Competition day can be a very stressful time for some archers, and stress usually stems from not feeling confident about your performance.  Preparation doesn’t come only from shooting lots of practice arrows but also from making sure that you’re ready for whatever comes your way.

Good Sleep

Getting a good night’s rest in the days leading up to your competition can play an important role in your success on competition day.  This takes some time to figure out, especially if you know that, for example, you perform best with around seven hours of sleep instead of six or eight.  Keeping a journal that tracks your sleep and your performance can help you determine this.  If you’re going to compete in a different time zone, knowing how long it takes for your body to adjust to a time change will be to your advantage.  You can help your body adjust to time changes through light exposure and diet. Expose your body and eyes to light during the daytime when you would typically be awake, and eat meals at the appropriate times to alert your body to the time change.

Range Snacks

Figuring out what food to bring with you to the range can make a world of difference.  Some people don’t need any food, while others need a specific regimen of snacks at certain times to maintain optimum blood sugar.  A generic recommendation can’t be made here; however, experimentation is key.  If you like sweet snacks, bring something you can have in small portions to prevent a spike.  If you like salty foods, make sure to bring plenty of water.  Timing your hydration can also affect your game. Schedule your intake so that your trips to the restroom don’t coincide with critical moments throughout the day.

Speaking of trips to the restroom, it would be best to “hold it” when you’ve made it to a medal match when drug testing will be taking place.  There’s nothing more annoying than getting selected for a urine test five minutes after you’ve gone to relieve yourself.  Once you’ve confirmed that you haven’t been selected for a drug test, you can run to the restroom.

Warm-Up Arrows

Every archer is different, and the number of warm-up arrows they need will vary.  Some archers need upwards of 90 arrows to warm up, while some only need the arrows in the practice ends before scoring starts.  A simple way to test this is during practice; try  different numbers of arrows for warm-up after arriving at the range and see which combination gives you the best results while still feeling strong by the end of scoring (you want to have a little more left in the tank).  Knowing your stamina will also determine how much you should practice in-between shooting sessions (such is the case at the Vegas shoot).  Shooting at a multi-day event may give you lots of time to practice, but you should determine whether you actually need to practice during those times.

Shooting plenty of competitions will help you calculate the amount of time you need to warm up during high-stress situations.  Many professional level archers have figured this out and have honed their accommodations to their needs during competition.  Talking with pros or high-level archers can give you ideas about what you can do to maximize your performance and step up your game.