Are the yips a task‐specific dystonia or “golfer's cramp”?

Abstract

This study compared golfers with and without the yips using joint movement and surface electromyographic detectors. Fifty golfers (25 with and 25 without complaints of the yips) were studied while putting. All putts were videotaped. Surface electromyography assessed arm cocontraction. A CyberGlove II (Immersion Technologies, Palo Alto, CA) assessed right-arm angular movements. Primary analysis was done by subjective complaint of the yips, whereas secondary analysis was done by video evidence of an involuntary movement. When grouped by subjective complaints, there were no differences in any movement parameter. When grouped by video evidence of an involuntary movement, yips cases had more (P < 0.001) angular movement in wrist pronation/supination and a trend (P = 0.08) for wrist flexor/extensor cocontraction (yips: 7 of 17, 41.2%; no yips: 6 of 33, 18.2%). Golfers with video evidence of an involuntary movement while putting have excessive rotation of the right wrist in a pronation/supination motion and, as previously reported, a trend for wrist flexor/extensor cocontraction.

Self-report vs. kinematic screening test: prevalence, demographics, and sports biography of yips-affected golfers

“…Neurophysiological reasons for the yips have been postulated based on its physical manifestation and observed cocontractions, which are similar to those of task-specific focal dystonias (Adler, Crews, Hentz, Smith, & Caviness, 2005;Adler et al, 2011;McDaniel et al, 1989;Sachdev, 1992) such as writer's cramp (Hermsdörfer, Marquardt, Schneider, Fürholzer, & Baur, 2011) or musician's cramp (Altenmueller & Jabusch, 2009). Psychological reasons have been suggested based on the symptoms worsening under stress (Masters & Maxwell, 2008), and the yips has been discussed as a chronic and severe form of choking under pressure (Bawden & Maynard, 2001;Klämpfl, Lobinger, & Raab, 2013a, 2013b) -a drop in performance caused by a perceived mismatch of situational demands and the athlete's own resources to master the situation (Hill, Hanton, Matthews, & Fleming, 2010).…”

“…Philippen & Lobinger, 2012;Smith et al, 2000;Stinear et al, 2006). There, the yips was characterised as an involuntary jerking and twisting of the forearm, usually while putting (Adler et al, 2011;Smith et al, 2003).…”

Some Unusual Sports-Related Neurologic Conditions

“…34Y42 The term yips was first used by Armour over 50 years ago to describe the abnormal hand and wrist movement he experienced while putting. 36,38,42 Most studies conducted on the yips have used questionnaires and not direct patient examination 36,38,42 ; therefore, the actual frequency is unknown. 34Y37,39Y42 The etiology and pathophysiology of the disorder is poorly understood.…”

Difficult Diagnoses in Hyperkinetic Disorders – A Focused Review

“…As it has been described in many recent reviews, most authors lean toward the opinion that there is no relationship between the two conditions (Adler et al, 2011). This is supported by the lack of shared clinical features (e.g., olfaction is normal in ET and reduced in PD; sleep abnormalities, such as REM sleep behavioral disorder is not present in ET); genetic markers (genes associated to PD are unrelated to ET and vice-versa); pathological findings (synucleinopathy is not found in ET subjects); and therapeutic response (Adler et al, 2011; Fekete and Jankovic, 2011). Nevertheless, epidemiological data suggest that there might be a relationship between ET and PD (La Roia and Louis, 2011), although some argue that this is due to inappropriate diagnosis of the former.…”

“…Conversely, patients with PD who present with prominent postural and kinetic tremor blur the clinical distinction between PD and ET. Even those who do not believe there is a relationship between ET and PD concede that these patients point out to the existence of a link between the two conditions (Adler et al, 2011). However, although clinically these patients meet criteria of both PD and ET, post mortem studies of a few of them have failed to demonstrate that there is underlying Lewy body pathology (Louis et al, 2011).…”