3 Ways to Get Over The Yips (And What The Yips Even Are)
A professional football kicker cannot make a field goal despite the fact he used to be one of the best in the league. A catcher in baseball cannot accurately through the ball back to the pitcher. These are examples of an unusual sports phenomenon called the yips. This is when athletes cannot execute a skill they have performed hundreds or thousands of times before without error.
What is the Yips in Pickleball?
The most common area where this phenomenon occurs on a pickleball court is the service box. The service box is the rectangular area behind the non-volley zone found between the baseline and the kitchen line, diagonal to the server. When the serving team fails to hit the ball into the service box during a serve, they lose the right to continue serving. This is a frustrating experience for the server and his or her partner. The name given to this phenomenon is the “pickleball serve yips.”
Pickleball Tips to Get Over the Yips
If you find yourself with the yips and they linger long after a single pickleball game, try a few of these serving tips.
Change the Type of Serve
The first idea comes from an interview I did with DJ Howard, where we took a deep dive into serving. He suggested that if a player has trouble serving the ball in the box, to try something completely different. One example would be trying to serve left-handed if you are right-handed. Another idea is to switch the type of serve. By changing the underhand serving motion, you may be able to get out of the state of mind that is causing the yips. Just ensure it is a legal serve and follows picklebal serving rules.
Consider trying the following serves:
A deep serve into the corners with topspin
Backhand serve
Lob serve
Power serve
The drop serve or provisional drop serve
Change the Equipment
The second idea comes from golf, as the yips are a common problem when putting. Some golfers suggest buying a new putter. So, in the case of pickleball, try changing paddles. The new paddle will give you a fresh start and will be well worth the money if it helps prevent the yips when serving. Plus, there are some very affordable paddles on the market.
Relaxing Your Arm and Grip
The third idea is one that I thought about after an interview with national pickleball champion Matthew Blom. He was talking about players having a lot of tension in their hands or arms. While the discussion was not about the yips, having significant tension in your arm can cause problems with fine motor skills.
Take note of how hard your grip on the pickleball paddle is naturally and try loosening the grip. Make sure you relax your arms and shoulders before serving.
Target Practice
Sometimes, the pressure of a game can cause us to experience the yips. If nerves seem to be causing the issue, try to stay calm on the pickleball court and do some target practice drills. Set up cones and focus not on the service box lines but on getting the ball as close to the cones as possible. You can practice crosscourt dinks as well as other shot types, including serves.
Once you feel more confident hitting smaller targets, the larger pickleball service box should be much easier to hit.
Final Thoughts
Pickleball players are always striving to play better pickleball, and having the yips can significantly impact gameplay. If this happens to you, don’t give up. Try some of the serving tips above or change your equipment to see if it helps. Anything that causes you to get out of your rut and stop the yips is well worth the effort.
Have you experienced the yips? What did you do to overcome them? Share your stories in the comments below!
