My first thought is on the Olympic-Style form. I've almost heard to much on who is right and who is wrong. There is only one word that matters in the end, CONSISTENCY. Though there are many different forms of teaching, you should try different ones to see which one is more consistent for yourself. Everyone (except the Koreans) cannot shoot well when they first start. It takes practice and a whole lot of dedication to shoot the Olympic-Style. One my best suggestions is when you start out, start out right. Read about the style and how the best shooters shoot. If you just go out without any information on how to shoot, you will develop bad habits that you will later have to correct, and it may take longer to fix than it took to develop them.
My third and final thought is about the mental game. The mental game works with the people that are truly dedicated. Although, it may work because they think it does. If you get a new peice of equipment that you think will make you shoot better, then you will probably shoot better. When you are shooting, try to think positive thoughts and don't criticize yourself for your bad shots, that arrow is gone, and you can't get it back so forget it. When you are shooting with people that you havn't met before, be friendly and introduce yourself. It will take pressure off of you and make the shoot more fun and possibly improve your score. Tournaments should be fun, even nationals when your trying to win and all the pressure that accompanies it, if you make it fun, it should keep you from at least having a heart attack on the shooting line if you make a mistake. When I'm shooting national compitition, I try to make people around me feel comfortable by talking to them, it takes almost all pressure off of myself. If you are going to compete, shoot as many compititions as you can. The more experience you have in them, the easier it will be for you to shoot them.
© 1997 ayers@asap-com.com
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