mental game
How to overcome the mighty chipping/pitching yips
From my experiences in working with this
topic it’s really tough to do on your own.
Just like some jobs around the house are
better left for a team effort with the plumber/
electrician/builder.
Mathew Howe
[email protected]
W
hen you think of all the mental
golfing problems you could
possibly have, chipping and
pitching yips would rank right up there with
the ones that hurt your game the most. It’s
very visible, causes major damage to your
scores and seems to give no light at the
end of the tunnel that it’s going away. This
month’s article is aimed at dealing with this
topic and giving you a better understanding
of how to best tackle the situation.
What is the problem?
The problem is that you have anxiety based
around your ability to perform a certain task
(being chipping or pitching). Your confidence
is shot to pieces and the thought of having
to chip/pitch under pressure is not a pleasant
one. You would rather putt the ball from off
the green. You probably have had excessive
tension with these short shots for some
time so not only do you have fear/anxiety in
your system but you have installed a mental
pattern whether you like it or not that has
now become a habit.
Why does it happen?
The consequences for a mis-timed chip or
pitch are normally more brutal than other
shots in golf. Another factor is that because
it’s a little stroke and you are near the hole
there is more general expectation that you
should get it close and make a good result
of things. Whereas there seems to be les