If you can throw freely in warm-ups but tighten up when the game starts, you may be dealing with the throwing yips. I have worked with baseball and softball players with throwing problems for years, and the pattern is familiar. It often starts with one bad throw, and then the fear of another one takes over.
Quick answer: The yips in baseball are a sudden loss of control over a throw that used to feel automatic. A player who has thrown accurately for years starts to freeze, flinch, rush or sail the ball, often on easy throws. The cause can be mental, physical or a mix of both, and the problem is hard to shake but not hopeless.
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.
Signs and symptoms of the throwing yips
The Mayo Clinic describes a sudden muscle jerk as the most common symptom of the yips, with some people also noticing shaking, twitching, spasms or brief freezing. In baseball, players usually describe it in their own words:
- Freezing or pausing in the middle of the throwing motion
- A jerk, hitch or flinch as you release the ball
- Throws that sail, bounce or spike, or a sudden loss of feel for the ball
- Being fine in warm-ups and bullpens but worse in games
- Trouble on short, easy throws more than on hard, long ones (see why short toss is the hardest)
- Lobbing a “safe” throw instead of using your normal throw with pace (see why ball players go to a safe throw)
- Overthinking mechanics and tinkering with your delivery after a bad outing
One example from my coaching: a high school pitcher could not throw the ball back to the pitcher accurately, a throw that does not affect the game at all. Yet he could throw to second base with little trouble when it counted. That is a typical yips puzzle, and it is one reason I look at the mental side first.
How common are the throwing yips?
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, meaning a loss of control of accurate throwing lasting more than one month. The symptoms were more pronounced on short, low-intensity throws.
That was a small study of one team, so I would not treat 47% as a national number. But it shows that throwing trouble is not rare, and that you are not the only one who has it.
Is it the yips or just a throwing slump?
Every ball player has throwing ups and downs, and a rough week of throws is not the yips. The signs that point to the yips are a loss of control that keeps going for weeks, fear or avoidance around throwing, and a big gap between how you throw in practice and how you throw in games.
Most ball players go through similar stages during a bout of the yips. See how many of these sound familiar:
- You sense that mental factors are interfering with your throwing.
- You feel anxious or cautious while you play.
- You have little or no trouble in practice.
- You have thrown accurately for long stretches in the past.
- You try to solve the problem by changing your throwing mechanics.
- You feel some fear of admitting you have the yips, or fear of embarrassment.
What causes the yips? Mental, physical or both?
The honest answer is that researchers do not fully agree, and it can differ from player to player.
The Mayo Clinic says the yips were once thought to be always linked to performance anxiety. It now appears that in some people the yips are a type of focal dystonia, a neurological condition that causes involuntary muscle contractions during one specific task. Mayo adds that anxiety makes it worse. Mayo researchers have also described a continuum, with performance anxiety (“choking”) at one end and focal dystonia at the other. Note that most of this medical research was done on golfers, not baseball players.
From my work with ball players, the main driver is often performance anxiety and fear of failure. One bad outing leads some players to tinker with their mechanics, worry about the outcome, and worry about how others see the problem. Then they try to make the perfect throw, and trying too hard makes them over-control the motion.
See a doctor if you have pain, numbness or weakness in your arm or hand, or if the jerking or freezing also shows up outside of throwing. There is no standard test for the yips. A doctor can rule out other causes, and that is worth doing before you assume it is only mental.
Famous cases of the yips in baseball
The yips have ended some careers and interrupted many others. Baseball-Reference’s entry on the yips names several well-known players:
- Steve Blass: The Pirates pitcher was an All-Star, then suddenly lost his command in 1973 and retired in 1974. The yips are sometimes called “Steve Blass disease.”
- Rick Ankiel: A young Cardinals pitcher who lost control of his pitches in the 2000 postseason. He later returned to the majors as an outfielder. Read about Rick Ankiel’s throwing problem.
- Mark Wohlers: A former pitcher also named on Baseball-Reference’s list.
- Daniel Bard: Read how Daniel Bard overcame the yips.
- Steve Sax: A second baseman who had the yips in the early 1980s, according to Baseball-Reference. Catcher Mackey Sasser had them about a decade later.
For more, see bad cases of the yips in MLB and the yips and MLB careers.
