The Daily Stat from Harvard Business Review

July 27, 2015     As Performance Pressure Rises, Athletes Respond by Choking Professional golfers are 1 percentage point less likely to sink a putt worth around $50,000 than one worth zero, a finding that underscores the negative effect of psychological pressure on performance, say Daniel C. Hickman of the University of Idaho and Neil E. Metz of the University of Central Oklahoma. In a study of last-hole putts in PGA tournaments, the researchers found that the “choking” effect is significantly greater for putts of only 5 to 10 feet in length. SOURCE: The impact of pressure on performance: Evidence from the PGA Tour

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