Taking my shooting to the next level?

[cjones]

I seem to be stuck in a rut! My shooting improved alot early this year but lately i seem to be stuck. I'm not getting worse but i seem to have hit a plateau. I still have the ocasional shot where i drop my arm or pluck the string, though this is not very often. Anyone have any tips on what to do to reach the next level? I'm all out of ideas!  

[sweet old bill]

Chad it seems we all go thru these days when you have good form and the arrow still do not go were you want. I shot a 3D yesterday and had the best shooting in years and still lost 2 carbon arrows on deer that were about 32 yards away. But I still think the more you shoot a light weight bow for practice in form the better you will get to be. I keep telling myself to keep that bow arm up till you see the arrow hit the target or deer. Now I sure do not have any suggestions on the release, I get most good ones, but sometimes it seems I sure do not lock into a good ancor and let the string just roll off the fingers. I use a deep hook and that has helped me, I also use a kant pinch tab. I try to shoot daily about 20 arrows and try to make each one a perfect shot. I do think that traditional is a lot of form over head games...now lets see what some of the good shooters have to say, I consider myself a poor to fair only shooter.

[rabbitman]

Improve your company when shooting 3d's.  Your spending way too much time looking for my arrows.  

[swampbuck]

I keep lookin for that next step myself LOL Actually I'm thinkin(scary) it's probably gonna come in the form(no pun inteneded LOL) of blank bail shooting which I find boring as heck.I know I need to do it but really like shooting "at" things.

Been in a bit of a slump lately hopefully some good tips will pop up here,somethin to take the bore outta shootin the bail would be nice since thats where I think the next step is gonna come from...

[GroundHunter]

Throw in some roving, shooting dandelions, cactus pads, and be sure to have relaxing shooting.

When I am trying too hard, I get all tight, and get stuck. Then, i just swing up and shoot, or walk away from the target, turn, draw and shoot naturally and instinctively.

Amazingly, this ofen gives me my best accuracy. Like dead center on the tennis ball at 25 yards, or the little black center of the target face! Happens most when I do this no-stress just shoot it test. Shows me what the next level feels like. What to make consistent.

This weekend, after a frustrating day trying too hard, I rested, then went out and did the turn and shoot, to get the feel. Nocked an arrow, and carried two in the bowhand, so i didn't have my best grip. 15 yards, 1" from tennis ball. 20 yards, grazed it. 25 yards - dead centered the ball. Hooo! I said, that's what I'm after.

Went back with the 58# Tomahawk and the 70# Wesley, and put 6 arrows each in and touching the tennis ball at 20 yards. I was shooting loose and natural, pulling through the shot.

That's what works for me. Now, I'm looking to make that consistent, and move to 30 yards.

I think most of us are better shots than we let ourselves be.

Getting to the next level is not a push. it's more like Peter Pan - "Think happy thoughts, and you can fly!" No kiddin'. Top form is relaxed and having fun.

[jdupre]

When I make a bad shot and can't figure out what went wrong, I look to my bow arm. Any relaxation of the bow arm during the shot causes arrows to scatter all over the target. Check for consistant pressure on the grip. One quarter of and inch change in the pressure point can cause all sorts of crazy arrow flight. Been there!  jdupre'

[cjones]

LMAO@Dick! Hey i like shooting with you guys.

Just so everyone is clear, Hunting accuracy isn't a problem. I miss every now and then but for the most part i'm good on animals. What i'm talking about is strictly target accuracy. I need to get to a point where i don't shoot any 0'S or 5'S and way more 10's than 8's on an ibo course. My last shoot i had one blank from dropping my bow arm and 4 fives. plus i only had 7 ten's, the rest were all eights!

[SHOOTO8S]

Chad...anytime you hit a plateau and are not showing improvment despite plenty of practice....its always time to go back to basics and work on form and aiming.

[swampbuck]

Rod,any what do ya do to keep motivated or less bored from form work....blank bail work in particular...aiming I actually like practiceing on it's the shot part that needs work but seems so boring to me.If I shoot 2 ends a session at a blank bail thats alot...tuff question LOL on how to motivate ones self


Am also speakin about targets and top end shootin LOL No I'm not there yet but those deer are in deep do do should I decide to turn one loose

[Patience]

Just a quick point that works for me when the shooting seems to be going down. 1) get out more, mornings just a couple of shots if that's all I have time for. 2) change shooting times and/or routine. 3) If I have been getting out pretty regular I take a few days off. You be surprised what a little break can do.

