I used to be a great catcher, but the yips ended my career years ago. I didn't know what it was then and felt like I was alone. I finally understand it years later.
Me five as well, I was actually a closer pitcher for my middle school team. I hit about 3-5 people when I was on the mound, and I didn’t felt like I could try anymore. I’m going to try again in my high school baseball team this year
This is exactly what happened to me. I was a catcher at a college, I got recruited for softball, and the yips ruined me for my entire college career. I could NOT throw it back to my pitcher even tho I I’ve been doing it for YEAR with no problem. It was soo bad I had to stop playing my sophomore year of college.
I picked up this issue at the most painfully damaging time, during the start of my senior hs baseball season..I suddenly couldn't throw a single accurate toss anymore, like it was overnight. I was never more pumped up for baseball like I felt that senior year, and this curse destroyed me so severely that it compelled me to quit the team. My entire life's passion for baseball shattered and part of my soul had died permanently. The mental damage was so crushing, that I quickly began feeling like everyone was better than me at the sport-even friends that never played on a team. I tried a rec softball league after quitting, and had to take either opiates or adderall just to throw better.
Al throughout my life I have been good at throwing and then one day for some reason I struggled to throw a baseball and could not make the simpliest throws
@@PeakPerformanceSports yea for some reason I’m very good at long throws and throw them hard and mostly accurate but the yips happen with short throws and it feels like I can’t throw it hard and freely while being accurate. From close I short arm it a lot and just focus on reaching. Sometimes my hand spasms and the ball literly goes right into the ground.
@@morgs3871 I’m in your same boat, I can throw very accurate when I pitch or am in the outfield. But when I feel like I can’t throw as hard as I can, I just lob the ball when I warm up and can’t even get it to my dad
@@reesescups619 dude I’ve played baseball my whole life and I started expiercing throwing issues like 2 years ago and it’s never left. It just never leave your head. There are times I could be throwing great and the next day I look like I’ve never picked up a baseball in my life. Sometimes I have to start my up warm up with my dad at a longer distance because I just tighten up. Up close
Well how do you let it rip and how do you get your mind off of it. I have the same problem. I am starting to get frustrated with my arm and I am not playing the way I just to. I am a catcher and I can’t throw the ball back to the pitch, but I can throw it Soren to 2nd perfect.
Patrick Cohn everyone is trying to help me but it’s not working. They said to stop thinking and just throw the ball but that doesn’t work. I have had the yips for about 2 years now. I am scared that it will never go away and if it’s gonna happen to me in college and my scholarship will be taken away.
I could throw the ball effortlessly then began having issues where it felt like my hand was cement and couldnt release the ball at the right time.. I would over throw or throw into the ground. Sometimes i would release at the right time but with no spin. Coaching pre game throwing wiffles and hitting kids in bp was embarrassing.. i curred it by pointing my glove at target and just throwing hard over my glove. Seems to work
The Yips have plagued me since I was in junior high. It ruined my highschool career. I was great in practice, but fearful and timid in games. I am now 25 playing in a men's baseball league. I am still suffering from this fear in games. I understand all your videos of why I have the yips, and the cycle is. It is 100% fear. You have hit the nail right on the head. However just saying "You have to throw more freely" or "Just don't worry about it, the games mean nothing" does nothing. I hope to see some videos in the future of how to get over the fear.
Wow thanks for that quick reply! It's a rec men's league (albeit fairly competitive), so I think there is overlap from my childhood. The fear for me is disappointing my teammates. Which also lends itself to embarrassment as well. I just don't know how to all of a sudden stop being afraid to throw the ball. I have signed up on your website to receive the 8 strategies for breaking the yips. Hopefully that helps! Thank you again.
I played several years of minor league baseball. Struggled with throwing to first base sometime. Telling someone to NOT do this or NOT do that is counter productive. He wrote a book so I'm sure he offers many helpful tips. If you're already visualizing or imagining making a poor throw, that in itself is something that has to change. Often, it seems you're probably guiding the ball. I agree letting it happen will help but I also think you almost have to take yourself out of the equation. Really focus hard core on your target where you're so in tune with one small section to throw to, you often won't be so aware of yourself. Good luck
I got the yips... only in warmup throws in game perfectly fine. It’s all I can think about and I’m a freshman in college playing baseball so idk what to do???
I definitely had the yips when i played, and it was for the most part completely mental. I had a weird thing where if i didnt make a errant throw during warmups before the game then my throws would be all over the place during the game, to the point where thowing the ball to the pitcher was an absolute nightmare for me. Ended up transitioning to 1st for a couple of years but still struggled with throwing the ball (turns out i actually might have TOS so that probably didn't help either)
Im gonna see what i can do today i got a few more practices before the first tournament im just starting to get hit with the yips so hopefully asap i can stop
Can someone help me I have the yips and can’t get over them. I can throw perfectly in my backyard but when I am at practice or a game I just throw it into the ground.
