Lack of COnifident in competition, Help!

[viraH]

Halor..
I aways have these problem when ever a competition is approaching. My average pts will drop, my usually good feeling of shot start to disappear.
Then i will try to figure is it because of my form, but my peer will tell me that there is nothing wrong with the way i shoot.
Then i will start to lose confident for my competition.. and it aways happened again and again..... :(

Is there ways to help oneself in this? really need some advices...

[Ja]

I have the same problem, expecting to shoot the same as i do in competition. Thinking too much rather than just shooting just knocks you down again and if you have a bad shot you start to worry about it and thus often another bad shot and etc.

The best advice i can give is just shoot, relax and have fun.

Sorry thats not much help, but its one of those horrible mental things.

[Flehrad]

Don't think.

It's as simple as that. If you start to analyse shots, counting scores etc, it goes all pear shaped.

The best way is to practice this. So, every training session, get into a habit of scoring. This way, when you get into competition, addition of scores will be clockwork and you won't really be bothered if you get bad scores because your training will be both good and bad scores.

When you are competing, do things to take your mind off, like sing songs to yourself, ensure that you take rest time between shots and don't rush shots.

And the more competition that you do, the less nerves. I used to do the same, I'd drop about 100-150 points in competition compared to training, and now I only drop about 50-80 points :( hahahahaha

[viraH]

I have the same problem, expecting to shoot the same as i do in competition. Thinking too much rather than just shooting just knocks you down again and if you have a bad shot you start to worry about it and thus often another bad shot and etc.

The best advice i can give is just shoot, relax and have fun.

Sorry thats not much help, but its one of those horrible mental things.

I understand wat u mean to "relax and have fun"... but thinking that i will still get into same old routine of shooting badly in competition, kind of make it not fun....
some time i wonder wats the point of training so hard, but when come to comptition evrything jus fall apart...
My peer said i lack the metal part.... but how can i train my mind to think wat i want?? :cry: ...
i really enjoy this sport,.. cause i learn alot abt myself after takin it up... and i dont wan to it give up, as i wish to understand more in archery... but it seen i jus couldnt get better in it.

tks for ur advice, will keep tat in mind.

[viraH]

Don't think.

It's as simple as that. If you start to analyse shots, counting scores etc, it goes all pear shaped.

The best way is to practice this. So, every training session, get into a habit of scoring. This way, when you get into competition, addition of scores will be clockwork and you won't really be bothered if you get bad scores because your training will be both good and bad scores.

When you are competing, do things to take your mind off, like sing songs to yourself, ensure that you take rest time between shots and don't rush shots.

And the more competition that you do, the less nerves. I used to do the same, I'd drop about 100-150 points in competition compared to training, and now I only drop about 50-80 points :( hahahahaha

i guess im not the only wit the problem then haha... :)
hope i will have the patience and the heart to over my problem one day..
Thks for the pointers!

One Has to help Oneself 1st!

[Purple Hats]

ViraH
I had a very similar problem, as I used to drop quite signifcantly in competition - yet mine would happen after the practice ends - I would drop about 3 points an end. Terrible. I only just found out a way that really works for me in a book written by Lanny Bassham (American Rifle Shooter). The trick is to have a certain set of things you think about while you're shooting. You also need to visualise what it is that you want to get eg: gold or 10. For me I think about shooting a 10 and seeing my circles and dots (in the scope) line up concentrically in the middle of the target - and when I do this properly, more often than not, it happens. With regards to the routine you must go through, it can be as simple as talking yourself through the shot (mentally). I start by loading, ensuring bow hand is correct, drawing, relaxing, engaging the release and pulling through. You must go through this routine every time you shoot, for every shot. Since your mind is occupied with these things, it does not have time to think about shooting an 8, or choking or bad shots - it's all good. This worked wonders for me (rating went up 7 points) and it happened in a very short space of time as well.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

[New Tricks]

Score in practice. Shoot every competition that you can no matter what it is and try and beat everyone. Be disappointed if you don't because you will get used to the pressure of wanting to win and failing until you do indeed start winning. It is like anything, the more you do it, the less difficult it becomes.

[John K]

I went to a seminar given by Richard Priestman, and he told this story about Steve Gooden (a top UK compound archer).

Steve was in a 12-arrow match at 70m. For some reason, he had a miss with his first arrow. He could have chosen to give up right then, but he didn't. He shot the other 11 arrows with all the skill, dedication and determination he could, even though he had no realistic hope of catching his competitor.

And then, on his last shot, his competitor missed the target, and Steve won.

It wasn't the likely outcome, and Steve never expected to win after his miss, but he took every arrow as it came and shot the best he could. And he was rewarded for it. Had he given up and flung his arrows down the range carelessly- or even worse just walked off the line and left his opponent to finish shooting - he would have lost, and not just the match either.

The rewards won't come that quickly in most circumstances, but nor can you expect to win every tournament you enter. If the archer in question doesn't understand that, then he's not long for the sport.

[frommy]

John K,

Great post. It could also apply equally to the other topic in this thread started by TJ.

Brian

[viraH]

...............
The rewards won't come that quickly in most circumstances, but nor can you expect to win every tournament you enter. If the archer in question doesn't understand that, then he's not long for the sport.

:o woah.... these really strike something in me. I will aways remenber these.. Thks John K!

[viraH]

Did some shooting today.. i do feel abit lighter these time. :) ..still hoping to win something these time, but i guess if it didnt happened, at least i try... and i will try even harder next time!

Main focus, to relax and hav fun with the competition... think of how to best shoot my current arrow not d previous... have a simple routine to talk myself through d shot.... try and beat everyone!! 10!! hahaha!!
All this metal stuffs makes me wana stand at the line again :wink:

Thks for all the help guys!!

[John K]

John K,

Great post. It could also apply equally to the other topic in this thread started by TJ.

Brian

Err, yeah. I think I meant to post it in that thread, but I hadn't had any coffee at that stage and I've been distracted by irritating work stuff today. Sorry. :oops:

[Oldtimer]

still hoping to win something these time

Archery is very much a personal sport, and is not about your competitors. If you shoot a PB, I reckon you've won, and it doesn't matter if someone else posted a higher score. Think of it that way, and, you never know, one day your PB may be the highest score ! This also removes any concern you may have about what your competitors are doing.

[New Tricks]

Goal setting in any sport is so important. Being able however to see that plan A is out the window and it is time for plan B or C is where the toughness will show out. My own recent personal experience was on the weekend.

I turned up at the FITA tournament expecting to shoot somewhere around 1350 as I had made a few changes and my practice scores were looking pretty good. As I was using some slightly different equipment, I found it very hard to aim and things got messy. Plan A, out the window.

Plan B was just to shoot my highest recent score of 1313 or more which was looking pretty shakey after a 293 90m.

Plan C came into effect. I have never shot less than 1300 in a FITA competition round and this was C. Got right to the end of 30m and needed a 30 to break 1300 and ended up with 1301 after a pornstar XXX.

Anyway the long and the short of it is that you must get yourself shooting the scores to be able to win. If that is not possible, then you should set goals. Not necessarily score goals, but maybe something like shooting at least 30 arrows every day for a week, or shooting every arrow at least 10 times and noting where each one hits to get some form of group tuning going on.

The biggest goal should of course be to win and to get there you need to set realistic mini goals. Going from Zero to Hero is, while possible, very unlikely.

[Bia]

And also Trust your technique. If you