The Positive Impact of Combining Motor Imagery, Action Observation and Coach’s Feedback on Archery Accuracy of Young Athletes

Abstract

In recent years, learning and motor control researchers have examined, in diverse ways, the practical strategies that enhance motor skill acquisition in sport. In this study we investigated the impact of combining Motor Imagery (MI), Feedback (F), and Action Observation (AO) on the quality of archery longbow shooting at a 10-meter target. We randomly assigned 60 young athletes to (a) a Control group (Control), (b) a Feedback and Motor Imagery group (F + MI), and (c) a Feedback, Motor Imagery, and Action Observation group (F + MI + AO). Over an 8-week intervention period athletes performed two training sessions per week. During each session, all participants engaged in two blocks of ten effective shots. Performance improvement was significantly greater in the F + MI + AO group than in the two other groups, confirming the beneficial impact of combining all three methods of improving archery accuracy. These findings suggest practical recommendations for athletes and trainers for delivering optimal mental training to improve shooting accuracy for these archers.