HELP?! I have the tennis yips.....

JAY1

Semi-Pro
I used to be a good player (6.0) and have been a professional coach for nearly 30 years, but I'm finally stumped with my own game.
As the ball is approaching me I manufacture the racket going back on the backswing,i.e.; I force it back a split second early which then of course throws all,the rhythm and timing off.
I've tried so many things to overcome and counter this but besides the odd occasion I have the yips every time I play...
What I need to do is switch my brain off and just rely on my sub conscious....
The best two things that have worked are.... 1) too focus on my footwork 2) and I'm not joking, have a couple of beers...
Any help would be gratefully received....
Thanks
 

beltsman

G.O.A.T.
I used to be a good player (6.0) and have been a professional coach for nearly 30 years, but I'm finally stumped with my own game.
As the ball is approaching me I manufacture the racket going back on the backswing,i.e.; I force it back a split second early which then of course throws all,the rhythm and timing off.
I've tried so many things to overcome and counter this but besides the odd occasion I have the yips every time I play...
What I need to do is switch my brain off and just rely on my sub conscious....
The best two things that have worked are.... 1) too focus on my footwork 2) and I'm not joking, have a couple of beers...
Any help would be gratefully received....
Thanks

Swing a really heavy, 13.5-15 oz racquet, and hit some balls with it. It forces a smooth motion.
 

JAY1

Semi-Pro
Swing a really heavy, 13.5-15 oz racquet, and hit some balls with it. It forces a smooth motion.
Thanks but I don't think you get what I meant. It's a mental block, not anything to do with the weight of the racket...Probably me not explaining it well enough.
 

beltsman

G.O.A.T.
Thanks but I don't think you get what I meant. It's a mental block, not anything to do with the weight of the racket...Probably me not explaining it well enough.

No I get it. I've found that swinging heavy racquets helps my brain to reset the stroke. I'm not saying to switch permanently.
 

Secret04

New User
I've returned to the game this summer after being away for 20 years. The basics came back rather quickly but the mental part just wasnt there. My dad, an avid player in his 80s, recommended a book called Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert & Steve Jamison. It was a quick read and enjoyable. The take away for me was that once you get inside your head on the courts, then suddenly you're playing against two opponents, one being yourself. The book presents strategies for getting out of your head. For me, I fell back on the single shot technique: focus on the next shot, don't look backwards nor at the larger game, set, or match. I focused on getting the ball back over the net. Period. Let the other player make a mistake. This simple approach took a ton of pressure off of me and I found myself not tensed up and my swinging arm got relaxed and my forehand regained the effortless whip. My serve regained the momentum and racket head speed I was lacking when I was unknowingly over-thinking and tensing up.

I dont know if this is at all helpful. This is in fact my first post on this site so you can certainly tell me to **** off. But your post resonated with me and I empathize greatly.

All I know is that I am loving being out on the courts again and I fell back in love with the sport. The self-imposed pressure is no longer there.

I hope you find yourself out there. I feel that if you keep trying then its only a matter of time. Good luck!
 

SinjinCooper

Hall of Fame
Somewhere in there, did you switch from a classical eastern neutral stance FH to a more modern rotational stroke?

Even if you were professionally grooved, if you hit the reset button and started all new with fresh strokes, it's not surprising to hit hiccups.

Where is your off arm pointing as the ball comes in? Forward, as with a classical FH? Straight across as with a modern? Or some kind of in-between compromise around 45 degrees?
 

JAY1

Semi-Pro
Somewhere in there, did you switch from a classical eastern neutral stance FH to a more modern rotational stroke?

Even if you were professionally grooved, if you hit the reset button and started all new with fresh strokes, it's not surprising to hit hiccups.

Where is your off arm pointing as the ball comes in? Forward, as with a classical FH? Straight across as with a modern? Or some kind of in-between compromise around 45 degrees?
No no new strokes, just something got into my head many years ago about being aware of the racket take back is going and I lost my strokes... thank you for your comments....
 

JAY1

Semi-Pro
I've returned to the game this summer after being away for 20 years. The basics came back rather quickly but the mental part just wasnt there. My dad, an avid player in his 80s, recommended a book called Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert & Steve Jamison. It was a quick read and enjoyable. The take away for me was that once you get inside your head on the courts, then suddenly you're playing against two opponents, one being yourself. The book presents strategies for getting out of your head. For me, I fell back on the single shot technique: focus on the next shot, don't look backwards nor at the larger game, set, or match. I focused on getting the ball back over the net. Period. Let the other player make a mistake. This simple approach took a ton of pressure off of me and I found myself not tensed up and my swinging arm got relaxed and my forehand regained the effortless whip. My serve regained the momentum and racket head speed I was lacking when I was unknowingly over-thinking and tensing up.

I dont know if this is at all helpful. This is in fact my first post on this site so you can certainly tell me to **** off. But your post resonated with me and I empathize greatly.

All I know is that I am loving being out on the courts again and I fell back in love with the sport. The self-imposed pressure is no longer there.

