I am a catcher and I have struggled with the yips for the past few years. It's absolutely uncanny. I never had issues throwing before. I was always accurate and threw hard. Now I have days that it's like I can even feel the ball in my hand. Like I can't tell when to let go of the ball because I can't feel it. Some days I am ok and I think I'm cured, but one errant throw sets me back again. It's frustrating and embarrassing. Literally the only thing that has helped me is sneaking a shot of vodka here and there. Not kidding even a little bit. I hate it, but if I do that. My arm is money. It's like I go right into auto pilot and there was never a problem.
If you can let go of the shame, frustration, and embarrassment, it can’t hurt. Like, you’re a human being, nobody is perfect, and it’s not the end of the world, even if it doesn’t get corrected. You’re doing your best, and you don’t deserve to beat yourself up about it. Just enjoy playing the game while you’re still young and you’ll be able to live with the outcome
Me too. I could get a feel when I threw and it went straight in the ground so I didn't throw for 3 months and got my mental side ready and I finally could throw
I’ve had the yips also. I hit a guy in the head throwing from 3rd to first once and I could never get it out of my mind. You end up second-guessing your mechanics and once your brain gets involved you’re screwed
I had the yips and I was and still am a catcher and I could not throw the ball back to the catcher. But I got over it when I got a coach that told me that he just wanted me to throw the ball back hard and if I make a mistake than forget about it. If you are a coach and someone is struggling with the yips don’t yell at them and encourage them to get back up and try it again Like so more people can read this because we need more people to love baseball and that cannot happen if they are terrified to make a mistake
I really thought you were gonna reference major league 2 here, where the catcher had the same problem. Apparently spouting off things you memorize from playboy magazines will help you get the ball back to the pitcher. Pass it on!
Hey fuzzy, love these kind of vids. You should do a vid about recent forgotten mlb stars because of injuries, etc. Grady Sizemore, Justin Morneau, Alfonso Soriano.
i’m currently struggling with this and the baseball season is almost here. it started last year and i’m tired of not being able to just play catch with my buddies. i’m still not gonna give up
Daniel Bard is somewhat different from the examples you presented but I believe what happened to him was a case of the yips. He was one of the best relievers for the Red Sox, normally coming in during the most difficult stretches (arguably more high pressure situations than the closer). He was a fireman and was doing the Andrew Miller role for Terry Francona while Tito was with the Red Sox. Then they converted him to a starter and suddenly he forgot to throw strikes! At what was supposed to be the prime of his career, he went from someone you trust on a bases loaded situation to a guy who would walk the no. 9 hitter.
I had the yips during my college years, luckily I was an outfielder. What’s weird was all my throws from the outfield were on target and weren’t affected but during just warming up, throws to someone just 5 feet away for me where embarrassing. I had no control until I was 20 or so feet away. It could of been because I was holding back my throw or lollipopinh the ball at a close distance
our most recent catcher had the yips.. he needed to do these pumps in order for him to get the ball back to the pitcher. sometimes it killed us bc batters could steal on it all day long, which meant his CS% was very low. he could throw kids out fairly well, but he just couldn’t get the ball back very well
It’s the worst frickin feeling in the world because you love the sport so much. I had a brief case of this, and even though it was brief it sucked. So if you see someone with the yips, don’t get mad at them, encourage them that they will get through it because you don’t know the trouble their going through.
I remember I had this happen to me in high school, I missed two easy pop ups that were hit right to me and I can still remember the embarrassment I felt, it was like I just didn’t know how to catch a baseball, I was so scared to make another error because I felt like I was making a fool of myself, since then I’ve alway struggled with my confidence in fielding and I’m always nervous about making an error and it’s constantly in the back of my mind.
I pitched all my life but I had times I felt like I have never pitched in my life and I never knew what was wrong with me. It literally felt like I was getting worse when I should be getting better. I also remember my body feeling completely numb all of the sudden when pitching where I couldn't even feel my body when I went through the pitching motion. Although I was considered an "Ace" when I was in the zone, I felt absolutely terrified everytime my name was called to pitch . I was so nervous to pitch in a game that I told my coaches I would rather be a closer than a starter. I even recall hoping that I won't pitch as I was going to the game knowing that if I have a bad day, it will be really bad. Maybe I had/have the yips.
The whole "out of body" feelings started completely randomly one game. I was going through the motion I had that feeling and it caused me to throw 2 wild pitches back to back so I had to call my coach up to take me off the mound. After that it would happen whenever I would think about it
The yips wasn't what ultimately did Knoblauch in though, the pitchers finally figures how to pitch to him hence him getting whiffed in his final years constantly on high cheese, partly trying to hit more home runs which didn't help.
One of my longtime teamates was on of the best catcher let alone best players i knew. He had a canon and constantly hit for high average and rbi’s however during one of our practices he got screamed at by the founder of our baseball facility and Orginization. And after that he couldn’t make throw downs and would constantly overthrow the pitcher and it got to the point where he thought about dropping the sport, haven’t talked to him since i left the team. From second hand experience i can tell you it really messes with your head and doesn’t discriminate who it affects.
