On the Mark Golf Podcast Getting to Grips with the Yips with Dr. Noel Rousseau and Trevor Jones
Aug 25, 2025
Trevor Jones, a PGA pro and mental performance coach, teams up with Dr. Noel Rousseau, a PGA professional with a PhD focused on automaticity, to tackle the notorious yips affecting golfers. They explore what the yips are, their psychological roots, and discuss innovative solutions beyond technical fixes. Listeners learn about exposure therapy, fear of others' opinions, and the contrasting approaches to overcoming the yips: the B.A.D. Way versus the A.C.E. Way. It’s a deep dive into reclaiming confidence on the course!
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Yips As A Nervous-System Brake
- Trevor Jones explains the yips as a nervous-system reaction where part of you pulls a handbrake in high-anxiety moments.
- The brain's threat response creates clunky, rushed movements as players both accelerate and brake simultaneously.
Use ACE: Acknowledge, Compose, Engage
- Use the ACE sequence: Acknowledge where the fear lives in your body, Compose yourself with calming skills, then Engage the shot with intent.
- Slow the process down to locate sensations and practice composure before re-engaging the movement.
Stop The BAD Cycle
- Avoid BAD habits: stop relying on blind spots, avoidance, and distraction to 'fix' shots.
- Do not mask anxiety with technical changes or distracting rituals; they usually worsen the yips.