2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic winner Rickie Fowler admits to struggling with ‘yips’
Rickie Fowler recently admitted that he has been struggling with 'yips'. He added that since it was affecting his touch and feel, it was making him harder to trust hitting good putts.
Fowler is currently at the Detroit Golf Club in a quest to defend his Rocket Mortgage Classic title. Although he had a great start with 66, he slipped to T38 after shooting 72 on Friday, June 29. He has been struggling with his form since his last win and has made just one top-ten since then.
On Thursday, June 27, Fowler reflected on his struggle while speaking to Golf Channel's Todd Lewis.
"I've dealt with a little bit of my right hand having a twitch at times, which you could call some sort of a Yip or any of the various names for it," he said. "When people have dealt with that and having something that affects your touch or feel, it makes it tough to trust hitting good putts."
"I was hitting a lot of putts that would start online, but it was more of a speed thing. So going back to cross-handed, it felt like it kind of locked my right hand and wrist a little bit more. Then I was just able to use that as the driver purely for the touch and feel," he added.
Rickie Fowler revealed that he had gone back to cross-handed putting technique for the last three weeks. It's not that he is doing it for the first time. He has done it in his amateur and professional career in the past including his first win on Tour.
The six-time PGA Tour champion further stated that going back to cross-handed had helped him with a feel and touch.
"Controlling speed is another variable when it comes to putting," he continued. "So I feel like I've done a good job the last couple of weeks of not only hitting my lines but hitting it with the proper speed."
When will Rickie Fowler tee off at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Day 3?
Rickie Fowler is paired with Ryan Fox, and Matt Kuchar for the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The trio will tee off on Saturday, June 29 at 10:48 am ET as the first to begin from the tenth hole at Detroit Golf Club. At the same time, Ben Silverman and Vince Whaley will tee off from the first hole.
Rickie Fowler is tied for 35th after two rounds at Detroit Golf Club. He is seven strokes behind the leaders Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai.