Losing Control

What are the yips? Imagine something you do every day, an ability that is so practiced that you can do it without consciously thinking about the specific movements necessary to perform it: something like driving, walking, typing, or even breathing. Now imagine not being able to do that thing, and for no apparent reason. You have no idea how long you’ve lost the ability for, and no idea how to get it back. That is the yips, and on the first episode of Losing Control, you’ll hear from two athletes who experienced it firsthand: Tyler Matzek, one of the toughest relief pitchers in Major League Baseball, and the one and only Rick Ankiel, whose struggle with the yips–and triumphant comeback–is legendary. You’ll also hear from Sports Illustrated’s very own Stephanie Apstein, who has adopted the yips as an unofficial beat and written about those who have experienced it across sports, from Olympic G-O-A-T Simone Biles to World Series Champion Jon Lester. It’s Meet the Yips, on the first episode of Losing Control.     

• Rick Ankiel, a retired professional pitcher, outfielder, and author of “The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life”

• Stephanie Apstein, Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated

• Tyler Matzek, 2021 World Series Champion and current relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves 

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Have you ever, suddenly and without explanation, lost your ability to do something that you’ve done your entire life? What if that ability had come to define you, and had taken you to the pinnacle of your profession? Losing Control is a podcast about one of the strangest mysteries in sports: the yips, the twisties, or by whatever name you know it, when an athlete or elite performer suddenly loses their ability to do something that they could once do without even thinking about it. Told through conversations with athletes, coaches, scientists, reporters, and more, join host and mental performance expert Justin Su'a–current head of mental performance at the MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays–for ten episodes that examine what happens when athletes and elite performers lose control–and how they get it back. You’ll walk away with stories that empower you to constructively embrace the challenges that you face in your own life, on and off the field, and learn some of the mental skills and strategies that keep the pros on top of their game. It's Losing Control, a podcast about the yips, with Justin Su’a. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.