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27 replies

Yips....need a fresh approach towards a cure

P PESCAHOLIC10+ posts
My son is a catcher and has been plagued by the yips since June. It started abruptly one day and has not gotten any worse...or any better...in almost 5 months.

Before the yips began his throws back to the pitcher were crisp (often times harder than the ball was pitched), and his throwing mechanics were excellent. Now, it is a lob with no set arm slot. It has been so bad for so long that I think the coaches have forgotten that he was ever able to throw with authority.

Relative to his throws back to the pitcher, his snap throws and his throw-downs to 2B are decent and generally without hesitation, it's just the throws back to the pitcher.

He has worked with various private coaches trying to help, hearing a little of everything like, correct your arm slot, get over it, throw as hard as you can, focus on the arm or target, don’t focus on the arm or target, you don't have the yips-you just don't know how to throw a baseball, don’t worry where it goes, you look like a girl when you throw, read books, surf ****, smoke weed, etc. We’ve heard it all! But come game time, the hesitation and F'd up arm angles are back in all of their glory.

He sought help from his HS coach who sees him in action the most, and specifically requested assistance while playing and practicing, but the extent of the coaches feedback has been limited to "throw the ball" and telling my son that his opportunities will be limited because of his "throwing problem". While I would appreciate the help of the coach and could go on about the coaches feedback, my focus here is to try to find a solution for my kid exclusive of the HS staff.

As a parent, it is frustrating to see my kid struggle through this. What's worse is that I see no end in sight. I see it affecting his confidence and eating in to his time to work on catching in general, and frankly, I'm at a complete loss now as to what direction to take to help him.

Ultimately, I'm not worried too much about the things we have tried and some of the negative (and sometimes funny) feedback he's received, I just know that we're generally lost right now and need a fresh sense of direction. My biggest fear is wandering on the current path for another few months and still seeing no real change, so here I am seeking a fresh solution.

The more I read the more I see mention of psychological assistance being the silver bullet, and I suppose there's no downside to trying that route....is there?

Thank you in advance, any feedback will be deeply and humbly appreciated.

Signed,

A Despondent Parent....
Original Post

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go3go310+ posts
I can't give you any advice (except to stay positive), but I will watch this thread and hope you find good advice.

This very thing happened to a friend of mine's son. All of a sudden during a game he threw one back to the pitcher and it was a 2 hopper. After that, he could not make the throw.

He tried the lob, throwing from both knees, one knee, standing up, etc, etc and nothing worked. It was gut wrenching to watch, so I feel your pain (although from the outside).

I hope you find a solution. My friends son did not...
Last edited by go3
PD PA Dino500+ posts
There are plenty of famous examples of this problem in the major leagues. The most familiar of them to me...... Steve Blass disease. Just a great pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and an even greater human being. Suddenly he couldn't throw the ball across the plate. I recommend reading his book, "A Pirate for Life". You just might find something in there to inspire you or your son.

One thing I have noticed is that sometimes, a position change can help.
L LJ3813100+ posts
Heres a site I came across a while ago.
http://yipsbegone.com/category/baseball-yips/

Many years ago when I played darts I had a problem with Dartitis which is the same thing. For me to get rid of it I had to change my stance,grip plus the way I threw, and whenever I tried to go back to my original style of throwing it came back. For a catcher I dont think all those changes are possible maybe a position change, good luck and keep us posted.
Last edited by LJ3813
jemazjemaz1,000+ posts
PESCAHOLIC:

I see you are from Southern California. The answer to your son's dilemma could well be very near by. Alan Jaeger and Jim Vatcher (in combination) at Jaeger Sports might be able to help (and quickly). I have seen them work magic in cases like this. Google them and give them a call. They will provide help with mechanics and help from a mental point of view. Best of luck.
Last edited by jemaz
W warningtrack100+ posts
First off tell your son he is not alone. Most players at some point in their careers go through this to varying degrees. As a parent you must show confidence in your son that over time he will be just fine. Someone needs to believe in him. Tell your son you are there for him to help find a solution, that he can confide in you his thoughts and feelings as he goes through this. It is not easy for anyone who goes through this. It is imperative for your son to be around positive people/coaches during this time. I wish I had a magic answer for you. Stay positive, know that it will get better and he will be a stronger person after overcoming this. Keep us posted.
S Smitty2810,000+ posts
I similar thing happened to me in high school. During Spring workouts (February in NJ) I got the yips throwing in the gym. A ball got away and hit the bleachers with a loud "bang" and echoed throughout the gym. The team got a good laugh but I was very self-conscious about it and started guiding my throws. The target got smaller and smaller, and before long visually it seemed like I was trying to sink a 80 foot putt - impossible! My arm felt like rubber (no point in discussing arm slot). All this happened in about 5 minutes. No matter what I did I couldn't make a crisp, confident throw. I was able to hide my yips (by minimizing throwing opportunities) and I focused on impressing the coaches in the cages, running sprints, fielding grounders, etc.

