Calling Dr. Fancher

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Silver Member
Does anyone know how to get a hold of Bob Fancher? I think I'm in serious need of his help.

Fred
 
Cornerman said:
About 7 years ago. You didn't happen to find it along the way, have you?

Fred

Well no, but i'll look around later -- if I remember that long!

Rod
 
Cornerman said:
About 7 years ago. You didn't happen to find it along the way, have you?

Fred

Have you checked where you last had it? Try retracing your steps, this often helps.

Seriously though, if no one else has a better idea I'd suggest looking up the publisher of his book and conctacting him through them.
 
Isn't he the author of, "The Pleasures of Small Motions?"

Just kind of curious why you so despretley want to see him?
Is the game not that "pleasurable" to you at the moment?
Is there anything the AZ crew can do to help?:p

If your reasons are personal,not a problem,however feel free to share with your support group.

Perhaps we can help you out,or maybe mess you up even worse.:eek: :D
RJ
 
recoveryjones said:
Just kind of curious why you so despretley want to see him?
Is the game not that "pleasurable" to you at the moment?
Is there anything the AZ crew can do to help?:p
Maybe discussing it willl help me. It couldn't hurt.

I have no idea whether or not anyone can help, but I would trust Bob Fancher over a lot of people since my problem is most likely something he could address.

In short, I've developed the yips. And not in a sense that they've come overnight. I"ve developed the hell out them such that they're awfully strong today. I've had the yips for most of my life, but in pool since I used to play everyday, muscle memory has always overcome them. Now that I don't play everyday, the yips bite me more often to the point of forcing me to play everyday, or making me not want to play at all. And I simply stopped playing everyday a long time ago. So, the yips grow stronger the less I play.

And for those who don't know, the yips are something way beyond "nerves" and really can't be compared to them. Some of these yip remedies marketed are completely off track and mislead people as to what the yips are. I am only affected by the yips on certain stroke shots, similar to the golfing yips only really affecting certain putt lengths. That's why I'd like to talk to Bob, to hear a professional point of view.

Beta blockers haven't helped either, in case anyone wanted to suggest them.

Fred
 
Cornerman said:
Maybe discussing it willl help me. It couldn't hurt.

I have no idea whether or not anyone can help, but I would trust Bob Fancher over a lot of people since my problem is most likely something he could address.

In short, I've developed the yips. And not in a sense that they've come overnight. I"ve developed the hell out them such that they're awfully strong today. I've had the yips for most of my life, but in pool since I used to play everyday, muscle memory has always overcome them. Now that I don't play everyday, the yips bite me more often to the point of forcing me to play everyday, or making me not want to play at all. And I simply stopped playing everyday a long time ago. So, the yips grow stronger the less I play.

And for those who don't know, the yips are something way beyond "nerves" and really can't be compared to them. Some of these yip remedies marketed are completely off track and mislead people as to what the yips are. I am only affected by the yips on certain stroke shots, similar to the golfing yips only really affecting certain putt lengths. That's why I'd like to talk to Bob, to hear a professional point of view.

Beta blockers haven't helped either, in case anyone wanted to suggest them.

Fred
Fred,
I wouldn't suggest Bernard Langer's attempt at a solution which was to change hands, try a 5 foot putter etc.

I think I know where your coming from with the yips. All of us do it on occassion. I suggest the best remedy is to pay more attention to pre-alignment on shots.

As I've mentioned before, I think many players don't pre-align accurately. Usually they align to undercut (thick), and then pull across a little during the shot to make the ball.

So I suggest you try harder on the pre-alignment phase and imagine the line your cue needs to go through the CB to create the shot you need. This is a big change and will require a lot of focussed practice, but I believe it will be worth the effort.

Colin
 
Colin Colenso said:
I think I know where your coming from with the yips. All of us do it on occassion.

I doubt it. At least, I hope nobody ever has to experience what I've been experiencing. As I said, it's way beyond nerves or anything like that. When Bernard Langer got the yips, I don't think the casual fan had any idea what he was going through. The yips are involuntary muscle motions. He used the various putting grips take the physical motions out. When the yips hit me, I am unable to stand still in my shooting stance for a 10 count and sometimes not a 5 count (in attempts to count through the yips).

Fred
 
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Deleted my orginal post after reading the above.
I sympathize with you Fred, however, I have no idea whatsoever on how you can get rid of involuntary muscle motions. Best of luck in your search.

I did a google search and found a ton of links under "cure for the yips" Maybe your answer lies there.
All the best.
RJ
 
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Fred, do you experience the yips in no tension practise sessions, or do they only appear in money games/tourneys or other so called pressure situations?


Here is a good link that explains what the yips is in more detail.

http://www.espg.co.uk/espg_putting/theyips.htm

If the yips are anxiety based it is more treatable according to the author of this thread.

In other words if you are making all kinds of shots in practise without being affected by the yips,however, the yips appear only appear in money games/ tourneys etc, then it might be anxiety based yips.

There are relaxtion/visualization techniques available to help with that.
If the yips happen even in practise, then it is a more serious problem and the author knows of no known cure.
RJ
 
recoveryjones said:
Fred, do you experience the yips in no tension practise sessions, or do they only appear in money games/tourneys or other so called pressure situations?
Less in solo practice sessions, but they're often there lately if I'm using an unfamiliar cue like a house cue.

Lately, I almost always have the same yips in any friendly non-pressure games, and during Friday night bar banging. Anyone who has been around me would probably remember saying to me, "what the hell was that?" and I probably just blew it off with some witty answer. Usually it's the first break. But in friendly games, I get to keep on trying to break and hopefully work out of it. Whereas in league or tournaments, I don't get to try so often. So it's got to be no yips out of the box or nothing. Many nights of friendly play, I can't work out of it. I might win every game, but I can't break out of the yips.

Here is a good link that explains what the yips is in more detail.

http://www.espg.co.uk/espg_putting/theyips.htm

If the yips are anxiety based it is more treatable according to the author of this thread.
It's really a combination of a lot of things. I think if you read further, you'll see that the feeling of anxiety is no different between one who has the yips compared to one that doesn't. The manifestation of anxiety in some of the shots for the yips is neuromuscular. But it's not the shakes. It's like a loss of coordination. That's what's happening to me. It feels like I have no control of my body for that shot.

Fred
 
Fred, it takes guts to talk about something like this and I hope you come to grips with it.

So, is this sort of like a passing feeling of the shakes, indecision? A tight feeling? Hopefully not a Rick Ankiel, Chuck Knoblauch thing! :D

Seriously, I think we all want to go out there feeling good and loose but focused. Me, since I'm not competing much at all -- just the odd cheap set every month or so -- I never quite feel as good as I sometimes do practicing.
But even then, if I sense a strong player is evaluating me somehow, I can get a little unsteady on feet and in my decisions. Hate that.

Last night, in fact, I definitely would call the feeling "tight, but bad ... with heartburn." Totally miserable feeling, all the rolls of course going against me because I knew I deserved it (for not showing faith in my shots). I was down 5-1 in a race to 7 ... felt rotten straight to the end, but somehow got out a few times, got a roll or two ... and managed to escape. But strangely enough, I didn't come up short or dog it much, or miss any nines ... It's the misery of small motions sometimes, I guess.
 
Wikipedia has a very brief article on the yips. Pretty standard stuff really, but some amazing statisitcs.

"The yips affects between one-quarter and one-half of all mature golfers. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that 33 percent to 48 percent of all serious golfers have experienced the yips."

WOW! I had no idea that many suffered from the yips.

Anyway, for your amusement:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yips
 
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