Does Wilmer Flores Have The Yips?

Baseball players sense great pressure when battling a bout of the yips.

The throwing yips don’t just affect one player (you) but often can change the outcome of a game for an entire team.

With the weight of the team on your shoulders, there is even more pressure on you to make the perfect throw because you believe that one errant throw can be the game-changer, the break the opposing team needs to mount a rally or the insurance runs that seal the game for the other team.

When you perceive a increased amount of pressure, the chances of you continuing to yip increase dramatically.

There are several thoughts that amp up the pressure in your mind:

You don’t want to be the reason your team lost
You don’t want to be benched or lose playing time
You don’t want your manager to lose faith in you
You don’t want to let down your parents
You don’t want the yips to affect the course of your career
You don’t want to be “that guy” whose name is associated with the yips

It is important to realize that this heightened sense of pressure is fabricated in your mind.

When you direct your attention to all these negative thoughts, you are basically feeding the yips.

Negative thoughts are the fertilizer that allows anxiety to grow.

Related Article: How The Yips Infect Your Confidence

Throwing a ball when you are over-anxious interferes with fluid, unconscious throwing mechanics and is the root cause of the yips.

Wilmer Flores, shortstop for the New York Mets, put tremendous pressure on himself at the start of the 2015 season leading to some “out-of-character” errors.

Flores was a sure-handed infielder who split time between second base and shortstop during parts of the 2013 and 2014 seasons. In 99 games during his first two seasons, Flores made only seven errors.

In 2015, Flores was named the regular season starter and, with his new team role, the stakes to perform were raised.

In 103 games at shortstop in 2015, Flores doubled his amount of errors (14) from his previous seasons.

Four games into the season, Flores already appeared flustered in the field making three throwing errors and two other errant throws at were saved by the first baseman.

Manager Terry Collins talked about how errant throws could be the difference between winning and losing.

COLLINS: “We gave them some extra outs two or three times. At this level, you’re going to get beat if you do that.”

Collins didn’t feel that Flores had the full-blown yips but did so in a cautionary manner.

COLLINS: “I don’t think it’s in his head just yet.”

Collins was alluding that the yips did not have Flores in its grips. Nonetheless, Flores errors were in his head. Flores’ mechanics were fine; it was the buildup of pressure that affected his throws.

Try this tip to keep pressure at manageable levels:

Identify your optimal pressure level. From 1-10, what amount of pressure allows you to play your best.

You need to check in on this pressure level several times during games. Ask yourself, “What number am I now?”

If you play best at a 4-5 range and you notice you are at a 7, your thoughts are probably the culprit.

Redirect your thoughts to something that brings your level back down to that optimal range.

Remember, you are directly in control of the pressure you experience… so you have the control to change it.

Overcome Throwing Yips: How to Break The Yips Cycle

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…

Download Our FREE Baseball Throwing Yips Report

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?

“I want to thank you for the great work you are doing with Ty. He seems to be soaring with confidence right now. We are flying out to see him pitch next weekend. He threw well Friday night and is drawing a lot of interest from several Division 1 schools. I’ll let you know how he looks.”
~Randy Sullivan, Ty’s Father

Beat The Throwing Yips With Expert Mental Game Coaching!

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?

“With your help, I have been able to deal with stress and pressure of the game of baseball more efficiently. I have learned what it means to focus on the process to help me keep my focus and disregard negative thoughts and energies. Thanks for your help. I look forward to speaking with you again.”
~Keith Donnell, College Baseball Player