Thankfully it wasn't long (maybe a couple weeks) till we were able to go outside. Once outside the gym a switch turned off and I threw great, and with confidence. I couldn't even remember what was in my head when the yips occurred in the gym. But there it was again on rainy days when we practiced in the gym - the yips were back.

The yips came back the next year too, same way. Here's what I did. I got myself out of the gym into a completely different environment where I had no memory to draw on - I threw in a parking lot. I approximated the distance in the gym and threw and threw and threw. I threw hard, on the run, everything. My brother stood in front of cars so I could practice through the stress of a potential errant throw. I developed a mental picture of throwing in a strange environment and carried that mental picture back into the gym.

I did one more thing. I knew deep down that if things stayed the same I would probably not make the varsity team, something I wanted desperately. I had been avoiding this thought, but I brought it to the surface. I made a decision that if I was going down, I'd go down in a blaze of glory - no holding back, no guiding the ball, no more fear, nothing to lose. I went into the gym and threw as hard as I could, and I shocked myself. My body and arm felt in control, I could feel the arm slot and wrist snap. No more yips.

Good luck to you and your son.
P PESCAHOLIC10+ posts
Thanks to all for the feedback, stories, and recommendations - it's genuinely appreciated. What I continue to glean from my research and experience working with coaches that want to help but aren't sure where to start, is that this is less of a mechanical issue and something that seems to be best cured by one of the following methods:

1) Quit the game
2) Change positions (sometimes permanently)
3) Hope it goes away on its own (seems to work for many)
4) Work through it with a mental/psychological approach

We've worked with coaches, worked on drills, etc.....but the issue is not improved one iota in 5 long months...so we definitely need to change our approach. While I never envisioned having to engage a shrink to help my son throw a ball and would hope he could overcome the issue on his own, the facts seem to reveal that the most successful of all of the hope and change options is to work the mental angle.

That said, barring a miracle today I'm going to seek out one of three people I've been referred to:

1) Dr. Tom Hanson, Heads Up Performance
2) Dr. Richard Crowley, Sports Maker
3) Alan Jaeger, Jaeger Sports

I'm probably going to talk to all three; meanwhile, I would appreciate hearing any real-life experiences (good or bad) with either of these folks. Probably best to PM if it's bad!


Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Signed,

Still Despondent....
V VaRHPmom100+ posts
I didn't know there was a name for this! I had to give up tennis because I couldn't hit a serve anymore because I suddenly had a hitch in the motion. Either missed the ball or hit myself in the head with the racket (and my serve had been my major weapon). It also affected my throwing motion.

I really hope he is able to overcome this because I know how horrible it is to give up something you love. And please share when you find something that works.

Best of luck!
P PESCAHOLIC10+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by VaRHPmom:
I didn't know there was a name for this! I had to give up tennis because I couldn't hit a serve anymore because I suddenly had a hitch in the motion. Either missed the ball or hit myself in the head with the racket (and my serve had been my major weapon). It also affected my throwing motion.

I really hope he is able to overcome this because I know how horrible it is to give up something you love. And please share when you find something that works.

Best of luck!


It certainly does not appear to be limited to baseball players. I've learned that the yips affect participants in golf, tennis, s@ccer, darts, and probably a lot of other activities.

I hope you find a solution, too.
Last edited by PESCAHOLIC
W warningtrack100+ posts
This topic came up somewhere before and I remember a story that went like this;

There was a catcher who had this same problem. He cured himself by going to the field with his friend, just the two of them. He got behind the plate and threw ball after ball after ball
to his friend who was standing on the pitchers mound - with his eyes closed. He was able to hit him every time as he had made this throw "in his sleep" for years. For him that cured him.

I am curious as to how your conversations go with the people you listed. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
B bsballfan100+ posts
I wouldn't be too hard on your son's coaches or think it is their "job" to fix a problem that has effected dozens of big-leaguers (Mackey Sasses, Steve Sax, Chuck Knoblach come to mind)...some people think that the more you talk about it the worse it gets...I have seen chewing gum help...sounds crazy but it has been proven to relax the brain and is the reason that many people chew gum when they are nerves...just a thought.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
quote:
Originally posted by bsballfan:
I wouldn't be too hard on your son's coaches or think it is their "job" to fix a problem that has effected dozens of big-leaguers (Mackey Sasses, Steve Sax, Chuck Knoblach come to mind)...some people think that the more you talk about it the worse it gets...I have seen chewing gum help...sounds crazy but it has been proven to relax the brain and is the reason that many people chew gum when they are nerves...just a thought.


