My Shooting Stinks!

[JGH]

The snow is finally melting, and their are a few windless evenings lately ...

Time to get out shooting.

Trouble is: I'm suddenly out of sync with my bow.

How do you get back into shooting-shape? And by that, I mean mentally. I "know" how to shoot. I've been much better. It's all mental -- I'm convinced.

Do any of you have particular regimens? I know everyone is going to say they shoot year-round ... but how about some of you honest non-year-rounders?

[dapper]

Just keep plugging away, it'll come back. Probably getting the muscles that are used back in shape. Theres still plenty of time. Especially if you're using a compound with sights. Traditional or instinctive takes a lot more practice.

[cnelk]

DABR

When things start going south, and they will, I use DABR

Draw
Anchor
Breathe
Release

Works for me

[Indian Summer]

I used to shoot nearly year round. At least during fair weather since I shoot outside. But it got to the point where it was like getting on a bike.... and I was getting too busy to shoot like that. The only thing I found important was to not shoot too heavy of a draw weight or I'd need to shoot more to keep those muscles in tune. Now I just shoot a little over the summer and then alot for a couple weeks before I go hunt.

Yesterday for the first time I put up a 20 foot ladder stand in the yard. No I wasn't looking for more excercise... lol, I just wanted to practice at a steep angle more. Yes I'm preparing to stand hunt for bears and I haven't done much stand hunting lately but I also got to thinking... when do I have a level ground shot at elk? Not often. So I'm going to build not just my skill level but my level of mental confidence as well by shooting from the elevated stand. More importantly I've motivated myself to start shooting sooner and more often this year.

I'd say just start slow. Don't shoot 100 arrows right out of the gate. When it's going good shoot a longer session but if its not walk away until tomorrow. The more you shoot the sooner you'll build those muscles and train that release finger and the better you'll get. The mental aspect will follow. What's the Nike slogan "just do it!"... one step at a time.

[ElkNut1]

John, like you I do not shoot year around either due to the tons of snow we receive here. I do get a bit rusty when not shooting for several months (7) so I know the feeling! (grin) You may even have to back the limbs down 2-3 turns just to get the muscles working but not hurting anything, after a couple weeks of shooting every other day you'll feel better about things & be able to crank the bow limbs back up.

One thing I really focus on is what's my bowarm & trigger finger doing. What I mean is I've noticed they sorta work in unison, if I allow my right hand/trigger finger to fly away from my face when I squeeze off for a shot with my release it also affects my bowarm just enough to throw a shot off so I really focus more on one thing, my release!!! I make sure when I squeeze off the shot that I keep contact with my hand to my face or let it slide back a bit towards my ear but I do not allow my hand at the shot to fly away from my face. Keeping my shooting hand "quiet" really helps me to focus well, maybe this will help you too? Try it out a few times & see if it helps settle you down.

ElkNut1

[JGH]

Thanks, all, for the advice.

I've been shooting long enough to "know" what to do, but it does help to hear it from others again!

DABR ... I've never had a tattoo, but I think that might be a good one to put on my bow arm, near the thumb!

I'm not physically in bad shape -- the muscles are objectively stronger than last year -- but mentally, well ...

All shooting sports are mental games, IMO. Trap, skeet -- anything with a shotgun in particular -- but also rifle shooting, archery, and handgunning. Form, form, form. Repeat the same way. Repeat the same way. Repeat the same way.

It seems so easy! It should be easy.

Like ElkNut says, leaving the trigger hand neutral helps. My problem sometimes is leaving my brain neutral! Overthinking is the Devil.

[bnsafe]

i had quit bowhunting for about 3 years to concentrate on duck hunting back in mo. when i got back into it it took me almost 2 mos to get consistent again. i went through every mental exercise and emotion you could think of, nothing seemed to help. i blamed everything you could think of but couldnt change it. after about two mos it all seemed to come together and by the end of the summer i was shooting out to 65 yds and keeping 3 inch groups. had to quit shooting 30 and it cause i was tearing up to many arrows. just keep after it. also try to end on a good note, if you shoot a good group rather its the first group or tenth quit with a good mental note. i ALWAYS have to shoot the next group after a good one, dont.

[ElkNut1]

"Overthinking is the Devil"-- LOL!! How true bud! Same applies to golf! (grin) I know we are all guilty at some time over-thinking things!

ElkNut1

[mtnmutt]

I am notorious for developing Target Panic, so I cannot take a break from shooting.

