yips

[yips]

plural noun

Sports.

1. the sudden and unexplained loss of a motor skill used in a sport, as with a smooth golf swing reduced to a stuttering one, experienced by athletes who had previously mastered the required movements.

yips

/ jɪps /

plural noun

1. informal,  (in sport, originally esp golf) nervous twitching or tension that destroys concentration and spoils performance

Word History and Origins

Origin of yips¹

First recorded in 1960–65; origin obscure

Word History and Origins

Origin of yips¹

C20: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

“Here we are,” she said, although the children were already on their feet and letting out excited yips and barks.

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The yips got so bad that she would occasionally miss putts by 20 feet on purpose because she knew she had no chance if she left them too close to the hole.

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“God, it’s been so much fun,” she says as her French bulldog, Banksy, yips at her feet.

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Bernhard Langer, playing in his final Masters this week, overcame battles with the yips and became one of the greatest senior golfers of all-time.

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“I’ve had the yips on four different occasions. It seems like every seven years for some reason, just not lately, thank goodness.”

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