Illustration by Jim McQueen

An old friend of mine, Memorial Tournament General Chairman Pandel Savic, was once afflicted with a case of the yips. Like many with that dreaded putting disease, he was making a short, quick backstroke, then flicking at the ball with his hands. This move was distorting both the putterhead's path and the alignment of the putterface at impact.

To overcome these faults and begin his recovery, I had him set the putter handle firmly against the thumb pad of his left hand, rather than in the fingers. I then told him to focus on swinging the grip end of the putter rather than the head--to the point of not even looking at the putterhead as he practiced stroking putts.

Finally, I suggested that he work at swinging the putterhead back one inch for every foot of green he needed to roll the ball, and to follow through the same distance. For example, on a three-foot putt the putterhead would move three inches away from the ball and then three inches past impact. This served to lengthen and further smooth his stroke, eliminating any remaining tendency to jerk the putter back or jab at the ball. If you're suffering from the yips, try these simple exercises. They may help you regain your form on the greens.

Next Week's topic: Beware of Over-Practicing Putting