Yips
The yips are involuntary twitches or spasms — most often in putting or chipping — that disrupt the stroke. They are part neurological, part anxiety-driven, and affect golfers at every level.
Research suggests the yips have both a neurological component (focal dystonia, similar to musician's cramp) and a psychological one (performance anxiety activating the "flinch" response). They most commonly appear in short putts and chips under pressure. Approaches that have helped include grip changes (switching to a claw or cross-hand grip), longer equipment (belly or arm-lock putters), routine-based desensitization, and in severe cases acceptance-based approaches. They do not always indicate a purely psychological problem and should not be dismissed as "just nerves."
Example
A player who has made a two-foot putt thousands of times suddenly jerks the putter through the ball in a way they cannot control — this is the putting yips.
Related terms
- PuttingPutting is rolling the ball along the ground toward the hole using a flat-faced club (putter). It accounts for roughly 40% of strokes in a typical round, making it the most impactful single skill in scoring.
- Pre-Shot RoutineA pre-shot routine is the consistent sequence of steps — reading the shot, visualizing the flight, taking aim, waggling, and committing — that a golfer repeats before every shot to ensure focus and consistency under pressure.
- Muscle MemoryMuscle memory is the process by which a motor pattern (the swing) becomes automatic through repetition — stored in the motor cortex and cerebellum so it can be executed without conscious thought.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.