I got a small case of it during one of my later years of high school. I was nervous because I had to impress a new coach to keep my position. However, we didn't have a practice field yet, so instead we were throwing across the thin aisles of a warehouse. I straight up forgot how to throw a baseball, with an incredibly late release where I'd just spike it into the ground. I kept doing this even as we went outside. Got over it when we started doing some long toss. I chalked it up to simply being scared of hitting merchandise by accident.
I had thoracic outlet syndrome myself. It really sucked. My hand would go numb just walking around and I lost almost all strength in my left hand. Had to do 6+months of rehab to get rid of it.
I had the yips fielding simple ground balls at 3rd base in high school. Made the spectacular diving plays but struggled with the worm burners. Became a catcher in college and had a great 4 years as starter.
I first felt yips in high school, mid-game when all of the sudden I couldn’t throw back to the pitcher. I was playing a solid defense as a catcher during that game, I hit a homerun in one inning, and the next inning I threw many one bound throws back to the pitcher. I just couldn’t control it. Yips comes at you that fast and I lost my control forever since then.
Dale Murphy had the yips. He forgot how to throw runners out and almost was out of baseball. Bobby Cox moved him to the outfield the following season. He won some gold glove, back to back MVP and is still up for consideration to the HOF. Not such a bad story either.
I had the yip during my last couple years of high school baseball and it absolutely sucked. I needed to DH and it was so frustrating losing the ability to throw the ball to anyone. It absolutely sucks and you lose all confidence
Good video. Great topic. You don't hear the yips being discussed much. You did some good research I already knew about Steve Sax, Rick Ankiel, and Chuck Knoblauch, but didn't know there were others. Good job on kind of an obscure topic.
I got the yips as a baseball player. I was a pitcher and 2nd baseman. It got torturous throwing to 2nd and pitching was out of the question. I thought it had something to do with my depression and it may have. There is definitely a mental aspect to it. I quit baseball for 20 years to surf competitively then, started playing softball and moved to the outfield and it was ok, then played 2nd and disaster throwing to first. Tried pitching again in a hardball league, 8 walks 1 out in 1/3 of an inning. Warming up I'd be on fire, popping the glove, but put a batter in there, I was over, done, wild pitch festival. Fortunately I went back to surfing which may have saved my life. Then 3 back operations, cant surf anymore so now what? Start a family? OD on heroin? Make a rap album? I'm 51 and I'm spent. A life of torture coming to an end.
I played a ton of base ball (nowhere near pro level) and while playing first base, in the pre game warm up, I could not throw the dang ball to the catcher.....it was so frustrating to me and only happened once.....I felt like rolling it to him.....
I never ever heard about the yips until I saw a comment about Barkley's new golf swing. Sounds like some strange version of OCD. What a terrifying problem for a professional athlete.
Knoblauch's is sad. He was a great player. Best AL 2B of the 90s behind Roberto Alomar. Knoblauch's yips came right after his Dad (and best friend) died. Supposedly he talked to him every day on the phone about baseball and lost his ability to throw to first base almost immediately after he died.
I got the yips one time when catching. Went full Rube Baker and couldn’t throw the ball back to the pitcher. Thankfully it was only the last 2 innings of that game but man was it scary...and that was just in junior league baseball
another interesting case was the reliever Julian Tavarez who would roll the ball to first when it got hit back to him because he couldnt control how hard he was going to throw.
I was a catcher in high school and got the yips. I couldn't throw it accurately back to the pitcher in a easy, relaxed manner. To get the ball back to the pitcher I had to throw it hard. The pitcher's hated having the ball fired back at them after every pitch. Also, in golf I got the yips when chipping. Again, I could make a full swing, but on a short, easy swing I lost control. I came to over analyze it and when I stood over a chip I started thinking don't do it again and even worse was thinking I was going to do it. It became a self-fulfilling mindset. I practice all the time, but the yips have plagued me for approximately 20 years. This year I think I have found a solution. I believe it starts in technique, doing something wrong, but you continue doing what you think is the right technique. It does become a mental disaster too. It becomes overwhelming, I believe you have to learn proper technique and practice until you can do it without thinking about it. I tell you it drives you mad because no matter how hard I try I don't think I'll ever get back to that natural swing I had when I started. Now, I watch kids who aren't thinking about their swing and try to gauge how hard they grip the club, how they address the ball, how they swing, etc. Like Kevin Costner in For The Love Of The Game I want to clear the mechanism.
This stuff is real. I had a small case of it in high school for a short time. I was a catcher, and I was so scared to throw the ball back to the pitcher. It took so much focus and concentration to do it. And each throw I was scared. Then one day, it just stopped. Idk if that qualifies, but I never been more nerve wrecked playing baseball
Had the yips in high school as a pitcher. I just remember one season getting a come backer to the mound and i overthrew the ball to first. After that one error it took me a full year until i got back to being able to make that play. Luckily it was just mental and i never played in front of a huge crowd... cant imagine what it’s like in front of 20-40k people
From a pitcher, I definitely see how they feel, scaled down of course. It's like you get scared of throwing a bad throw and then kind of guide the ball. You feel shut down and limited. The way I get over it is just throwing as hard as I can for a while and regaining that confidence helps a lot.
