CHARLES ADLER, 49
DEBBIE CREWS, 54
Seeking to develop a pill to cure the yips
Adler, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology, Mayo Clinic
"I'm the lead researcher in this collaboration between the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University. I believe we're taking yips research to a new level. We're looking at 48 golfers. Through the study of muscle movement and brainwaves, we're trying to prove that the yips are, for some, neurological. For others, it's psychological. For the first group, we think it's similar to Parkinson's, or writer's cramp. If we confirm that theory, then for the group with a muscular problem, you could treat that. You could literally take a pill to fix the yips."
Crews, Ph.D, faculty research associate, kinesiology, Arizona State University
"My heart goes out to people with the yips. We had a guy seven-putt from five feet! He just went back and forth, hands twitching. Some people don't know they have it. They say, 'No, I don't yip at all!' Then they attempt 75 putts, and they visibly twitch on every single one, and they don't know it. So the thought of being able to help these people — yeah, that's a great feeling."
Help us choose the 2008 Innovators!
Credit: Dennis Murphy/D2 Productions
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