I hope you find yourself out there. I feel that if you keep trying then its only a matter of time. Good luck!

Thank you for considerate reply. I have Winning Ugly, I will go through it.
It's destroyed my love of playing, with coaching it's fine but with playing I rather not play. It's a shame because I could still play a decent level but I just can't hit the ball instinctively, I'm always so aware of the racket and end forcing the racket back early and therefore lose all timing. It's even physically painful sometimes as I'm timing the ball so badly.
From the moment my opponent hits the ball to the moment to the moment just after I hit the ball, I wish my mind would go blank/absent...

Thank you again....
 

norcal

Legend
2) and I'm not joking, have a couple of beers...

You need to find an alternative such as deep breathing or other relaxation technique. A couple of beers DOES HELP in the short term, but unless you address the underlying anxiety with a more natural solution, you will have to increase the alcohol intake to get the same calming effect over time - not a good answer to your problem.
 

Notirouswithag

Professional
Good to know I'm not the only one who has been going through this lately.

This summer I havent been playing as much lately with my shoulder acting up(bum clavicle) and within the alst two weeks of hitting/playing with my level guys(4.0-4.5) my FH feels like I've completley forgot how to use it and I've hit a block. It used to be my prized shot and now I can barely make them consistent to save my life.

Part of it I know is a mental block of being afraid to get my body rotation back and turn my shoulders to drop the racquet because I'm afraid I will strain my clavicle/muscles even more, but the other half just happened out of no where.

Best thing to that I've started to do is get a ball and hit against the wall to try and get my momentum and turn back
 

JAY1

Semi-Pro
You need to find an alternative such as deep breathing or other relaxation technique. A couple of beers DOES HELP in the short term, but unless you address the underlying anxiety with a more natural solution, you will have to increase the alcohol intake to get the same calming effect over time - not a good answer to your problem.
They are wise words, I need a real/proper long term solution. I'm sure there is anxiety mixed in there with the mental block too....
It's just about having an absent and instinctive mind... thank you.
 

JAY1

Semi-Pro
Good to know I'm not the only one who has been going through this lately.

This summer I havent been playing as much lately with my shoulder acting up(bum clavicle) and within the alst two weeks of hitting/playing with my level guys(4.0-4.5) my FH feels like I've completley forgot how to use it and I've hit a block. It used to be my prized shot and now I can barely make them consistent to save my life.

Part of it I know is a mental block of being afraid to get my body rotation back and turn my shoulders to drop the racquet because I'm afraid I will strain my clavicle/muscles even more, but the other half just happened out of no where.

Best thing to that I've started to do is get a ball and hit against the wall to try and get my momentum and turn back

Yes I've been trying to use the tennis ball machine but to no avail I'm afraid, it really is an issue with my game....
Focussing on footwork seems to help a bit.
But I'll try again this weekend and report back..... Many thanks.
 

coupergear

Professional
Good to know I'm not the only one who has been going through this lately.

This summer I havent been playing as much lately with my shoulder acting up(bum clavicle) and within the alst two weeks of hitting/playing with my level guys(4.0-4.5) my FH feels like I've completley forgot how to use it and I've hit a block. It used to be my prized shot and now I can barely make them consistent to save my life.

Part of it I know is a mental block of being afraid to get my body rotation back and turn my shoulders to drop the racquet because I'm afraid I will strain my clavicle/muscles even more, but the other half just happened out of no where.

Best thing to that I've started to do is get a ball and hit against the wall to try and get my momentum and turn back
Injuries can be weird things I had a rotator cuff repair done a couple years back and with the MRI beforehand and the recovery time afterwards it triggered claustrophobia which I used to have as a kid but had long gotten over. Odd things like wearing wetsuits are uncomfortable mentally at times now... any sense of constriction of the arm. It has not affected my tennis game and the repair did help with pain in my shoulder although it's not perfect--but an example of injuries affecting your mind.
 

ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
I used to be a good player (6.0) and have been a professional coach for nearly 30 years...

Kinda set the bar very high for yourself with those credentials, so anything less than that level is probably leaving you feeling like you lost something. Expectation to win is the worst mindset anyone can ever have. That is not a controllable outcomes. However, full focus on execution of game and competing the best you can, that is fully what you control and should bring to every match. This is true in practice as well, when you maybe expect so much having been at such a high level for o long.

So give yourself some room to not be really good and mentally focus on doing all the right things you know. The game will come back for sure.
 

JAY1

Semi-Pro
Ok, so I've been just focussing on my footwork and being aware of every footstep..... it works pretty much as my focus is on something other than my racket etc.
Is there anything I could try besides my footwork to distract myself etc?!
Many thanks....
 

TnsGuru

Professional
No, I meant I posted this reply b4 and reposted by mistake....I couldn't delete my post. Relax dude....chill.
 

