Sports psychologists at the Cleveland Clinic said that choking under pressure occurs when athletes overthink skills that are normally automatic [1].
This phenomenon is critical because it explains why highly skilled individuals can suddenly fail during the most important moments of their careers. When an athlete shifts their focus from the goal to the mechanics of their movement, they disrupt the neural processes that allow for fluid performance.
Cognitive scientist Sian Beilock, Ph.D., said this is a breakdown caused by heightened self-focus [2]. According to Beilock, the pressure of a high-stakes environment can cause a person to consciously monitor a process that should remain subconscious [2]. This interference creates performance anxiety, and disrupts automatic motor processes [1].
Beilock shared a personal example of this psychological shift. "I was playing well until I realized the national coach was watching, and then everything changed," Beilock said [3].
This disruption of flow can lead to unpredictable results in competitive sports. In one instance, the impact of pressure was evident when Frédéric Niemeyer, who was ranked 487 [4], secured a dramatic victory at the Rogers Cup. Such upsets often occur when higher-ranked opponents succumb to the psychological weight of the match while the underdog remains focused on the task.
Experts said that the key to avoiding this collapse is to prevent the brain from analyzing the "how" of a movement during the event [1]. When the mind attempts to consciously control a well-practiced skill, it creates a bottleneck in the brain's ability to execute the action efficiently [2].
Beilock said the experience is universal. "We all know the feeling of choking under pressure—but why does this happen?" Beilock said [2].
“"I was playing well until I realized the national coach was watching, and then everything changed."”
The research into performance anxiety suggests that mastery of a skill is not only about physical repetition but also about the ability to maintain cognitive detachment from the mechanics of the action. By understanding that 'choking' is a cognitive error rather than a lack of ability, athletes and coaches can develop mental strategies to protect automaticity during high-pressure competitions.
