Need help fixing target panic.

Brandon_SPC

Lil-Rokslider
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Feb 19, 2019
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First I want to say whoever is getting in the woods this year good luck I sure as heck wish I was out there with yall vs being in this dang desert. With that said I’m currently thinking about revamping my archery set up to what it used to be due to possible self-induced target panic. To give a background I hunt in the south east of the US with traveling out west for elk hunting. Before I switched my set up I use to shoot a 5 pin fixed sight with .019 pins with a 3 arrow quiver and a scott caliper index finger release. Never had a problem with killing animals and missing was a rarity. Since then I switched to a two pin slider Fast Eddie XL (great sight) .010 pins and a 5 arrow tightspot quiver with a spott hogg index release. Ever since I switched equipment I have developed some serious target panic. Prime example last year I missed two bulls within an hour of each other. One was a little 5 pt and the second was a 6pt that was borderline 300”. A month later I go hunting here in Florida and miss three does one evening and two does the following evening. Granted I have been bow hunting for about 15 years and NEVER in my life have had a season of misses like that. Of course I do miss and butch shots up from time to time but nothing like this especially shooting does from a treestand (elk well that’s a different story lol). I even hung my bow, after that day for the rest of archery season, because I was ultimately worried I would wound an animal and never find it.

I know I have target panic; I know I am creating anxiety for myself before the shot and punching the trigger or even dropping my bow arm to see the arrow. I’m curious if some of my equipment like my release being set to light and going from a .019 pin to a .010 pin is causing this anxiety? Once I get home I am tempted to go to a three pin or five pin slider with .019 pins, get a backtension release with the thumb safety (scared I will punch myself in the face without the safety) and work or my shot sequence. I’m at a loss on what is going on but I know I have created target panic for myself and this never happened until I switched all the equipment on my bow.

Any insight?
 

Zac

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Dec 1, 2018
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So your equipment changes you mentioned will help. However that isn't the solution. You need to research a man by the name of Joel Turner. He has a book and a website. There are also a bunch of podcasts featuring him. I will include one here. You have to fully dedicate yourself to his process for it to work. You can also chat with him on IG. He always ahttps://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/lethal-podcast-2nswers and is happy to help.
 
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Brandon_SPC

Lil-Rokslider
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Feb 19, 2019
Messages
267
So your equipment changes you mentioned will help. However that isn't the solution. You need to research a man by the name of Joel Turner. He has a book and a website. There are also a bunch of podcasts featuring him. I will include one here. You have to fully dedicate yourself to his process for it to work. You can also chat with him on IG. He always ahttps://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/lethal-podcast-2nswers and is happy to help.
Thank you. Im deffintly going to look into him. I know it is me and know I have to work on the problem at hand. Maybe the equipment change help me realize a problem I had that I never knew I had.
 

blackshuk

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May 18, 2020
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CA
What has helped me is to get a release with a real light and crisp trigger, come to full draw, settle your pin and just put a slight amount of pressure on the trigger. While you're in this position say over in your head "don't shoot, don't shoot, don't shoot" and then all of the sudden your bow will go off
 
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Brandon_SPC

Lil-Rokslider
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Feb 19, 2019
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Any recomendations on a backtenstion? I was looking at a Carter Evolution 3 finger and thinking that would possilbly be a good one. Then once hunting starts getting close get a thumb button like a Carter just b cuz or Carter just cuz since they are both pretty similar to the Evolution and work that into the shooting routine. I have had a Stan SX3 but I think the only line they have that are releativily close in models is the perfex in the resistance and thumb button.
 
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Coincidentally I just watched Levi Morgan on YouTube ( who referenced Joel Turner ) and just that quick mental review changed my shooting for the better. I cherry picked from each video but it helped for sure. good luck

Same, I need to go back and watch them again but I catch myself and calm down and refocus or just hold forever. Lol


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Ac338

WKR
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Dec 21, 2018
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Michigan
I use a stan extinction 2 index release with trigger tension set pretty heavy. Once I settle into my anchor and rest my finger on the trigger I no longer move my finger at all during the shot sequence I execute the shot with bt. I'd set your trigger a little heavier and do A LOT of blind bale firing. Eyes closed so you arent focusing on a target or pins. Also when I shoot I like to not focus on a pin but instead burn a hole in my target.
 

