Change Your Focus to Beat The Yips

Baseball YIPS

Matt Garza And The Yips

Ssssshhh… Don’t talk about it as if that solution has ever helped any baseball player who is battling the yips.

Not talking about the yips means not admitting that it is an issue. Not admitting to the problem of the yips prevents baseball players from seeking solutions.

So rather than admitting to having the yips, most baseball players deny its existence and hope it magically disappear.

Relate Articles: Are Throwing Problems Caused By The Yips?

Jason Giambi, a 20-year veteran, talked about how most baseball players have a “don’t ask-don’t tell” philosophy when it comes to the yips.

GIAMBI: “We really don’t talk about it as baseball players. It’s just this unwritten rule. You feel terrible for [those experiencing it].”

Garza, a ten-year veteran who was selected in the first-round of the 2005 MLB Draft, has had an issue with the yips when fielding his position.

Garza was ALCS MVP in 2008 with the Tampa Bay Rays and, in 2010, pitched a no-hitter.

Garza was a powerful pitcher but was a defensive liability due to errant throws and fielding a batted ball.

In 2012, opposing teams took advantage of Garza’s throwing yips and bunted on him twice as much as the league average.

Former MLB outfielder and teammate, Jason Tyner once commented on pitcher Matt Garza’s experience with the yips.

TYNER: “If you bunted on him, he’s throwing it down the right-field line. It wasn’t even close. You’d see him over on a back field working on it and it’d look like a 6-year-old trying to throw to first base. He could throw 95 mph wherever he wants to the batter, but he could not throw the ball to first base.”

The yips is not some deficiency, it is a mental block… a mental hiccup that interrupts the throwing process.

The hiccups and the yips have a lot in common:

  • Both the hiccups and the yips involve an involuntary spasm.
  • Both have no obvious cause.
  • Neither have quick fixes.

Cleveland Indians Sport Psychologist Dr. Charlie Maher refers to the yips as a “misplaced focus.”

MAHER: “If their focus really is misplaced, it’s on results. It’s on what people are thinking. It gets them away from the fluidity of the process of the game. As a result, it snowballs. They start to judge themselves. They start to tense themselves up. The end result is that the ball is not going where it’s supposed to go.”

You need to let go of the fear of making mistakes, fear of being negatively judged by others and thoughts of, “What the heck is wrong with me?”

Baseball players get in trouble when they field the ball, think about the throw, and then throw the ball.

If you focus on the present immersing yourself in the moment where you “field the ball, throw the ball,” you can gradually return to your previous form.

Try this tip to beat the yips by changing your focus:

Elite track & field hurdlers focus not on the hurdle itself when they run but slightly above the hurdle.

The same type of focus can help you beat the mental hurdle of the yips. You need to switch focus from “thinking” mode to “doing” mode.

You should practice relaxing and maintaining focus. Before fielding a ball in practice repeat these cue words “Relax-Catch-Throw” after you complete the throw accept the result and move on.

Make it a habit to rely on your instincts instead of hoping your ball to the target.


How to Break The Yips Cycle: Overcome Throwing Yips

Do you (or a ball player) suffer from:

  • Inability to throw or pitch freely (despite the fact that you can in practice)?
  • Anxiety, tension and over control of their action?
  • Performance anxiety about what others will think?
  • Super low confidence with the yips-infected mechanics?
  • Feeling like an alien has taken over your body and you have no control?

If you can throw well when alone, but can’t take it to games, this is a mental game issue and not a physical challenge!

The Yips Cycle is a vicious cycle that causes ball players to stay trapped in over thinking and over control…

Learn to throw or pitch freely again with my proven audio and workbook program:

Breaking The Yips Cycle: Mental Strategies to Improve Confidence & Throw Freely Again

Breaking The Yips Cycle” is a complete brain dump of the TOP Eight mental training sessions I do with my personal coaching students to help them overcome the yips and play with freedom again.

The Audio and Workbook Program Includes:

  • Two CDs (CD purchase only). 120 minutes of mental training sessions to help you gain greater freedom, focus on the right performance cues, and simplify your prepitch routines.
  • MP3 Audio (Digital Download). 120 minutes of mental training sessions you can download to your computer right away while you wait for the CDs and workbook to arrive. (MP3 Audio value = $149).
  • An 8-Session Breaking The Yips Cycle Workbook to guide you through my mental game sessions and to overcome the throwing yips (Workbook value: $149.00).
  • Bonus Session: Practice drills to free up your throwing to help you improve consistency and stop focusing on mechanics when you play.

Learn more about Breaking The Yips Cycle…


Baseball Throwing Yips Report: Download Now!yips-cover-web2

Do you throw accurately in practice, but lose control in games?

Learn how to over come the throwing yips!

Download our FREE Throwing Yips Report and learn how to break the yips cycle and throw freely and confidently again!

8 Mental Game Strategies to Break The Yips Cycle

What are ball players and coaches saying?

“Dr. Cohn has put together a program that has enabled myself and our players to approach the mental game in a systematic way that is easy to use and apply. Our awareness level has greatly increased.”
~Marty Hunter, Head Baseball Coach, George Fox University


Get Expert Mental Game Coaching & Learn To Beat The Yips!

Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with personal coaching.

You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!

What are our mental coaching students saying?

“The mental aspects definitely separate the great performers from the unsuccessful ones. Dr. Cohn’s programs can help athletes improve the mental aspect and take performances to a higher and more consistent level.”
~Rick Hall, Baseball Coach, Daytona Beach C.C.

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