TnsGuru

Professional
So why didn't you just do the intelligent thing and delete your post?
You know I actually feel bad 4u and your issues and you badger me? Sorry, I tried, you don't make errors I take it? I was cut and pasting between two posts but made the error and couldn't fix it. Still, hope you find your game again
 
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JAY1

Semi-Pro
You know I actually felt bad 4u and you're issues and you badger me? Sorry I tried, you don't make errors I take it? I was cut and pasting between two post but made the error and couldn't fix it. Still, hope you find your game again
Mate, I was joking/playing with you! Everything is deadly serious on here, you have to admit you American guys take everything pretty seriously...
It's just my English sarcastic humour, that doesn't translate well on here..
I didn't mean to offend and I apologise if I did...
 

Max Powers

New User
Hi
Just interested to see if you've had any luck with this since?

I have exactly the same thing. My topspin forehand used to be the rock of my game, now scares the hell out of me, like i've been pushed towards the edge of a cliff every time I'm about to swing. The worst thing is that everytime I think I've come up with a trick or a change in focus that fixes it, it lasts about two days, the fix loses it's effectiveness, and it's back worse than ever.

Would love to hear if you've had any luck
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
Hi
Just interested to see if you've had any luck with this since?

I have exactly the same thing. My topspin forehand used to be the rock of my game, now scares the hell out of me, like i've been pushed towards the edge of a cliff every time I'm about to swing. The worst thing is that everytime I think I've come up with a trick or a change in focus that fixes it, it lasts about two days, the fix loses it's effectiveness, and it's back worse than ever.

That implies your fixes are only addressing symptoms and not the underlying cause.

Is it only during matches or also during practice?

Video yourself so you can look for patterns or breakdowns in technique.

What happens if you shadow swing? Drop feed? Swing only at 50%? How's your spacing? Footwork?

It sounds like you or a coach need to take a critical look at the stroke.
 

frnkflp

New User
OP I feel for you. I came from competitive golf in college and later in USGA tournaments. Golf is rife with people suffering from yips and mental blocks. Probably more so than tennis because the stationary ball seems to exacerbate the issue. There are some learnings from the golf world that could help. Gio Vialante wrote a book called Fearless Golf. The premise is: pick a target and swing fearlessly at it. Another person worth reading up on is Dr Bob Rotella. The suggestion to read Inner Game of Tennis is a good one.

All of these have one thing in common: forgetting about the result. Swinging freely, divorced from what the stroke looks like, what the score is, what the outcome means. The underlying key is realizing if you can swing freely because the consequences are, well, inconsequential. And by caring less about the outcome, you perform better. A wicked paradox.

A drill like this might help: have someone drop feed you from right next to you. Hit the ball to small targets placed on the other side of the net, but WITHOUT looking directly at the ball. Sounds silly and you’ll surely whiff or shank some. But you’ll forget about mechanics/position and instead, by focusing more on the target and less on the ball, you should swing more freely.

Good luck.
 

Chas Tennis

G.O.A.T.
Comparing strokes might show you something. ?

For two high level strokes, side-by-side comparison of high speed videos where the frames of impact has been coordinated in each video is excellent. Compare similar camera angles and look for differences. You can see details.

Example. Playback issues??

Remove XXs and paste in to go to the Vimeo site. Or search Chas Tennis Vimeo and locate this video.
XXhttps://vimeo.com/205748848

Unfortunately, played back on Vimeo the video skips frames when using the Vimeo single frame process on these Kinovea comparison videos. Hold down the SHIFT KEY and use the ARROW KEYS. You can trust the frame time in milliseconds but frames are skipped. "0 ms" is impact. The original Kinovea side-by-side video shows all frames on my computer.

I did not find Kinovea difficult to use.

I've done many side-by-side comparisons, mostly on the tennis serve, and entered detailed comments on differences throughout the video. These videos are best when viewed stopping on single frames to read the comments.

With a 6.0 level game you might discover a technique issue by carefully comparing your video ground strokes. Compare strokes with similar bounce-hit timing.

One issue not requiring side-by-side comparisons might be ball watching.

What has been your use of high speed video?
 
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TennisCJC

Legend
Relax dude, it is just tennis. I would think writing "I've got the yips" on a tennis forum is the worst thing you can do. I've monkeyed with my strokes and screwed them up a bit but they usually sort themselves back to normal in a couple of weeks.

Things to try:
1. take a few lessons and have a pro watch you while you explain where you think you are breaking down
2. go medium slow into take back and thru take back. slowly accel into contact. forget your come out of your shoes super RHS macho FHs for a week or 2 and just hit 3/4 pace smooth FHs.
3. self-medicate: try 1 puff of weed, or 1 12oz beer, or 1 4oz wine of your choice before your next practice. this might help you relax. Also, notice the connector is OR instead of AND. If you try them all together, your game might not improve but you wont really care either
 

Dan R

Professional

Seriously, you know more about tennis then most of us will ever know and maybe that's the problem. Just forget what you know and go with what you feel. Hit a few shots while watching the court next to you. Sing a song while hitting. Recite the alphabet. Just keep you conscious mind busy doing anything other than thinking about your swing and see what happens. You haven't lost your talent - it's in there.
 
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