yips

Noun

• nervous tension that causes an athlete to fail (especially causes golfers to miss short putts)
  • "to avoid the yips he changed his style of putting"
• a sharp high-pitched cry (especially by a dog)
• A nervous condition which prevents a sportsperson from playing properly; especially a condition which causes a golfer to miss an easy putt, or a tennis player to serve a double fault.
• plural of yip

Verb

• bark in a high-pitched tone
• third-person singular simple present indicative of yip

Synonyms

yap, yelp, yelping, yip, wobbles

Related Words

dartitis, performance anxiety