When competing in archery tournaments, there are a multitude of things to consider that will play into your shooting. There are many involved variables which include the motivation you use in your shooting, you're physiology, mind set, your training styles, etc. As archery has developed over the years, the factors that play into an archer's shooting have increased. The mental state of the shooter has become an increasingly important factor in this sport.

If you carefully examine the variables that effect one's shooting, it is apparent that some variables can compensate for others. Some however, are lone variables in and of themselves. For example, strengthening your mind-set will make up for any kind of physiological problems such as shaking. It's good to understand the principles of archery, such as text book theories and such as well as talking to fellow archers about methods, but simple shooting training can take the place of any inferior knowledge of the previous.

No matter how in-shape you are, it is very important to remember that no matter what your fitness level, it can never compensate for true blue technique. If you have problems with depth-perception, it will not be made up for by any other type of acceleration in any other aspect.

Another important thing to remember is that you should always keep trying to excel in your weak spots and constantly try to keep up the things that you excel in. Don't be one of those archers that attempts to make up for the things they can't do well by just trying to improve your strengths.

To find out which things are your strengths and which things you may need to improve, there is a list of factors (mentioned above), that you can go through and analyze yourself based on each individual factor. Key variables in determining your strengths and weaknesses are your mind-set (mental/emotional), your physiology, depth perception, strength, stamina, and your training knowledge. Also you will want to take in to consideration the factors in both field and 3D shooting.

The whole concept of the list that you go through is to see what things you need improving on and simultaneously acting as a checklist. While some archers may find this exercise uncomfortable, it is a necessary step to identifying what you need improving on. If you never examine which things you need work in, you will never move forward in the sport and thus never become more than a novice.

When doing this self-evaluation, it's important to get an objective eye from a fellow archer for purposes of comparing and contrasting. After you have written down everything as well as the other person, compare/contract the answers and see which ones ring true to you. It's important to be truthful with what you need work on and what you are already capable of doing.