Especial Skill in Recurve Archery: Comparing Three Skill Levels and the Role of Shooting Method in Motor Learning Specificity

10.22034/ijmbsp.2026.586902.1170
Volume 5, Issue 4
Summer 2025
Pages 46-55

Document Type : Original Article

Author

1. Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract
Especial skill is a phenomenon in which performance at a highly practiced point unexpectedly exceeds predictions of Schmidt's schema theory and the force variability law. This study investigated the existence of especial skills in recurve archery across three skill levels and compared two shooting methods (sight vs. no-sight). Thirty male archers (10 per group) shot 150 arrows from five parametric points (0.5 m apart). Practice point (C) distances were 30 m (novice), 50 m (expert), and 70 m (skilled). Data were analyzed using linear regression, paired t-tests, repeated-measures ANOVA, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Pearson correlation matrices. Linear regression revealed no significant distance-accuracy relationship in any group (p>0.05). Repeated-measures ANOVA confirmed a significant Group × Point interaction (F=4.21, p=0.023, η²=0.142). Paired t-tests showed significant differences in the expert group (sight method) between point C vs. D (p=0.038, d=0.768) and C vs. E (p=0.050, d=0.715). No-sight performance (9.04±0.19) was significantly higher than sight (8.88±0.24; p=0.044, d=0.741) in experts only. ICC analysis confirmed high motor representation consistency in experts (ICC=0.847). Archery does not follow the force variability law. Classical regression fails to detect especial skills in isometric precision tasks; however, supplementary analyses support learning specificity at the practiced distance in experts. Findings challenge schema theory's applicability to precision aiming skills.

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Subjects
  • Receive Date 16 July 2025
  • Revise Date 25 August 2025
  • Accept Date 01 September 2025