Mental blocks known as “yips” or “twisties” affect performers across many fields, from elite athletes to everyday people facing high-pressure situations. These lapses occur when anxiety, stress, and overthinking trigger sudden performance breakdowns—causing someone’s mind to go blank during a presentation, forget lines at a theater performance, or lose their train of thought mid-conversation. Among professional athletes, such moments make headlines: U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin, known as the “Quad God” for consistently landing multiple quadruple jumps, entered the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics as the gold-medal favorite but fell several times and finished off the podium, telling NBC News afterward that “it was definitely mental.” Gymnastics legend Simone Biles withdrew mid-competition at the 2020 Tokyo Games after experiencing the “twisties,” which she described as her mind and body being out of sync.
Across sports history, seasoned athletes have struggled with these conditions: former All-Star pitcher Rick Ankiel suddenly lost the ability to throw strikes, catcher Chuck Knoblauch’s throws to first base became erratic, and Tiger Woods has acknowledged struggles with putting yips. While some cases involve focal dystonia, a neurological movement disorder, experts say anxiety and overthinking can trigger similar responses in ordinary people.
How Fear Reinforces the Response
Robin McCormick, an Indialantic-based therapist and sports psychologist, explains that “the brain, as an organ, is wired to confirm what it is told. When a person operates from a place of fear and fixates on the yips, the brain actively seeks evidence to reinforce and produce that very response.” This cycle deepens when negative self-talk convinces someone they have no control. Additionally, fear of judgment or embarrassment can make a person entirely dependent on external validation, leaving them feeling powerless.
Therapeutic Approaches
Evan Rojas, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in anxiety and sports performance at Coastal Wellness and Life Coaching Center in Melbourne, notes that these reactions can be understood as trauma responses and are often rooted in negative beliefs. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, in which clients recall emotionally charged experiences while engaging in bilateral stimulation—guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones—can help rebuild confidence and strengthen the belief that performance is possible again.
Jeffrey B. Rubin, PhD, author of “Psychotherapy Case Studies: Escaping the Prison You Didn’t Know You Were In,” recommends practicing meditation to cultivate non-judgmental, present-centered awareness. He also advocates returning to the activity “under safe conditions” and practicing the skill “whole-heartedly,” dropping into the activity when negative thoughts arise rather than fixating on them. “Experiences of mastery help you return to the activity with less trepidation,” Rubin said, emphasizing patience, consistency, and self-compassion.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2026/02/24/from-ilia-malinin-to-simone-biles-sudden-stumbles-spark-mental-health-talk-olympics-yips-twisties/88827594007/