Athletes of many kinds can experience the yips, which was a term originally coined by golfer Tommy Armour. Usually affecting professionals or other high-level athletes, the “yips” refer to the sudden inability to perform critical fine-motor control or certain fundamental physical skills associated with the sport, such as putting in golf or throwing a baseball accurately. (In gymnastics, the term “twisties” is used for the sudden loss of body control mid-air.) There’s no single standard physical or psychological cause or treatment, and while some athletes recover within weeks, others never fully regain their previous level of ability. These disruptions in body control can range from disorienting to downright terrifying, and often bring up intense feelings of fear and self-doubt.
