put one off one's stride

Idioms and Phrases

Also, put one off one's stroke . Interfere with one's progress, distract or disturb one, as in The interruption put her off her stride for a moment, and she took several seconds to resume her train of thought , or The noise of the airplanes overhead put her off her stroke, and she missed the next ball . The first term, first recorded in 1946, alludes to the regular pace of a walker or runner; the variant, first recorded in 1914, alludes to the regular strokes of a rower. Also see throw off the track .