I’ve had the yips for about a year in a half and still can’t get rid of them. I have terrible anxiety so once it started it’s just all I can’t think about sometimes. I hate it and don’t really know what to do
Wow, this story is pretty amazing... Going from a pitcher to a decent hitter in pro ball in a matter of a few years is pretty insane.. Those are 2 entirely different talents.. Some pitchers couldn't hit a beach ball even if they tried and worked on it, yet he did it...
Dale Murphy came up as a catcher with the Braves. He stopped being able to throw the ball on a steal. Eventually, he was moved to the outfield and became a multi Gold Glover as a CF in the mid 80s.
Sent the link for this vid to my son! He catches 3 D1 committed pitchers as a sophomore in high school! (2 seniors that are twins and one Junior that should go into draft after next year!) After I sent it I went in his room and deleted it from his phone..lol! Deff not the time for the "yips" with scouts at every game!!!
I got yips going into my freshman year of high school. Couldn’t throw a baseball 15ft to save my life, but I could throw from center to home no problem. Whenever the throw required no thinking time I was fine. Also could throw any other ball (tennis ball, football, etc.) just fine, just not a baseball
splash1496 how did you get over it? I have the same problem. I’m going into my freshman year of high school and I can’t throw the ball short distance without spiking it or throwing over his head. But when the throw requires no thinking, I’m able to have pin point accuracy.
Bobby Bangs unfortunately I never really got over mine. I still struggle playing a simple game of catch today. I myself was lucky enough to excel at other sports so I switched my focus over to them. My one bit of advice though would to never become discouraged when you spike a throw. It will happen, the more confidence you lose the more it will happen. Just keep pushing through it. I also recommended trying out the outfield. Most throws don’t require thinking from there, I just always threw straight to the base and skipped cutoffs. Sorry I don’t have the best advice, but also try listening to music while warming up, I found it helped my mind think about listening to the music and less on the short throws. (Of course you would have to clear that with your coaches first, but most should be understanding)
When I was in 8 th grade I ruptured my rotator in my throwing arm, after a few months of rehab I felt fine but when I went to throw I couldn’t make a routine throw from 1st to 2nd the whole year.
I think I'm going through the same thing with pitching/throwing and it's good to know that there are people who have gone through the same thing and there is a way out of it
I had the same problem overthrowing people in baseball. Till this day I don’t know why I had the problem. I’ve never had that problem but I guess once it happens you tend to overthink the power needed to get the ball somewhere and it just adds a lot of pressure to make the throw.
I got the yips and I’m slowly getting rid of it so during my research I found one of the best players from a school near me, Andrean High school, Sean maneah for the A’s had it in HS! He through a no hitter last season! And as a Cubs fan Jon Lester is a big one! Yips is nothing to play with I still freak out from it
The only cure for the "yips" is a vacation... IMO you only get he yips when you're too focused and start overthinking everything and the only way go get out of that rut is by getting away from it entirely, then when you return everything will come back naturally.... You can't obsess over things for too long otherwise you will get the "yips" and this applies to absolutely everything you do.. I mean another word for the "yips" is "writers block" for writers ... I mean any talent you have that requires focus has potential to give you the "yips" and the only cure is to get away from what you do... When you get the "yips" that is your body and mind telling you it's time for a vacation..
I spent my whole youth playing baseball from little league through Varsity high school. Baseball was my life and my whole youth playing on several traveling tournament teams etc...I always thought the yips could never happen until one day it did and OMG is it terrible. I consider myself a relatively strong mental person. But no matter what I did I couldn't get rid of it. It was absolute hell. It's not as easy getting rid of it as people might think. It's hell. I used to laugh as a kid seeing Knoblauch get them. Now I feel for any player I see get them more than anything. It's the worst expiernce and much harder to get rid of then anyone who's never had them can imagine. It's like all the years you play your brain gains muscle memory when you throw. That's why eventually you go on auto pilot when you throw and never think twice about it. And then suddenly you make a mistake or two one day and start thinking about your throwing motion and mechanics. Then suddenly It feels like your brain accidentally deleted all that muscle memory you used to possess and your forced to start all over again relearning how to throw.
This actually happened to me years back. When I was younger I was a quarterback in midget football and my first 2 years I dominated. Then came my 3rd year and I couldn’t throw the ball. Good thing I over came it in my 4th and final year and still play quarterback in high school years later
My brother in high school was a first baseman and won the league in hitting, the only problem was from first base he couldn't throw it back to the pitcher
This happened to me when I was trying out for my middle school baseball team. I prayed everyday for a year that I would make that team so when o got the yips during tryouts I completely freaked out and faked an arm injury. I had no idea that it ever happened to anyone else at the time. I’m kept faking my arm injury and my parents took me to see doctors and to physical therapy for years and never lifted my arm up over my head if front of anyone. About 15 years later I found out about the yips and I confessed to my parents that I was faking the injury. I still haven’t thrown a baseball since that day at tryouts
Dale Murphy comes to mind when talking about the yips. He had the same problem as the other catchers on this list, he couldn't throw the ball back to the pitcher. Atlanta moved him to CF, and the rest is history. Back to back MVP seasons. If he played for a better team, he would be in the HOF.
