The last major event of the outdoor season has concluded with the Buckeye Classic. As I’ve previously chronicled, each major event demands a critical review of performance. What went well? What opportunities exist to improve? Look at everything from, equipment, form, nutrition, hydration, mental game, routine, fitness, supporting activities, etc. Everything that contributes to competing successfully needs to be evaluated. Neglecting a thorough review is a wasted opportunity to improve. One cannot simply say, ‘I wish to improve’, without putting some actionable process goals together. And yes, those actionable goals are derived from your tournament performance review.

Let me highlight by breaking down my own performance from the Buckeye Classic.

What went well? I started the event shooting very effectively in the hardest conditions. My shot was fairly consistent and I was able to execute my sequence well. My mental game was fairly sharp and I was able to stay in the moment and just shoot shots. I never thought about my equipment. Every piece of my equipment was thoroughly vetted.

What opportunities exist for me to improve? My score faded as the day wore on. I’ll need to explore fitness AGAIN. It seems to be a recurring theme in my reviews. I also neglected any strategy to refuel during the day. A review of photos taken showed my release to be less than ideal. I got in very late from dinner on Saturday evening, which led to a very slow start on Sunday morning.

Now I have a basis to put an actionable plan together. More PT. Ugh. That’s tough for all of us, especially me, it appears. I’ll also put in quite a bit of blank bale time to work on the back half of my shot. Packing adequate food to keep me fueled shouldn’t be too much of a chore, but it has to be written down and actually done! And for Pete’s sake, you’d think someone with a few years experience should know not to stay out too late just ahead of competing.

Well, there is the good, the bad and the never should have been. How many of you actually take the time to break down your tournament performance? If you haven’t, I encourage you to do so in collaboration with your coach.