PRE-TOURNAMENT PREPARATION

Taking a step back, preparation before the shoot is very important; it clears the mind and stops the conscious mind going over all those “what if” scenarios. Poor preparation is ammunition for your conscious mind to throw in a curveball at the most inappropriate moment, things as simple as “is it three or six arrows per end?” just before the buzzer goes.

So even before you get to the shoot all these things should be sorted, and most importantly your practice at least the week before the shoot should concentrate and replicate as close as possible the shoot you are going to do. This can include everything from the moment you leave home, to the moment you walk in the door or gate, to how you will set up your bow and when, to the shoot, scoring and packing down. In practice do everything as you would in the competition. This will help you to concentrate on the task in hand and reduce all the surprises that may be sprung on you during the day.

The conditions which are not present you will need to visualise. Visualisation is a key tool of all modern elite athletes. For more on visualisation, see Erin Prior's article in Bow 132.