I actually had the yips for one season but it wasn’t as bad as any of these guys I couldn’t throw the ball back to the pitcher as a 1B so I would walk it back. Everywhere else I threw was fine. To cure it I spent like 3 hours throwing a ball from first to the pitchers mound. I remember Knoblauch’s and Ankiel’s yips well but you should do a video on one hit wonders ( guys who were good for one season or shorter) EXAMPLE: Shane Spencer, Mark Piror, Or Clint Hurdle
I had the yips playing tennis. I played really well and was about to go pro and start joining championships. But then one day I simply forgot how to hit the ball with the forehand. It made no sense. My wrist would just do a weird twist, and I would either hit the ball straight to the ground in front of me, or completely out of the court over everything. I would try hitting a wall and would mostly be ok, until I actually went on a court. Then it would just begin again. I never recovered from that and abandoned the sport altogether. A few years ago I grabbed a racket and wondered if I still had it. I tried just hitting a ball over the net with my forehand, and I completely ballparked it out of the court. I am never touching it again.
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Fuzzy do they know that markle flutez has it
i think bryce harper has the yips
Fuzzy ok
ok fuzzy
Steve Blass was a righty oops LOL
Yep he has a disease named after him
yup...time to re-record that section. Credibility, you know.
pmccservices yeah he will definitely re record it after a year
Rick was the worse meltdown. He turned it around with his bat and became a decent outfielder. Great work .
Smash Boogie The ILLADELIC Rick was an amazing outfielder
decent outfielder? one of the best lmao
Brady Giacopelli he had a god damn hose
I saw both and I think Knoblauch was worse, he couldn't throw it ten feet, he'd literally watch his own hand while trying to throw, it was terrible.
@@bradygiacopelli9003 Rick Ankiel one of the best outfielders?!!? R u high?? He was DECENT at best.
No wonder Steve Blass couldn’t throw. His glove was on the wrong hand.
I heard that too lol
Heh, yeah, I caught that too. I'm looking at the pictures of the guy and wondering if they were flipped or something.
Same! Although I have cards like that and everything looks the same
😂😂😂
I am a catcher and I have struggled with the yips for the past few years. It's absolutely uncanny. I never had issues throwing before. I was always accurate and threw hard. Now I have days that it's like I can even feel the ball in my hand. Like I can't tell when to let go of the ball because I can't feel it. Some days I am ok and I think I'm cured, but one errant throw sets me back again. It's frustrating and embarrassing. Literally the only thing that has helped me is sneaking a shot of vodka here and there. Not kidding even a little bit. I hate it, but if I do that. My arm is money. It's like I go right into auto pilot and there was never a problem.
@BookBinder Bachelor thanks brother! And I agree.
If you can let go of the shame, frustration, and embarrassment, it can’t hurt. Like, you’re a human being, nobody is perfect, and it’s not the end of the world, even if it doesn’t get corrected. You’re doing your best, and you don’t deserve to beat yourself up about it. Just enjoy playing the game while you’re still young and you’ll be able to live with the outcome
It took me a while to figure out how to beat the yips, but i did, if you're still struggling im pretty sure i can help, let me know.
@@jomamackdaddy how did you get rid of it
@@jomamackdaddy i just couldnt locate and i was throwing it everywhere but to my partner
I’ve had the yips before. Lot of respect for these players
Me too. I could get a feel when I threw and it went straight in the ground so I didn't throw for 3 months and got my mental side ready and I finally could throw
Same
I’ve had the yips also. I hit a guy in the head throwing from 3rd to first once and I could never get it out of my mind. You end up second-guessing your mechanics and once your brain gets involved you’re screwed
Matt Harvey got that disease too
I had the yips and I was and still am a catcher and I could not throw the ball back to the catcher. But I got over it when I got a coach that told me that he just wanted me to throw the ball back hard and if I make a mistake than forget about it. If you are a coach and someone is struggling with the yips don’t yell at them and encourage them to get back up and try it again
Like so more people can read this because we need more people to love baseball and that cannot happen if they are terrified to make a mistake
I had the yips... my coach would yell and make fun of me
You had the same problem the catcher from Major League 2 had.
I would imagine that as a catcher it would be really hard to throw the ball back to the catcher, especially throwing it hard.
you’re saying that you had a hard time finding your release point? because that’s exactly what’s happening to me
I really thought you were gonna reference major league 2 here, where the catcher had the same problem. Apparently spouting off things you memorize from playboy magazines will help you get the ball back to the pitcher. Pass it on!
Hey fuzzy, love these kind of vids. You should do a vid about recent forgotten mlb stars because of injuries, etc. Grady Sizemore, Justin Morneau, Alfonso Soriano.
Soriano was pretty good towards the end of his career though, hit 34 homers in his penultimate season and won AL Player of the Week once that season
I am glad Ankiel came back. He was a great outfielder, and a decent bat. loved seeing him in washington
Other players weren't as lucky.
