Rick Ankiel Tells Candid Story of Bout With Yips and How He Reinvented Himself

Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher developed the excruciating inability to throw a baseball accurately. Instead of quitting, Ankiel went to the minors and found another path — as a power-hitting outfielder — to the big leagues.

Jay Delsing | Jul 12, 2021

Rick Ankiel Tells Candid Story of Bout With Yips and How He Reinvented Himself /

The yips are often associated with golfers who lose the ability to putt because of anxiety or nervousness that causes their hands to tremor.

Rick Ankiel had the yips, though his bout played out in the major leagues, as a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Ankiel could not just throw strikes, he could not throw accurately. His bout became so acute that he returned to the minors, learned to play the outfield and returned to the majors.

Ankiel speaks to host Jay Delsing with complete candor about his career.

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Published Jul 12, 2021

JAY DELSING

Jay Delsing hails from St. Louis, Missouri. While his father played Major League baseball for 10 years and was a member for the World Champion New York Yankees in 1949, Jay had a different kind of long drive in mind. In 1979, Delsing received a coveted golf scholarship from UCLA where he became a two-time All-American. In 1984, Delsing earned his PGA Tour Card and played in nearly 700 PGA Tour events, earning more than 4 million in prize money. He has 7 professional wins to his credit, including the Fort Smith Classic, The Omaha Classic and the Gerald Ford Invitational in Vail, Colorado. In 2014, Fox Sports added Delsing to its broadcast team. The recent US Open Championship at Shinnecock Golf Club in Long Island, New York marked his fourth consecutive national open coverage for Fox Sports. In addition, he is a commentator for PGA Tour Live. In April of 2018, Delsing was inducted into the St Louis Sports Hall of Fame. In 2005, Delsing founded First Tee of St Louis, which introduces nine core values of golf to underprivileged kids. His Jay Delsing Foundation introduces the sport to children in rural areas. Jay Delsing Golf hosts corporate entertainment and hospitality events throughout the country. Delsing’s radio show "Golf with Jay Delsing" airs on 101 ESPN, on Sundays from 9-10 a.m. Jay is the proud father of four daughters.