The impact of mental toughness on accuracy in archery athletes: a comparative study across distances

Introduction: Archery athletes experience negative thoughts, uncomfortable feelings, and decreased movement control during competition. These characteristics are indicators of mental toughness. However, to date, there has been no specific research on the influence of mental toughness on archery accuracy results. Objective: The purpose of the study was to analyze the effect of mental toughness on shot accuracy in archery athletes. Furthermore, this study also compared mental toughness at different distances, namely 40 meters, 50 meters, and 70 meters. Methodology: This type of research is a cross-sectional observational design in several official archery championships. The sample consisted of 269 athletes who competed between November 2024 and February 2025 in Central Java Province and DIY Province, Indonesia. The characteristics of the sample are 147 athletes in the 40-meter number, 64 athletes in the 50-meter number, and 58 athletes in the 70-meter number. Instrument for data collection using the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) and accuracy results based on archery scores. Results: Mental toughness has a significant effect on accuracy, as determined by a t-test with a p-value of 0.000, which is less than 0.05. The one-way ANOVA result was p < 0.05. Therefore, the Hoc Duncan post hoc test (α = 0.05) revealed significant differences in mental toughness among athletes competing at the 40-meter distance compared to those competing at the 50-meter and 70-meter distances sig. 0.170. However, there was no difference in mental toughness among athletes who competed in the 50-meter distance compared to those who competed in the 70-meter sig. 1.000. Conclusions: Mental toughness has a significant influence on the accuracy of archery athletes. The study's findings showed that the level of mental toughness in athletes in the 40-meter event was higher than in the 50-meter and 70-meter distances. Therefore, the higher the level of mental toughness athletes possess, the more accurate they are. These findings confirm the importance of developing mental aspects in coaching archery athletes.