The YIPS is one of the most heartbreaking conditions I have ever seen! My son’s started his sophomore year in high school. He is a catcher/ RHP. One day he came home from practice upset and mentioned to me that he could not throw the ball back to the pitcher, I asked him what he meant. He replied every time he throw the ball back to the pitcher he would throw it straight into the ground or over his head, mind you he had been a catcher from the age of eight and never had that problem before. I asked him what he thought happened. He said that the pitching coach would like to stand behind the pitcher and every time he would throw back to the pitcher the coach would flinch or yell at him to hit the pitcher in the chest. I think that triggered it. I had him show me and sure enough he could not throw the ball back to me from a distance of 60’6” but could hit me in the chest at second base.
I posted this problem on this message board and got a response from Coach Weinstein and he suggested that I work with him by throwing different types of balls “soft balls, footballs and whiffle balls” and to ask him math questions while he threw, within a couple of days it was gone.
Crazy thing is it came back his sophomore year in college and he ended up hurting his shoulder, he rehabilitated his shoulder and everything seemed ok but then during collegiate summer ball it came back and he is still struggling with it. He switched over to 1st but sometimes he has a throw go back high to the pitcher. Now he does not want to go back behind the plate in fear of hurting his shoulder but deep down inside I know he is embarrassed of the YIPS. It is sad because he is very skilled behind the plate. He blocks, frames and his throws to the bases are right on.
Well that’s my story!
