Kinesiologia Slovenica, 27, 1, 153-161 (2021), ISSN 1318-2269  Original article    153 
ABSTRACT 
The studies confirm that instructions and feedback 
that induce external focus of attention (oriented on 
movement outcome) result with greater efficiency in 
motor performance and learning regarding internal 
focus of attention (oriented on bodily dimensions). 
Advantages and differences between external and 
internal focus of attention have been proved also in 
different levels of sport and recreational expertise. In 
this study, 10 recreational archers were tested in 
three different conditions: C1 - freely oriented focus 
of attention, C2 – internally oriented focus of 
attention, and C3 – externally oriented focus of 
attention. The subjects first undertook the C1 
condition, and afterwards the next two conditions 
were randomly decided. According to the 
hypothesis, the main goal was to investigate the 
effect of external and internal focus of attention on 
precision of the shots. According to the results, in 
externally focused condition, recreational archers 
had better results than in other conditions with higher 
number of 9 points and lesser number of misses. 
Based on findings from this paper, adopting an 
external focus of attention should be beneficial for 
the shot precision, self-fulfillment and feelings of 
accomplishment in recreational archers.   
Keywords: archery, constrained action hypothesis, 
shot accuracy  
1
Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, 
Horvaćanski zavoj 15, Zagreb, Croatia 
2
University of Slavonski Brod, EDUDpt, Trg Ivane 
Brlić Mažuranić 2, Slavonski Brod, Croatia 
3
Faculty of Teacher Education, University of 
Zagreb, Savska 77, Zagreb, Croatia 
 
Corresponding author*:  
Andrea Vrbik, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of 
Zagreb, Horvaćanski zavoj 15, Zagreb 
E-mail: andrea.vrbik@kif.hr 
 
IZVLEČEK 
Raziskave potrjujejo, da imajo navodila in povratne 
informacije, ki sprožajo zunanji fokus pozornosti 
(usmerjen na rezultat gibanja), za posledico večjo 
učinkovitost motorične izvedbe in učenja v 
primerjavi z notranjim fokusom pozornosti 
(usmerjen na telesne mere). Prednosti in razlike med 
zunanjim in notranjim fokusom pozornosti so 
dokazane na različnih nivojih športne in rekreacijske 
sposobnosti. V tej raziskavi je bilo testiranih 10 
rekreativnih lokostrelcev v treh različnih pogojih: C1 
– prosto usmerjen fokus pozornosti, C2 – notranje 
usmerjen fokus pozornosti in C3 – zunanje usmerjen 
fokus pozornosti. Osebe so bile najprej testirane v 
C1 pogoju ciljanja, potem pa je bil vrstni red pogojev 
naključno izbran. Glavni cilj hipoteze je bil raziskati 
učinke zunanjega in notranjega fokusa pozornosti na 
natančnost zadetka. Rezultati so pokazali, da so 
imeli rekreativni lokostrelci ob zunanje usmerjenem 
fokusu pozornosti boljše rezultate kot v ostalih 
pogojih, večje število 9-ic in manj zgrešenih strelov. 
Ključne besede: lokostrelstvo, hipoteza omejene 
aktivnosti, natančnost zadetka  
Andrea Vrbik 
1
* 
Ivan Vrbik 
2
 
