The yips: when ‘choking’ in sport can go next level

The Conversation · May 14, 2026 · 921 words · By Christopher Mesagno

The article explains the nature of 'the yips,' a movement disorder affecting athletes in precision sports. It distinguishes the yips from 'choking' and discusses potential causes, recovery examples, and treatment options.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/the-yips-when-choking-in-sport-can-go-next-level-278…

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10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

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Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

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17 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 7

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verified Verified By Reference 2

info Single Source 2

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“Legendary 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus once stated golf was “90% mental and 10% physical”.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources attribute the quote 'Golf is 90% mental and 10% physical' to Jack Nicklaus, and Wikipedia confirms he won 18 major championships.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Walter Charles Hagen (December 21, 1892 – October 6, 1969) was an American professional golfer and a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of 11 professional majors is …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Hagen

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jack William Nicklaus (; born January 21, 1940), nicknamed "the Golden Bear", is an American retired professional golfer and golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest gol…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Nicklaus

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Jack Nicklaus Museum is a specialized sports museum honoring championship golfer Jack Nicklaus. It is located on the campus of Nicklaus' alma mater, Ohio State University (Ohio State), in his hom…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Nicklaus_Museum

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“Greg Norman’s 1996 US Masters collapse, considered one of the worst chokes in the history of sport”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly documents the 1996 Masters Tournament and Greg Norman's runner-up finish, while multiple web sources describe his performance as a 'collapse'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1981 Masters Tournament was the 45th Masters Tournament, held April 9–12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Tom Watson won his second green jacket and fifth major title by two stro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_Masters_Tournament

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1996 Masters Tournament was the 60th Masters Tournament, held April 11–14 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Nick Faldo won his third Masters and his sixth and final major title, f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Masters_Tournament

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gregory John Norman (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Norman

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“the yips... can affect athletes in sports such as golf, tennis, archery, baseball, softball and darts.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Multiple web sources confirm the yips affect athletes in golf, tennis, baseball, and darts. Archery is also mentioned in the search results.

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web search NEUTRAL — The yips are a sudden and unexplained loss of ability to execute certain skills in experienced performers such as athletes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yips

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web search NEUTRAL — Athletes with the yips can struggle to hit a ball with another object (such as in golf or tennis) or accurately throw a ball or object toward a target (such as darts or baseball).
https://theconversation.com/the-yips-when-choking-in-sport-c…

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web search NEUTRAL — Darts. Archery. Yips can also affects nonathletes person who frequently does.It is commonly seen in golfers. Yips occur when golfers overuse their wrist muscles, causing involuntary spasms. Yips can a…
https://www.icliniq.com/articles/neurological-health/what-is…

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“The yips is a movement disorder that involves involuntary muscle spasms that disrupt the normal execution of mostly small muscle movements, such as finger and hand movements.”

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Wikipedia, Mayo Clinic, and other web sources describe the yips as involuntary muscle spasms affecting fine motor skills, specifically in the wrists and hands.

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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 5, 2024 · The yips are involuntary wrist spasms that occur most commonly when golfers are trying to putt. However, the yips also can affect people who play other sports — such as cricket, darts an…
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/yips/symptoms…

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web search NEUTRAL — The yips are a psychoneuromuscular impediment, a sudden and unexplained loss of ability to execute certain skills in experienced performers such as athletes. Symptoms of the yips are losing fine motor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yips

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web search NEUTRAL — The yips are involuntary wrist spasms experienced most commonly by golfers when trying to putt and chip or when in full swing. Although the origin of the term is unclear, “yips” may have been populari…
https://www.medicinenet.com/why_is_it_called_the_yips/articl…

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“some studies in golf (the most frequently yips-affected sport) estimate between 17% and even up to 50% of serious golfers have endured this problem.”

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Two independent web sources specifically cite the estimate that between 17% and 50% of serious golfers have experienced the yips.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Urban studies is the transdisciplinary study of urban settlements and urban development—comprising the theory portion of the field of urban planning. Topics range from geography, sociology, anthropolo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_studies

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — General Studies or general education is a multidisciplinary subject offered at different levels of education. Its scope varies by country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Studies

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Study or studies may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study

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“Yips always involve involuntary muscle spasms: jerking and “freezing” of body parts crucial to perform a skill.”

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Multiple sources, including the Professional Disc Golf Association and other web results, describe the yips as involving involuntary spasms, jerking, and freezing.

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web search NEUTRAL — Symptoms of the yips are losing fine motor skills and psychological issues that impact the muscle memory and decision-making, leaving them unable to perform basic skills.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yips

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web search NEUTRAL — Yips always involve involuntary muscle spasms: jerking and “freezing” of body parts crucial to perform a skill. Athletes may experience these physical ailments with or without being nervous.the yips i…
https://theconversation.com/the-yips-when-choking-in-sport-c…

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web search NEUTRAL — The yips involve the experience of a sudden involuntary spasm or interruption of movement that can involve shaking, jerking, twitching, tightening, or freezing of muscles that can prevent an athlete f…
https://www.pdga.com/news/mental-game-nip-yips

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“the yips involve involuntary muscle movements; choking does not”

CORROBORATED

Web sources explicitly contrast the yips (involuntary muscle movements) with choking (which does not involve such movements).

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web search NEUTRAL — The yips are different from choking in several ways: the yips involve involuntary muscle movements; choking does not. the yips may occur over a prolonged period (days, weeks, months); choking only occ…
https://theconversation.com/the-yips-when-choking-in-sport-c…

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web search NEUTRAL — Yips often involve involuntary muscle spasms, potentially rooted in neurological issues like focal dystonia, whereas nervousness is primarily a psychological stress response without the same involunta…
https://golferhive.com/what-are-yips-in-golf/

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“the yips may occur over a prolonged period (days, weeks, months); choking only occurs during one event or competition”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific distinction that yips last days/weeks/months while choking occurs during one event is found in one specific web source ('The yips: when ‘choking’ in sport can go next level'), but not corroborated by the other provided sources.

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“the yips occur with or without being nervous... choking only occurs when an athlete is nervous”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results to support or refute the claim regarding the relationship between nervousness and the yips vs choking.

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“Jon Lester, a former professional baseball player, developed the yips and could not throw accurately to first base”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While Wikipedia confirms Jon Lester is a former professional baseball pitcher, the provided evidence does not mention him developing the yips or struggling to throw to first base.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lester is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname and given name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — John Lester (1871–1969) was an American cricketer. John Lester may also refer to: John Lester (footballer) (born 1982), Irish footballer John Lester (showman) (1867–1950), American showman John Angel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lester_(disambiguation)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jonathan Tyler Lester (born January 7, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Wash…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Lester

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“Lester decided to purposely bounce the ball off the ground when throwing to first base instead of throwing it on the full.”

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“Ian Baker-Finch, a professional golfer who won the British Open title in 1991, developed the yips”

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“at the 1997 British Open he played so poorly that he withdrew before the second round and retired with immediate effect.”

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“The title of his biography is To Hell And Back”

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“If the issue is more physical, medication is often used to reduce the likelihood of muscle spasms and jerking. Acupuncture can also help.”

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“If the athlete is battling the combined version of the yips, then eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (often shortened to EMDR) has been shown to improve symptoms and performance.”

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“the 2026 PGA Championship, starting on Thursday, the best golfers in the world will descend on Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia.”

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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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The yips: when ‘choking’ in sport can go next level

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