It can occur in golfers of any age but the "yips" periodically can find their way into even a professional golfer's head. At sometime in their professional career the player unexpectedly loses their smooth moving putting stroke. The rhythm and timing of the putting stroke becomes disrupted and jerky as if the golfer were jabbing at the ball. Confidence immediately takes a hit and complicates the issue. All golfers respond by increasing their practice time on the putting green to work through the problem. Others seek out a mental coach or sports psychologist to eliminate mental aspects that may be self inflicted. Very few PGA golfers come into the PGA Performance Center for this issue but more should consider it.
It is not unusual when we do assessments on PGA golfers with this dilemma we often find active and or latent trigger points in the deep flexors and extensors of the foreman. Finding muscular trigger points or adhesive changes in tendons and other connective tissue elements is common. Golfers are vulnerable to repetitive use injuries especially in their forearms. The cumulative body forces of a golf swing culminate in the forearms, wrists and hands. Muscles and connective tissue are subject to extreme ranges of flexion, extension, pronation and supination while dissipating the rotational forces of the body.
Additionally connective tissue (ligaments) that provide stability to the small carpal bones in the wrist lose some of their elasticity over years of golfing. To compensate for instability the deep muscles of the forearm take on the additionally responsibility to stabilize.
All of these physiological changes inhibit the contractile elements of muscle to work properly. Muscle responses to normal physical demands becomes altered and erratic. Addressing the yips with manual therapeutic techniques may not alleviate all cases but it is an effective alternative. A physical alternative that positively influences the fine motor skills of an efficient putting stroke.
