In one squad of national-level archers observed in training, almost all the time goes into repeating technique and none into competition-like practice
1 study · 10 archers measured
The summary today
There is a single direct measurement, and it covers a single group. At a national sports school in Malaysia, three training sessions of ten archers competing nationally, some of them internationally, were filmed with their coach during the pre-competition period: 83.3 per cent of the time went on closed practice, almost all of it technical, about 1 per cent on physical conditioning, 17 per cent on breaks and transitions, and not a single minute on competition-like practice. It is the highest share of technical practice among the six sports observed in the same study, while the squash players spent almost 40 per cent of their time in game play. Even so, the finding has to be read narrowly: the coach explained that on some days the squad held scoring sessions, and none of the three filmed sessions was one of them. The study describes how that group trained on those days; it says nothing about how archers train in general, nor whether adding competition practice would change scores.
Also phrased as: "training is only for technique"; "practice without competition simulation"; "scored ends in training"; "structure of an archery training session"; "practising competition in training"
In practice
It is often said that in training archers shoot arrow after arrow working on form, and that competing is something you only learn by competing.
Evidence
-
2022
For Archers Published later
10 Malaysian archers with a mean age of 19.5, competing nationally and some internationally, and their coach, filmed with a fixed camera over three sessions of about 129 minutes during the pre-competition period; time coded with performance analysis software, high agreement between observers (intraclass correlations 0.90 to 0.99). Closed practice 83.32 ± 12.13 per cent of the time (technique about 82, physical conditioning about 1), transitions about 17, competition-like practice 0; difference from squash p = 0.004. The coach explained that on some days the squad held scoring sessions, but none of the three filmed sessions was one. The study is part of a comparison of six sports, 67 athletes in all, and does not measure performance.
Microstructure of practice activities for team and individual sports · Angelina Li San Tan, Jeffrey Fook Lee Low
Status history
- 2022 Reported The only study to measure how the time in an archery session is divided arrives. Three filmed sessions of ten archers at a Malaysian national sports school: 83.3 per cent of the time in closed practice, almost all of it technical, about 1 per cent in physical conditioning, 17 per cent in transitions and none in competition-like practice, the highest technical share among the six sports observed. It is a direct measurement rather than the athletes' recollection, so it counts, but it covers a single group on three days that did not include the scoring sessions the coach says the squad holds: the status is Reported, and the study describes what happens without showing that it ought to change.
Related
Related articles
- How many arrows per week: what the research says about training volumeHow many arrows archers really shoot, from club to elite, and what research says about hours and score, fatigue after 100 arrows, injury and load progression.
- How to improve your archery score: where to start and what to work onHow to measure your level, what sets better archers apart and the levers on your score, from release to mind and load, and how well the evidence holds.
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). In one squad of national-level archers observed in training, almost all the time goes into repeating technique and none into competition-like practice (Version 2). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/technique/technique-practice-without-competition-simulation
@misc{campagna2026_allenamentotecnicosenzagara,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {In one squad of national-level archers observed in training, almost all the time goes into repeating technique and none into competition-like practice},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/technique/technique-practice-without-competition-simulation},
note = {Version 2; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
Follow this claim
RSS is an address you paste into a feed reader: each time this claim changes status, adds a year to its history or is revised, a new item appears there.
Registry updates by email
At most one email a month, sent only when something has changed: claims that change status, new claims, Lab predictions registered or resolved, new studies and new books.
Sign-ups are handled by Systeme.io, the service that runs the newsletter. Every email has a link to unsubscribe with one click.
Other claims in this domain
- CorroboratedBetween one and a half and two tenths of a second pass between the clicker sounding and the arrow leaving7 studies · 94 archers measuredStatus since 1990
- ReportedA camera diagonally behind the archer measures the vertical sway of the aim well, but not the horizontal1 study · 3 archers measuredStatus since 2010
- ReportedA continuous final pull through the clicker leads to better shots9 studies · 56 archers measuredStatus since 1993
- ReportedA sound or light cue about the angle of the bow arm tightens beginners' groups2 studies · 1 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- ReportedA thumb grip on the string is less tiring than a finger grip3 studies · 9 archers measuredStatus since 1990