Why you freeze on a topic you know well, and why slowing down can make it worse
By Yogesh Pandey · 22 October 2026 · 2 min read
When you know a skill well, checking every step gets in the way. In a study of golfers, skilled players putted better when they were hurried or distracted, while beginners did worse. So “take your time, think before you speak” helps beginners, and can make experts freeze on the very topic they know best.
The advice everyone gives
“Take your time. Think before you speak. Go slow.” Everyone says it. For beginners it works.
What the golfers showed
Researchers took skilled golfers. Some had to putt in a hurry. Some could take all the time they wanted. The rushed ones putted better. For beginners it was the opposite: rushing made them worse.
You mess up because you know it too well to think about it. When you know your stuff, checking every step just gets in the way.
Talk like someone who knows it
Talk like someone who knows it, not someone who is checking it. Here is how I talk better about my own work: I do not give myself time to rehearse. Someone asks what I do, and I answer straight away.
This is for people who already know their subject. If you are new to it, slow down.
- The next time someone asks about your work, answer before you rehearse the answer in your head.
- If you know it, trust it.
Source: Beilock et al. (2002), Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied 8(1).
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