As featured in Golfers Chronicle December 2004

Editor: Paul Chappel

LYNN Francis has just completed a ground-breaking practical study into finding a cure for the yips and her results have proved staggering.

The yips is defined as a psycho neuromuscular problem that often strikes golfers when they are putting, but can also affect them during other types of shots whereby the player experiences freezing, jerking or twitching, immediately prior to impact.

So serious is the problem that the Mayo Clinic in America is conducting its own study to determine the cause, treatment and a cure...something Lynn feels she has already found!

Lynn explained: 'I took a group of five yips-affected golfers ranging from a professional to a 16-handicapper. The youngest was 28 and the oldest 59.'

'I asked each player to write a report prior to the treatment describing their symptoms and how it affected their game. After the treatment, which ranged from two to four sessions, they were asked to write another report.'

Treatment results are detailed below.

Player Profile

BEFORE

Golf is an important part of my life, so in 2007 I made the commitment to the programme which meant staying in Tenerife.

My problem with the yips originally surfaced when it came to driving off the tee. I could not get the club back in the normal length of time.

Eventually, the condition subsided after two or three months.

Last year I started suffering the same, this time with my putting.

As soon as I have a putt of 10ft or less I have an uncontrollable turn of my wrist. The shorter the putt, the more likely I am to push or pull it.

The lengths I have gone to in order to eradicate this problem include: four different putters, shortening a putter and changing my grip. But still the problem persists.

AFTER

Lynn has eliminated my yips problem completely. My game has improved to the extent that, rather than fear a six foot or less putt, I now look forward with confidence in my ability to hole them on most, if not all occasions.

Player Profile

BEFORE

I first experienced the yips in 1992 at the age of 16. I was playing in a provincial tournament in South Africa. I remember walking up to a putt of about eight feet, I was feeling confident. I went through my normal routine but when I tried to make the putt, my hands seemed to jump just before I made contact with the ball.

A little confused, I walked up to my remaining putt (above one foot in length) and did exactly the same thing again.

Gradually it became worse. After struggling for a year I swapped from putting left-handed to putting right-handed, which I still do today.

When I try and putt left-handed, I get a pins-and-needles feeling all down my right arm. In the last two years the yip is developing in the rest of my game from a short chip to a drive.

I find it hard to believe that the hands have time to twitch when the club is being swung at 125mph.

I am terrified of actually hitting the ball.

I need to sort this out as soon as possible as the game is becoming a chore and my confidence is at an all time low. Just the thought of playing golf gives me that tingling feeling in my right side and I know my full swing is taking the same route as my putting did when it all started.

AFTER

I still find it hard to believe that something that was so ingrained could be cured over the space of a few hours.

Since seeing Lynn, my confidence is at an all time high and I have started looking forward to playing again, and my scores are reflecting this.

People who have never experienced the yips find the subject hard to comprehend but for people who have and do, it is good to know that there is finally a definite cure.

Player Profile

BEFORE

Approximately five years ago I started to have the yips while putting.

At first it showed itself as a jabbed stroke, but increasingly it developed with me freezing over the ball. It became difficult, even almost impossible to draw back the putter.

In trying to accommodate the problem I tried several different putters including the ‘broomstick’ type. I then started to putt with my left hand below my right. This still did not remove the problem, by which time it had also started to affect me while chipping the ball.

AFTER

The dread I used to feel when faced with these particular shots has gone. I no longer display the jabbing and freezing over the ball that I did prior to this treatment.

Player Profile

BEFORE

The problem has been progressively getting worse from about 10 years, developing from the odd poor chip to much more.

In the past two or three the problem has crept into my longer putting. I am still OK with short putts.

The frustration it is bringing is starting to become difficult to cope with and could possibly lead to me giving up the game.

AFTER

After just two sessions with Lynn she appears to have completely eliminated the problem.

I have played 17 competitive rounds since the sessions and have had no yips. The dread I used to feel before chipping has gone. Yes, I have hit some bad chips but these were down to poor technique and not a yip.

My game is rejuvenated and I’m enjoying the game again.

Player Profile

BEFORE

Nearly four years ago I started to suffer the yips while chipping around the greens. No matter how much I practiced, it showed no signs of abating. It arose only in pressure situations, for instance if I needed to chip over a bunker to a tight pin location. My arm would stiffen and this caused me to thin the shot.

AFTER

Since having the treatment I feel like I have been cured from an illness.

My chipping has improved to a level I now feel comfortable with any kind of pitch shot. Lynn has also worked on my putting problem which showed up on six or seven foot putts. My old stroke is back and I’m at ease with myself again.

Player Profile

BEFORE

I have been a single figure golfer for about 20 years. I suffered with the yips for a few years, and ended up with a feeling of dread whenever I walked up to a green. Never mind three putting, sometimes there were four (once five) and even double hits. There were temporary cures after lessons, changes of putters and grips which never lasted more than a couple of months. I even started to think about stopping playing. Finally I realised I would have to do something drastic and get some serious help. By chance I saw Lynn Francis at a golf tournament on Sky Sports television talking about the problem, and I knew this could be my opportunity to sort it out. Golf is an important part of my life, so I made the commitment to the programme which meant staying in Tenerife.

AFTER

Once treatment was completed and the yips appeared to have vanished I still left Tenerife with the feeling they could return, however I can now report that eighteen months later having played a lot of competitive golf and competitive match play I am totally confident the yips aren't going to get me again.

Thanks Lynn. You've saved part of my life.