Why the third set?

This article was inspired by speaking to a well-known international coach, who had come up with a theory that the third set in a recurve match was the most crucial. The thinking behind it was that whoever managed to win the third set would subsequently direct the course of the match.

If you are 4-0 up, the pressure is on to close it out, or it's possible complacency can set in. Your opponent, if they win the third set, suddenly has some momentum. If the score is 2-2 and you win the third set, you are put in control of the match to some degree. If it's 3-1 to you or your opponent, you are either fully in the driving seat or on the comeback trail if you win the third set. Basically, the third 'pressure' set is the one to fully 'make your own' - and whatever situation you are in, you need to shoot it with full confidence.

While elite archers may not be statistically better or worse at pulling down the third set, it remains an intriguing issue in the occasional psychological games that some archers get involved in during head-to-head play, and may play a bigger role in the confidence-building exercise that is team play.