John Updike Quotes

A lot of guys who have never choked have never been in the position to do so.

My weakness is hitting it straight under pressure.

When I got Jacob's Latter, I was nervous because I felt I wasn't allowed to fail. I felt that they were waiting for one little failure and that would prove them right and I'd be, 'out of there.'

I think it's one of the main negative emotional ingredients that fuels show business, because there's so much at stake and the fear of failure looms large.

I don't want to be the person digging my own grave.

Pressure is when you play for five dollars a hole with only two in your pocket.

Everybody has some part of their game that is easily influenced to choke.

There's something that goes on in a new-business meeting that's wonderful to watch. It's like showtime. There are people who are nervous, and there are people who are jittery, and there's so much drama and so much at stake.

I'm always looking to the next thing. There are always hurdles, whether it's the White House dinner or hosting charity events or that night's show: Until they're over, I worry, then I move right on to the next thing. It's hard for me to enjoy the moment. I'm just thinking about not failing.

When expectations are really high, you're doomed.

If I hear about a big match coming up, I'll get anxiety about it, and I'll start thinking about it, like, 'What's gonna happen? Is this my shot?'

For me, if I attack two or three times but didn't get the point, then I would get nervous.

I perform better under pressure. If I go out there, and I'm not nervous, and I'm too relaxed, I don't like that vibe. I like big matches. I like pressure situations.

It's impossible, when one team and one player is afraid of something that might happen in a match, they will not play well, they will not have 100 per cent confidence.

I witnessed first-hand the self-defeating results of putting yourself under so much pressure to perform.

What was scaring me was if we lost, I didn't know how I'd play cricket again. This was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a World Cup final at Lord's.

I know how you can feel when you are playing under pressure.

Every time I've ever gotten close to being successful, I've found some way to screw it up.

Any fight I feel pressure, just the same as the last one, the next one will be just as important.

I was never nervous when I had the ball, but when I let go I was scared to death.

One of the biggest fears of players in a shootout is letting your teammates down.

The dreams are that you're gonna have a great series and win. The nightmares are that you're gonna let the winning run score on a ground ball through your legs. Those things happen, you know. I think a lot of it is just fate.

We all choke, and the man who says he doesn't choke is lying like hell.

Baseball gives you every chance to be great. Then it puts every pressure on you to prove you haven't got what it takes.

I'll never understand how a man can live his life With his finger on the self-destruct button, Holding it there day after day, Blinded by an obsession to press it But lacking the conviction to do even that.