I agree with you, this is not a problem that can just be fixed by making suggestions or expecting coaches that are not trained to fix it.

Just like any psychological issue, the root of the problem has to be determined before a solution can be found.

I would definetly suggest seeking the advice of a sports psychologist.

Best of luck to your son.
P PESCAHOLIC10+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by bsballfan:
I wouldn't be too hard on your son's coaches or think it is their "job" to fix a problem that has effected dozens of big-leaguers (Mackey Sasses, Steve Sax, Chuck Knoblach come to mind)...some people think that the more you talk about it the worse it gets...I have seen chewing gum help...sounds crazy but it has been proven to relax the brain and is the reason that many people chew gum when they are nerves...just a thought.


Good idea on the gum! We did try not talking about it for a few weeks, but can't say there was a change at that point....so we talked about it again!

I am not suggesting that any coach has a responsibility to fix his yips. And the more I see how puzzling it is to experienced coaches, the less expectation I have.

I have hired a few coaches to work him on this specific issue, but there was no change. So aside from hoping that one of the coaches he spends and hour plus per day with would recognize and know how to help make the correction, I never felt it was their duty to do so.

I have learned that even those coaches who recognize the problem and genuinely WANT and TRY to help, cannot really understand the reason for the issue to begin with and ultimately unable to provide a solution that has worked. From the outside I suppose it is difficult to comprehend how one could suddenly "forget" how to throw and be unable to make what should be simple correction to help themselves. That's really why I'm here now, and having reached out to the coaches that have been inspirational to him, the fact is, despite their desire to help that they seem just as puzzled by the issue themselves.

What I'm trying to say is that while many truly want to help, when push comes to shove, even those with the highest level of experience are unsure HOW to help.
P PESCAHOLIC10+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by TPM:
quote:
Originally posted by bsballfan:
I wouldn't be too hard on your son's coaches or think it is their "job" to fix a problem that has effected dozens of big-leaguers (Mackey Sasses, Steve Sax, Chuck Knoblach come to mind)...some people think that the more you talk about it the worse it gets...I have seen chewing gum help...sounds crazy but it has been proven to relax the brain and is the reason that many people chew gum when they are nerves...just a thought.



I agree with you, this is not a problem that can just be fixed by making suggestions or expecting coaches that are not trained to fix it.

Just like any psychological issue, the root of the problem has to be determined before a solution can be found.

I would definetly suggest seeking the advice of a sports psychologist.

Best of luck to your son.


Thank you.

I think you've summarized it perfectly and we are trying to arrange a psych session now. I will post with what I hope are meaningful results.
Last edited by PESCAHOLIC
BackstopDad32BackstopDad325,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by twotex:
I remember Jason Saltalamachia going through a bout of the yips. He came out on the other side.

I don't have any experience to share, so alli can do is wish our son the best.


twotex brings up an interesting case and possibley something to be considered.

Salty's original problem was the result of him compensating for an arm injury he felt he could play through and was as I recall in his mind not that serious so he didn't share with the Rangers.

You might have already been down this path but just something else to think about.
P PESCAHOLIC10+ posts
A follow-up to share our status/results, in hopes it may help someone else.

Upon the PM recommendation of another HSBW member we engaged Dr. Crowley. Not sure what he said to my kid...but after 5+ months of frustration, the arm hesitation disappeared after the very first telephonic session with Dr. Crowley!

We still have some mechanical work to do to recover his throwing mechanics (which I believe deteriorated trying to compensate/repair the Yips mechanically), but we could not do so until the mid-throw arm hesitation was eliminated. Had I reached out to someone like Crowley sooner, I imagine the trowing mechanics would not have gotten so far out of whack.

As I mentioned, we spent many months working with different coaches and trying different things, but NOTHING worked to stop the mid-throw hesitation. Not even a little bit. However, given the immediate result of Dr. Crowley's efforts, I am absolutely convinced that the Yips are indeed a condition best treated psychologically.

My conclusion is, if you ever experience something like this yourself or see someone going through it, PLEASE do not be too proud or embarrassed to to engage the assistance of someone like Crowley. It works and as far as I'm concerned, is the ONLY CURE.

Thanks again for your feedback and especially to to the member who stepped up and PM'd me!
Last edited by PESCAHOLIC

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