TITLE:
Warming up with Pressure Improves Subsequent Clutch Performance on a Golf-Putting Task
AUTHORS:
Desmond McEwan, Rodney Schmaltz, Kathleen A. Martin Ginis
KEYWORDS:
Choking; Pressure; Psychology; Golf; Explicit Monitoring
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Physical Education,
Vol.2 No.4,
November
21,
2012
ABSTRACT: The purpose of the current study was to determine if athletic performance in a high-pressure situation is improved by briefly warming up under high-pressure conditions. Participants first completed a warm up round of golf putting (five shots) under low, moderate, or high pressure. Following a short break, participants completed a single putt under high pressure. Participants who completed the warm up under high pressure performed significantly better on the subsequent high-pressure shot than those who warmed up under low pressure. Warming up under pressure may be an effective means of improving performance in an impending high-pressure situation.