Where did the term "clutch" come from when applied in the context of sports?

by someguitarplayer

How an athlete or team performs "in the clutch" is one of the big subjective characteristics derived from sports. It is used to describe competitors that perform their best when the pressure is high. But where does the term come from?

Searocksandtrees

hi! if you don't get answers here, you might try the specialist sub, /r/Etymology