Tommy Fleetwood’s Driver Yips

Tommy Fleetwood Yips

How to Stop The Full Swing Yips

Yips is a dirty four-letter word to most golfers…

They won’t say it, don’t want to hear about it and certainly don’t want to think about it. It is as if the yips are some kind of incurable virus contracted by mere thought or expression.

Well, thought does play a huge part in the yips.

The yips have a significant mental component.

The yips are fertilized by negative thoughts, such as:

  • “What’s wrong with me?”
  • “Why can’t I sink these easy putts?”
  • “Here we go again… missing short putts”

As your outcome thoughts about missing grow, negative emotions sprout…

Strong negative emotions tighten your muscles…

You start second-guessing your stroke or swing…

Pulling the club back feels uncomfortable

Your stroke seems mechanical

With a mechanical swing, you try to over-correct or remind yourself of everything you need to do further trapping you in that yips cycle

Since thoughts are a big factor in developing the yips, a change in thoughts can help you overcome the yips.

Take for example, Tommy Fleetwood…

Fleetwood reached the No. 1 ranking on the European Tour but his career was not without some tough times. A mere 18 months before ascending to No.1, the yips had infiltrated Fleetwood’s golf game.

In 2016, Fleetwood was ranked 40th on the European Tour. The main reason was that the yips took control of Fleetwood’s driving game, a part of his game that was once his strong suit.

Fleetwood recalled how difficult it was to see his strength, something he could rely on week to week, seemingly disappear due to the yips.

FLEETWOOD: “My driving has always been the biggest strength of my game and to see it turn into my biggest weakness was an unbelievable switch and something that was very hard to deal with.”

Fleetwood’s yip frustration affected his whole game.

FLEETWOOD: “It was tough. It doesn’t matter where you stand, you know you’ve got that stuff [the yips] in you and you cannot control it… Halfway down the swing was where the problem was. You know where you’re trying to put your body and where you’re trying to put the club but the swing won’t do it. It just twitches or yips.”

The big problem with golfers is that they try to over control the swing when they feel the yips.

These golfers will try to talk themselves through the swing or try to force their swing to be perfect (or not yip).

Physically trying to over control the swing causes you to yip more, not less!

Getting past the yips is not a matter of controlling your swing, but taking control of your fear and over thinking.

Instead of over controlling the swing, you need to trust in your practice and let go of technical thoughts, analytic thoughts and outcome thoughts.

By giving up control to your motor memory, your swing will be freer.

How to Let Go of Over Control:

Letting go of over thinking requires that you focus on something other than negative and instructional thoughts.

I suggest to golfers with the full-swing yips that they focus on the target or one swing cue, such as tempo or balance.

In addition, you have to keep your mind on your routine instead of worrying about the outcome of a bad shot.

For more strategies to overcome the yips cycle, check out “Breaking The Yips Cycle:”


Overcome The Yips and Enjoy Golf Again!

Golf Yips

Golfers, do you suffer from:

  • Anxiety, tension and over control of the stroke or swing?
  • Performance anxiety about what others will think?
  • Inability to wing the club freely on the course, despite the fact that you can in practice?

Check out: Breaking the Yips Cycle

Golfers: Learn how to overcome the fear that keeps you stuck in a vicious cycle

Instructors: Learn how to give your students the mental game edge.

Coaches: Help your team members play with freedom instead of fear or tension.

Breaking The Yips Cycle: How to Putt, Chip, And Pitch Freely and Enjoy Playing Golf Again

What are Golf Psychology Students Saying?

“I am a single digit handicap who has battled the yips for some time. As I applied his methods I have found almost instantaneous success…. I recently shot even par to be medalist in a state qualifier (I missed too shorties to boot), but I just kept playing and my free strokes far outnumbered my bad ones. Thank you for giving me the tools I need to face my demons. I could not recommend his program more highly!”
~Alex Davis

“I was pleased to find your website and tips to address the mental issues with the yips. Your drills made sense to me. Other people only tackled technique. That isn’t the problem with me as I can stroke them all nicely on the practice putting green. I can even hit the long ones on the course. I will keep working at it and thank you for your interest.”
~Pat Collins

“I write you because it’s been 6 months since I started the program Breaking the Yips Cycle. Before that I was putting with a long putt and due to the ban on anchoring I switched to a short putt and started your program. The yips program has helped me a lot. I have been able to focus on what matters instead of thinking about the outcome or fearing a yippy stroke.”
~Ricardo Abogabir C.

“I’ve had the yips for 30 years. With the anchor ban, I thought I needed to quit golf. It was frustrating hearing golf experts and commentators state that no amateur was going to quit golf because of the anchoring ban. Obviously, these experts don’t know anything about the yips. I’m so glad I found you. Your drills really helped. It might sound silly, but the biggest thing that helped me is knowing that the yips is mental. It might sound crazy, for someone to have the yips for 30 years, and not know it’s mental. I also believe I know my reason for having the yips, and I see how my insecurities in every day life contributed to the yips. Thank you for your help.”
~Kevin Stankewicz

 


Overcome The Yips With Expert Mental Game Coaching!

Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with personal coaching.

You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!

What are our mental coaching students saying?

 

“Two of your drills have been especially helpful: Eyes closed the eyes open and the tap in drill. I have only been able to make short putts for some time with my eyes closed and have been very effective with that. Both drills have improved my overall rhythm and putting success. Only used your drill sequence for one practice session so will step up the routine to 7 days in a row.”
~Trevor Morgan

“I’ve read so many teachings regarding the yips, and you’re right on. I’ve read articles from top 10 teachers who have supposed cures for the yips, and realize, they don’t even know what the yips are… You know what they are, and I believe you know how to cure them. Thank you for your newsletters.”
~Kevin

“Yes! Awesome tips and they worked great. I was having a tough time mentally with putts inside of 4 feet for self imposed fear of missing them. After doing all of your drills I found myself just looking at the hole on the shorts putts similar to a free throw. Seems to be working. Thank you so much!”
~Shawn Barr

“I wanted to tell you I have broken out of the yips short putt issues. I have won 2 of the last 3 competitions. Right now my putting confidence is sky high. I HAD the putt yips for past 6 years. I contribute the success to two of your drills. First focus hard on the hole, forget about all else. It took awhile to get the 100% focus, but I could see the results coming. Then your advice “Let go and trust your ability.” Immediate result. Wow what a relief. Having putted for so long under yip pressure, I now feel I can be put under extreme pressure to win the club championship. I now look forward to short putts.”
~Ian Dodd

5 thoughts on “Tommy Fleetwood’s Driver Yips”

  1. My problem is not taking the driver back. As the round gets longer my back swing gets sometime waist high. According to others my practice swing is perfect for my level of play. Our club Pro says so also. Seems like this all got started when I started Shanking my wedges and after going into my 3rd year I am still shanking.
    Have read tons of back swing articles, but nothing of help jumps out to me.

    HELP !!!

    Reply
    • It’s not physical fix, but mental–especially if your practice swing is full and fine. It’s usually about the fear of a bad shot or looking silly that causes this.

      Reply
  2. Is there a simple solution—method—to stop pulling the chest up and therefore coming out of the shot —topping, fat shots, etc
    Many Thanks!

    Reply
    • The problem is you are trying to fix a mental issue by working on the mechanics. Try feeling the full practice swing–keep that feeling in mind–as you approach the ball and make a swing. Try to just think about the feeling you had from the practice swing.

      Reply
  3. The front nine on my driver seems fine. When I start the back nine I can’t start my downswing Without some type of pause or hitch and then the next thing you know it’s all upper body and I pull dead left. I don’t know what it is. It started a year and a half ago and no matter what I do it won’t go away. I go to the driving range before and after my round and my swing is totally fine on my driver with shots that go straight.Please help me!!

    Reply

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