Yips or the yips is the apparent loss of fine motor skills without apparent explanation, in one of a number of different sports. The technical term is focal dystonia. Athletes affected by the yips demonstrate a sudden, unexplained, loss of previous skills. Athletes affected by the yips sometimes recover their ability, sometimes compensate by changing technique, or may be forced to abandon their sport at the highest level.
'The yips' is also used as a facetious excuse for muffing a seemingly easy athletic task, such as a six-inch putt, when the true cause of the failure can often be attributed to other causes such as folding under pressure.
Read more about Yips: In Golf, In Cricket, In Baseball, In Other Sports