JimGa

Lil-Rokslider
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Feb 10, 2018
Messages
194
Learn to shoot back tension, which can be done with a wrist, hinge, thumb, etc. John Dudley's School of Nok was awesome for me. Start with no sight up close for a couple weeks. Also you can get a piece of 550 chord and make a loop to "dry fire" like you do with a rifle. I do a few dry fires with the loop every day before and after I shoot. I use a wrist release, and for me I do like a lighter trigger. Helps a ton to set up the strap so your entire finger is around the trigger, not just the tip. After watching Dudley's videos, learning to shoot back tension and shooting at least once a week all winter, it's amazing how well you can do. Good luck and just keep at it.
 

Turkeygetpwnd38

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5 minutes with a hinge or back tension release will eliminate all but the most severe cases of target panic. Then alternate going back and forth between releases or commit to hunting with the hinge/tension. It’s expensive but Dudley’s Nock2it/Silverback combo works awesome, everything is the same but the mechanisms.
 

Zac

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5 minutes with a hinge or back tension release will eliminate all but the most severe cases of target panic. Then alternate going back and forth between releases or commit to hunting with the hinge/tension. It’s expensive but Dudley’s Nock2it/Silverback combo works awesome, everything is the same but the mechanisms.
I've seen plenty of people punch a hinge, I've done it myself hunting. Definitely not a sure thing. Target panic is mental, a release isn't going to fix it. However a hinge or better yet a tension activated release will surely help.
 

Turkeygetpwnd38

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I've seen plenty of people punch a hinge, I've done it myself hunting. Definitely not a sure thing. Target panic is mental, a release isn't going to fix it. However a hinge or better yet a tension activated release will surely help.
Absolutely. For the majority of cases though, just knowing its mental, watching the videos to use the hinges/back tension releases properly, then integrating them into your practice, that will likely be enough. For more severe cases, there will likely be a lot more to it (taking sight off, blank bailing, working on fundamentals, etc)
 

Zac

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Absolutely. For the majority of cases though, just knowing its mental, watching the videos to use the hinges/back tension releases properly, then integrating them into your practice, that will likely be enough. For more severe cases, there will likely be a lot more to it (taking sight off, blank bailing, working on fundamentals, etc)
No none of that will help on a target. Target panic can only be solved by shooting at a target.
 
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I don't think I had a severe case of it but I spent a long time shooting close. Like under 10 yards. Made it easy to keep the pin in the middle. Hold for a while then slowly take the shot. For me it was induced from pin float, I got close enough that the pin float wasn't a factor. Similar to blind bale except I still had the factors in front of me that cause it, just worked through it that way.
 

stonewall

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I second joel turner. I bought the online course. It’s worth it. The course itself won’t fix the problem...your being disciplined to it will. If that makes sense. I’m not sure your changes caused the tp- I think if one shoots enough tp just comes eventually.

I had it so bad my misses were measured in feet (or yards) at times. Took me over two years to get over it. Had to learn to draw and let down. Develop shot sequence and mental mantra (joel turner). Spent time with the carter evolution. Then on the hinge - two of same hinge. One set way cold, and one normal. Mix them up. Finally, for the first time in my life, just this year I’ve been executing great shots (Nock on wood...pun). I Don’t always hit the middle, but I’ve learned to accept “process over placement” and just with that my groups (and confidence) has improved.
 
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MNman

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My buddy dropped his sight went to an EZ green sight. Said it did wonders. Good luck man.....
 

Zac

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I second joel turner. I bought the online course. It’s worth it. The course itself won’t fix the problem...your being disciplined to it will. If that makes sense. I’m not sure your changes caused the tp- I think if one shoots enough tp just comes eventually.

I had it so bad my misses were measured in feet (or yards) at times. Took me over two years to get over it. Had to learn to draw and let down. Develop shot sequence and mental mantra (joel turner). Spent time with the carter evolution. Then on the hinge - two of same hinge. One set way cold, and one normal. Mix them up. Finally, for the first time in my life, just this year I’ve been executing great shots (Nock on wood...pun). I Don’t always hit the middle, but I’ve learned to accept “process over placement” and just with that my groups (and confidence) has improved.
I had it so bad that I was literally shooting arrows through the wall at my shooting range. I started archery with a hinge and believed the myth that you couldn't have target panic with a hinge. I picked up an Evolution and put arrows through the ceiling and walls. That's why I get frustrated with people constantly blabbing about the hinge curing everything.
 
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