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Missed shots at the free-throw line
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Toma, Mattie (2017) Missed shots at the free-throw line. Journal of Sports Economics, 18 (6). pp. 539-559. doi:10.1177/1527002515593779 ISSN 1527-0025.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1527002515593779
Abstract
Choking under pressure represents a phenomenon in which individuals faced with a high-pressure situation do not perform as well as would be expected were they performing under normal conditions. In this article, I identify determinants that predict a basketball player’s susceptibility to choking under pressure. Identification of these determinants adds to our understanding of players’ psychology at pivotal points in the game. My analysis draws on play-by-play data from ESPN.com that feature over 2 million free-throw attempts in women’s and men’s college and professional basketball games from the 2002-2013 seasons. Using regression analysis, I explore the impact of both gender and level of professionalism on performance in high-pressure situations. I find that in the final 30 seconds of a tight game, Women’s National Basketball Association and National Basketball Association players are 5.81 and 3.11 percentage points, respectively, less likely to make a free throw, while female and male college players are 2.25 and 2.09 percentage points, respectively, less likely to make a free throw, though statistical significance cannot be established among National Collegiate Athletic Association women. The discrepancy in choking between college and professional players is pronounced when comparing male college players who do and do not make it to the professional level; the free-throw performance of those destined to go pro falls 6 percentage points more in high-pressure situations. Finally, I find that women and men do not differ significantly in their propensity to choke.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||
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Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School | ||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Sports Economics | ||||||
Publisher: | SAGE Publications, Ltd. | ||||||
ISSN: | 1527-0025 | ||||||
Official Date: | 1 August 2017 | ||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 18 | ||||||
Number: | 6 | ||||||
Page Range: | pp. 539-559 | ||||||
DOI: | 10.1177/1527002515593779 | ||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||
Publication Status: | Published |
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