I shoot year round outside here in CO. Last fall, I did a fun 3D shoot in teens using hand warmers. I shot better at that shoot than when it was in the 60s.

Most of my winter shooting is standing in my basement 4 feet from the target doing blind bale shooting. Take out the aiming part and the form comes back to you.

A day spent blind bale shooting can be a huge help to most of us.

Due to a recent shoulder injury, I do not force it. Sometimes, I only do 10 arrows. I even had to drop my DW down after the injury. Now 3 months later, I am back up to what I was shooting pre-injury.

Get an exercise band and try using it in front of a mirror. I use one while traveling. An archery coach suggested it to me. Last year when I switched from RH to LH, my form was terrible. The band helped.

Take it easy. It can take months to recover from an injury.

Good Luck!

[easeup]

hope this doesnt sound stupid to you...
get it out of your mind that you can just walk out the door and shoot like a champion on the second day.
no one else does.
once you buy in to that there is less mental pressure( which is lack of focus), your mind is open to your concious will to perform the correct steps you know how to do.

routine practice is more than adequate to get you there with around a100 days left.
dont worry....be happy.

[JGH]

"no one else does" -- Good point!

Dang, you wouldn't think that after reading some of these forums!

I've never had a 60, 70, and 80 yard pin!

Actually went out this morning while it was still calm, and started relaxing and shooting ... much better. You're right -- there are a lot of days between now and the season. And I'm certainly shooting M.O.E. (Minute-of-elk) now.

[Trophyhill]

I'm the type of shooter that needs to shoot a lot to stay sharp over 40 yards. What helps me is shooting at 80 yards. It lets you know real quick if your mechanics are off. When my groups tighten up at 80 it is amazing how 50 feels like a chip shot. Maybe Zane (da white shoe) will chime in regarding his bout(s) with "target panic"

[Da White Shoe]

Muscle memory is lost to some degree without some kind of reinforcement.
Some people have less trouble getting back into the grove after an extended layoff, but everyone loses a little off their game.
Give yourself a week or two to get it back before you freak out.

The blank bale shooting mentioned by mtnmutt is a very good way to keep in shape overt the winter.
You can do part of it at 3-4 feet... eyes closed, to keep your form feeling familiar.
You can do indoor aiming drills at close range, using very small spots to shoot at... doesn't have to be 20 yards.
Eight feet will help get you through the winter.

Winter is also a good time to better tune your bow. Things can go south with a bow left idle and sitting in the case.
This guy is the best I've seen in print on the subject... http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showth...ghlight=tuning

[Da White Shoe]

I'm the type of shooter that needs to shoot a lot to stay sharp over 40 yards. What helps me is shooting at 80 yards. It lets you know real quick if your mechanics are off. When my groups tighten up at 80 it is amazing how 50 feels like a chip shot. Maybe Zane (da white shoe) will chime in regarding his bout(s) with "target panic"

Here you go, old buddy!

The natural inclination for everyone that first picks up a bow is to use every muscle they have to draw and hold it back. Then, they will invariably try to watch the sight pin and the target at the same time... impossible to do. It feels athletic to try to control the bow, but that is the wrong approach. I know that when I first started shooting, I felt that I needed to "shoot the bow." After a lot of inconsistency, I came to the conclusion that I needed to let the bow shoot itself! I had found a new philosophy in archery. To be static. Like a bow shooting machine. To just stay out of the way and allow the arrow to leave the bow with no outside influences working against it... namely me! After all, if my bow was being shot out of a shooting machine the arrows would all be going in the same hole!

Your muscles have to be relaxed at full draw... and remain relaxed... in order for your sight pins to be steady. At full draw, your release hand as well as your bow hand, should be completely relaxed. You don't want to be grasping or squeezing the barrel of the release or the grip of your bow handle. Also, do not force either of your hands open. Your fingers should be hanging limp and relaxed. I lightly touch my first finger and my thumb together around the bow handle, but some like to use a wrist sling. Use the bones in your arms and the muscles in your back to draw the bow. Use the same bones and back-muscles to hold as much of the weight of the bow at full draw as you can and I would recommend drawing the string straight back to your anchor point. Hold the bow out, pointed at the target, draw it straight back using your back muscles and without lifting it any higher. Once at full draw, relax every muscle in your arms that you don't need to use to stay at full draw. That goes for the muscles in your shoulders, torso and legs, too. Always remember; it's the tension in your muscles that causes your sights to wobble and jump around. If you can learn to relax everything that isn't needed to hold at full draw, your sight pins will barely even move. Almost like a bench rested rifle! It is very important that your bow is set at the correct draw length. If it is too long... or too short, you will have a very hard time relaxing fully.

