Stay in Rhythm

The final shots were fired and scorecards were totaled at the Indoor National Championship. A fine archer in the young adult division found himself tied with 118X. Minutes clicked by as we waited for the opportunity to determine the winner. My advice to the boy was simple… “Before the shoot-off, run your mental program so you will be ready. During the practice ends, be aggressive and establish your rhythm. Shoot the scoring ends the same way.” The young man made all of his shots like a programmed machine, as he walked away with the national title.

Maintaining a rhythmic shot sequence is an essential element in producing tight arrow groups. Good archers shoot every shot within one second of their normal rhythm. Then why does an archer change his or her rhythm during a tournament? Why does it seem easier to shoot a strong aggressive shot during practice than it does in a tournament? The answers to these questions can be found by looking at an archer’s objective and attitude.

During practice, the main emphasis is normally on making a shot with good form. You are relaxed, so there is very little sight movement and the shot seems much easier. In a tournament, however, one’s thinking often shifts from proper shot execution to that of hitting the bulls-eye or capturing the winner’s trophy. The added pressure builds anxiety and produces tension that causes excessive sight movement. What is the best way you can overcome this problem? First, try to keep your thinking focused on creating a perfect shot and not on the result of where the arrow might hit. In an important tournament, most archers encounter more sight movement than they do during practice. The difference between the winners and the losers is how well they control this stress and strive to carry out a strong shot. When unnecessary seconds are added to your normal sequence, as you wait for the pin to be in that perfect spot, your back pressure begins to decrease and a poor shot execution is inevitable. Instead, you have to learn the process of trusting your form and shooting a strong, aggressive shot.

If you realize that you are more nervous than you can comfortably handle, let the bow down. Take several seconds of slow, deep breathing and concentrate on relaxing the muscles in your neck and shoulders. Accept the fact that you are going to see more sight movement. Then draw the bow, trust your form, and follow through with the completion of the shot. When you do, it will be the best shot you are capable of making under those circumstances.

In a tournament, there are often two typical times that an archer becomes more nervous. One happens during the first two targets, since most archers want to start the competition on a positive note and have built up apprehension about how wellthey are going to perform. To alleviate this potential difficulty, try to simulate excessive pin movement during practice so you can be more comfortable in a tournament situation. Try running for a while to raise your pulse rate. Then pick up your bow and pretend that the target you are shooting is the first one of an important competition. Yes, you will see more pin movement, but you are going to have to trust your form and make a strong shot.

If you are fortunate, there will be a second opportunity to experience extra tension. This happens after you have been shooting successfully and begin to realize that you are in a position to win. Your attitude shifts from producing excellent form to that of winning, so you become more anxious. Such thinking needs to be reversed immediately. In your mind, begin replaying all of the good shotsthat you have been making. Then picture yourself repeating these on the target in front of you. Be aggressive and go for that strong shot. If you have the same routine as you did with the successful shots, you may just find yourself in the winner’s circle.