[cjones]

Rod, What distance should you shoot whe working on form and aiming? I seem to have trouble sometimes keeping my focus on a small spot on the target. Any ideas on what will help that?

[GroundHunter]

What shooto8s said, work form. It pulls me back on target when I start to drift. I have resolved to work on form as much as hitting. All the boks and videos on it say you can't work on form and hitting at the same time. And, we go off working on hitting, leving the form behind. Form drifts.

[SHOOTO8S]

Swampy...any work on the basics is boring and require a lot of discipline....its lots more fun to be shooting arrows, but just shooting arrows will only get you so far.

 Chad....any distance will be OK for form work...as long as your not aiming. Aiming practice is IMO best done without actually shooting an arrow, and any distance is ok.

 I bet the reason your having trouble focusing on a small spot is......your conscious mind is checking a part of your form VS its only job of aiming....thats where the form work without aiming comes into play...by grooving each part of your shot into the subconscious and allowing the conscious mind to only aim.

[cjones]

Rod, How do you work on just form without aiming at all? Would it be better to do form work with you eyes closed in order to take aiming out of the equation? I figure to get to level i want to be at, i need to bring my average score up about 40 points! Right now i'm averaging 233-235 on a 30 target ibo course.

[SHOOTO8S]

Chad....eyes closed works well, as does simply considering the bale, as simply there to catch arrows....ohh yeah, forget numbers and scores, and focus on perfect shots......the scores will catch up!

Anyone who had reached a certain level and can;t seem to get past that level may want to consider the saying......if you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to get what you have always got.

[Shawn Leonard]

Nice, keep the tips coming. I am in the same boat as Chad, but I know my main problem is concentration. I get bored quick, so I try like someone said above, and stump shoot which is shoot anything I pick out while on a walk. I always shoot better doing this than on targets, 3D or otherwise. shawn

[swampbuck]

"Aiming practice is IMO best done without actually shooting an arrow, and any distance is ok."

I think I follow ya on this....I actually pull up anchor settle in and let down my first shot after it looks good but I was doing it to basically tell myself I'm in control of the shot vs the shot controling me not so much as aiming practice

One thing that helped me aim was to do it without the bow just an arrow....sometimes I'd add a couple rubber bands to simulate preasure on my fingers,be careful if ya try this for 2 reasons LOL the rubber band can launch the arrow which would be bad in the house LOL and rubber bands get weak after awhile and when they break it hurts like $&$%^#$^ slappin ya in the face....Twice thats happened to me....the face slap not the launch an arrow in the house LOL

I,ve got an old fiberglass bow maybe 20#s that I use for release practice sometimes with the formaster sometimes just dry fireing it....would this be something to use to practice "aiming without shooting" ?? Thanks

[SHOOTO8S]

Sawmpy....it would kinda be counterproductive to work on aiming with a 20# bow then have the subconscious speed the entire process up when shooting a heavier bow.

[swampbuck]

Okay so doing what I said I was doing by drawing my regular bow back aquireing the proper sight picture and then letting down is what ya mean by "aiming without shooting" ?? I only do that once or twice just before starting agin my intention was to tell myself who's in control not so much as practiceing the aim part.

From what I've gathered so far both "aiming" and "shooting" are differnt things that can and should be worked on seperately as well as together...sound right??

 CJ,hope I'm not stealin your thread here LOL seems we're both interested in the same thing

By the way THANX Rod!! It's great to be able to get imput from guys like yourself

[SHOOTO8S]

Swampy.....thats my metohd of aiming praactice....Going through all the steps of a shot,Holding on target and letting down before I start the process of increasing back tension to release.

 Aiming is done with the conscious mind and thats all the conscious mind should be doing is aiming!  Form and shooting of the bow should be a subconscious thing and has to be grooved. so that you only have to aim and the subconscious can handle all the other parts of a shot