Musing on Pre Season Meltdowns

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I've always had some level of target panic. Joel Turner and Tom Clum's training has helped me manage it into remission. But every year, right before the season I have a meltdown of some sort. I've grown accustomed to it, and know how to handle it now (Joel Turner's stuff is pure gold). But I had to put myself in archery timeout yesterday. My biggest problem is that I over shoot. I try to shoot my way out of issues, and I'm learning that my muscles simply cannot execute a perfect shot when they're over worked and exhausted. In fact, I suspect that half my meltdowns come specifically because I didn't stop shooting soon enough, and then I let a muscle fatigue error freak me out, I imagine my shooting is going haywire or something. So I won't be shooting till tomorrow or Sunday.

I'm not panicked about the season. I'll be ready in 10 days or whatever it is that the season opens in CO. But I wanted to pass it along to whomever it might help:

1. Don't overshoot
2. Muscle fatigue can be the real reason you're making bad shots
3. Once you blueprint your perfect shot, a rest day, followed by a "back to basics" shooting session, is often all it takes to lock in again.
4. Good form, a good mental game, and some self awareness will take you a long ways in the trad game.
5. Just pay the money for Solid Mechanics and Shot IQ already!

 

[Foggy Mountain]

I’ll say this til I’m blue in the face. Target panic is a mental issue. It’s in the brain. It’s an improper response that continued shooting trains in.
String bows allow reprogramming of the brain and its response, they allow shooting with no arrow, no target so nothing to be anxious about. Pretty simple but requires time, repetition, commitment.
Everytime I hear about it I wonder why some don’t just try. It’s just a boot string or paracord piece away.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I’ll say this til I’m blue in the face. Target panic is a mental issue. It’s in the brain. It’s an improper response that continued shooting trains in.
String bows allow reprogramming of the brain and its response, they allow shooting with no arrow, no target so nothing to be anxious about. Pretty simple but requires time, repetition, commitment.
Everytime I hear about it I wonder why some don’t just try. It’s just a boot string or paracord piece away.

Yep, it is a mental issue... that can be triggered by bad shots, which can come from fatigued muscles. I've used string bows and stretch bands frequently for training. They're very helpful. The only problem with a string bow is that it doesn't replicate draw weight. Not that it isn't useful, just that its not perfect. I've learned to nip TP in the bud. The worst it gets any more is a little collapsing or plucking when I drop the string. No problem aiming for me. I don't normally need a day off shooting to fix it, but I'd over shot multiple days in a row and my muscles were fried.

I went out this morning and had things running smoothly within 4-5 shots, and by the end of the session I was shooting great with bare shafts at 30 yards.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

Nothing is perfect and it’s just the first step but it can start eradicating it. First is reprogram response. Next is learning to shoot a bow properly, not saying you don’t or can’t. This Internet nonsense is crazy, you can’t really tell where I’m coming from in just words I don’t wanna offend anyone.
Target panic can come from fatigue perhaps but once it’s with someone tired or not they’ll blow up during a shot. Hope that made sense.

 

[roosiebull]

I've always had some level of target panic. Joel Turner and Tom Clum's training has helped me manage it into remission. But every year, right before the season I have a meltdown of some sort. I've grown accustomed to it, and know how to handle it now (Joel Turner's stuff is pure gold). But I had to put myself in archery timeout yesterday. My biggest problem is that I over shoot. I try to shoot my way out of issues, and I'm learning that my muscles simply cannot execute a perfect shot when they're over worked and exhausted. In fact, I suspect that half my meltdowns come specifically because I didn't stop shooting soon enough, and then I let a muscle fatigue error freak me out, I imagine my shooting is going haywire or something. So I won't be shooting till tomorrow or Sunday.

I'm not panicked about the season. I'll be ready in 10 days or whatever it is that the season opens in CO. But I wanted to pass it along to whomever it might help:

1. Don't overshoot
2. Muscle fatigue can be the real reason you're making bad shots
3. Once you blueprint your perfect shot, a rest day, followed by a "back to basics" shooting session, is often all it takes to lock in again.
4. Good form, a good mental game, and some self awareness will take you a long ways in the trad game.
5. Just pay the money for Solid Mechanics and Shot IQ already!

good stuff!

i'm shooting good, and am on a maintenance schedule right now.... not trying to "better" my shooting, just making some well executed shots each day, not shooting to the point of fatigue. i think a lot of my shooting problems have come from me not shooting as well as i think i should be, so i shoot more, i get mentally and physically fatigued, and keep shooting thinking it's the right thing to do.

i know better, and still do it... my brain always seems a way to justify it, but i'm staying disciplined now, with season a week away.

