Thu 26 Jun 2008
There Are Doctors Trying To Cure The Yips – Well It’s About Time!
Posted by Duff under Random Thoughts
1 Comment
Oh how my short game has caused me so much pain over the years…..I can’t even begin to explain. I have tried everything from shorter wedges, jumbo sized grips, goofy stances, even played a complete round chipping cross-handed, and nothing seemed to work. At times I can mentally work passed it (having a couple of beers before a round tends to help), but for the last 7 years it has plagued my confidence to a point where if I’m within 10 feet of the green, I’m putting!
Last week I got an email from a golfing buddy with the subject header “Possible cure for your terminal disease…..the Yips!”
OK, you have my attention!
He forwarded me an article from cnn.com about a Mayo Clinic study that pinpointed possible reasons to why some golfers suffer from the ‘Yips’ or Focal Dystonia – a disorder characterized by involuntary, rapid muscle movements.
“You have got to be kidding me…” I emailed back to him, “There are horrendous, untreated diseases in this world, sick children who aren’t receiving medical care, emergency rooms filled with injured people who can’t receive immediate medical attention and we have doctors studying why I shank all of my putts within 5 feet of the hole?
Where can I sign up for this case study?
The article said the Mayo Clinic, right?
How are the summers in Minnesota?”
I’ll let you know….Duff
June 27th, 2008 at 2:33 am
We have found that the yips come from the way the golfer handles his driver. Well-known golfers whose careers ended with the yips (Snead, Hogan, Trevino, Miller) all resisted centrifugal force by not letting it extend their club and arms on the downswing. This overuse tore small fibers in the muscles of their forearms, scar tissue formed, and their tense, scar-filled muscles spasmed when they had to lightly grip their putter. You can see a complete analysis on our website under ‘Analyses of Top Athletes’