I'm a college catcher and I literally can't throw back to the pitcher anymore. 2 years ago I was pulled from a game because of my throwing and that ruined me. After that year I was with my travel team and I was doing amazing and I thought I got over it. Now I'm a freshman in college and I'm terrified. Most of my throws are either lobs or straight to the ground. I know it's mental and I have to be confident, but what else can I do?
I had the yips and I wished I watched some videos like this to try and fix. Doctor said it was partially bc of a dopamine issue that was causing me to lose feeling in my hand and arm when I got adrenaline going.
@@coopercicirello1654 Are you over thinking you mechanics, such as your release. Do you go to a safe throw or lob during catch? And what distance do you struggle with?
Peak Performance Sports, LLC yeah i’m definitely trying to focus on my release, but the thing is i can play good in the backyard with my dad but at practice i can’t. i can throw fine at about 90 feet and up
@@coopercicirello1654 Most importantly, you have to stop trying to control the arm action or release. I call this freeing up your arm. Start by getting my practice drills here: www.baseball-yips.com/free-yips-report/
Bro I feel you I’m going through this same thing right now and there is nothing I can do like right I’m about to throw it my arm siezes and I throw it into the dirt or over his head
I made the team And than got the yips ...... Overnight I went from throwing 14/20 strikes to 3/20 strikes....... I was warming up for practice and I spiked the ball in the dirt a foot in front of me but than Hit my target every time long tossing throwing hard at him
I was just wondering because when I catch I always seem to jump back or move away from the ball. I don’t what to do. Does anyone have any tips that might help me?
As soon as they put me in cather i juat got scared to throw back to the pither so when they put me at 2nd base my normal position i am now just scared to throw
Try using a half fork ball grip. You can throw it hard and it shoots out of your hand vs having that odd sensation of the ball slipping or being stuck to your fingers. I've found after throwing a few balls like this builds your confidence since you are throwing with a normal arm motion and arm speed and you start to get the feel back in your fingers
First, you have to know it does not affect the outcome of a game--its just practice. Second, you want to apply the same principles I talk about with the throwing yips. Keep it simple, don't panic with one bad throw, let it fly-no over controlling the arm, focus on the target, etc. Get my free report on this if you have not: www.baseball-yips.com/free-yips-report/
I broke a bone one day, and when I was back I couldn’t throw the ball. If a guy was right in front of me it took everything I had just to make it accurate. I got really discouraged and ended up quitting
this just happened to me i recently started recovering from fracturing my sternum and now i can’t throw the ball for the life of me it is beyond frustrating and i’m also thinking about quitting
@@miles163 I know this is a fast reply but I’ve regretted quitting since the day I did, I let my arm rest for a couple months and when I went back to throw the ball I could throw just fine and I’m still regretting it
I have this issue. I can throw when I’m not thinking too much, but then I make a bad throw, it gets in my head, and I make horrible throws and it spirals downward. I have tryouts tomorrow for highschool, any tips?
Try not to change your action or over control your throw when you make a bad throw. Continue to focus on the target and rip it without thinking about how your arm feels.
Lucas Babinec I had the issue, but somehow I got it out of my head and threw perfectly. After a year plus of not being able to throw properly, I just calmed down and simply threw. Thanks though!
I have a different kind of situation, and tbh this is one of the hardest things to treat besides maybe depression. In theory, you have to link the positive reinforcement with the "stud, free" feeling, so that once you are in a challenging situation, you immediately become the "alpha" so to speak rather than a scared little kid. However, in practice you get way too much pressure during the game that you won't be able to snap out of it, therefore we have to use the technique "exposure," which is to expose you to the environment that you are afraid, and imitate your free regular self during that situation. However that technique actually might lead to other problems to your personalities, which could ruin your life otherwise, since you always link the reinforcement with the alpha, you would become overly aggressive in real life too.
I got hit with tips I am still kind a young it completely came out of nowhere and I don’t feel normal no more how could I fix this mentally and physically I don’t want it to ruin my career
It's mental and it changes your action. Avoid making physical changes as this will make the yips worse because you start to focus too much on the arm and release.
