Contents
The set-system mind (recurve and barebow)
What matters for the 2 set points is the end total against the opponent's, not its absolute quality. A 27 beats a 26; a 29 loses to a 30. So you can win a set with an average end and lose one with a good end. The core skill is managing the set-point ledger: how many you can afford to lose. Leading 5-3, a tied end (→ 6-4) wins the match: a split is often a good result when ahead. Every end is a fresh contest, and a blown end costs at most the set (2 points), not the match: reset immediately.
At 5-5, the single-arrow shoot-off is the highest-pressure shot in the sport: one arrow, everything on it. The cue is to trust the routine and not aim harder, this is where the aiming block surfaces most often (see Physical preparation and injury prevention).
The compound running total
In compound, every point counts and carries forward: there is no set to give away. The tactic is consistency and damage limitation, never drop a cheap point (a 9 when the 10 was there, an 8 from a rushed shot). Compound holds steadier (the let-off eases the draw weight, the scope/peep aim is finer), matches are high, and a single 8 can decide: the mental job is to shoot each arrow the same, whatever the running score.
The 720 qualification
Before the matches, the qualification round (the 720) is cumulative for everyone: a different tactical job from matchplay. You build a steady end rhythm, bank a total, seed. A recurve archer, who lives in the set system during matchplay, must switch to a cumulative "protect every point" logic for qualification, and manage fatigue over 72 arrows without chasing points after a bad end.
Field and 3D
On a course, shooting becomes as much a judging game as a shooting one. On unknown distances, a misjudged range costs points directly. Slope (uphill or downhill) shortens the effective distance: read the terrain and adjust, do not shoot the line-of-sight distance. Light, canopy and background fool perception. And the scale dictates the risk: field 6 → 1, 3D 11/10/8/5, weighing the small high-value ring against the safe main ring is a live match decision.
American 3D is scored IBO/ASA, not WA: never coach a WA 11/10/8/5 tactic as if it applied at an ASA shoot.
The coach's line role
On the line, the coach reads the group centre and spread (not the single arrow), the shot sequence for breakdowns (short draw, collapse, snatched release, dropping bow-arm), the rhythm, and routine adherence under pressure. In matchplay they manage the set-point ledger (recurve) or the running total (compound) and the between-end reset.
| What to record | What it reveals |
|---|---|
| The plot: where each arrow lands, the group centre over ends | Movement consistency and sight adjustment |
| End scores / set points | Managing the ledger under pressure |
| The timing per arrow | The rhythm, and whether it rushes when it counts |
| The sequence element that breaks | Where to aim the technical correction |
The trend in group size and its centre across a session is the objective feedback, exactly what Paak's scoreboard records end by end.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a numeric federal "tactics manual"?
How much to adjust for a sloped shot?
Sources
World Archery, rulebooks (2026-01-27 edition) for the set system, the 720, field 6-1 and 3D 11/10/8/5. Paak archery corpus, file 04 (tactics and match analysis), verified September 2026. Tactics are the coaching reading of the sourced rules, not a federal "tactics manual"; the slope angle-compensation is practice, stated qualitatively. American 3D (IBO/ASA) is outside the WA scale.