Wednesday, January 18, 2012

5 Ways to Reduce Golf Putting Yips


When a golfer struggles with putting, it is often said that he has a case of the yips. The yips are often considered a mental block more than anything, but according to the Mayo Clinic, the yips can be related to how your nerves affect specific muscles. Either way, getting rid of the yips is a big step toward improving your putting and overall score.
Step 1
Keep your fundamentals in place. Make sure you are balanced when standing over the ball, with your feet just wider than shoulder-width and your eyes looking straight down at the ball. Line up your putter with the ball. Take time to set up the physical demands of the putt so you can focus on dealing with the mental aspects next.
Step 2
Focus on a blade of grass between your putter and the ball. Once you are aligned properly, pick a specific blade of grass and focus on that throughout your stroke, which helps ensure that you keep your head down throughout the putt, as looking up at the putt too early is a significant part of the yips.
Step 3
Make your stroke quickly after you determine the speed at which you will need to hit the ball and the break of the green. Pick the spot on the green that you are aiming for and make your stroke before you can second-guess yourself.
Step 4
Forget about your misses. Take a look at why the putt missed and then move on. If you dwell too much on your misses, that feeling will carry over from one green to the next and affect you throughout the round.
Step 5
Practice in low-pressure situations. Before your round, practice just a few longer putts to get a feel for the speed of the green, and then practice only close putts. If you consistently make a number of putts, even short ones, before you play, that confidence and image of the ball going in will carry into the first hole.


 
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