Why Do Top Athletes Suddenly Develop the Yips

It could be that they are on the take and need to shave a few points here and there too.

Nah. Like that has ever happened before. Athletes are all honest outgoing and positive role models.

The proper response is:

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Here's my take on it... After years of training, your brain has developed a "subroutine" to do some particular task like making a golf putt. If you think about what you are doing, you override this program. It's like you have a skillful employee that knows how to do the job and you are micromanaging him.

I would agree with this. My chosen sport is 10 pin bowling &, whilst I don't claim to be especially good, I can achieve reasonable scores. Sometimes the ball just will not go where you want it to so you start making adjustments to the start position or swing etc. This can make the outcome worse so eventually you throw the ball without trying to think about it at all. This seems to 're-set' the mind so that you can continue as normal.

My dog gets the Yips when he gets excited....

HEY BOY WANNA GO OUT ???

When ya gotta go, ya gotta go!

No thanks...... I just went in the corner, behind the sofa......

There is a conclusion drawn in the title that seems to be more related to the way the problem is framed than anything fundamental.

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The conclusion drawn is that '...top athletes suddenly develop "the yips," a tendency to choke under pressure...'.

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While athletes often fail to perform as they hope, the phenomena is not isolated to 'top' athletes, nor does it 'suddenly' develop, nor does is only occur under the vague condition of 'pressure'.

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These specification are all about sampling bias.

If the athlete 'choked' all the time you wouldn't consider it because the athlete wouldn't be considered a 'top' athlete.

Likewise, the individual occurrences of 'choking' are likely to seem as if these had 'suddenly developed' merely because of the infrequency.

'Pressure' is similarly highly subjective.

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Perhaps a better question would be why do fans elevate top athletes to a level where human attributes seem surprising?

Well at least NOW I have an excuse!

You just need another new putter.

The "Yips" are due to lack of control, which is due to lack of discipline, which is due to lack of proper training and/or ability, or it could be too much caffeine or a nervous disorder, or social anxiety, or improper diet, or hormonal imbalance, or any number of outside influences.....