Golf 'Yips' May be Physical, Not Mental

March 6, 2003 -- The annoying "yips" that cause more than half of all golfers to choke on a putt from time to time may not be all in their heads. A new study suggests that there might be a physical component involved in the involuntary muscle jerks, tremors, and freezing that can afflict even the most seasoned golfer when attempting an important putt.

"For many years the 'yips' was seen as a purely psychological problem, something that was all in the golfer's head," says researcher Aynsely M. Smith, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, in a news release. "This latest study provides further reason to believe that there is a physical component for many if not most 'yippers.'"

Previous studies have shown that a case of the "yips" can add as many as five strokes to the score of an affected golfer on an 18-hole course.

In their study, published in the current issue of Sports Medicine, researchers asked a group of 72 regular golfers to describe their experience with the "yips." The average age of the golfers was 52, and they had been avid golfers for about 36 years with an average golf handicap of 6.7.

Most of the golfers (55%) described the "yips" in physical terms, such as "involuntary jerking of the hands during putting." But only 22% explained it in more psychological terms like "nervousness and tight feeling in the body prior to and during the putt."

Researchers say those results suggest a variety of factors may be responsible for the phenomenon ranging from performance anxiety to neurological disorders like focal dystonia. Focal dystonia is often described as a muscle cramp and can lead to involuntary movements or spasms of a body part and may frequently be caused by overuse.

"These are highly accomplished golfers who experience the problem after many years of successful competition, and we see similar fine motor problems in others, such as professional musicians, who must assume unnatural poses for prolonged periods," says Smith. "Anxiety can make the problem worse, but it appears there is a physical element that may be the underlying problem."

Researchers say that although this study expands the knowledge about this common affliction, effective therapies must still be developed and evaluated to treat the condition. They say golfers who are properly treated may be less likely to attempt to treat themselves with alcohol or non-prescription medications, as some sufferers commonly report doing.

SOURCE: Sports Medicine, 2003, Vol. 33 (1). News release, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.