“She's Got the Yips” — Softball Fans Wonder Why Auburn’s Catcher Walks the Ball to the Pitcher

Many softball fans who've been watching Auburn play have noticed a specific behavior by the team's catcher. Specifically, viewers want to know why the athlete prefers to walk the ball over to the pitcher instead of just throwing it. This has led to a lot of speculation online and armchair athletes weighing in on the practice.

Several social media posts have featured this same question from softball viewers. One Facebook user recorded footage from the game off of a TV screen in Auburn's recent game against Alabama.

In the 4th inning, the 33-second clip shows the pitcher launching the ball towards the home plate, which is summarily caught by Auburn's catcher. Upon securing the ball, she then walks up to the plate with the softball in hand as she seems to speak to the pitcher.

The person who uploaded the video asked, "Serious question. Why does the Auburn catcher walk the ball back to the pitcher EVERY pitch?"

One commenter, who received 45 likes on their response attributed the behavior to "the yips."

It's a terminology that those who've played the game are familiar with. This nomenclature refers to an athlete's sudden inability to accurately throw a ball. FanBuzz defines the problem as a "display of panic attacks in a motor movement in the sport."

The outlet cited sports psychologist Dr. Bhrett McCabe's take on the condition. He largely attributes the problem to performance anxiety. Furthermore, the yips are caused by "this unbelievable fear and avoidance of embarrassment" and can often apply to some of the most routine and basic maneuvers these same athletes have performed thousands of times before.

McCabe says that this problem is often exacerbated by "overthinking," resulting in athletes taking drastic measures to try and correct a problem. Moreover, avoiding that they were embarrassed to have the "yips" only further compounds the problem.

In the same article, FanBuzz cited pro MLB player Rick Ankiel, who "suddenly forgot how to throw strikes" during a game. Since it was on such a grand stage, most baseball fans remember his case, but there were other pro players who also battled this condition.

In fact, the TV series Eastbound and Down was all about a well-known pitcher who suffered from the yips on a quest to get his mojo back.

McCabe says that the best way to get over the yips is to acknowledge that they're happening and that it's fine that they're happening.

As a relief pitcher for LSU himself who won two championships while battling panic attacks, McCabe says he is familiar with the feeling.

Different athletes have different methods of correcting their yips, but the piece says it all boils down to stress management.

For instance, MLB catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia says that he struggled with the yips and he, too, had trouble tossing the ball back to the pitcher after catching the ball. His form of stress management? Tapping his face in different spots.

So it could be that the Auburn pitcher has a case of the yips, which is something other baseball players have battled themselves. Stronghold Catching on YouTube also addressed this issue and provided some helpful ways for catchers to get back in the game and avoid succumbing to the yips.