There is a lot more to shooting a bow than relaxing muscles however. You can bet that someone shooting a bench rested rifle at 300 yards won't pull the trigger... he will just keep putting more and more pressure on that trigger until the rifle goes off. There is a way to shoot a bow using that same concept. It is highly accurate and, really, it's the best way to shoot a compound bow with sights... whether for targets or hunting. If you want to learn it, I've outlined the process below. If you don't want to shoot this way... if nothing else, these are some good tips for a new archer to know.

.............................. .........THE GRIP.......................... ........................
Before drawing the bow, position your hand on the grip and start pulling with your release hand to put pressure on the string. You are trying to find the exact position for your bow hand to be in. You want to feel all of the pressure from the bow handle on one point of your palm... right from the start of your draw. I have always remembered Randy Ulmer’s description of it. He said to pretend that there is a steel rod running parallel and exactly between the two bones inside your forearm. Where that rod would exit your palm is where this point is. If you find this spot, it will help keep you from torqueing the bow handle.
Also, if you will rotate the bottom of your bow hand away from the bow a few degrees for your grip, you will clear a path for the bowstring and negate torque at the same time. Learn to find your grip before you draw the bow on every shot, but once you start your draw, do not move your bow hand AT ALL.

.............................. .............................. ...............ANCHOR......... .............................. ..............
There is no universal anchor point that will work for everyone, but there are some things that make a great anchor point. Having at least two solid, easy-to-repeat points of contact with your face is recommended. For instance, the string just touching the end of the nose.. with a knuckle of the release hand dug in behind the jaw bone. The perfect one would have your head held straight with the rest of your spine, shoulders level, release-side forearm in a straight line with the arrow at full draw and no part of the string in heavy contact with any part of the face.

As long as these things are kept in mind, whatever feels comfortable will be OK, but remember that the higher your anchor is, the lower the peep is in the string. The closer you have the peep to your nock on the string, the lower your sights will have to be. At some point that can make it impossible to shoot at a decent distance... what that distance ends up being depends on the bow and the arrow used.
The main thing to remember is, your anchor is like the rear sight on a rifle... if it's not the same every time... you're probably going to miss a lot.

.............................. .............................. ............BACK TENSION....................... .....................
Using a conscious movement of a finger to trigger the shot is what we’re trying to get away from here. Your finger is loaded with nerve endings. It is much too sensitive and closely tied to your brain. Your mind recognizes a certain sight picture and screams, “NOW!” Your brain is always faster than your reflexes and this method of shooting can be inconsistent... and it can go south in a hurry!

Flexing a large muscle group to trigger the shot is the answer. In order to use back tension to achieve a surprise release, you must trust the bow, your form and the arrow. In order to become that trusting, your form, concentration and execution have to be very consistent. That takes a lot of work... and enough time and repetition to make it stick! You have to be able to completely focus on the spot you want to hit and let go of control... control of the bow, the sight pin and the moment of release. You’re brain isn’t going to be able to do that without a lot of re-programming! You have to do it in steps and you can’t take any shortcuts.

Learning to give up control is far easier using a back tension release aid. I'm not saying you can't use a trigger release to get a surprise release, but it is a lot easier to cheat with a finger-triggered release. After you have mastered this technique, it will be fairly easy to learn to do the same thing with your hunting release.

With an index-finger triggered release, you will contact the trigger with the pad between the first and second knuckle. Hooking the finger deep over the trigger will keep the sensitive fingertip from taking over. You can use a slow squeeze like a rifle shooter or you can leave your finger out of it altogether and your arm, hand and finger become just a dead hook to trigger the shot with just back tension.

With a thumb release, you can anchor with the thumb against the side of your face and as you pull through the shot it will naturally increase pressure on it until it goes off or you can trigger the shot with the slow rotation of your hand as you pull through the shot.
To shoot using back tension, you flex or squeeze the release-side muscles of your back... sort of like you are trying to make one shoulder blade touch the other one. To find these muscles, have someone stand facing you while you pretend to hold a bow at full draw. Have them grasp your elbows and try to gently force you to give them a hug while you resist, all the while keeping your arms relaxed. The back muscles you feel resisting are the ones you need to flex to trigger the shot.

