Some cultures had a ban on naming deities or devils out of fear that the mere act of speaking their names could bring up the spirit, who would then cause havoc in the lives and affairs of mankind. Even though such behaviour is considered silly in our post-enlightenment society, it begs the question: Why did these practices continue for so many years without any negative consequences?
My regular foursome respects the wisdom of ancient elders. It is prohibited to speak the word aloud in my home. “sha_k”You fear dark demon forces might appear, and you will be bouncing the golf ball from your clubs. The fate of anyone who challenges this hypothesis cannot be held accountable.
Another word that is almost as fearsome, which I dare to use here, is Yips. The golf legend of mid- to late seventies will still be remembered by those over fifty. His iron play was so accurate that his caddie would give him yardage in increments of half a yard. His putting skills almost disappeared, for reasons that are beyond mortal men. His iron play was so great that he could win tournaments despite sometimes having his eyes closed.
Did it really happen? It is not clear. We all yank a quick putt every now and again.
We know that the Yips are a muscular condition which affects about one in 1,000 individuals. This condition is also known as musicians dystonia. It is an involuntary contraction of muscle spasm and is most common in musicians who have been practicing complex finger movements for many years. They are usually not painful and almost never noticeable.
You may think you have dystonia if you play golf. Once you begin to notice terms such as basal Ganglia, motor cortical activation, diffusion sensor imaging and sensorimotor cortex, it will become apparent that something is more sinister than the creature from the black lagoon.
The Yips, as you may think of them, could be due to overthinking something very basic. This is the act of moving the head of a golf club a few inches in order to strike a stationary ball. The demons of golf club control can be prevented by scratch golfers by not using their names. Also, they have developed a preshot routine which will allow you to strike the ball in under eight seconds.