Yips: Defining Subcategories and Strategies to Help

By Debbie Crews, Ph.D., Arizona State University, Charles Adler, MD, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Arizona

Yips, an uncontrollable jerk or spasm that occurs during motion, can cause debilitating effects in golf putting, chipping, pitching and full swing. Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University have been studying the yips since 2002. Studies have been conducted at Mayo Clinic Arizona, Mayo Clinic Rochester and Arizona State University Karsten Golf Course. Measures included EEG brain activity, EMG muscle activity, hand motion, heart rate, blood pressure, grip pressure, salivary cortisol, salivary testosterone, and putting performance. It is estimated that 30-50% of all golfers will experience the yips at some point in their career. Yips add an average of 4.54 strokes per round. It is estimated that a small percentage of golfers with the yips have a neurological cause (golfer’s cramp or focal dystonia) and most are psychologically induced. The goal of the research is to define markers of a neurological cause so that treatment strategies can be specific to the golfer.

Anxiety even exacerbates those with a neurological form of golfer’s cramp. In other words, if we take anxiety away it does not necessarily eliminate the yip. If the yip is psychologically induced due to performance anxiety it can be conditional (practice, play, tournament), intermittent (come and go over time), and intensity can vary.

Treatment strategies tested thus far include putting with the eyes closed and a new putter design. We are currently studying other putting strategies as well as a trial of a pill to see if these improve the yip. The results of these studies of golfer’s cramp may also offer treatment strategies to other task-specific dystonias that affect writing, musicians, and other athletes.

Mayo Clinic and ASU are doing a study of golfer’s hand and wrist muscle movement patterns while putting. If you are a golfer at age 18-75 with a handicap of 20 or less and you think you suffer from golfer’s cramp/yips you may be eligible!

The study will take approximately 2 hours of your time and will be performed at the Jim Flick Performance Center, Desert Mountain Golf Club, 38580 N. Desert Mountain Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85262.

As part of this study you will be provided feedback on your putting.

For more information, call either: Dr. Charles Adler, M.D., Ph.D. at Mayo Clinic, 480.301.4981 or Dr. Debbie Crews, Ph.D. at ASU, 602.361.5355.