Stephen Hendry health: The snooker champ’s ‘debilitating’ condition that ended his career

Stephen Hendry reveals his top five snooker tips

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

In his tell-all autobiography, Me and the Table, the snooker player, 52, explained that he suffers from a condition known as yips- a severe condition that causes involuntary muscle contractions during a specific task. Heartbreakingly for the star, the condition, which also commonly affects professional golfers, has been the main reason why he cannot return to play professionally.

Opening up about his experience with yips to the Mirror, Hendry said: “I can’t overstate the part the yips played in bringing my career to a close.

“I think the word yips trivialises it; it is completely debilitating, like a cancer spreading through your game and just destroying it.

“It affects golfers, causing them to struggle with what should be simple putts. In my case, the inability to cue ‘through’ the ball results in weak shots.”

The star began to suffer with the condition around 2000, after he became aware of “recurring” tightness around his cueing action. And soon the pain became so bad it affected his ability to play snooker at all.

Hendry added: “In around 2000 I became aware of a recurring problem of the ‘tightness’ around my cueing action, which somehow stops me believing that I can play the shot – even shots I could previously play with my eyes shut.

“Even though I say to myself that I was seven-times World Champion, the voice in my head says, ‘You can’t play this shot.’ It’s completely mental – quite literally. My confidence is sapped every time this happens.

“Before, I could play every shot in the game. Now, I feel that it is nothing less than a handicap that creates difficulties during matches. I can’t dominate matches and I’m finding it very hard to win anything.”

Hendry went on to explain that the condition has not only affected his career as a professional snooker player, but also his confidence in general.

“I always loved playing in front of big audiences; now I’m jittery if one person is in the room watching me,” he added.

“There is a debate about whether the yips is a physical or psychological condition, or a mixture of both.

“However much I try, I can’t shake off the effects of the yips. For me, it’s a psychological difficulty that has translated into a physical one and although I’d love to play more snooker I really don’t think there is a way back for me now.”

The Mayo Clinic explains that yips was once thought to be associated with performance anxiety, however it now appears that some people develop yips due to neurological conditions affecting specific muscles.

The most common symptom of the condition is an involuntary muscle jerk, although like Hendry, some people may experience the following:

• Tremors
• Twitching
• Spasms
• Freezing.

The Mayo Clinic goes on to explain that those in older age and with more experience playing sports like golf, darts, snooker and baseball are most at risk of developing the condition.

This is because yips are connected to the overuse of a certain set of muscles, similar to writer’s cramp. However, differing from writer’s cramp, the effects of yips worsens with anxiety.

Similarly to what Hendry explained his symptoms were like, some athletes become so anxious and self-focused that their ability to execute a skill, such as putting, is impaired.

Individuals overthink to the point of distraction, leading to what has been known as “choking”- an extreme form of performance anxiety that may compromise a golfer’s or any athlete’s game.

In order to overcome yips, the Mayo Clinic explains that by simply changing technique, or equipment, individuals may notice a difference.

For example, for a golfer who is suffering from yips, changing grip and using a different putter may make all the difference, allowing the individual to use more of their arms and shoulders and less of their wrists and hands.

Mental training skills might also be useful for individuals suffering from yips. This mainly involves using relaxation, visualisation or positive thinking to help reduce anxiety and increase concentration, which will in turn reduce the effects of yips.

Source: Read Full Article