Tiger Woods' Yips

Tiger Woods has represented the epitome of golf success since his emergence onto the scene in 1997. He has won 14 majors and is chasing down Jack Nicklaus as the undisputed greatest golfer of all time. The golfer has stumbled lately, however, and has proved that no player, no matter how great, is immune to the golfing yips.

Tiger Woods’ yips have stopped him from hitting the kinds of shots that he has excelled at for years. These yips have made him miss short putts and to three putt from inside of a six feet. He has seen tee shots peppering the rough away from the fairway, and found approach shots coming nowhere near the pins that he used to seek with every iron.

These yips are can plague any golfer, and Tiger Woods’ yips are representative of the same ailments that can stop your game in its tracks. The kind of yips suffered by Tiger cause a nervous condition that stops the swing from working the way it should. For other golfers, these yips might prevent you from even moving your putter as you stand over the ball.

Because of some type of past trauma, whether suffered on the course or off, your body will be yelling at your NO! as you stand over a putt. You might find yourself frozen or shaking as you attempt to throw the putter at the ball, or lift the iron off of the ground. Freezing up and flinching is a conditioned response to this trauma and Tiger Woods’ yips can be helped just as yours can.

Like great golfers before him, Tiger has kept the same swing and approach to the game. He is not changing his fundamentals to attempt to defeat the yips. He is however, using a mental approach to the game to defeat the nervous energy that is forcing the yips.

There is hope for golfers with yips, it just requires the right methods. These professionals who overcame their yips have had access to the same simple fixes and psychology that can have you standing over your putts confidently. With your Tiger Woods’ yips gone, you will be hitting your irons pure, stroking your driver down the fairway, and looking like Jack Nicklaus – and even old Tiger Woods – with the short stick in hand.

The yips are most often attempted to be cured through the wrong methods. Many teachers or golfers try to get rid of the yips by transitioning to gimmicky approaches to the game. You might find yourself switch to a claw or a switch grip, pulling out a short putter or belly putter, or changing your takeaway. These will not serve to remove your Tiger Woods yip, but will only compound the problem by confusing your game.

Switching your mechanics is like trying to mow over your lawn to get rid of a weed problem. Just like switching fundamentals, your lawnmower will only remove the weeds from the surface – they will grow back. The right method to eliminating yips will serve to kill the weeds, as you maintain your game and find your confidence on the course again.

By: Tom Hanson, PhD

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Dr. Tom Hanson specializes in removing the root cause of the yips so players are free to enjoy their game using the grip of their choice! Dr. Hanson’s past coaching clients include the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Microsoft, Verizon, and American Express. Watch FREE golfing yips cure videos at www.YipsBeGone.com.