ILLUSTRATIONS BY MELANIE SCHUMACHER |
You get a little off balance — it ’ s like the ground ’ s moving underneath you — when you ’ re used to being a good putter and it being the strength of your game , and all of a sudden , you can ’ t make a two-foot putt .”
As the old saying goes , we drive for show and putt for dough — which catapults the yips to the top of the list of all scoreraising , confidence-shattering conditions a successful golfer can face .
Dr . Charles Adler , a neurologist , researcher and the lead author of a Mayo Clinic study on the yips , describes the condition as one similar to writer ’ s cramp or musician ’ s cramp , potentially caused by repetitive motion . And , it ’ s one that can be easily spotted by other golfers , too .
“ If you ’ ve ever watched a golfer with the yips , you can almost see a pulse in their arm ,” Reisenweaver said . “ It ’ s an involuntary muscle twitch that can ’ t be controlled no matter what you try .”
SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS A right-handed golfer , Reisenweaver switched to putting left-handed for several weeks before giving his natural side another try . When that didn ’ t work , he looked everywhere for answers and a return to form .
“ All of a sudden , you ’ re questioning everything ,” Reisenweaver said . “ You
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know , ‘ What am I going to do ?’ People tell you to close your eyes , go to a long putter , change your grip , get hypnosis . It just doesn ’ t go away .”
The final straw came when Reisenweaver walked off a course during the next tournament he entered , disheartened after hitting the first five greens but finding himself 7 over par .
The next day , he bought his first left-handed putter .
“ I was playing a tournament two days later , so I went to Golf Galaxy in Richmond and bought the only left-handed putter they had in stock — a ladies ’ two-ball putter ,” he recalled .
After working for hours — and flirting with some of the aforementioned “ fixes ”— Reisenweaver made left-handed putting a permanent part of his game , a move that attracted extra attention from other players familiar with his “ traditional ” approach to the game .
“ It ’ s funny , people will tell me I ’ m on the wrong side of the ball ,” he said . “ I tell them I ’ m on the same side of the ball , but instead of going to the left as I have for 40 years , I ’ m going to the right . I ’ m turning my head the opposite way and going in a different direction , but I ’ m standing on the same side of the ball .”
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MAKING PROGRESS As someone who is naturally right-eye dominant , the switch meant Resieweaver ’ s right eye is now higher when lining up left-handed putts — a move that altered his perception of “ straight .” But hard work pays off .
“ It ’ s a battle to do it right every time , but I ’ m getting there ,” he said . “ I ’ m working on a routine where I can do that every time . I had one practice round where I only had 26 putts putting left-handed . So , I know it works , and I know I can get it going .”
After playing 43 years as a right-handed golfer , Reisenweaver hopes to get in 43 more years left-handed . He ’ s getting better with every opportunity — in September ’ s VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship , Reisenweaver had nine birdies in three days and didn ’ t three-putt a single hole .
“ It ’ s changing muscle memory and building confidence in that new action you ’ re doing ,” said Reisenweaver , who ’ s now been putting left-handed for seven months . “ With the yips , it was so disheartening to hit it great , knowing you don ’ t have a chance when you get on the green .
“ Now , I know if I do things right , I ’ ve got a chance — and that ’ s what makes things fun .”
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