This study examined whether the yips and lost move syndrome (LMS) are associated with higher levels of perfectionism, rumination, and reinvestment, and whether individuals experiencing these problems perceive them as highly stressful. Samples of yips (N=15) and LMS-affected (N=15) individuals, and two matched control groups, completed the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS; Frost, Marten, Lahart & Rosenblate, 1990), the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS; Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), the Reinvestment Scale (RS; Masters, Polman & Hammond, 1993), and the Impact of Event Scale (IES; Horowitz, Wilner & Alverez, 1979). Findings indicate higher scores in the yips and LMS groups for perfectionism, rumination, reinvestment, and IES compared to their respective control groups. The results suggest that rumination, reinvestment, and aspects of perfectionism increase vulnerability to the yips and LMS, and that both the yips and LMS are equally distressing.

Sport psychologists are increasingly confronted with performance problems in sport where athletes suddenly lose the ability to execute automatic movements (Rotheram, Maynard, Thomas, Bawden, & Francis, 2012). Described as performance blocks (Bennett, Hays, Lindsay, Olusoga, & Maynard, 2015), these problems manifest as locked, stuck, and frozen movements and are underpinned by an aggressive anxiety component. This research used both qualitative and quantitative methods in a single case study design to investigate the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy with graded exposure as a treatment method. The participant was a 58-year-old professional male golfer who had been suffering a performance block for 11 years. Specifically, the participant was experiencing involuntary spasms, shaking, muscle tension, and jerking in the lower left forearm while executing a putting stroke. Physical symptoms were coupled with extreme anxiety, panic, and frustration. The study tested the hypothesis that reprocessing related significant life events and attending to dysfunctional emotional symptoms would eliminate the performance block and related symptoms and that the individual would regain his ability to execute the affected skill. Pre-, mid-, and postintervention performance success, using the Impact of Event scale, subjective units of distress (SUD; Wolpe, 1973), and kinematic testing revealed improvements in all associated symptoms in training and competition. These findings suggest that previous life experiences might be associated with the onset of performance blocks and that EMDR with graded exposure might offer an effective treatment method.