Why the study?
The study investigated the relationship between psychophysiological state and clutch or choking performance during golf putting under pressure.
Does pressure-induced anxiety alter low-frequency heart rate variability in high-level amateur golfers during putting?
Does pressure-induced anxiety alter low-frequency heart rate variability in high-level amateur golfers during putting?
Low-frequency heart rate variability decreases under pressure in golfers who choke, suggesting it may be associated with attentional focus and fine motor control under stress.
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LF HRV drop under pressure linked only to choking; leaves open causal monitoring role in fine motor tasks.
The present study investigated the relationship between psychophysiological state and clutch or choking performance during golf putting under pressure. Ten males and 13 females who were high-level competitive amateur golfers performed 25 putts under control and pressure conditions. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y1 (STAI-Y1), heart rate variability (HRV), and putting scores were measured. Participants whose performance improved under the pressure condition compared to the control condition were defined as clutch performers and all others were defined as choking performers. Change ratios between the pressure and control conditions for each variable were calculated and compared between clutch and choking performers. There was a significant difference in the change ratio of the low frequency (LF) component of HRV such that LF HRV decreased under the pressure condition compared with the control condition only in choking performers. Thus, LF HRV may be associated with improved fine motor control, such as golf putting, under pressure circumstances.
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Hasegawa et al. (2020) studied this question.
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