Try using a half fork ball grip. You can throw it hard and it shoots out of your hand vs having that odd sensation of the ball slipping or being stuck to your fingers. I've found after throwing a few balls like this builds your confidence since you are throwing with a normal arm motion and arm speed and you start to get the feel back in your fingers
I HAVE NO PROBLEMS THROWING THE SHIT PUT OF AN OFFICIAL KICKBALL...but , THROWING A BASEBALL OR A SOFTBALL ...which I used to be badass at...HAS BECOME THE HEARTACHE OF MY ADULT LIFE..I ATTRIBUTE IT TO HAVING coached little kids for 9 years and having to be careful with how hard I would throw the ball around so i wouldnt hurt anyones kids....so now when i want go play adult ball..I go to throw the damn ball and it someimes rolls right off my fingers and goes behind me or i throw it straight into the dirt..or my partner is chasing the damn wild ball I CAN’t stop THROWING! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS ME ..I USED TK THEOW SOFTBALLS or BASEballs LIKE SO HARD AND FASR WITH PERCISOn...now the only time I can is w a kickball ..i think because I know it can’t hurt anyone that bad...smh help!
Try using a half fork ball grip. You can throw it hard and it shoots out of your hand vs having that odd sensation of the ball slipping or being stuck to your fingers. I've found after throwing a few balls like this builds your confidence since you are throwing with a normal arm motion and arm speed and you start to get the feel back in your fingers
I used to be a great catcher, but the yips ended my career years ago. I didn't know what it was then and felt like I was alone. I finally understand it years later.
Gary Hutton me too
Me three :)
Gary Hutton me four! Ruined my career
Me five as well, I was actually a closer pitcher for my middle school team. I hit about 3-5 people when I was on the mound, and I didn’t felt like I could try anymore. I’m going to try again in my high school baseball team this year
This is exactly what happened to me. I was a catcher at a college, I got recruited for softball, and the yips ruined me for my entire college career. I could NOT throw it back to my pitcher even tho I I’ve been doing it for YEAR with no problem. It was soo bad I had to stop playing my sophomore year of college.
I picked up this issue at the most painfully damaging time, during the start of my senior hs baseball season..I suddenly couldn't throw a single accurate toss anymore, like it was overnight. I was never more pumped up for baseball like I felt that senior year, and this curse destroyed me so severely that it compelled me to quit the team. My entire life's passion for baseball shattered and part of my soul had died permanently.
The mental damage was so crushing, that I quickly began feeling like everyone was better than me at the sport-even friends that never played on a team.
I tried a rec softball league after quitting, and had to take either opiates or adderall just to throw better.
Sorry bro
Al throughout my life I have been good at throwing and then one day for some reason I struggled to throw a baseball and could not make the simpliest throws
Short throws are always the issues with the yips. What's the fear about making a bad throw?
@@PeakPerformanceSports yea for some reason I’m very good at long throws and throw them hard and mostly accurate but the yips happen with short throws and it feels like I can’t throw it hard and freely while being accurate. From close I short arm it a lot and just focus on reaching. Sometimes my hand spasms and the ball literly goes right into the ground.
@@morgs3871 I’m in your same boat, I can throw very accurate when I pitch or am in the outfield. But when I feel like I can’t throw as hard as I can, I just lob the ball when I warm up and can’t even get it to my dad
@@reesescups619 holy crap same bro did you fix it?
@@reesescups619 dude I’ve played baseball my whole life and I started expiercing throwing issues like 2 years ago and it’s never left. It just never leave your head. There are times I could be throwing great and the next day I look like I’ve never picked up a baseball in my life. Sometimes I have to start my up warm up with my dad at a longer distance because I just tighten up. Up close
One thing that helped me is to when you are about to throw just exhale and just let it fly and follow through your target
Well how do you let it rip and how do you get your mind off of it. I have the same problem. I am starting to get frustrated with my arm and I am not playing the way I just to. I am a catcher and I can’t throw the ball back to the pitch, but I can throw it Soren to 2nd perfect.
Patrick Cohn everyone is trying to help me but it’s not working. They said to stop thinking and just throw the ball but that doesn’t work. I have had the yips for about 2 years now. I am scared that it will never go away and if it’s gonna happen to me in college and my scholarship will be taken away.
Patrick Cohn okay thank you I will do try that today.
Laney Sheppard hey, have you fixed it yet?
Ya! Confidence and breathing
Laney Sheppard ah haha. the next step for me is how to gain confidence
I could throw the ball effortlessly then began having issues where it felt like my hand was cement and couldnt release the ball at the right time.. I would over throw or throw into the ground. Sometimes i would release at the right time but with no spin. Coaching pre game throwing wiffles and hitting kids in bp was embarrassing.. i curred it by pointing my glove at target and just throwing hard over my glove. Seems to work
The Yips have plagued me since I was in junior high. It ruined my highschool career. I was great in practice, but fearful and timid in games. I am now 25 playing in a men's baseball league. I am still suffering from this fear in games. I understand all your videos of why I have the yips, and the cycle is. It is 100% fear. You have hit the nail right on the head. However just saying "You have to throw more freely" or "Just don't worry about it, the games mean nothing" does nothing. I hope to see some videos in the future of how to get over the fear.
