In one of golf’s most unforgettable collapses, Jordan Spieth lost a five-stroke lead at the 2016 Masters, beginning with a disastrous 12th hole that included a quadruple bogey. Many observers described it as a classic case of choking under pressure. But psychological theory suggests it was more than just nerves: it was likely the result of multiple interacting mental factors. This article explores four key explanations from sport psychology that may help us understand what happened.

Although there are several theories that could describe what happened in that moment for Jordan, we can never be sure and most probably it was not just one theory but rather a mix of several behavioral patterns. But let’s imagine we had to choose one theory which made sense and describe how our everyday pressure situations take a toll even outside the golf court.

So, according to the Catastrophe Model (Hardy & Fazey, 1987), performance doesn’t decline gradually under pressure — it can fall off a cliff when physiological arousal and cognitive anxiety interact past a certain point. For Spieth we can argue he missed tee shot on the 12th hole which may have triggered such a collapse. After bogeys on the 10th and 11th, his anxiety likely increased. The pressure to protect his lead combined with rising arousal may have resulted in a sharp performance drop once he hit the water at the par-3.

We’ve all had moments where everything seemed to be going fine — until it wasn’t.

Maybe you were giving a presentation, acing the first few slides, and then suddenly your mind went blank.

That’s the Catastrophe Model in action — a psychological theory that explains why performance can suddenly collapse under pressure, even when everything seemed under control.

The Catastrophe Model, originally developed in sports psychology, suggests that performance isn’t just a steady up-and-down line. Instead, once certain stress thresholds are crossed, your performance doesn’t gradually decline — it crashes. This isn’t weakness. It’s how the brain responds when internal and external stress collide without recovery.

So What Can You Do About It?

1. Watch for rising arousal + anxiety

Notice physical signs (heart rate, tension) and mental chatter (“What if I fail?”). The earlier you catch it, the easier it is to slow down.

2. Reframe the pressure

Say: “This is excitement” instead of “This is panic.” Reframing helps keep the body activated without panicking.

3. Train under pressure

If you know certain situations trigger you (presentations, tests), practice them with some pressure — simulate it, rehearse in front of uninterested friends.

That said, remember that performance doesn’t always crumble gradually. Sometimes it collapses in a second, when pressure peaks. That’s the catastrophe model. But when you learn to recognize it early, you can stay in control, even under fire.