary twitches or spasms that disrupt the stroke, most often in putting or chipping. They are part neurological, part anxiety-driven, and affect golfers at every level.
- Hinge and Hold (Short Game)Hinge and hold is a short-game technique. You hinge your wrists early in the backswing, then hold that angle through impact so the clubhead never passes your hands. The body turn moves the club, and the finish stays short, with the shaft still leaning forward.
- Chipping With a Hybrid or Fairway WoodYes, you can chip with a hybrid or fairway wood. It works best from tight lies or the fringe when the ball can roll most of the way. Grip down, stand close and use a firm putting stroke. The wide sole glides over the grass instead of digging.
- Chunked ChipA chunked chip is fat contact on a short finesse shot near the green. The club hits the ground well before the ball, loses speed, and leaves the shot far short of the target.
- Choking Under Pressure in GolfChoking is when pressure pushes your play below its normal level. It often happens when you start consciously controlling a move that is normally automatic, or when worry crowds out your focus. Keep your routine and tempo, focus on the target rather than your body and practice with consequences so pressure feels familiar.
Related guides & benchmarks
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