Concentration

[ASW1973]

less concentration and more trust in the skill.
less concentration and more cue recognition.

Can't measure concentration, cant even define it.
similarly the idea of having different levels of attenuation is spot on but i do not believe it is wise to plan to cogniteveley fluctuate between shots, absoluteley between ends. If you try to drop your attenuation to the matter in hand between arrows then you will actually waste energy in fluctuating between a low level of arousal and the higher required to perform well during the series of shots and also miss out on usefull feedback during the series of arrows. It is not 3 arrows shot seperateley in 2 minutes but a series of three shots which make up a distinct performance
see Performance Archery, Archery articles and sports psychology articles "control" article

[geoffretired]

ASW I like the thought of trusting in the shot. It is one of those aspects that can be difficult to believe at first. I hear newer archers asking why they should trust in their shots when they keep getting arrows in the blue etc.
Depending on circumstances, I sometimes think it's the ones they didn't trust that went astray. I have to admit that I find it difficult to trust in my shots, more often than is good for me. Does the trust come gradually or is there sometimes a more sudden breakthrough?

[chemistry]

ASW,

If I understand this correctly, this is a similar idea to that expressed in Simon Needham’s book i.e. that one should not ‘switch off’ between shots/ends, but rather, that one’s concentration should be at maximum during the set-up, shot cycle and follow-through, then reduce for a period between shots. A more analogue approach to how one should concentrate, rather than a digital on/off view of it.

That’s helpful, thank you.

I think that the trust comment is also useful. With a 43 handicap currently, I feel I’m on the brink between shooting ‘OK’ and ‘Not OK’ i.e. on a good day I can get some reasonable groups, on a bad day I can bury some in the grass. As a consequence, I feel I concentrate too much on the shot, or rather, on trying to eliminate whatever it is that I think will cause me to make that particular shot ‘a good one’.

Worse still, I believe strongly that the archer is responsible for the shot and not the kit (I deliberately haven’t invested in better kit yet, for this reason), so tend to beat myself up a bit mentally when I feel a shot has gone badly.

Overall, perhaps as you say concentration is a more ethereal concept. I ought to be concentrating on ‘the gold’ and bringing my focus to bear on that, using cues to bring about a consistent mental state and then trusting myself to execute the shots that I know I can.

Anyway, before I embarrass myself further I will read and digest the articles on your website.

Many thanks,

chemistry

[ASW1973]

If I understand this correctly, this is a similar idea to that expressed in Simon Needham’s book i.e. that one should not ‘switch off’ between shots/ends, but rather, that one’s concentration should be at maximum during the set-up, shot cycle and follow-through, then reduce for a period between shots. A more analogue approach to how one should concentrate, rather than a digital on/off view of it.

no. change attenuation between ends, not between shots, for the reasons i stated above

[chemistry]

Originally Posted by ASW1973

If I understand this correctly, this is a similar idea to that expressed in Simon Needham’s book i.e. that one should not ‘switch off’ between shots/ends, but rather, that one’s concentration should be at maximum during the set-up, shot cycle and follow-through, then reduce for a period between shots. A more analogue approach to how one should concentrate, rather than a digital on/off view of it.

no. change attenuation between ends, not between shots, for the reasons i stated above

Point taken.