The Phobia Called Yips

By Jennifer Scott, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist

"Oh my God, a snake!" "I can't get on that elevator." "On airplanes I sweat, my heart races and I'm the original white knuckle flier."

These are phobias. I work with them every day. I help my clients get free of them so they can live normal lives. The key to this freedom resides in the Subconscious Mind. The tool: Hypnosis.

Almost always, phobias are caused by an initial sensitizing event (like a traumatic fall off a table as a child, causing an adult fear of heights). Often there are subsequent events that intensify the feeling (like a seemingly harmless trip off a curb).

Once the fear is ingrained, you've got a classic conditioned response like Dr. Pavlov discovered with his dogs in 1904. Bell: meat given. Bell: meat given. Bell: dog salivates whether meat is there or not. With Pavlov's dogs, the bell became the trigger. It's the same with phobic responses. There is always a trigger.

Let's talk about Yips. You weren't born with them. But they undoubtedly began when you had a powerful negative emotional experience while putting. Once upon a time, you had a nice, smooth putting stroke. Your putting was good. Reliable. But now your arms and hands jerk. You jab rather than make that nice smooth swing.

Your mind and body have become conditioned with a destructive behavior. You feel stupid and helpless. You can't control this response any more than anyone else can with a phobia. Bell: meat. Bell: meat. Bell: salivate. Ouch!

If you're a "Yipper," you probably feel the panic before you reach every green. It may even cause you - subconsciously -- to aim your irons further away from the pin just to avoid short putts!

But just like phobias to snakes, elevators, heights or closed-in spaces, your Yips can be cured too. These are all mind/body conditioned responses. You just have to get down to the Subconscious and re-program.

Treating The Yips as a phobic response is cutting-edge Hypnotherapy. I work with both weekend golfers and touring professionals to help them overcome this involuntary Subconscious behavior. If you'd like to talk with me about it, please call my toll-free number, 1-866-662-0939