The Secret Curse of Expert Archers

When I first read excerpts of this report, I thought it must be a parody from the Onion, since the sexual innuendo was so strong. But it comes from the New York Times. Consider for yourself whether this doesn't sound like a prolonged double entendre...

"There is an affliction so feared by elite archers that many in the sport refuse to even say its name. Target panic, as the condition is known, causes crack shots to suddenly lose control of their bows and their composure. Mysteriously, sufferers start releasing the bow the instant they see the target, sabotaging any chance of a gold-medal shot. Others freeze up and cannot release at all...

Few admit to being sufferers themselves. “Most shooters will deny that they have it...”

While nearly everyone agrees that the problem is primarily psychological, the latest research suggests that, in some cases, the problem might also be neurological.., Even those with a neurological disorder can develop anxiety that makes the problem worse...

“It kind of gets into the mind that this could happen, and that’s where the anxiety and the stress come in... “I would start to bring the bow down, and as soon as it got anywhere near the target, I would click it right off, right then and there...”