Wow thanks for that quick reply! It's a rec men's league (albeit fairly competitive), so I think there is overlap from my childhood. The fear for me is disappointing my teammates. Which also lends itself to embarrassment as well. I just don't know how to all of a sudden stop being afraid to throw the ball. I have signed up on your website to receive the 8 strategies for breaking the yips. Hopefully that helps! Thank you again.
I played several years of minor league baseball. Struggled with throwing to first base sometime. Telling someone to NOT do this or NOT do that is counter productive. He wrote a book so I'm sure he offers many helpful tips. If you're already visualizing or imagining making a poor throw, that in itself is something that has to change. Often, it seems you're probably guiding the ball. I agree letting it happen will help but I also think you almost have to take yourself out of the equation. Really focus hard core on your target where you're so in tune with one small section to throw to, you often won't be so aware of yourself. Good luck
U shouldn’t even play if u are struggling with it . Unless for some reason u still love the game at ur age
Literally VISUALIZE the postive outcome...dont let the thought of bad throw bein ya mind right before i throw!
Man i can't even describe how embarrassing it is to have this. I stopped playing in high school because of it
I got the yips... only in warmup throws in game perfectly fine. It’s all I can think about and I’m a freshman in college playing baseball so idk what to do???
It's only warm up. Don't let it get into your head. Does not affect game performance
I definitely had the yips when i played, and it was for the most part completely mental. I had a weird thing where if i didnt make a errant throw during warmups before the game then my throws would be all over the place during the game, to the point where thowing the ball to the pitcher was an absolute nightmare for me. Ended up transitioning to 1st for a couple of years but still struggled with throwing the ball (turns out i actually might have TOS so that probably didn't help either)
Thanks for sharing your story. Everyone experiences the yips differently. I suspect you were "waiting" for the bad throw in the game.
Im gonna see what i can do today i got a few more practices before the first tournament im just starting to get hit with the yips so hopefully asap i can stop
Focus on the throw you want to make, not the bad throw. Also, free up the arm and don't try to control your release, etc.
Can someone help me I have the yips and can’t get over them. I can throw perfectly in my backyard but when I am at practice or a game I just throw it into the ground.
@@mc_aspect-8706 How about when you throw to second?
I can throw down
@@mc_aspect-8706 Then you can throw. Rip it back to the pitcher and don't baby it or go to safe throw.
I'm a college catcher and I literally can't throw back to the pitcher anymore. 2 years ago I was pulled from a game because of my throwing and that ruined me. After that year I was with my travel team and I was doing amazing and I thought I got over it. Now I'm a freshman in college and I'm terrified. Most of my throws are either lobs or straight to the ground. I know it's mental and I have to be confident, but what else can I do?
Dude same thing man
I had the yips and I wished I watched some videos like this to try and fix. Doctor said it was partially bc of a dopamine issue that was causing me to lose feeling in my hand and arm when I got adrenaline going.
i can’t play catch at all, i can pitch and mostly make throws around the bases. how can i fix this
What happens when you play catch? And is this only in the warm up? Bullpen? Other?
Peak Performance Sports, LLC i usually spike it into the ground to the left, or i float it over their head to the right. i’m fine in bullpens
@@coopercicirello1654 Are you over thinking you mechanics, such as your release. Do you go to a safe throw or lob during catch? And what distance do you struggle with?
Peak Performance Sports, LLC yeah i’m definitely trying to focus on my release, but the thing is i can play good in the backyard with my dad but at practice i can’t. i can throw fine at about 90 feet and up
@@coopercicirello1654 Most importantly, you have to stop trying to control the arm action or release. I call this freeing up your arm. Start by getting my practice drills here: www.baseball-yips.com/free-yips-report/
Be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
I thought this was just me. I'm a catcher, and i can easily throw down to second, but i can't make a simple throw back to the pitcher.
Bro I feel you I’m going through this same thing right now and there is nothing I can do like right I’m about to throw it my arm siezes and I throw it into the dirt or over his head
I made the team And than got the yips ...... Overnight I went from throwing 14/20 strikes to 3/20 strikes....... I was warming up for practice and I spiked the ball in the dirt a foot in front of me but than Hit my target every time long tossing throwing hard at him
I was just wondering because when I catch I always seem to jump back or move away from the ball. I don’t what to do. Does anyone have any tips that might help me?