**Continues to tell story's with mostly happy endings**
I played with a catcher in college that got this. It was funny at first and then sad.
Mark Wohlers, Atlanta Braves relief pitcher, was the one that came to my mind first.
Me too...He was awesome...And then could never find the plate ever again...Scary...
The yips is not “forgetting” how to throw. It’s being so uncontrollably nervous that you physically cannot throw the ball. Brutal!
I agree....you over think.....Yogi Berra said "You can't think and hit at the same time." You can't think and throw too perhaps.
In some cases u physically can't, but usually it's just being nervous
i’m currently struggling with this and the baseball season is almost here. it started last year and i’m tired of not being able to just play catch with my buddies. i’m still not gonna give up
@@trevorolson9248did i fix it if so i need help
Goes from sad intro to Fuzzy "Yo What's up guys welcome back to another baseball video!" Still the best...
Daniel Bard is somewhat different from the examples you presented but I believe what happened to him was a case of the yips. He was one of the best relievers for the Red Sox, normally coming in during the most difficult stretches (arguably more high pressure situations than the closer). He was a fireman and was doing the Andrew Miller role for Terry Francona while Tito was with the Red Sox. Then they converted him to a starter and suddenly he forgot to throw strikes! At what was supposed to be the prime of his career, he went from someone you trust on a bases loaded situation to a guy who would walk the no. 9 hitter.
You forgot pitcher Dontrelle Willis on your list..
I had the yips during my college years, luckily I was an outfielder. What’s weird was all my throws from the outfield were on target and weren’t affected but during just warming up, throws to someone just 5 feet away for me where embarrassing. I had no control until I was 20 or so feet away.
It could of been because I was holding back my throw or lollipopinh the ball at a close distance
I’m going through this right now and it’s encouraging to know I’m not alone
@@farleyandfarley yea same thing with me feel like I have it under control now but for a minute close range was just not on
@@dylanbaxter5934did u fix i need help
Now imagine you’re a gymnast but instead of not being able to throw strikes you can’t land vaults correctly.
Thank you. Amazing how shes a "coward" and these men receive such understanding and sympathy.
our most recent catcher had the yips.. he needed to do these pumps in order for him to get the ball back to the pitcher. sometimes it killed us bc batters could steal on it all day long, which meant his CS% was very low. he could throw kids out fairly well, but he just couldn’t get the ball back very well
It’s the worst frickin feeling in the world because you love the sport so much. I had a brief case of this, and even though it was brief it sucked. So if you see someone with the yips, don’t get mad at them, encourage them that they will get through it because you don’t know the trouble their going through.
Salty should have read the articles in playboy, it worked for rube baker.... Lol
😂😂😂😂
Hey my friend; first time viewer, now a subscriber. I like these videos man, please post more! Thanks my friend. 🙏
I remember I had this happen to me in high school, I missed two easy pop ups that were hit right to me and I can still remember the embarrassment I felt, it was like I just didn’t know how to catch a baseball, I was so scared to make another error because I felt like I was making a fool of myself, since then I’ve alway struggled with my confidence in fielding and I’m always nervous about making an error and it’s constantly in the back of my mind.
I pitched all my life but I had times I felt like I have never pitched in my life and I never knew what was wrong with me. It literally felt like I was getting worse when I should be getting better. I also remember my body feeling completely numb all of the sudden when pitching where I couldn't even feel my body when I went through the pitching motion. Although I was considered an "Ace" when I was in the zone, I felt absolutely terrified everytime my name was called to pitch . I was so nervous to pitch in a game that I told my coaches I would rather be a closer than a starter. I even recall hoping that I won't pitch as I was going to the game knowing that if I have a bad day, it will be really bad. Maybe I had/have the yips.
The whole "out of body" feelings started completely randomly one game. I was going through the motion I had that feeling and it caused me to throw 2 wild pitches back to back so I had to call my coach up to take me off the mound. After that it would happen whenever I would think about it
3:48 someone get Jake Taylor. We got another Rube Baker case.
Back then I wondered why he was like that in Major League 2. Come on, Baker throw the damn ball!
The yips wasn't what ultimately did Knoblauch in though, the pitchers finally figures how to pitch to him hence him getting whiffed in his final years constantly on high cheese, partly trying to hit more home runs which didn't help.
One of my longtime teamates was on of the best catcher let alone best players i knew. He had a canon and constantly hit for high average and rbi’s however during one of our practices he got screamed at by the founder of our baseball facility and Orginization. And after that he couldn’t make throw downs and would constantly overthrow the pitcher and it got to the point where he thought about dropping the sport, haven’t talked to him since i left the team. From second hand experience i can tell you it really messes with your head and doesn’t discriminate who it affects.
Steve Sax is a super underrated 2nd basemen. One of the best in the 80’s
Also worth it to mention Ashe Russell. He was drafted in the first round only a few years ago and is already out of pro ball because of the yips.
Also known as the Royals typical pitcher development program. Sigh.
