Association of Golfing Career and Musculoskeletal Problems of the yips: A Large Scale Epidemiological Study in Japan
Abstract Background: The yips are a set of conditions associated with intermittent motor disturbance that affects precision movement, especially in sports. Specifically, skilled golfers suffer from the yips, although its clinical characteristics and pathophysiology have not been well studied. Methods: The purpose of this study was aimed to conduct an epidemiological investigation and explore potential confounding factors associated with the yips among skilled golfers in Japan. We surveyed highly-skilled golfers for characterizing the yips-related symptoms. The survey comprised golfers’ demographic information, golfing-career-related history, musculoskeletal status, and manifestations of the yips. The answers obtained were statistically analyzed to examine the association between golf and the yips.Results: Among the 1,576 questionnaires distributed, 1,457 (92%) responded, of which 39% experienced the yips. The median age and golfing careers were 48 and 28 years, respectively. Golfers with the yips experience were older, had longer golfing careers, and more frequent musculoskeletal problems than those without the yips experience. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a longer golfing career [odds ratio (OR), 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04–1.11] and musculoskeletal problems (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03–1.13) were independent factors associated with the yips experience. More severe musculoskeletal problems were associated with higher odds of experiencing the yips. Changing the training method and/or hitting style were effective for improving the yips.Conclusions: Our results revealed that the yips has similar characteristics to task-specific movement disorders, with a detrimental effect caused by excessive repetition of a routine task and a positive association between the yips and musculoskeletal problems. These findings supported the notion that the yips is a type of task-specific dystonia.