As soon as they put me in cather i juat got scared to throw back to the pither so when they put me at 2nd base my normal position i am now just scared to throw
Try using a half fork ball grip. You can throw it hard and it shoots out of your hand vs having that odd sensation of the ball slipping or being stuck to your fingers. I've found after throwing a few balls like this builds your confidence since you are throwing with a normal arm motion and arm speed and you start to get the feel back in your fingers
What if this happens to me when I throw batting practice to my teammates
First, you have to know it does not affect the outcome of a game--its just practice. Second, you want to apply the same principles I talk about with the throwing yips. Keep it simple, don't panic with one bad throw, let it fly-no over controlling the arm, focus on the target, etc. Get my free report on this if you have not: www.baseball-yips.com/free-yips-report/
I broke a bone one day, and when I was back I couldn’t throw the ball. If a guy was right in front of me it took everything I had just to make it accurate. I got really discouraged and ended up quitting
this just happened to me i recently started recovering from fracturing my sternum and now i can’t throw the ball for the life of me it is beyond frustrating and i’m also thinking about quitting
@@miles163 I know this is a fast reply but I’ve regretted quitting since the day I did, I let my arm rest for a couple months and when I went back to throw the ball I could throw just fine and I’m still regretting it
@@michaelscott6266 I think I'm getting better I've been throwing a whole bunch going back to fundamentals and I think ill be alright
Sawamura Eijun needs this.
I have this issue. I can throw when I’m not thinking too much, but then I make a bad throw, it gets in my head, and I make horrible throws and it spirals downward. I have tryouts tomorrow for highschool, any tips?
Try not to change your action or over control your throw when you make a bad throw. Continue to focus on the target and rip it without thinking about how your arm feels.
Peak Performance Sports, LLC Thanks so much! Will try to use what you said.
@@garrettord are you still having this issue? I'm a pitcher who has dealt with this in the past.
Lucas Babinec I had the issue, but somehow I got it out of my head and threw perfectly. After a year plus of not being able to throw properly, I just calmed down and simply threw. Thanks though!
@@garrettord way to go!
I have a different kind of situation, and tbh this is one of the hardest things to treat besides maybe depression.
In theory, you have to link the positive reinforcement with the "stud, free" feeling, so that once you are in a challenging situation, you immediately become the "alpha" so to speak rather than a scared little kid. However, in practice you get way too much pressure during the game that you won't be able to snap out of it, therefore we have to use the technique "exposure," which is to expose you to the environment that you are afraid, and imitate your free regular self during that situation.
However that technique actually might lead to other problems to your personalities, which could ruin your life otherwise, since you always link the reinforcement with the alpha, you would become overly aggressive in real life too.
I got hit with tips I am still kind a young it completely came out of nowhere and I don’t feel normal no more how could I fix this mentally and physically I don’t want it to ruin my career
It's mental and it changes your action. Avoid making physical changes as this will make the yips worse because you start to focus too much on the arm and release.
Try using a half fork ball grip. You can throw it hard and it shoots out of your hand vs having that odd sensation of the ball slipping or being stuck to your fingers. I've found after throwing a few balls like this builds your confidence since you are throwing with a normal arm motion and arm speed and you start to get the feel back in your fingers
@@PeakPerformanceSports have you had the yips before and cured them ?
I’m having the same problem
I HAVE NO PROBLEMS THROWING THE SHIT PUT OF AN OFFICIAL KICKBALL...but , THROWING A BASEBALL OR A SOFTBALL ...which I used to be badass at...HAS BECOME THE HEARTACHE OF MY ADULT LIFE..I ATTRIBUTE IT TO HAVING coached little kids for 9 years and having to be careful with how hard I would throw the ball around so i wouldnt hurt anyones kids....so now when i want go play adult ball..I go to throw the damn ball and it someimes rolls right off my fingers and goes behind me or i throw it straight into the dirt..or my partner is chasing the damn wild ball I CAN’t stop THROWING! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS ME ..I USED TK THEOW SOFTBALLS or BASEballs LIKE SO HARD AND FASR WITH PERCISOn...now the only time I can is w a kickball ..i think because I know it can’t hurt anyone that bad...smh help!
Try using a half fork ball grip. You can throw it hard and it shoots out of your hand vs having that odd sensation of the ball slipping or being stuck to your fingers. I've found after throwing a few balls like this builds your confidence since you are throwing with a normal arm motion and arm speed and you start to get the feel back in your fingers
OVERTHINKING NEGATIVE thoughts ...needs to be SEE IT HAPPEN POSTITIVE ...then LET it happen!