As an archer, I meticulously track my training, logging arrow count, arrows per minute, duration, comments, equipment, milestones, session type (training, competition), location, and date. Additionally, I forecast my annual arrow count based on my current pace and maintain a rolling 365-day sum.
However, quantifying my feeling about each session proved equally valuable. This led to the creation of my Mood Index (Fiilisindeksi).
What is the Mood Index?
Mood Index is a simple 1-5 rating reflecting my overall shooting experience:
- Disaster: Arrows are everywhere, nothing feels right, complete confusion.
- Meh: Maybe a few decent shots, but mostly bewildered and frustrated.
- OK: Decent shooting, but not great. A sense of progress, but no breakthroughs.
- Good: Solid shooting with some key insights or improvements.
- Excellent: Effortless, flowing shooting; relaxed and confident
Can my Mood Index be Predicted?
Analyzing three years of data (2022-2024) revealed patterns. 2022, focused on Target Panic training, without equipment/form changes or international 3D competition, differed significantly from 2023 and 2024, which showed similar seasonal trends. My average mood seems to follow a predictable yearly cycle if my training structure remains consistent.
Factors Significantly Affecting the Mood Index
The ups and downs in the graphs clearly reflect the impact of the following key factors.
1. Seasonal transitions
Shifting between indoor and outdoor archery presents challenges:
1.1 From outdoors to indoors
My form often suffers after the outdoor season, especially if I’ve focused too much on 3D archery with little attention to technique. To maintain consistency, I need to incorporate basic target practice and technical drills throughout the outdoor season. This might seem obvious to some, but it’s a crucial lesson I’ve learned. I need to proactively build form-preserving activities into my training routine.
The shift to indoor target archery is brutal after a summer of 3D. The precision demanded by indoor target archery and higher expectations lead to frustration. Knowing the exact distance and having a stable shooting platform, factors that should improve accuracy, ironically create higher expectations. Am I being unrealistic? Perhaps maintaining more realistic expectations would positively impact my mood.
1.2 From indoors to outdoors
The return to outdoor 3D archery after a long winter is exciting, but challenging. The unpredictable variables (terrain, weather) demand adaptability I might lack if outdoor practice has been limited during winter. If I haven’t practiced these aspects that much, expecting good performance is simply unrealistic. I have limitations in practicing outdoors during the coldest months, but exploring indoor drills to simulate outdoor conditions could be beneficial.
1.3 Finding a Balance
My form peaks at the start of summer, and my outdoor skills at the start of winter. To reduce this contrast and improve consistency year-round, I need a structured training plan that addresses both technical skills and environmental adaptability. This is what I’ve been trying to accomplish, but it clearly needs more thought.
2. Shooting after a break
Taking a break from archery, especially after a busy competition season, is essential. However, resuming practice after a few weeks off can be challenging. I found myself unable to immediately pick up where I left off, which naturally impacted my mood when initial expectations didn’t align with reality. I also made the mistake of changing equipment before getting back into the groove. It’s a silly thing to do when you should first shoot for a while and feel good before taking up something new.
3. Technique/equipment changes
Archery is a sport of subtle nuances. Any modification, no matter how small, requires significant readjustment. A seemingly insignificant tweak to my form can easily disrupt my entire shot cycle, leading to frustrating troubleshooting sessions. Careful tracking of my technique and shot process is crucial to identifying and correcting these issues; even with detailed notes, resetting my form has been laborious process at times.
Shooting with new bow, tab, stance, etc. inevitably leads to a temporary dip in my mood, sometimes manifesting only after a couple of weeks. In my experience, no equipment or technique change has ever been completely seamless. The time needed just varies.
Conversely, reverting to familiar equipment can have an immediate positive effect. Switching back to my old setup significantly boosted my mood. My attempt to adopt the 3 under tab proved unsuccessful. While disappointing, I prioritize shooting well technically over gains in aiming. Perhaps I’ll revisit 3 under in the future.
My evolution as an archer—both physically and mentally—continuously impacts my shooting. Ultimately, change is inevitable, whether I want it or not. I need to accept change, but also recognize whether it’s due to an unwanted cause or the change I was aiming for. Equally important is not to waste time pursuing some bodily feeling I had years ago when I shot National records. It might not be worth the effort because the whole archery form consists of many unconscious elements one cannot be aware of or, more importantly, remember correctly. I’ve fallen for this too many times.
4. Other factors that don’t show on the graph so clearly
Some other things boosting my mood when training are:
- When troubleshooting technical issues, consciously forcing relaxation can be beneficial. Shooting eyes closed can also help. The removal of visual feedback reduces my tendency to overcompensate with force, leading to a more relaxed training session.
- Not shooting LEFT. Yeah, it’s my recurring issue and when it’s away I’m happy as a clam.
- Being able to shoot with control. It’s not self-evident to shoot without impulses. I’ve had my TP problems in the past and still do, but I can control it better nowadays. I understand it (and me) more. When I’m able to shoot as I want it feels awesome.
Conclusion
Tracking my archery progress, including my Mood Index, provides valuable insights. Understanding the impact of seasonal changes, breaks, and equipment/form modifications allows for a more effective and consistent training plan. I think the key is to embrace change while remaining realistic about expectations and avoid chasing past sensations and focus on present performance.
With the Mood Index, I can see more than just the arrow count and time used. It helps me gain a deeper understanding of myself as an archer. My Mood Index this year is averaging 2.8, but I expect it to rise in a couple of weeks.