Pressure

[Mr Twinkle Bow]

Simple question how do you deal with Pressure of shooting be it H2H or looking to achieve the target you have set youre self are their anythings you use to "calm yourself down".

[Furface]

a) Shoot each arrow as a stand-alone, and put self-imposed targets out of my mind. Use a mental checklist to do this.
b) Have a series of pieces of music in my mind's ear that I can call upon for mental work. One to calm me, on to stiffen my sinews, etc. Close my eyes and listen to a few bars, either in silence or singing to myself, depending on how much I want to put others off.
This works, and pressure doesn't really affect me. But they don't compensate for appalling technique

[geoffretired]

My technique is average at best. To gain average scores, I have to keep an eye on it, otherwise it does as it likes. It's a bit like looking after an active and inquisitive child; I am too busy seeing nothing bad happens. Keeping busy leaves me no time to become distracted.

[mk1]

Originally Posted by Mr Twinkle Bow

Simple question how do you deal with Pressure of shooting be it H2H or looking to achieve the target you have set youre self are their anythings you use to "calm yourself down".

It is recommended you have a relaxation technique - perhaps where you close your eyes and imagine you are lying on a beach listening to the water lapping etc. This will reduce your heart rate which will "calm you down". Managing to control your heart rate will reduce your level of arousel (in psychology speak).

Basically what you think has an effect on your body and if you can control one you can control the other.

There is tonned of stuff available on the web about this so get surfing

Sports Psychology

[Marcus26]

Perspective is the key.
Why do you get nervous? Because you want to do well.
If you are not good enough to win, then why get nervous? You won't win anyway so relax and enjoy it.
If you are good enough to win then why get nervous? You're good so don't worry about it.
Also remember that there are 2 possible outcomes.
You'll hit the 10, or you won't. World keeps on spinning.

It's just a game afterall, you'll win or you'll lose. No pressure, just enjoy it. It's not like you are going to die if you miss that shot or have a bad day.

Once you have gotten nervous and screwed up a few times your body soon realizes that getting nervous doesn't help.

[spavo]

I have read up allot at the start of the year on Pressure and Stress.

First of all stress, is it a bad thing?

The thing to be aware off we are designed to cope with pressure, sense's become heightened (see, hear and feel), our bodies are ready for some kind of "shock", Top sportsmen & women know that under pressure we will see and feel things with more intensity, the picture looks bigger and moves faster, the picture remains as it is should be in reality and therefore same as in non stress full situations it is how we deal with it that counts. reading around the subject and I can't remember where I read these two gems of information but certainly worth while the first one sounds mad but it works if you are felling stressed and you need to "calm down" a Fake Yawn is great I didn't believe this when I first read it but it does work the reason you body sends out endorphins to help you relax, the other thing it sends more blood to you brain, I have seen it quoted in more than one high end publication and have seen it quoted that it can reduce your anxiety level by 25%.

As a junior I was taught about Triggers and have re learnt them recently as I KNOW I put myself under a lot of pressure such as words / images / Music Personally I have a series of Songs on my IPod some at the start help me relax for the day, another series to help centre myself during the shot and another series to give myself a push. From the Article I have read they had trigger words such as feel the shot - this allows you to feel the shot and not just seeing a good shot. Another one I have read about in is Aggressively smooth, use just before you draw the bow the purpose is to aid you in staying aggressive but being smooth in the shot. Also slow and small this is used to make the sight picture move slower and smaller on the target this is to be used during the draw. The words can be anything unique to yourself but they must relate to your performance.

[WhitehartFB]

Put your archery in perspective.

Pressure IMO is self inflicted fear of failure beacuse of peer pressure and our human nature to want to be accepted in a particular group.

Preparation is the key this removes doubts and boosts confidence. You take your form on to the line, only the lucky ones find it there.

Or just adopt a so what attitude you win you loose, nobody died there are worse things happening in the world and as it's archery it does not even pay the mortgage. If you lose you were just not as good as the other person on the day, learn from the experience and be more prepared next time.

[Mr Twinkle Bow]

It's not about the winning for me it's about the goals I have set myself, which I consider very carefully at the start of the season, and sometimes when they are slipping away, or I am on top of them I can put added pressure and stress on myself.

I've tried trigger words in the past with mixed success, but do like the idea of music, as there are pieces of music that really do invoke a reaction from me both in a calming and an adrenaline rush way.

going to put Ride of the Valkyries on my Ipod now.

[WhitehartFB]

Originally Posted by Mr Twinkle Bow

It's not about the winning for me it's about the goals I have set myself, which I consider very carefully at the start of the season, and sometimes when they are slipping away, or I am on top of them I can put added pressure and stress on myself.

I've tried trigger words in the past with mixed success, but do like the idea of music, as there are pieces of music that really do invoke a reaction from me both in a calming and an adrenaline rush way.

going to put Ride of the Valkyries on my Ipod now.

Perhaps the goals are unrealistic or the preparation to achieve them is not worked through in enough detail.

Have you read this by Tim Goodwin - http://performance-archery.com/free_...mple%20tim.pdf

[Furface]

Originally Posted by Mr Twinkle Bow

.......
going to put Ride of the Valkyries on my Ipod now......

I love the smell of my bow case in the morning!