Srna Jenko Miholić 
3
 
EXTERNAL FOCUS OF ATTENTION 
ENHANCES PRECISION IN RECREATIONAL 
ARCHERS 
 
ZUNANJI FOKUS POZORNOSTI IZBOLJŠUJE 
NATANČNOST PRI REKREACIJSKEM 
LOKOSTRELSTVU 

Kinesiologia Slovenica, 27, 1, 153-161 (2021), ISSN 1318-2269  External focus in recreational archery    154 
INTRODUCTION 
The kinesiological analysis of archery identifies a monostructural acyclic activity in which 
dominates relatively statical lower body posture and discrete active coordination of shoulder 
girdle and arms, divided into several phases or elements of technique (Mann and Littke, 1989; 
Vrbik, A., Bene and Vrbik, I., 2015). The elite performance of archery technique is 
characterized by the ability to repeatedly hit the same spot in the space (center of the target) in 
specific time with high accuracy and precision. In order to do so, an archer has to perfectly 
perform elements of technique by precise repetition of all kinematic parameters of chosen i.e. 
key body coordinates with the consequence of accurate and desired positioning of the arrows 
in the target. The key factors of success in archery imply general motor abilities such as 
strength, endurance, balance and flexibility (Acikada, Ertan and Tinazci, 2004), but also 
specific motor abilities characteristic for archery itself (intermuscular coordination, rhythm, 
timing and precision). Different psychological factors also play an important role, such as 
concentration, relaxation and different types of attention (Zeplin, Galli, Visek, Durham and 
Staples, 2014), accompanied by visual focus (Acikada et al., 2004; Lee, 2009). As in all master 
performances, weather it is about playing a piano or hitting a target, a mindful repetition is a 
prerequisite of skill acquisition and later excellence. Unfortunately, sometimes it means 
spending hours and hours of long practice trying to brush the specific element or movement to 
perfection. In the field of sport it is considered to be quite an usual request, but in the field of 
sport recreation rules are a bit different (Andrijašević, 2010). As a professional kinesiologist in 
sports recreation one faces relatively smaller exercise time on hand, but very soon high 
performance outcome wishes from the clients. In recreational archery very often anecdotal 
stories evidence statements from the people who “want to shoot just a little and see how it goes” 
to “I am not satisfied with today’s shooting because I cannot hit what I want” in only a few 
weeks of practice. Why is this so? Since archery is a static sport, in recreational users a general 
fitness is not highly important for successful beginning of the activity. As they progress in 
training and practice, they also progress in performance, but since archery is an activity which 
requires a lot of accurate body posture repetition, a certain discrepancy from the expected 
progress occurs. In this paper the intention was to address this problem and see if through 
different focus of attention during shooting execution, some changes in precision in recreational 
archers can occur. Different effects of external versus internal focus of attention have been 
explained with the constrained action hypothesis (Wulf, McNevin and Shea, 2001), which states 
that an internal focus on the body parts causes individuals to control their movements at a more 

Kinesiologia Slovenica, 27, 1, 153-161 (2021), ISSN 1318-2269  External focus in recreational archery    155 
conscious level, while a focus on the movement effect promotes a more automatic mode of 
control. Consequently, individuals tend to constrain their motor system by interfering with 
automatic control mechanisms that have the capacity to control movements effectively and 
efficiently. During years of research, focus of attention was observed from different aspects and 
was characterized as associative (focused on body senses) or dissociative (blocking of senses 
created by physical labor), wide or narrow, and by direction (internal or external). Many 
researches in sport tried to investigate different focus of attention: in golf, basketball, baseball, 
tennis, darts, swimming, high jump, volleyball and in football (An, Wulf and Kim, 2013; Lohse, 
Jones, Healy and Sherwood, 2013). Advantages and differences of different focus of attention 
were proven in different levels of sports expertise (Wulf and Su, 2007; Memmert, 2009; 
Vickers, 2010; Neumann and Thomas, 2011; An et al., 2013), and also in retention and transfer 
(Carpenter, Lohse, Healy, Bourne and Clegg, 2013). The main purpose of this paper was to 
investigate if different focus of attention has any impact on precision in recreational archers 
during archery practice sessions. 
 
METHODS 
Participants 
The subject sample was consisted of 10 recreational male archers, with average age 29.8 years, 
all without any attention disorders in their anamnesis. Subjects were training 2 times per week 
on average, and had no more than one year of shooting experience. All subjects gave their 
written consent for participation, and this particular survey was approved by Science and 
Ethical Commission on Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb.  
Protocol 
The sample of variables came out from observed characteristics of entities in different shooting 
conditions. Therefore, in order to estimate shooting precision, a measure of arrow distance from 
the center of the target face was used, shown as a number of points in a standard way of scoring. 
The experiment was made in standard conditions of indoor field set-up, target placed at 18m 
distance, and target face standard triple ϕ40mm, with center target face positioned at 1,30m. 
One target face consisted of 5 concentrically placed circles valued 10 to 6 from approved 
standard equipment. The experiment was divided in three separate measures for each subject. 
Every measurement consisted of warm up (3 ends x 3 arrows) and testing (10 ends x 3 arrows). 

