Answers to Your Yips Questions
The yips are a sudden loss of control over a throw that used to feel automatic. This page answers the most common questions about the baseball yips and points you to the full articles.
I’m Dr. Patrick Cohn, a sports psychology coach and the founder of Peak Performance Sports, LLC. I’ve worked in baseball and golf for 40 years helping players with the mental game, including how to overcome the throwing yips. That work led us to develop a model of the yips cycle, which is the foundation of our Breaking the Yips Cycle program. Today I work alongside our team of mental performance coaches, and we coach baseball and softball players one-on-one by video from anywhere in the world.
Understand the Throwing Yips
- What are the yips in baseball? The full guide
- How to overcome the throwing yips
- Why short toss is the hardest
- Get the free throwing yips report
- Breaking the Yips Cycle audio program
- One-on-one coaching for the yips
Jump to a Section
- The basics
- Causes: mental or physical?
- Fixing the yips
- Pitchers, catchers, infielders and softball
- For parents and coaches
- Famous cases
- Coaching
The Yips Basics
What are the yips in baseball?
The yips are a sudden loss of control over a throw that used to feel automatic. Players freeze, flinch, rush or sail the ball, often on easy throws. Read the full guide: What Are the Yips in Baseball?
What do the throwing yips feel like?
Players describe freezing or pausing in the middle of the throw, a jerk or flinch at release, a loss of feel for the ball, and throws that sail, bounce or spike. Many feel fine in warm-ups but tense up in games.
How common are the yips in baseball?
More common than most players think. In a 2021 questionnaire study of 107 college baseball players in Japan, 47.1% met the researchers’ definition of throwing yips. It was a small study of one team, so treat the number with care.
Is it the yips or just a throwing slump?
Every player has throwing ups and downs. The yips are more likely if the loss of control lasts for weeks, you feel fear or avoid throwing, and you throw much better in practice than in games.
Why do the yips show up in games but not in practice?
Pressure raises the fear of failure, and fear leads players to over-control the throw. Read why the yips only come during games.
Causes: Mental or Physical?
Are the yips mental or physical?
Both can play a role. The Mayo Clinic says that for some people the yips are caused by focal dystonia, a condition in the nervous system, and that for others they are related to performance anxiety. In my experience, performance anxiety and fear of failure drive many cases in ball players.
What is focal dystonia?
Focal dystonia is a condition that causes muscles to contract without control during a specific activity, similar to writer’s cramp. The Mayo Clinic says it is most likely linked to overuse of certain muscles, and that anxiety can make the symptoms worse.
Can one bad throw start the yips?
For some players, yes. In my experience, one bad outing can lead a player to tinker with mechanics, worry about the outcome and worry about how others see the problem. That can start the yips cycle. Read more about breaking the yips cycle.
Why are short, easy throws often harder?
In the 2021 college study, symptoms were more pronounced on short, low-intensity throws. In my view, easy throws give players more time to think about the throw. Read why short toss is the hardest.
Fixing the Yips
Can you cure the yips?
There is no single proven cure, and I cannot promise one. Many players improve by simplifying the throw, dropping the need to be perfect, and working on the mental game. See a doctor first if there is pain or any physical symptom.
How do you overcome the throwing yips?
Start by simplifying your throw and getting back the freedom of playing catch. Focus on the target, not the outcome, and stop using the safe throw. The Mayo Clinic also lists relaxation, breathing exercises and visualization. Read how to overcome the throwing yips.
How long do the yips last?
It varies. Some players recover after a short time, while others need longer-term adjustments.
Should I see a doctor?
Yes, if you have pain, numbness or weakness, or if the jerking or freezing also shows up outside of throwing. There is no single test for the yips. The Mayo Clinic says a neurological exam may be done to rule out other causes.
Will changing my mechanics fix the yips?
It helps some people. The Mayo Clinic says changing how you perform a task, or changing your equipment, may reduce symptoms for some athletes. But in my experience, constantly tinkering with mechanics after a bad outing often makes players over-control their throw. Read why over-thinking leads to throwing problems.
Pitchers, catchers, infielders and softball
Do pitchers get the yips?
Yes. Baseball-Reference describes the yips as a condition in which a pitcher loses the ability to throw in the strike zone. See when the yips interfere with pitching.
Do catchers get the yips?
Yes. Catchers can struggle to throw back to the pitcher or down to second base. Baseball-Reference names Mackey Sasser as a catcher who had the yips. See catchers who can’t throw short distances.
Do infielders get the yips?
Yes. Baseball-Reference says the yips also affect position players, and it names second baseman Steve Sax, who had them in the early 1980s.
