yips
C1/C2 (mid to high-frequency within its specific semantic field of sports/performance psychology, but low in general conversation).Informal
Definition
Meaning
A sudden and unexplained loss of fine motor skill, particularly in a sport like golf, where a player cannot perform simple, routine actions like putting due to nervous tension.
A state of extreme anxiety or nervousness that causes someone to fail at a task they are normally skilled at; it can extend metaphorically to any performance-related context (e.g., public speaking, surgery) where psychological pressure impairs execution.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Historically and primarily associated with sports psychology, especially golf. The term implies a psychological or neurological block rather than a simple error. Usage often personifies the condition ('He's got the yips').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition. The term originates from and is most frequently used in sports journalism, which is heavily influenced by American media, but is equally understood in UK sports contexts.
Connotations
Same in both. Connotes a puzzling, often career-threatening psychological affliction for athletes.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English due to the term's strong association with golf and baseball, both popular in the US, but well-established in UK sporting lexicon.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] has/gets/suffers from the yips.The yips [afflict/plague/strike] [Object].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To have a case of the yips.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Can be used metaphorically: 'After the failed pitch, the sales director seemed to get the yips during client presentations.'
Academic
Used in sports psychology and neuroscience literature to describe a specific type of focal dystonia or performance failure.
Everyday
Rare, unless discussing sports. 'Our darts champion got the yips and couldn't hit the board.'
Technical
A technical term in sports medicine for a task-specific movement disorder, often linked to the 'dystonia' family.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He seems to be yipping on every short putt this season.
- After missing the cup from a metre, he was clearly yipping.
American English
- The catcher yipped the throw back to the pitcher.
- He yipped that easy chip shot into the bunker.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The golfer has a problem with his putting.
- The champion golfer suddenly couldn't putt and everyone said he had the yips.
- Stage fright is a bit like getting the yips for a musician.
- Despite years of flawless technique, the veteran snooker player was afflicted by the yips, missing straightforward pots with inexplicable jerks.
- The surgeon, usually a paragon of steadiness, joked about having 'the surgical yips' before the high-profile operation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a golfer yelling 'Yips!' in frustration as his putt **yips** (jumps) away from the hole due to a nervous twitch.
Conceptual Metaphor
ANXIETY IS A PARASITIC AFFLICTION ('He *has* the yips', 'The yips *struck* him'). / LOSS OF SKILL IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT ('He *got* the yips').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите буквально. Это не просто 'нервы' или 'дрожь'. Это устойчивый, специфический термин для потери навыка. Лучше объяснить описательно: 'состояние, когда из-за нервов теряется отработанный навык (например, в гольфе)'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a countable noun (*a yip*). It is almost always plural and used with 'the'. Incorrect: 'He has a yip.' Correct: 'He has the yips.'
- Using it for general nervousness unrelated to a specific, well-practised motor skill.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'the yips' MOST accurately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While informal, it is recognised in sports medicine and psychology as describing a specific type of focal dystonia or severe performance anxiety that manifests as a loss of fine motor control.
Yes, metaphorically. It can be applied to any skilled performance context where nervous tension causes a sudden, unexplained loss of ability (e.g., a surgeon, a public speaker, a musician).
'Choking' is a broader term for failing under pressure. 'The yips' specifically implies a physical, often involuntary, breakdown of a routine motor skill, often with a neurological or deeply psychological component. A golfer who misses a putt due to distraction 'chokes'; a golfer who develops a physical twitch whenever he putts 'has the yips'.
The etymology is uncertain but is first attested in early 20th-century golf circles. It may be imitative of a sudden, involuntary jerk or exclamation.