How to Cure Putting Yips in Golf

Curing the yips will take strokes off your score.

Though many people commonly refer to any miss-hit putt as a "yip," it actually refers to consistently missing short-range putts that most anyone should be able to make. Switching to a different style putter or alternative grip can have a profound effect on your short-range consistency. For example, if you are right handed and tend to miss short putts to the left, consider a thicker putter grip. This will stop you from closing the face at impact and encourage a straighter putt. However, if buying a new putter or grip is out of the question, there are some drills you can practice that will help cure your yips.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Putter
• Ball
• 2 coins or golf tees

Steady Stroke

1. Place your ball on the putting surface, roughly 2 to 3 feet from the hole.

2. Place the sole of your putter head on the ground directly behind the ball.

3. Place coins or golf tees on the ground at both ends of the putter head, no more than 1/2 inch from the head.

4. Take the putter back and through, hitting the ball toward the hole. Only follow through as far as you take the putter back. While doing this drill, it is more important to focus on gliding the putter through the coins or tees without hitting them than it is to make the putt.

5. Repeat these steps until you are confident with your putting stroke.

Putting Around the Clock

1. Imagine a circle around the hole on the putting green. The circle should be 6 feet in diameter, meaning all sides are 3 feet from the hole in the center. This circle will represent a clock face.

2. Putt first at the top, where you imagine 12 o'clock to be. If you miss, putt again until you make it.

3. Move on to 1 o'clock once you've made the 12 o'clock putt, and move on to the next number each time you sink a putt.

4. Start all the way back at 12 o'clock anytime you miss a putt. The drill is not complete until you have made all 12 3-foot putts in a row.

Tips & Warnings

• If at all possible, draw a line around the hole for the clock face drill, with either chalk or spray paint. Most training facilities will not allow this, but if you can, it is always better to putt from a measured length rather than just eyeballing it.

• Always be patient when it comes to working on your putting stroke. All greens have different speeds and subtleties, so be sure to practice on the designated practice green before playing the course.

References

• Golf.com: Ideal Grips For Short Game and Putting