............................ ..............THE FOLLOW THROUGH....................... ...............
When you "follow through" after the bow goes off, people say you should try to keep the pin on the target or keep aiming until the arrow hits. I've always felt that that was a bad way to describe it. You can't keep aiming or even see the pin once you shoot.

What I would say is... keep your T form until you hear the arrow hit, do not drop your bow arm or move your head, stay relaxed and let the bow go where it wants to go without grabbing for it. Good follow through takes practice.


.............................. ..............THE FIRST STEP.......................... ...................
It's tempting to just go right out and try all of this on a target at 20 yards, but DON'T DO IT! When you start trying all of this for the first time, it is very important, and it will speed up the learning process... if you completely eliminate the aiming part of shooting the bow. Work on relaxation and a surprise release before you ever have to worry about aiming. You need to ingrain the feel of the shot process so that it becomes automatic... as in the term, "muscle memory." You do this with your eyes closed at first.

To get a feel for this, your target needs to be at the same height as your arrow at first. I hang my target from a rafter and stand close, so that the tip of my arrow is about 3 1/2 feet away from the target at full draw. After you reach full draw and have lined everything up, close your eyes, relax and think through every step of the shot.

.............................. ...............THE FOUNDATION.................... .....................
When that feels VERY comfortable, move to a blank target that is 3 yards away and start shooting with your eyes open, but use no spot and try not to aim for a spot on the target... in fact, it would be better to just take the sight off your bow for this step. When you are so tired of doing this drill every day that you are ready to die of boredom, (something like 3 weeks later... at least 1000 arrows), only then is it time to learn to do it while aiming.

.............................. ..............AIMING.......... .............................. ..............
To aim, reach full draw with a perfect T form, line up your bubble level, pick the right pin and center it all in the peep. Next, move your whole upper body to get on target. You don't want to just move your arm up and down or side to side. That introduces torque. Your upper body and arms should at all times form a perfect T shape at full draw.
When everything is lined up, start consciously relaxing muscles. Hold the bow back with your back muscles. Start with relaxing your hands and work your way up your arms and through the shoulders. When you've shot this way long enough, you won't have to even think about this step.
Then go into aiming mode. Your full concentration switches to the spot and only the spot. The pin is blurry and it will still seem to float around the spot, but you need to forget about the pin. You will naturally try to keep it on the spot without even thinking about it. You should be focusing on the spot and nothing else. Keep your concentration while slowly squeezing through the shot, making sure to follow through after the release.
The first few times the bow goes off, it will scare the heck out of you. Keep at it! You will get used to it... and at the point that you start breaking arrows because they're hitting each other at 30 yards... you'll begin to crave that feeling! Just remember that it's important to never be able to anticipate exactly when the shot will break. You need the surprise... just like a benched down rifle shooter does. No cheating! Focus... concentrate on the spot you want to hit and just squeeze through until the shot breaks.
It defies logic, really, but at some point in all of this learning process you will definitely know you are doing it right. How? Because arrow after arrow will keep going dead center of the bull's-eye... even when you know the pin was not on the spot at the time your release triggered.


.............................. ....................THE BRIDGE........................ .............................. ..........
At this point, you’ve learned how to trigger the shot with back tension and a surprise release.

Only now, with this last step... will you tie your new shooting process in with the aiming process. Move to 5 yards with a target that has several big spots to aim at... no sense ruining arrows shooting at the same spot. Six inch squares of duct tape will work nicely.

Begin shooting. Let the shooting process you've instilled run on auto-pilot... all you should have in your head is that spot. Nothing else matters. Trust the bow to do it’s job. Keep in mind that at this stage, where the arrow ends up in the target isn't important. What you are trying to do is capture the feeling of the perfect execution of the shot... while aiming at the same time.



At some point, all of your arrows will start to find the center of the spots. When that happens... and you feel like you are consistent in your form, aiming, release and follow through... move back to 10 yards and do it all again. When it all comes together at 10 yards, use a smaller spot to aim at.

Repeat the process out to a good distance, but don't be in a hurry to get there! Take your time and make sure it is all working before you move back. If it isn't, move closer again. It is a good idea to begin each practice session at the hanging target with your eyes closed. As always, it is very important to quit shooting when you start to loose your focus... that's when bad things happen.