I got a small case of it during one of my later years of high school. I was nervous because I had to impress a new coach to keep my position. However, we didn't have a practice field yet, so instead we were throwing across the thin aisles of a warehouse. I straight up forgot how to throw a baseball, with an incredibly late release where I'd just spike it into the ground. I kept doing this even as we went outside. Got over it when we started doing some long toss. I chalked it up to simply being scared of hitting merchandise by accident.
I had thoracic outlet syndrome myself. It really sucked. My hand would go numb just walking around and I lost almost all strength in my left hand. Had to do 6+months of rehab to get rid of it.
Love the cleveland banner in the back being from cleveland myself..2019 all star
I had the yips fielding simple ground balls at 3rd base in high school. Made the spectacular diving plays but struggled with the worm burners. Became a catcher in college and had a great 4 years as starter.
I first felt yips in high school, mid-game when all of the sudden I couldn’t throw back to the pitcher. I was playing a solid defense as a catcher during that game, I hit a homerun in one inning, and the next inning I threw many one bound throws back to the pitcher. I just couldn’t control it. Yips comes at you that fast and I lost my control forever since then.
Dale Murphy had the yips. He forgot how to throw runners out and almost was out of baseball. Bobby Cox moved him to the outfield the following season. He won some gold glove, back to back MVP and is still up for consideration to the HOF. Not such a bad story either.
I had the yip during my last couple years of high school baseball and it absolutely sucked. I needed to DH and it was so frustrating losing the ability to throw the ball to anyone. It absolutely sucks and you lose all confidence
Umpire with the best out call ever at 5:40.
lol
I just started watching your videos, another good video Fuzzy
Good video. Great topic. You don't hear the yips being discussed much. You did some good research I already knew about Steve Sax, Rick Ankiel, and Chuck Knoblauch, but didn't know there were others. Good job on kind of an obscure topic.
Steve Sax Only Had The Yips Once Unbelievable
This vid is interesting. Thx for talking about this
I got the yips as a baseball player. I was a pitcher and 2nd baseman. It got torturous throwing to 2nd and pitching was out of the question. I thought it had something to do with my depression and it may have. There is definitely a mental aspect to it. I quit baseball for 20 years to surf competitively then, started playing softball and moved to the outfield and it was ok, then played 2nd and disaster throwing to first. Tried pitching again in a hardball league, 8 walks 1 out in 1/3 of an inning. Warming up I'd be on fire, popping the glove, but put a batter in there, I was over, done, wild pitch festival. Fortunately I went back to surfing which may have saved my life. Then 3 back operations, cant surf anymore so now what? Start a family? OD on heroin? Make a rap album? I'm 51 and I'm spent. A life of torture coming to an end.
Hey fuzzy have a great 2019 mlb season
Sax corrected his yips when Tommy Lasorda threatened to beat the crap out of him. Now that's good coaching.
I played a ton of base ball (nowhere near pro level) and while playing first base, in the pre game warm up, I could not throw the dang ball to the catcher.....it was so frustrating to me and only happened once.....I felt like rolling it to him.....
i had a dream like this once where i feel down in left feild with the ball and i could'nt get up and it scares me to this day
Nice. I was thinking of Sasser when you were talking about Saltalamacia. What about Chris Davis? Wow
I never ever heard about the yips until I saw a comment about Barkley's new golf swing.
Sounds like some strange version of OCD. What a terrifying problem for a professional athlete.
Knoblauch's is sad. He was a great player. Best AL 2B of the 90s behind Roberto Alomar. Knoblauch's yips came right after his Dad (and best friend) died. Supposedly he talked to him every day on the phone about baseball and lost his ability to throw to first base almost immediately after he died.
I think I have a signed Rick Ankiel baseball somewhere. I forgot about it until you mentioned his name.
I got the yips one time when catching. Went full Rube Baker and couldn’t throw the ball back to the pitcher. Thankfully it was only the last 2 innings of that game but man was it scary...and that was just in junior league baseball
another interesting case was the reliever Julian Tavarez who would roll the ball to first when it got hit back to him because he couldnt control how hard he was going to throw.
I was a catcher in high school and got the yips. I couldn't throw it accurately back to the pitcher in a easy, relaxed manner. To get the ball back to the pitcher I had to throw it hard. The pitcher's hated having the ball fired back at them after every pitch. Also, in golf I got the yips when chipping. Again, I could make a full swing, but on a short, easy swing I lost control. I came to over analyze it and when I stood over a chip I started thinking don't do it again and even worse was thinking I was going to do it. It became a self-fulfilling mindset. I practice all the time, but the yips have plagued me for approximately 20 years. This year I think I have found a solution. I believe it starts in technique, doing something wrong, but you continue doing what you think is the right technique. It does become a mental disaster too. It becomes overwhelming, I believe you have to learn proper technique and practice until you can do it without thinking about it. I tell you it drives you mad because no matter how hard I try I don't think I'll ever get back to that natural swing I had when I started. Now, I watch kids who aren't thinking about their swing and try to gauge how hard they grip the club, how they address the ball, how they swing, etc. Like Kevin Costner in For The Love Of The Game I want to clear the mechanism.
