Yips

Because the yips may be related to overuse of specific muscles, a change of technique or equipment may help. Consider these strategies:

• Change your grip. This technique works for many golfers, because it changes the muscles they use to make the putting stroke.
• Use a different putter. A longer putter allows you to use more of your arms and shoulders and less of your hands and wrists while putting. Other putters that might help are designed with a special grip to stabilize the hands and wrists.
• Look at the hole while putting. Changing your head position and where your eyes focus may help. Try looking at the hole when you putt instead of down at the ball.
• Mental skills training. Techniques such as relaxation, visualization or positive thinking can help reduce anxiety, increase concentration and ease fear of the yips.
• Medicines. Treatment with medicines taken by mouth may help manage the yips. Benzodiazepines, baclofen and anticholinergic drugs can be used to treat focal dystonia, and propranolol can be used to treat tremor.
• Botulinum toxin injection. A careful shot of botulinum toxin, such as onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox), incobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin), abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport) or botulinum toxin type B (Myobloc), into the muscles that are overacting can be used to treat focal dystonia. This can help limit muscle contractions and may calm the yips.

Before taking medicine to treat the yips, check with your sport’s governing bodies if you compete professionally or in sanctioned amateur events. Rules regarding banned substances differ from sport to sport and organization to organization.