right now, my first shot is a broadhead, followed by a bare shaft, followed by a fletched field point... i'll shoot around 30 arrows per session, unless i'm feeling ADHD, then i will take a break and come back after a bit.

in 19' i got target panic bad! it got better before season, but wasn't good still, and i was shooting a bunch.... i wasn't willing to put a clicker or anything on my bow, even though i knew it was in my best interest to do something.... i wouldn't take that season back, i had more action that season than ever, but the action i was having was because i was screwing up slam dunk scenarios.... had i stuck to a compound that season, it would have been short and sweet, as it was, i got to keep hunting... and hunting, and hunting ended up breaking a 15yr streak of killing elk with my bow, but i think big picture, it was good i was so severely humbled that year.... last year my shooting got bad mid summer again, so i scrambled and got a compound, and even though i killed my bull at 7 steps, i'm glad i did shoot a compound, i don't think i really had any business packing a recurve last year... at first i was a mess even with my compound, but i got my shooting pretty dialed before season.

this year i feel good, i feel solid with my recurve, my shooting is way better than ever, i know the steps to take to make an arrow go where i want.... i'm consistent finally. i'm still not going to go out and challenge Demmer to a shootoff, my ability is still what it is, which is plenty good for any shot i'll consider hunting.

there are so many factors that need to line up to get an elk killed, and we are way better off being aware of the factors, and controlling the ones we can. i'm pretty excited, so close!

 

[Beendare]

Shoot

.

 

[CodeMonkey]

I'm not a trad guy (yet), but I absolutely needed to hear this today.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

I'm not a trad guy (yet), but I absolutely needed to hear this today.

Whatcha waiting for brother

 

[LostArra]

1. Don't overshoot
2. Muscle fatigue can be the real reason you're making bad shots

Great advice!
It's fun to watch arrows fly so it's easy to overdo things but all those shots over the years take a toll on joints and sometimes your brain. It's hard for me to truly concentrate for dozens of shots when I'm tired and currently HOT in 90+ degree temps. We aren't going to war with the elk or deer we just need one good shot, the first one, which is why I'm going to start Roosiebull's routine of broadhead, bareshaft and fletched fieldpoint.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

Lost arra mentions a good point. A little out of scope for thread but the very first shot is all that typically counts. You get no warm up hunting except maybe if you are one of visualize guys.
When I practice the very first shot needs absolute utmost concentration. Try to put pressure on yourself after a bit. You can simply imagine your whole season is gonna rest on exactly shooting this target and how you do. Easy pressure.
Idk if guys ever saw a bionic deer. Little tougher pressure cause of consequence. Basically a plate steel deer cutout. Placed 10-15 yards out w a softball sized hole in it. Nice soft hay bales beyond. How do guys miss this big hole from such close range? Shooting under perceived/real pressure. Even warm, majority of guys miss it seems. The pressure is sure to bring on target panic if you don’t practice and work up to it. Look at someone shooting 3D on a Rocky course. How many flinches you see? I’ll ask is it being tired here on only the 4thshot or fear of a miss?
Once basic mechanics are understood and able to be executed/practiced you can take a 2-3’ sheet of cardboard, put a tic tac toe board on it and play your buddy shooting arrows at it. Best out of three has a better country if origin, hotter wife or simply gets a coke bought for him.
Lots of ways to mimic pressure but none like a deer walking slowly in. Practice towards that but always remember, first shot is the very most important one. If you live in an area shooting is easy like where I live just step on porch and shoot, take first shots a couple/few times a day. Maybe a couple more after. The road hypnosis of multiple shots for an hour is real. Avoid that. Shorter shooting time but there can be more of it if you like. That also helps guys that get tired shooting. Imo more benefit that way

 

[Foggy Mountain]

I’ll add this as well, if your shooting starts to suffer, start talking yourself through the steps. Is your stance right? Grip, alignment, draw, anchor, back tension, release, follow through. I shortened that but you get the point. Concentrate on your steps if need be to regain consistency and remove pressure for a bit. Pressure is only gonna occur if youre unsure anyhow. Remember my first post, tp is mental? Archery is very mental once basic shooting steps are mastered. If you think you can do it, you prob will. If you question yourself you’ll prob miss, start readjusting everything and soon have improper impulses. String bow. A guy I teach w was multiple time state champ, another guy coached 2 girls to state champ. All of these people still use a string bow. Some of the kids we’ve taught many years now and not one has developed tp. Wonder why????

 

[Foggy Mountain]

One final point, Koreans are fantastic archers, they all are strung bow shooters for months before they ever see a bow. Does it work??!

 

[FLS]

Take a break. I’ve never been able to shoot myself out of a slump. I put it down and go do something else.