Actually pretty interesting! Good video, Fuzzy :)
Tyler Matzek is one. Now he us back in the big leagues with the braves as a reliever and is a strikeout arrist
My son is suffering from Yips. He is 15 years old. It really worries me. What can I do to help him? Thank you.
This stuff is real. I had a small case of it in high school for a short time. I was a catcher, and I was so scared to throw the ball back to the pitcher. It took so much focus and concentration to do it. And each throw I was scared. Then one day, it just stopped. Idk if that qualifies, but I never been more nerve wrecked playing baseball
Had the yips in high school as a pitcher. I just remember one season getting a come backer to the mound and i overthrew the ball to first. After that one error it took me a full year until i got back to being able to make that play. Luckily it was just mental and i never played in front of a huge crowd... cant imagine what it’s like in front of 20-40k people
You can’t imagine playing in front of 20 people?
From a pitcher, I definitely see how they feel, scaled down of course. It's like you get scared of throwing a bad throw and then kind of guide the ball. You feel shut down and limited. The way I get over it is just throwing as hard as I can for a while and regaining that confidence helps a lot.
just finished up the MLB: Truth Be Told documentary, I didnt know Ankiels back story, what an amazing story.
Mackey Sasser's stepson played baseball with me in high school. He coaches the community college team in my city and they're pretty good.
3:49 for all,of you Major League 2 fans, he was like Rube Baker.
The Indians should have moved Rube to the outfield and put Pedro at first.
I'm pretty sure Rube Baker really was based on Mackey Sasser.
I’ve had the yips for about a year in a half and still can’t get rid of them. I have terrible anxiety so once it started it’s just all I can’t think about sometimes. I hate it and don’t really know what to do
Wow, this story is pretty amazing... Going from a pitcher to a decent hitter in pro ball in a matter of a few years is pretty insane.. Those are 2 entirely different talents.. Some pitchers couldn't hit a beach ball even if they tried and worked on it, yet he did it...
Fuzzy, super interesting video!!! Really enjoyed it!
Dale Murphy came up as a catcher with the Braves. He stopped being able to throw the ball on a steal. Eventually, he was moved to the outfield and became a multi Gold Glover as a CF in the mid 80s.
I should NOT have watched this right as my college season is starting up..... Fuzzy I'm blaming you if it happens haha
Sent the link for this vid to my son! He catches 3 D1 committed pitchers as a sophomore in high school! (2 seniors that are twins and one Junior that should go into draft after next year!) After I sent it I went in his room and deleted it from his phone..lol! Deff not the time for the "yips" with scouts at every game!!!
I got yips going into my freshman year of high school. Couldn’t throw a baseball 15ft to save my life, but I could throw from center to home no problem. Whenever the throw required no thinking time I was fine. Also could throw any other ball (tennis ball, football, etc.) just fine, just not a baseball
splash1496 how did you get over it? I have the same problem. I’m going into my freshman year of high school and I can’t throw the ball short distance without spiking it or throwing over his head. But when the throw requires no thinking, I’m able to have pin point accuracy.
Bobby Bangs unfortunately I never really got over mine. I still struggle playing a simple game of catch today. I myself was lucky enough to excel at other sports so I switched my focus over to them.
My one bit of advice though would to never become discouraged when you spike a throw. It will happen, the more confidence you lose the more it will happen. Just keep pushing through it. I also recommended trying out the outfield. Most throws don’t require thinking from there, I just always threw straight to the base and skipped cutoffs.
Sorry I don’t have the best advice, but also try listening to music while warming up, I found it helped my mind think about listening to the music and less on the short throws. (Of course you would have to clear that with your coaches first, but most should be understanding)
When I was in 8 th grade I ruptured my rotator in my throwing arm, after a few months of rehab I felt fine but when I went to throw I couldn’t make a routine throw from 1st to 2nd the whole year.
Frozen Forest oof
Fuzzy you are a great inspiration and my favorite RUclips.
Fuzzy you forgot to mention that Ankeil is in the process of making a comeback with the Cards right now! Oh and Great videos man keep it going man!
I think I'm going through the same thing with pitching/throwing and it's good to know that there are people who have gone through the same thing and there is a way out of it
I had the same problem overthrowing people in baseball. Till this day I don’t know why I had the problem. I’ve never had that problem but I guess once it happens you tend to overthink the power needed to get the ball somewhere and it just adds a lot of pressure to make the throw.
I got the yips and I’m slowly getting rid of it so during my research I found one of the best players from a school near me, Andrean High school, Sean maneah for the A’s had it in HS! He through a no hitter last season! And as a Cubs fan Jon Lester is a big one! Yips is nothing to play with I still freak out from it
"3 days and he's fired. You don't get over the yips." Dr. House
The only cure for the "yips" is a vacation... IMO you only get he yips when you're too focused and start overthinking everything and the only way go get out of that rut is by getting away from it entirely, then when you return everything will come back naturally.... You can't obsess over things for too long otherwise you will get the "yips" and this applies to absolutely everything you do.. I mean another word for the "yips" is "writers block" for writers ... I mean any talent you have that requires focus has potential to give you the "yips" and the only cure is to get away from what you do... When you get the "yips" that is your body and mind telling you it's time for a vacation..
