Understanding the Yips in Athletes: Causes and Symptoms

Yips are involuntary wrist muscle spasms that affect athletes. They are often associated with golf, baseball, and sports that involve swinging and throwing motions, such as bowling, darts, cricket, and others. Can understanding the information and causes help diagnose and find the right therapy or training?

Yips

Yips are involuntary wrist spasms that athletes experience. The term is also used to refer to performance anxiety without physical spasms. Researchers believe they are caused by muscle overuse that leads to dystonia (a condition that causes muscles to contract involuntarily), and combined with psychological factors like performance anxiety and overthinking, can make them worse. (Beacon Health Systems, 2024)

Types

Researchers have identified three types of yips that affect athletes (Clarke P. Sheffield D. and Akehurst S., 2020)

Type I

• Muscle spasms
• Freezing up/choking

Type II

• Performance anxiety
• Psychological symptoms

Type III

• Muscle spasms
• Performance anxiety

A study of over a hundred experienced athletes found that nearly 68% of archers and 40% of golfers experienced yips. (Clarke P., Sheffield D. and Akehurst S. 2020)

Symptoms

The most common symptom is muscle spasms, often in the hands and wrists. That’s why it is the most common among athletes who play sports that require precision hand and wrist movements. Yips affect fine motor skills. (Aoyama, T. et al., 2021) In addition to muscle spasms, symptoms can also include: (Beacon Health Systems, 2024)

• Twitching
• Tremors
• Freezing up
• Psychological distress

Causes

Healthcare providers, trainers, coaches, and researchers know that psychological and physical factors cause yips. Underlying physical causes include overusing wrist muscles, which leads to dystonia or involuntary muscle movements. Also known as task-specific dystonia, it can also affect individuals who engage in repetitive muscle movements, like factory and assembly line workers, store check-out clerks, musicians, etc. (Clarke P., Sheffield D., and Akehurst S. 2020). Performance anxiety and psychological stress can worsen dystonia. (Aoyama, T. et al., 2021) Athletes can become so focused on their movements that they overthink their actions and perform worse. Individuals who have anxiety, self-consciousness, or stress about a game or performance often find that their involuntary wrist spasms are worse. (Clarke P., Sheffield D. and Akehurst S. 2020)

Increased Risk

Yips are most common in athletes who use their hands and wrists for their sport and are likely to impact more experienced, competing, and older athletes. (Beacon Health Systems, 2024) They are more common in athletes focused on smaller movements or shorter distances. For example, golfers commonly experience involuntary wrist spasms when putting, and baseball players are likelier to experience them when throwing less than 20 meters. (Clarke P., Sheffield D. and Akehurst S. 2020)

Diagnosis

There is no official diagnosis for yips. However, a coach, athletic trainer, sports doctors, and others can observe the pattern of symptoms and behavior and provide an informed diagnosis.

Treatment

Identifying triggers is important as yips can be triggered by: (Aoyama, T. et al., 2021)

• Psychological distress – anxiety and/or fear
• Abnormal sensations
• Symptoms of discomfort and pain
• Mechanical movement/motion adjustments or changes

Once trigger/s are identified, they can be addressed. Treatments that can help include: (Beacon Health Systems, 2024)

Alternate Hand Positions

• This can provide relief from dystonia and overthinking.

Using Different Equipment or Stabilizers

• This allows the immobilization of certain muscles and the activation of different muscles.

Mindfulness

• Reducing anxiety and distress can help relax the body.
• Practicing mindfulness before games or tournaments can help reduce psychological triggers.

Botox Injections

• Botox injections can treat certain types of dystonia.

Sports Psychology

• A sports psychologist is a healthcare provider who studies individual athletes’ sports performance and how it affects their minds and skills.
• A sports psychologist can help individuals create a program that reduces stress or anxiety around games and performance.

Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic

Yips are common among athletes. It is important to address the physical and psychological components to treat the condition. Talking with a coach or a sports psychologist, other athletes, and supporting staff like trainers can help you find a solution. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic works with primary healthcare providers and specialists to develop an optimal health and wellness solution. We focus on what works for you to relieve pain, restore function, and prevent injury. Regarding musculoskeletal pain, specialists like chiropractors, acupuncturists, and massage therapists can help mitigate the pain through spinal adjustments that help the body realign itself. They can also work with other medical professionals to integrate a treatment plan to resolve musculoskeletal issues.

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Sports Injuries

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References

Beacon Health Systems. (2024). Yips. www.beaconhealthsystem.org/library/diseases-and-conditions/yips/

Clarke, P., Sheffield, D., & Akehurst, S. (2020). Personality Predictors of Yips and Choking Susceptibility. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2784. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02784

Aoyama, T., Ae, K., Souma, H., Miyata, K., Kajita, K., Kawamura, T., & Iwai, K. (2021). Difference in Personality Traits and Symptom Intensity According to the Trigger-Based Classification of Throwing Yips in Baseball Players. Frontiers in sports and active living, 3, 652792. doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.652792