No abstract

Abstract:Introduction. Golf putting requires accurate and repeatable stroke especially under pressure (e.g., audience presence, ego-relevance of the task). The performance-anxiety relationship has been frequently studied, but the underlying mechanisms still remain inconclusive. Phenomenology insists that psychology should focus on meaning and investigate the essence of human experience. This paper examines the experience of 'being anxious' and the putting performance issues reported by an elite golfer under pressure. Methods. An Italian professional golfer refers alteration in putting performance (e.g., lack consistency stroke) and low ability to manage unexpected events. Case design consists in: evaluation session conduct by psychologist; experimental phase into we recoding kinematics putting performance by SAM PuttLab System. Conclusions. For player, putting analysis shown an unexpected improvement of performance in stressful situations than other sessions. A possible interpretation of these results takes into account to the personal experience of 'being anxious', to overcoming the subject-object dichotomy. Indeed, anxiety is not in the head, but it can be understood only within the life of sport performers. I believe that the phenomenological framework and quantitative analysis could be offer a new way of study, learning and teaching in sport psychology.

No abstract