The yips by position: pitchers, catchers, infielders and softball
The yips are most noticeable in pitchers and catchers, the players who touch the ball the most, but infielders and other position players get them too.
- Pitchers: Losing the strike zone and the feel for the ball. See when the yips interfere with pitching.
- Catchers: Trouble throwing back to the pitcher or down to second. See catchers who can’t throw short distances.
- Infielders: Trouble throwing across the diamond to first base.
- Softball players: The yips happen in softball too. It is the same loss of control of a throw that used to feel automatic.
Watch: Dr. Cohn answers common yips questions
Three short videos from my baseball mental game series, each with a one-line summary:
How do the yips start in baseball or softball?
Dr. Cohn explains his philosophy about the yips cycle and how the yips start.
Why do ball players go to two different throws at game time?
Dr. Cohn talks about the throwing yips in baseball and how they change the way players throw.
Does your throw feel tight in games but free in practice?
Dr. Cohn answers a common question about throws that feel tight in games but free in practice.
The yips cycle: why the problem feeds itself
The throwing yips are hard to shake because players get stuck in a cycle. It starts with a past yip or a missed throw. That creates a fear of missing again, which leads to avoidance or over-control of the throw. The result is another yip or another over-controlled throw, and the thought “I’ve failed again.” Embarrassment follows, then the feeling that others see you fail, then “I’m a failure,” and the cycle starts over.
Breaking that cycle is what my Breaking the Yips Cycle audio program is built around.
What helps the throwing yips
No single approach works for every player, and I cannot promise a cure. These are the steps I see make the biggest difference:
- Simplify your throw. Do not make your motion more complex or more perfect. Stop tinkering with mechanics after a bad outing.
- Get back the freedom of playing catch, the way you threw as a kid.
- Drop the perfect throw. Strict expectations push you to over-control. See why over-thinking leads to throwing problems.
- Focus on the process and the target, not on the outcome or what others think.
- Stop the safe throw. Work back toward your normal throw with pace, in small steps.
- Use mental skills training. The Mayo Clinic lists relaxation, breathing exercises and visualization as ways to reduce anxiety and improve focus. It also suggests practicing without time limits, scoring or an audience, because symptoms often get worse under stress.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, read how to overcome the throwing yips.
For parents and coaches
If your son or player suddenly cannot make routine throws, stay calm. Avoid labeling it or telling him to “just throw it.” Pressure and embarrassment feed the cycle. Keep throwing fun and low-stakes, and check with a doctor if there is any pain. See how coaches handle the yips.
When to get help
Start with a doctor if there is pain or any physical symptom. For the mental game side, see my coaching programs for the throwing yips or download the free yips report.
Frequently asked questions
What are the yips in baseball?
The yips are a sudden loss of control of a throw that used to feel automatic. Players freeze, flinch or sail the ball, often on easy throws.
Are the yips mental or physical?
Both can play a role. The Mayo Clinic says some cases are a type of focal dystonia, a neurological condition, and that anxiety makes it worse. In my experience, performance anxiety and fear of failure drive many cases in ball players.
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.
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.
Why do the yips show up only in games?
Pressure raises the fear of failure, and fear makes players over-control the throw. Read why the yips only come during games.
Who has had the yips in baseball?
Steve Blass, Rick Ankiel, Mark Wohlers, Daniel Bard, Steve Sax and Mackey Sasser are often named.
How long do the yips last?
It varies. Some players recover after a short time, while others need longer-term adjustments.
Can the yips end a baseball career?
For some players, yes. Others recover, and Rick Ankiel returned to the majors as an outfielder.
About the author
Dr. Patrick Cohn is a sports psychologist and the founder of Peak Performance Sports. 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 article is for education and is not medical advice. If you have pain, numbness or weakness, see a doctor.
Breaking The Yips Cycle Audio
Breaking The Yips Cycle AudioIf 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 overthinking and over control…
Learn to throw or pitch freely again with my proven audio and workbook program!
Related Baseball Articles:
- Baseball Yips: Your Questions Answered
- How to Overcome The Throwing Yips
- Why Short Toss is the Hardest
- How Daniel Bard Overcame The Yips
Last Updated on October 3, 2026
