What Does Hockey Have To Do With The Golf Yips?

How Speed of Play Affects the Yips

In our survey, we’ve had a ton of questions about how to overcome the yips.

One golfer who has been struggling with the yips recently commented:

“I am an ex-hockey player. I consider myself an athlete. The yips have hit me hard in a place where I am struggling to find an answer of how to be happy and win, rather than being afraid of losing.”

The yips are a problems that affects amateur and professional golfers. The yips do not discriminate, and they afflict golfers of every level. With that being said, know that you are not the only one who has faced this challenging problem.

What are the yips?

When you have the putting to chipping yips, you feel a sudden jerk, twitch or spasm, usually of the arms or hands that interferes with your ability to perform a smooth stroke.

For example, you are faced with a five-foot putt, you take back the putter and as you move the putter forward, you feel a sudden uncontrollable twitch in your arms causing you to just stab at the ball and leave the putt 2-feet short of the hole or miss wide badly.

However, the yips are not reserved for just putting. You can have the yips in any part of your game: driver, full shots, pitching, chipping or putting.

What mental game challenges contribute to the yips?

The yips are grounded in overthinking and over-analyzing. The yips worsen the more you think of the outcome of your swing, the mechanics of your swing, past misses, bad tournaments dominated by your yips, fear of the yips affecting future rounds, etc.

Recall a round when you felt the yips over-powered your game…

How much time during that round was dominated by some aspect of the yips? Chances are yips were at the forefront of your mind the majority of the time. Over thinking about your stroke keeps you entrenched in the yips battle.

You are not alone in your mental struggle with the yips. PGA golfer Brendon Todd, who had a well-documented battle with the yips, commented how an over-focus on his swing contributed to his yips and, now that he no longer is searching for the perfect swing, they have subsided and he was able to overcome the yips.

“Really, ever since 2010, I was kind of playing more in the golf swing-focused state. That eventually snowballed into making the wrong decisions with my swing and kind of going down the wrong path. The beauty of it now is I don’t have to try to improve my swing or become some fancy ball-striker,” Todd said

Hockey and the Golf Yips

Why would the yips show up in your hockey game? You may think that is an odd question but rarely does any hockey player talk about the yips.

Hockey is such a fast-paced sport, there is not much time to think. When you played hockey, you never over thought of your mechanics as you shot the puck.

How to Overcome the Yips

The yips start with the fear of missing based on past rounds. The fear leads to over thinking your stroke and mechanics.

This over thinking creates a brain freeze where you body becomes confused with too many outcome and technical thoughts.

First, you have to know that it’s not a disease you catch one day. You can improve:

1. Work on the drills to free up your putting.
2. Let go of the need to look like a good golfer to others.
3. Train yourself to let of the outcome and focus on your routine.

I have a couple good options for you if you want the personal touch with over coming the yips

(1) Check out Breaking the Yips Cycle program.
(2) Contact me about personal coaching for the yips.


Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert Mental Game Coaching!

If you’re a top performer during practice but find yourself under-performing in competition, the most likely culprit holding you back is your mental game. In fact, many athletes struggle with the same problem….

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

Meet with us via Skype, phone, FaceTime, or GoTo Meeting. With today’s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.

Mental toughness coaching helps serious athletes like you to uncover the beliefs and attitudes that keep you from performing to your potential. You’ll learn mental game strategies to perform at your peak more often, overcoming performance plateaus and lack of consistency

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?

“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

“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

“Yes Patrick, I’m a five handicap and also mentally handicapped by the yips. What worked for me was the aim, set and go drill. You don’t have time to think about yipping. I played today and not one yip. I owe you big time. Thanks again.”
~Mike Helms

Leave a Comment