Strategies to Overcome The Putting Yips
Golf is a challenging and sometimes frustrating game…
One day you are playing great and the next day you are hitting the ball all over the place.
So, how do golfers respond to having a bad round?
Many of these golfers go the “figure things out” route. This can be a very slippery slope that digs them further into a rut.
This is often how this route unfolds… You’ve played well for a few weeks then, suddenly, you have an atrocious round…
All you can think about is everything you did wrong after the round…
“My grip didn’t feel right on my tee shots and couldn’t get the clubface around. Then, on my putts, I was so tight trying to make up strokes that I kept leaving my putts short.”
A few days later, you go to the driving range for some extra practice.
You remind yourself to grip the driver more firmly and adjust your thumb position.
Next, it’s off to work on your putting…
You tell yourself to relax and make sure you complete your backstroke. You work on these aspects of your game over and over until the next tournament.
You keep reminding yourself of everything you worked on…
“Firmer grip on tee shots… Make sure to get clubface squared… Relax on the putt… Stay relaxed… Focus on backswing… All the way back… Don’t leave it short…”
Unfortunately, everything seemed to backfire. You asked yourself, “How is this possible? I put in a lot of work on my technique!”
You continue to over-analyze, overthink and over-work your technique but your play only worsens.
Your swing feels jerky and out of control. It seems like there is absolutely nothing you can do to get back to your normal swing.
Not only does overthinking and over-analyzing hurt performance, it can lead to an even greater problem… the yips!
The yips are the ultimate manifestation of over-analyzing and overthinking.
Golfers with the Yips have Similar Characteristics:
- Golfers with the yips try to talk themselves through each swing.
- Golfers with the yips focus too much on the outcome.
- Golfers with the yips over-analyze the result of every shot.
- Golfers with the yips over control their technique prior to each shot.
Professional golfers are not exempt from the yips…
Take for example, Jordan Spieth…
Spieth had a great start to his career with 11 PGA Tour victories by age 24, including wins in three Major Tournaments (2015 Masters Tournament, 2015 US Open and 2017 Open Championship).
Spieth’s last victory was in July of 2017. In 2018, Spieth started the year ranked No. 2 and has since dropped 15 to No. 17.
Spieth admitted that not only was his putting problematic, but also his thoughts exacerbated the issue.
SPIETH: “[Putting] wasn’t the strong suit of my game. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. A lot of it was mechanical. A bit of mental because of the mechanical… Unfortunately, I had to play so much towards the end that I couldn’t really get it intact. So I stepped on the first tee knowing that I was playing a C-game instead of figuring where my game is at through the first couple of rounds.”
Renowned swing instructor, Hank Haney, sees the yips as the main cause for Spieth’s decline in performance.
HANEY: “[Spieth] has got to get his putting figured out… I think that spilled into the rest of his game. When I watch him putt, he visibly has the yips. You watch his hands on short putts and there is a tremor in there. I don’t care if the putt goes in or doesn’t. He was center cut on his first putt at the Ryder Cup. But his hands were shaking. He had to miss more short putts than anybody on tour.”
Getting back on track is more than working on your swing.
If you want to regain your form, you must first attack it from the mental angle. That includes learning to trust your stroke, instead of over thinking how to swing the club.
A bad round doesn’t need to send you into a performance slump.
Getting Beyond The Yips:
First, you must understand the underlying cause of your yips: FEAR.
In most cases, the putting yips is all about fear of embarrassment.
Next, you have to simplify your approach to putting and chipping.
Less is better here. Go back to what’s worked and stop the over analysis or hyper focus on the stroke.
You want to free up your stroke, not over control what you are doing. Trust your swing and your work, then get out of your own way… And PLAY!
Related Golf Psychology Articles
- How to Overcome Anxiety Before Golfing
- How to Overcome Fear to Rid The Yips
- How To Overcome Perfectionism [Video]
Anti-Yips Putting Drills
Do you spend most of your practice time trapped by stroke or mechanics on the practice green? Are you unsure how to practice to help you overcome the putting yips?
With my exclusive drills to free up your putting, previously available to my personal coaching students, you can learn how to use your mind to help you improve your putting performance.
Download my FREE putting report and drills to help you unlock your putting potential today! Please complete the form below to immediately download my FREE putting practice drills: