Archers’ experiences of target panic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Performance blocks are a common problem affecting athletes in a multitude of sports and can prevent accurate execution of sport-specific movements, significantly impacting an athlete’s career. However, little is known about performance blocks in archery, commonly referred to as ‘Target Panic’. The present study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse accounts of seven archers impacted by target panic to gain an in-depth insight into their experiences. The findings show target panic to be complex, where it is preceded by events leading the archer to focus too much on the outcome of their shots, forcing their desire to take control. This leads to a loss of control over the shot, and the characteristic effects of performance blocks are experienced. Finally, this results in archers taking steps to regain control over shot execution and overcome the anxious tendencies associated with target panic. These novel findings add weight to the existing performance blocks literature by illustrating the similarities and differences between target panic experienced by archers and performance blocks in other sports. It concludes with recommendations for the management of performance blocks in archers.