My first time pitching 2 BB 3ks and 0.00 era compared to now 2 BB 6ks and a 2.32 era is that good
Salty was going to be great! When my Braves traded him to the Rangers i thought we got hosed... Glad he turned it around and had a decent career.
I remember seeing him in Spring Training in 2006 and thinking he was going to be the best catcher in the league for a decade.
Awesome video. Blass was most definitely a righty but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Lol
I had what Jarrod and Fultz has. Thank goodness I got over it. If you ever get the yips, contact Richard Crowley. I’m serious
Jackpot Jameson Krueger He is an older guy who has the answer to get rid of the yips. He helped me and the yips is really all mental
@@kschreivogl Dude I contacted him 2 years ago when I was 17. Thank God for that man. He cured the yips for me.
How do I get in contact with him?
Who here has had the yips and ultimately had to give up the game they love? I had to🙋♂️😢😓
Me man, I am absolutely crushed to this day.
i have them right now
I spent my whole youth playing baseball from little league through Varsity high school. Baseball was my life and my whole youth playing on several traveling tournament teams etc...I always thought the yips could never happen until one day it did and OMG is it terrible. I consider myself a relatively strong mental person. But no matter what I did I couldn't get rid of it. It was absolute hell. It's not as easy getting rid of it as people might think. It's hell. I used to laugh as a kid seeing Knoblauch get them. Now I feel for any player I see get them more than anything. It's the worst expiernce and much harder to get rid of then anyone who's never had them can imagine. It's like all the years you play your brain gains muscle memory when you throw. That's why eventually you go on auto pilot when you throw and never think twice about it. And then suddenly you make a mistake or two one day and start thinking about your throwing motion and mechanics. Then suddenly It feels like your brain accidentally deleted all that muscle memory you used to possess and your forced to start all over again relearning how to throw.
Who's here because of Jose Altuve??
Me
Yessir
He’s going crazy now
Bad arse video, I learned alot about the YIPS. Thanks for the info man, I'll have some info like this on my channel soon.
This actually happened to me years back. When I was younger I was a quarterback in midget football and my first 2 years I dominated. Then came my 3rd year and I couldn’t throw the ball. Good thing I over came it in my 4th and final year and still play quarterback in high school years later
You left out Rube Baker.
“Louise teaches aerobics and loves short shorts, unicorns, and reruns of three’s company.”
My brother in high school was a first baseman and won the league in hitting, the only problem was from first base he couldn't throw it back to the pitcher
Alot of times people with yips are misdiagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
This happened to me when I was trying out for my middle school baseball team. I prayed everyday for a year that I would make that team so when o got the yips during tryouts I completely freaked out and faked an arm injury. I had no idea that it ever happened to anyone else at the time. I’m kept faking my arm injury and my parents took me to see doctors and to physical therapy for years and never lifted my arm up over my head if front of anyone. About 15 years later I found out about the yips and I confessed to my parents that I was faking the injury. I still haven’t thrown a baseball since that day at tryouts
I remember watching Steve Sax in the all star game in 83 and he threw the ball in the first base dugout.
man i remember i got the yips last year, and i just felt so scared to throw the ball from second to first
Dude I always like have dreams that like I’ll be playing baseball forget to play and like idk just freez up can’t move and I would sweat
Dale Murphy comes to mind when talking about the yips. He had the same problem as the other catchers on this list, he couldn't throw the ball back to the pitcher. Atlanta moved him to CF, and the rest is history. Back to back MVP seasons. If he played for a better team, he would be in the HOF.
I actually had the yips for one season but it wasn’t as bad as any of these guys I couldn’t throw the ball back to the pitcher as a 1B so I would walk it back. Everywhere else I threw was fine. To cure it I spent like 3 hours throwing a ball from first to the pitchers mound. I remember Knoblauch’s and Ankiel’s yips well but you should do a video on one hit wonders ( guys who were good for one season or shorter) EXAMPLE: Shane Spencer, Mark Piror, Or Clint Hurdle
It always looked to me like Sassers problem was his balance in his crouch when trying to throw back
Sorry but the speed voice made me cut this off.
I got that but in hitting idk why but out of nowhere my hitting got so bad that I only had a hit and practiced a lot and could but something got to me
Could’ve swore that hat you have on was a ‘95 ASG hat. Was gonna try to buy it off you and everything lol
I had the yips playing tennis. I played really well and was about to go pro and start joining championships. But then one day I simply forgot how to hit the ball with the forehand. It made no sense. My wrist would just do a weird twist, and I would either hit the ball straight to the ground in front of me, or completely out of the court over everything. I would try hitting a wall and would mostly be ok, until I actually went on a court. Then it would just begin again. I never recovered from that and abandoned the sport altogether. A few years ago I grabbed a racket and wondered if I still had it. I tried just hitting a ball over the net with my forehand, and I completely ballparked it out of the court. I am never touching it again.
One of the worse injuries in sport is Oblique Strain. I went through that injury and it wasn't pretty at all.
Ankeil is coming back as a pitcher in 2020