I've been hearing Bernstein's thoughts on the alleged myth of clutch for years. However, I didn't learn until today that he believes in the flip side of the coin, choke. For what it's worth, I've always taken it as a given that both exist.

I never understood how you cannot think someone can be clutch or perform under increased pressure. Of Dan can’t measure it with the lazy stat driven way he consumes baseball.

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Choke exists. See Romo, Tony.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I heard that and he implied having seen data that confirms the existence of ‘choke’’ whereas as no such evidence exists for clutch.

He’s got a religious like faith in statistical measurements he doesn’t understand.

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Or Greg Norman

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Wouldn't the guys who don't "choke" automatically be "clutch"?

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

I thought this had to do with him clutching his pearls about Northwestern, yet saying nothing about the score employing a person who chokes their coworkers

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It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Yes, he did. However, there's got to be dozens of players out there who hit 20 points higher with runners in scoring position. I think, by any fair definition, that should be considered clutch.

His definition of clutch is anyone who maintains their level of play in high pressure moments. That's why he thought clutch doesn't exist, it's just a guy doing what he normally would do.

Unless he choked.

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

Yes, which would be choking. So, according to him, there are guys who play the same all the time and guys who choke.

No because they don't improve their play in high leverage situations rather they keep it at the same level. And people shouldn't confuse being clutch with trying harder. We know in basketball, football, and hockey that a sustained, increased effort can result in better performance but that isn't clutch. We've all seen veteran players and teams coast during the regular season and turn it on during the playoffs. That's not being clutch. Clutch and choke in Bernstein's context is dealing with sports like baseball and golf where increased effort doesn't make someone perform better. On the contrary it often makes players less effective in those sports. But definitely players can choke when they wilt under the pressure of the moment and their performance decreases. The idea of clutch is the result of a small sample size, hot streaks, and happenstance.

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If clutch is the opposite of choke, Bernsteinian theory would seem to imply the existence of both.

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How do you know it doesn't? Because dan bernstein who never played anything at a significant level repeatedly says so?

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

David Ortiz was clearly clutch

Probably some psychological reasons for that, both on Big Papi's part and his opponents

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He cranked it up and tried harder in big moments. Don't tell bernstein.

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

There can be too much hustle in every sport. "Be quick, but don't hurry". Baseball and golf are sports, but they are sort of knockoffs on sports. Baseball is all specialized, especially pitching, and a far 2nd, catching. There is a time for pure effort, but it's rare. It's a sport of focus. Rah rah really doesn't get you anywhere. It gets you struck out.

I don't know one way or another but I'm not taking the word of a 5'7-3/4" shock jock.

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down... to get it!

I think we all understand Bernstein's thoughts on this. But thanks for repeating them here.

Performance under pressure is clutch. Some people have the ability to rise to the moment and some people don't. Even if you call it keeping it at same level (and I disagree with that premise). That's clutch.

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and you can see it in regular life situations as well, if you are observant.

There are plenty of people I know who kill it when tested, far beyond their day to day production.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.