Author(s): Punyu Thepfukolie and Bhowmik Sanyal Saon

Abstract:
Psychological readiness is a critical determinant of success in precision sports such as archery, where minor lapses in focus can markedly affect outcomes. This randomized controlled trial investigated whether a structured mental-skills programme could enhance competitive performance in national-level archers. Thirty athletes (ages 16-21) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a Psychological Intervention group (n = 10), a Self-Regulation group (n = 10), and an Active Control group (n = 10). The intervention comprised a 12-week, thrice-weekly (50-60 min) psychological skills training programme, while the control group continued standard physical practice. Archery performance scores were assessed before and after the intervention using standardized competition procedures and analysed with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for baseline scores. The overall model was significant, F(3, 26) = 38.62, p < .001, R² = .817. The covariate of pre-test performance strongly predicted post-test results, F(1, 26) = 60.06, p < .001, partial η² = .698. Importantly, group membership produced a large effect, F(2, 26) = 17.89, p < .001, partial η² = .579. Bonferroni pairwise comparisons revealed that both the Psychological Intervention and Self-Regulation groups achieved significantly higher adjusted post-test means than the Control group (p < .001), whereas the two intervention groups did not differ significantly (p = .791). These findings demonstrate that a structured 12-week psychological skills programme significantly improves competitive archery performance and should complement technical and physical training in elite preparation cycles.

Pages: 310-314  |  122 Views  45 Downloads