You may be able to recognize a good arrow from a bad one by now, but to learn this technique all by yourself, you have to be a thinking archer... meaning, you have to be able to analyze and trouble-shoot your shot sequence from the inside... you have to feel what you're doing. This can be very tough to do. Finding a good coach is a true gold mine and it could save you a lot of headaches. Sometimes though, for whatever reason, coaching isn’t possible. A video camera can help, but only if you know what you're looking at. If you’re doing it by yourself and you ever hit a snag that you can’t figure out, all you can do is go back to a blank target, get close and work on the basics. This helps me every time.

In any case, this method of shooting a bow is well worth whatever effort it takes to learn it.

Good luck and I hope this helps you in some way.
Zane

[ctdad]

I shoot into a target a few feet away just to get my form. U don't worry about aiming and just focus on form. I Have been doing this everyday for the last couple weeks bc I changed releases and I'm trying to learn new form. Works for me.

[RockChucker30]

Ditto ctdad. Blind bale shooting allows you to concentrate on form with no pressure of aiming. Start and end your sessions with 5-10 shots from 3 yards while concentrating solely on form.

[JGH]

Da White Shoe: Thanks for the comprehensive post! It holds everything that I "know" but currently am not doing.

To everyone else who also proposed blind bale shooting: Thanks.

I've done that in the past, and ... it works!

But the urge for the quick fix ... to just go out and shoot at 20 yards and hope it all "comes back" ... is too much.

I'm going to set up a "blind bale" situation in the garage tomorrow. I'll try not to do anything except that for a month.

I don't think that is going to hurt anything.

[Whitetail180]

Get only about 10 yards from a big target, close your eyes and shoot, only think about the execution. Anchor point, the squeeze and follow through...

[LckyTylr]

I don't shoot year round.

Like has been mentioned above, I sometimes have a hard time getting back in the groove. When that happens, I start at about 5 yards with my target at eye level. I'll shoot for a week or more with my eyes closed, practicing my form. Draw, Anchor, Breathe, Squeeze, Follow Through.

I notice that most of my problems are from not trusting my equipment to do what I know it can do, so I drop my bow and fail to follow through. Sometimes I don't trust my own abilities, so I punch the release rather than squeezing the trigger. A

As you mentioned, it's all mental, your equipment is counting on you to get the job done just as much as you expect performance from your equipment.

[BrentLaBere]

Da White Shoe, awesome post! I really enjoyed reading that.
One thing on distance shots for me is I have never been able to hold a dot dead on target. Maybe I am doing something wrong? I really think you just need to be calm and consistent with this, so called wavering of the bow, and be calm and squeeze. You wont be "robin hooding" arrows at 80 yards but you will have a nice pattern to your shot staying consistent and calm.

[Arapahoe]

I shoot compound and traditional. I really recommend "become the arrow" by Byron Fergerson.

When I get a little off I just get out my longbow and walk down the river with a quiver full of arrows and have fun again like I did when I was a kid.

[ctdad]

No one can hold a dot dead on target even at short distances. Accept that and look at the target dot and not the sight pin and you'll shoot where you want

[pointysticks]

my muscle memory is pretty good. and my bow fits me. so i can draw back and find my anchor pretty consistently even after a long hiatus.

what goes to poo, is my trigger work. i become a punchy fool..i have to pay attention to the trigger and after that i all falls back into place.

for sure strength is diminished.

[WindedBowhunter]

One of the most important factors is as pointysticks mentioned...muscle memory!

Unless you are pulling 80+lbs, just keep shooting at your bag/block but not necessarily aiming.

If you have a large bag or block on a table, shoot from a distance of 5' from the target (make sure there is nobody or anything moving behind the target for safety reasons)
Just go through the complete draw cycle using your back muscles, not your arms.
Anchor your shot (I like to use 3 points - 2 physical and one objective)
Release your arrow, follow through
Perform this all while your eyes are closed

The reason for this is to get the relaxed, comfortable and confident feeling of shooting your bow! Aiming will come fairly quickly once you have this down. This also works for target panic and punching the trigger.

The other thing is to not shoot 50 arrows in a session, unless you are performing this over 2-3 hr period. You do not want to burn your muscles, you want to remember what it feels like to draw, hold and release an archery arrow.

I would start out with maybe 10-20 arrows a day for a week or 2.

Do not set a timeline on when you will start aiming your shots, you will be sorry that you did.

If you have the draw and anchor down, aiming for accuracy is easier to acheive