Overview
This report by Dr. Patrick Cohn explores the mental causes and solutions for overcoming the "yips" in baseball, a condition marked by the sudden inability to make routine throws due to performance anxiety. It presents eight mental strategies to break the yips cycle and restore confidence and freedom in throwing.
Understanding the Yips
- The yips are primarily a mental issue, not a problem with throwing mechanics.
- Players with the yips experience fear, anxiety, and over-control, leading to loss of accuracy and confidence.
- Attempts to fix the yips with physical adjustments often worsen the issue.
- The cycle perpetuates itself through repeated negative experiences and growing fear of failure.
The Yips Cycle
- Begins with missed throws or a poor outing.
- Leads to fear of further errors and attempts to avoid embarrassment.
- Results in over-controlling and loss of throwing freedom.
- Fosters negative emotions, perceived judgment from others, and repeated attempts to fix mechanics, which resets the cycle.
Recognizing the Yips
- Yips manifest as tension, flinching, or altered arm actions during games but not in practice.
- Persistent difficulty across multiple outings and fear of specific throws are key indicators.
- Worry about social judgment and past mistakes sustains the problem.
8 Mental Strategies to Break the Yips Cycle
- Manage your own and others' performance expectations to reduce pressure.
- Focus on the process of throwing, not game outcomes or results.
- Relearn to throw intuitively and freely, as you did when younger.
- Regain confidence by trusting your natural throwing skills.
- Play baseball for personal satisfaction, not external validation.
- Overcome the fear of embarrassment by letting go of the need for social approval.
- Develop self-respect independent of performance or others' opinions.
- Simplify your throwing routine and avoid overthinking mechanics.
Summary & Recommendations
- Overcoming the yips is a gradual process that requires patience and mental focus.
- Simplifying your approach and addressing underlying performance anxieties are essential.
- Mental coaching can help uncover and resolve the fears impeding performance.
- Consistency in routine and self-trust are crucial in regaining control over your throws.
Recommendations / Advice
- Seek mental rather than purely physical solutions if you experience the yips.
- Stick to one simple throwing method that previously worked well for you.
- Consider professional mental game coaching if self-managed strategies prove insufficient.