What are the yips in softball?
The same problem happens in softball: a sudden loss of control of a throw or a pitch that used to feel automatic.
Do golfers get the yips too?
Yes. The yips are best known in golf, where the Mayo Clinic says they most often happen when putting. For golf, visit our putting yips site.
For parents and coaches
What should parents do if their son or daughter has the yips?
Stay calm. Avoid labeling it or telling your player to just throw it, because pressure and embarrassment feed the cycle. Keep throwing fun and low-stakes, and check with a doctor if there is any pain.
How should coaches handle a player with the yips?
Keep practice low-pressure, since the Mayo Clinic notes that symptoms often get worse under stress. Avoid putting the player on the spot, and encourage him or her to get help. See how coaches handle the yips.
Famous cases
Who has had the yips in baseball?
Baseball-Reference names Steve Blass, Mark Wohlers, Rick Ankiel and Daniel Bard, along with Steve Sax and Mackey Sasser. Read about Rick Ankiel’s throwing problem and how Daniel Bard overcame the yips.
Can the yips end a baseball career?
For some players, yes. Baseball-Reference says the condition ended Steve Blass’s career. Others recover: Rick Ankiel returned to the majors as an outfielder.
Coaching
Can a sports psychologist help with the yips?
A sports psychologist or mental performance coach can help with the mental side of the yips, such as fear of failure and over-control. The Mayo Clinic lists mental skills training among the strategies that may reduce symptoms. See our baseball yips coaching programs.
How much does baseball yips coaching cost?
Baseball yips coaching costs $600 to $700 per month. The program is month to month and includes four 45-minute coaching sessions each month. See the coaching programs for what is included.
Browse All Baseball Yips Articles
Every article on this site, grouped by topic.
Understanding the Yips
- Ball Players Who Have The Throwing Yips
- How Do Coaches Handle the Yips?
- How The Yips Show Up In Big Games
- What Are The Throwing Yips?
- Why Do The Yips Only Come in Games?
- Why Short Toss is the Hardest
Causes and the Mental Game
- Avoiding Bad Throws Hurts Performance
- Ball Players Who Resort to a Safe Throw
- Baseball Players’ Fears And Throwing Problems
- How Confidence Affects Your Ability to Accurately Throw
- How Perceived Pressure Contributes to the Yips
- How the Yips Infect Your Confidence
- How Throwing Errors Can Turn Into The Yips
- Is Missing Throws a Mental or Physical Problem?
- Overthinking and The Throwing Yips
- Why Ball Players Go to a Safe Throw
- Why Over Thinking Leads to Throwing Problems
- Why the Ball Can Feel Weird, Heavy, or Light
How to Overcome the Yips
- 2 Effective Strategies to Conquer The Throwing Yips
- Beat The Throwing Yips With Tempo
- Beat the Yips: Trust or Bust
- Change Your Focus to Beat The Yips
- Does “Tapping” or EFT Help With The Throwing Yips?
- Face The Throwing Yips Head On
- How Can You Free Up Your Throw?
- How to Bounce Back From the Yips in Baseball
- How to Break the Grip of the Yips
- How to Fix the Throwing Yips Video
- How to Have More Good Throwing Days
- How to Overcome The Throwing Yips
- How to Overcome the Throwing Yips Video
- Interrupt The Cycle And Beat Yips
- One Mental Key to Beat The Throwing Yips
- Solutions For The Throwing Yips
- Think Less to Beat The Throwing Yips
- Tuning Out Mental Interference
- Your Mental Game And Solving The Yips
Pitchers and Catchers
- Catchers Who Alter Throwing Mechanics
- Catchers Who Can’t Throw Short Distances
- Do You Have Throwing or Pitching Problems?
- Two Strategies to Beat The Pitching Yips
- When One Throw or Pitch Can Turn into the Yips
- When The Yips Interfere With Pitching
Famous Players and MLB Cases
- Bad Cases of Yips in MLB
- How Daniel Bard Overcame The Yips
- How The Yips Have Affected MLB Careers
- Jon Lester’s Throwing Yips
- One Player Who Beat the Throwing Yips
- Rick Ankiel’s Throwing Yips
- Ryan Zimmerman’s Throwing Yips
About the author: Dr. Patrick Cohn is a mental performance coach and the founder of Peak Performance Sports, LLC. He has 40 years of experience helping athletes improve their mental game, and he works with baseball players and golfers to overcome the yips.
This page is for education and is not medical advice. If you have pain, numbness or weakness, see a doctor.
Last Updated on October 3, 2026