Kinesiologia Slovenica, 27, 1, 153-161 (2021), ISSN 1318-2269  External focus in recreational archery    156 
Estimated time of warm up and testing by subject was about 45 minutes. The testing consisted 
of three different shooting conditions: C1- free focus of attention, C2 – internal focus of 
attention and C3 – external focus of attention. All subjects were first measured in C1 condition 
and then in C2 or C3 by a random choice. According to World Archery rules and regulations, 
the allowed time for one end, consisted of three arrows, is 120 seconds. Every archer set his 
own rhythm and tempo in each end. Between ends, the estimated time for rest was that needed 
for the arrows to be picked up from target and results scored (approx. 90 sec.). In all three 
conditions, subjects were told to try to be as much precise as they can. In C1 condition subjects 
got no special instructions. In other two conditions, subjects were directed via verbal 
instructions on different aspects of shooting: C2 – coordinated arms movement and release 
(movement of the body parts – internal focus), and C3 – on center of the target (bull’s eye) and 
arrow flight (movement effects – external focus of attention). Concretely, in C2, before every 
end (10 ends in sum), an archer received a following instruction: “Focus on movement of your 
arms and shoulders and smooth release. If you are restless and experience tremor in bull’s eye 
try to fix it in a way to concentrate on better push – pull action and patiently waiting for a 
smooth surprising release. Try to be as precise as you can.” In C3, archers received following 
instruction: “Focus on bull’s eye and arrow flight. If you are restless and experience tremor in 
bull’s eye try to fix it in a way to concentrate on your sight’s pin and letting it melt with the 
center and on the follow-through and arrow flight. Try to be as precise as you can.” (Lohse, 
Sherwood and Healy, 2010; Lohse et al. 2013). The praxis in social experiments often imply a 
manipulation check, which is an additional check consisted of qualitative data and provides a 
researcher certain proof that measured variables truly reflect observed characteristics (Peh, 
Chow and Davids, 2011; Abdollahipour, Psotta, Nieto, Rouzbahani, Nikdast and Bahram, 
2014). In case of this experiment, after every end in C2 and C3 conditions, the subjects were 
asked if they complied to the condition instructions in order to interpret obtained data with 
maximum certainty. The subjects were clearly informed that their honest feedback is very 
important for the experiment, and were encouraged in sense of giving as straight answer as 
possible.  
Statistical analysis 
Central and dispersive parameters were calculated for all variables. Since there was a deviation 
from normal distribution, as a non-parametric alternative to one factor ANOVA for repeated 
measures, Friedman’s test was used, along with Wilcoxon’s test of ranks. 

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RESULTS 
In every shooting condition recreational archers shot 300 arrows, i.e. 900 arrows in sum (3 
conditions x 300 arrows). In control condition C1, from possible 3000 points, archers shot 1826, 
from which 38 6s’, 53 7s’, 59 8s’, 55 9’s and 26 10s’. 69 times archers missed the target (mod 
value). The average shot was 6.09±3.51SD. In internal shooting condition C2, archers shot 1798 
points from which 27 6s’, 46 7s’, 67 8s’, 52 9’s and 31 10s’. 77 times archers missed the target 
(mod value). The average shot was 5.99±3.68SD. In external shooting condition C3, archers 
shot 1969 points from which 35 6s’, 48 7s’, 61 8s’, 75 9’s and 26 10s’. 55 times archers missed 
the target. The average shot was 6.56±3.31SD. 
Table 1. Descriptive parameters and the results of the Friedman’s ANOVA and Wilcoxon’s test 
of ranks. 
S.C. N POINTS Mean and S.D. NO.OF 10's F.A. W.T. 
C1 300 1826 6.09 ± 3.51 26  C1:C2  
p = 0.920 
C2 300 1798 5.99 ± 3.68 31 p = 0.038* C1:C3   
p =0.023* 
C3 300 1969 6.56 ± 3.31 26  C2:C3   
p =0.012* 
SC – shooting condition, N – number of arrows per condition, POINTS – sum of points shot, Mean – mean of the points scored, 
S.D. – standard deviation of the points scored, No. of 10’s – number of 10 points scored, F.A. – Friedman’s Anova, W.T. – 
Wilcoxon test of rank, * - statistically significant difference. 
Table 1. shows that the best results were obtained in C3 condition of shooting (external focus 
of attention), and the worst results in C2 (internal focus of attention). Friedman’s Anova showed 
significant difference between different shooting conditions. Wilcoxon test of rank showed that 
significant differences were found between C1 and C3, and C2 and C3 shooting condition. In 
C3 shooting condition archers had the lowest number of misses (0 points), 22 less than in C2 
shooting condition, and notably larger number of 9s’ (C1:C2:C3 – 55, 52, 77), indicating better 
arrow grouping and better shot precision. 
 
