Yips
A sudden loss of fine motor control on short shots, usually putting, causing an involuntary jerk or flinch through the stroke.
The yips are believed to be part physical (a kind of focal dystonia, a repetitive-motion nerve issue) and part psychological (anxiety over a short shot that "should" be easy). They tend to show up more with experience and pressure, not less. Changing grip style (like claw or cross-handed for putting) or switching stroke motion entirely is a common way players work around them.
See the full breakdown: Yips / Twitchy Stroke
Every common cause and fix for this exact issue.
More short game & putting terms
Flop Shot
A very high, soft-landing short shot played with an open, lofted clubface, usually over an obstacle with little green to work with.
Bump and Run
A low, running chip shot that carries a short distance in the air and rolls the rest of the way to the hole, like a putt.
Chili Dip
Slang for an extreme chunked chip that barely moves the ball at all, essentially just a bad case of the fat chip.
Lag Putt
A long putt played primarily for distance control, aiming to leave a short, easy second putt rather than trying to make it.
Breaking Putt
A putt that travels on a curved line due to slope, rather than straight at the hole.
Reading the Green
The process of studying a putt's slope, grain, and speed before hitting it, to figure out the line.