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. the yips 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

A case of the “twisties” has been compared to the so-called “yips,” which can happen in baseball and golf and was famously depicted in the Apple TV+ show "Ted Lasso."

From Salon

"Early days for me, trying this new way of playing, different style of cueing, just to get away from the 'yips' as I call it, the easiest way of explaining it," he added.

From BBC

He became a big leaguer in 2014 but then struggled with the “yips.”

From Los Angeles Times

Missy, her mini poodle, marks their arrival with a chorus of barks, but her yips are soon drowned out by the cacophony of children.

From Los Angeles Times

On a short summer night, listen and you might hear a war whoop skitter out of the darkness along the riverbanks, followed by the scattering yips of coyotes on Mount Sentinel.

From New York Times