The Throwing Yips in Baseball
What are the throwing yips in baseball or softball?
The throwing yips are another variety of the “yips.” I have worked with many players who had problems with the golf yips and the throwing yips.
The throwing yips, although rare in baseball, are super hard to shake because the players stay stuck in a “yips cycle.”
When you have the throwing yips, you simply can’t release the ball freely or send it to your target easily. Most ball players with the pitching or throwing yips lose control of their accuracy and can’t hit a target. Some players might pause or freeze during the throwing motion.
Others can start the through swing and when they do they jerk their arm forward. The throwing yips can affect pitchers, catchers, and infielders alike.
What are the throwing yips?
The Mayo Clinic has done some research on the yips and report that the issue is both psychological and neurological. Performance anxiety about the outcome leads to muscle spasms, which causes athletes to feel out of control. They also report that athletes with the yips have a neurological problem called “focal dystonia.”
The yips mostly affect golfers, tennis players, and baseball players. The Mayo Clinic tried Botox injections on athletes to alleviate the symptoms of the yips, but this therapy did not cure the yips altogether.
In my opinion after working with several athletes with the yips, the main problem is performance anxiety and fear of failure.
Ball players who have a bad outing my also start to tinker with their mechanics and make matters worse. In many cases, they begin to worry about the outcome and how others view the problem.
One case of the throwing yips I worked with was a high school pitcher that could not throw the ball back to the pitcher with accuracy. Note that throwing the ball back to the pitcher does not affect the outcome of the game. He would stand up and throw the ball back to the pitcher and could not hit the target, often throwing a blooper.
What’s interesting is that he could throw well to second base with little to no problem when it counted!
Is this a physical problem with his mechanics?
Or is this a mental game problem?
Related Article: Do You Have The Throwing Yips?
My philosophy is that one bad outing can lead to the yips for some players. And when you begin to label yourself as having the throwing yips, you start to think you have an incurable disease. Some players try to be more perfect with their throw. And when you want to make the perfect throw, you try too hard and over control your motion.
- You have to simplify your throwing motion again, not make it more complex or perfect.
- You have to gain back the freedom of the throw—just like you are playing catch as a kid.
- As you gain confidence, your freedom and your accuracy begin to return.
Overcome The 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…
Download Our FREE Baseball 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?
“After completing your program… he was more aware of the things that made him tight. He learned to control his breathing and control his emotions.”
~Mark’s Father
Beat The Throwing Yips With 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?
“I went on to the putting green right after receiving your mail. What a great feeling of freedom. No tense at all, smiling and more consistent than ever before. I have a very low handicap and of course I have great rounds during the years, but you have taken me to a new level by curing the yips. I have just read your report again, and now I get the point in your comparing with throwing darts. I am very grateful – if you visit Denmark I will invite you out for dinner.”
~Søren Meinertsen
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