  

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DISCUSSION 
Precision is defined as a qualitative motor ability which allows one to hit a certain dinamic or 
static target at a given distance by throwing or aiming (Milanović, 1997). In archery, precise 
shot is a result of a meticulously accurate movement performance related with specific 
coordination based on kinesthetic information from the memory and receptors and perfect 
balance and harmony with the visual target (Milanović, 1997; Čižmek, 2007; Čižmek and 
Peršun, 2011; Vrbik et al., 2015). Archery is a precision sport, meaning that it is an absolute 
imperative to hit a center of the target as frequent and as accurate as possible (Podržaj, 1998; 
Frangilli V. and Frangilli M., 2005). In this experiment, external focus of attention contributed 
to better results and higher precision in compare to internal focus of attention or non-guided 
condition (no instruction on focus localization). In many studies which dealt with different 
focus of attention and its impact on precision, similar results were obtained. Wulf, Lauterbach 
and Toole (1999) observed two groups with two different intervention focus (external and 
internal) in golf. Better precision was noticed in both groups along the experiment duration, but 
significantly better, i.e. precise results had the external focus group. Better precision in external 
focus of attention over internal focus of attention was also noted in volleyball players during 
tennis serve (Wulf, McConnel, Gaertner and Schwartz, 2002). Similarly, Zachry, Wulf, Mercer 
and Bezodis (2005) tested precision in basketball players during free throw. The external focus 
group had better precision and more accomplished free throws then internal focus group. 
Although recreational archers have respectively smaller number of hours of practice and 
absolutely different initial drive to train in compare with expert archers, the nature of archery 
as a sport always makes one tend to be perfectly precise. Unlike expert archers who accomplish 
automated movement with more ease due to the significantly higher time engaged in the 
activity, along with the more perfected planning and programming of the training process, 
recreational archers due to their occasional participation in the activity tend to spend a lot of 
time thinking and analyzing their technical performance in order to be able to shoot and be 
satisfied with the shot. Therefore, thinking of bodily parts during shot execution and overtaking 
internal focus of attention is very common among recreational archers. Additionally, no 
significant differences in precision between control condition and internal focus condition were 
found. Something similar was observed in the experiment of Wulf and Su (2007), who noticed 
that although one would expect individuals to adopt the optimal focus of attention in a non-
guided condition (control), studies have shown that when participants do not receive attentional 
focus instruction, their performance is typically similar to that seen under internal focus 

Kinesiologia Slovenica, 27, 1, 153-161 (2021), ISSN 1318-2269  External focus in recreational archery    159 
condition and less effective than under external focus condition. This suggests that individuals 
tend to use lower than necessary level of control as they incline to be relatively cautious when 
confronted with a complex task. 
Limitations and strengths 
It is important to mention that this paper also has certain limitations. Higher number of subjects 
would definitely give more reliable results on the matter. Unfortunately, archery is a relatively 
small sport, and recreational subjects were not easy to find and measure. For future studies it 
would be interesting to find out at what point exactly after acquiring archery technique starts a 
beneficial time of overtaking external focus of attention in recreational archers, and the exact 
pace of distancing the focus of attention. 
 
CONCLUSION 
Wulf and Prinz (2001) referred to Bliss (1892-1893) and Boulder (1935) who investigated 
researches from the end of the 19th century which engaged in studying distracting nature of 
excessive attention of a well-rehearsed activity. In many cases it was confirmed that specifically 
oriented focus of attention can have an impact on individual’s motor performance and learning 
(Wulf and Prinz, 2001; Wulf, 2013). This paper investigated the influence of different focus of 
attention in recreational archers, and its impact on shot precision. Recreational archers 
demonstrated better shot precision when adopting external focus of attention, which is coherent 
with previous research of focus of attention. These findings are important from the recreational 
point of view, especially for the practitioners who plan and program recreational activities. The 
whole meaning behind the external focus of attention lies in redirecting one’s attention to as 
distal possible point in order to allow body dimensions to self-tune in an optimal manner with 
the highest possible outcome. This is also connected with the quiet eye period (Vickers, 2010), 
and both terms are associated with anecdotal evidence of the zone or the flow. Why is this 
important? The main purpose of recreational archery programs is to allow its consumers safe 
environment in which they can relax, adopt a calm breathing manner, stretch and strengthen 
their muscles in fluent and low impact mode and enjoy the true essence of archery, and that is 
to hit the targeted area with ease, provoking only good emotions and well-being. In order to do 
so, professional practitioners are frequently put in a position of balancing between insisting and 
“drilling” on movement technique and outcome result recognized in points shot, losing the core 
essence of recreation. Therefore, based on findings from this paper we would suggest adopting 

Kinesiologia Slovenica, 27, 1, 153-161 (2021), ISSN 1318-2269  External focus in recreational archery    160 
internal focus of attention for the period of acquisition of the motor skills in early stages of 
motor learning, but afterwards, adopting an external focus of attention should be beneficial for 
the shot precision, self-fulfillment and feelings of accomplishment in recreational archers. 
Declaration of Conflicting Interests 
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. 
 
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