Matt Garza And The Yips
Ssssshhh… Don’t talk about it as if that solution has ever helped any baseball player who is battling the yips.
Not talking about the yips means not admitting that it is an issue. Not admitting to the problem of the yips prevents baseball players from seeking solutions.
So rather than admitting to having the yips, most baseball players deny its existence and hope it magically disappear.
Relate Articles: Are Throwing Problems Caused By The Yips?
Jason Giambi, a 20-year veteran, talked about how most baseball players have a “don’t ask-don’t tell” philosophy when it comes to the yips.
GIAMBI: “We really don’t talk about it as baseball players. It’s just this unwritten rule. You feel terrible for [those experiencing it].”
Garza, a ten-year veteran who was selected in the first-round of the 2005 MLB Draft, has had an issue with the yips when fielding his position.
Garza was ALCS MVP in 2008 with the Tampa Bay Rays and, in 2010, pitched a no-hitter.
Garza was a powerful pitcher but was a defensive liability due to errant throws and fielding a batted ball.
In 2012, opposing teams took advantage of Garza’s throwing yips and bunted on him twice as much as the league average.
Former MLB outfielder and teammate, Jason Tyner once commented on pitcher Matt Garza’s experience with the yips.
TYNER: “If you bunted on him, he’s throwing it down the right-field line. It wasn’t even close. You’d see him over on a back field working on it and it’d look like a 6-year-old trying to throw to first base. He could throw 95 mph wherever he wants to the batter, but he could not throw the ball to first base.”
The yips is not some deficiency, it is a mental block… a mental hiccup that interrupts the throwing process.
The Hiccups and the Yips Have A Lot in Common:
- Both the hiccups and the yips involve an involuntary spasm.
- Both have no obvious cause.
- Neither have quick fixes.
Cleveland Indians Sport Psychologist Dr. Charlie Maher refers to the yips as a “misplaced focus.”
MAHER: “If their focus really is misplaced, it’s on results. It’s on what people are thinking. It gets them away from the fluidity of the process of the game. As a result, it snowballs. They start to judge themselves. They start to tense themselves up. The end result is that the ball is not going where it’s supposed to go.”
You need to let go of the fear of making mistakes, fear of being negatively judged by others and thoughts of, “What the heck is wrong with me?”
Baseball players get in trouble when they field the ball, think about the throw, and then throw the ball.
If you focus on the present immersing yourself in the moment where you “field the ball, throw the ball,” you can gradually return to your previous form.
Try This Tip to Beat the Yips by Changing your Focus:
Elite track & field hurdlers focus not on the hurdle itself when they run but slightly above the hurdle.
The same type of focus can help you beat the mental hurdle of the yips. You need to switch focus from “thinking” mode to “doing” mode.
You should practice relaxing and maintaining focus. Before fielding a ball in practice repeat these cue words “Relax-Catch-Throw” after you complete the throw accept the result and move on.
Make it a habit to rely on your instincts instead of hoping your ball to the target.
Related Baseball Articles:
- Beat the Yips: Trust or Bust
- One Mental Key to Beat The Throwing Yips
- One Player Who Beat the Throwing Yips
Breaking The Yips Cycle Audio
Breaking The Yips Cycle AudioIf you can throw well when alone, but can’t take it to games, this is a mental game issue and not a physical challenge!
The Yips Cycle is a vicious cycle that causes ball players to stay trapped in overthinking and over control…
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