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Overcoming the Yips
As a peak-performance and mindset coach who worked with athletes suffering from the yips, I can tell you firsthand that this condition is a highly debilitating performance issue that can significantly impact an athlete's confidence and overall well-being.
It's estimated that up to 45% of serious golfers may experience the yips at some point in their careers, and it's not uncommon for baseball players to also be affected.
The yips typically manifest as an inability to perform simple, automatic tasks on the field or golf course, such as driving the ball straight or throwing the ball back to the pitcher.
These performance blocks can be highly distressing for seasoned athletes who can suddenly not perform even the most mundane tasks.
It's not uncommon for anger, frustration, anxiety, and even depression to set in.
Negative core beliefs like "I am a failure" or "I will never succeed" can further reinforce the performance block.
Through my work with athletes suffering from the yips, I've discovered that these performance blocks are often traced back to past traumatic experiences or old sports-related injuries.
When athletes cannot explain why they can no longer complete simple tasks, they may be diagnosed with the yips by their coaches.
It's important to address this issue as soon as possible to help the athlete get back on track and regain their confidence.
But at its core, the yips are caused by the activation of an individual's flight/fight/freeze stress response. This response is triggered by the primitive parts of our brain, such as the limbic system and the brain stem (also known as our emotional brain), responsible for initiating survival responses.
When our emotional brain receives input, it determines the severity of the information.
It sends it to our prefrontal cortex to be processed rationally if the situation is not perceived as threatening.
However, when we experience stress events exceeding our individual threshold, we risk developing yips or trauma-based reactions.
It's important to address these issues as soon as possible to help athletes get back on track and regain their confidence.
The yips can be a highly distressing experience for athletes, as demonstrated by the example of professional golfer Ernie Els, who struggled with the yips during the Masters' tournament in 2016. Despite his many successes as a golfer, including winning four major championships and finishing in the top ten over 300 times, Els found himself unable to control his putter and took six putts to get the ball in the hole.
The yips are not just limited to golfers.
Musicians, pool players, darts players, and baseball players are just a few of the professionals and amateurs who may suddenly find that all the delicately honed practice they have done becomes completely unstuck when they attempt to execute a significant movement.
This is because the brain can send a contradictory message to the body, causing involuntary muscular contractions and disrupting the intended movement.
As a peak performance and mindset coach working with athletes suffering from the yips, my goal is to help each individual identify the unique problem that is causing the "misfire" in their "electrical system" and trace it back to a past experience that is lodged in the nervous system.
We can help athletes overcome the yips and regain their confidence and control on the field or course by addressing these underlying issues.
Neuro Somatic Reprocessing is a powerful tool that helps individuals reprocess events and let go of negative imagery, emotions, and bodily sensations that may interfere with their performance.
With Neuro Somatic Reprocessing, you'll have the opportunity to work with me, who will help you identify and reprocess past traumatic experiences or injuries that may be causing your performance issues.
Don't let the yips or other performance issues keep you from reaching your full potential. Take the first step towards lasting freedom from frustration and anxiety by setting up a free session to discuss your goals and how Neuro Somatic Reprocessing can help.
You deserve to feel empowered and confident in your abilities.
