I'm frustrated past any point I've ever been with trad.
A few weeks ago I got my first deer ( doe ) with a trad bow.
At that point I was shooting the best I ever have..not great but my best.
I was keeping my arrows in a 4" group at 18-20yds 90% of the time. The "flyers" might be about 6-7" off center.
For the last week I'm all over the target.
I'll get a couple in the bull then I'll fling arrows from one side of the target to the other.
...or I'll fling a couple arrows from one corner of the target to the other then stack them in the center.
I've checked everything, brace ht, nock point, draw length, paper tested...nothing is off with the equipment..IT IS ME.
I have a mental checklist I go over during each shot. I have a static release. So I pull to my anchor, settle in and shoot.
The really weird thing is normally I KNOW when I make a bad shot. I caN just feel that something was wrong.
This past week, every arrow that's off is a complete surprise. Everything felt good with the shot but the arrow is a foot off.
I was planning on hunting this weekend...
No way I'm going to take a shot at a deer ( or any other animal) shooting like this.
I doubt I'm the ONLY one to have this happen.
But who knows...Maybe I'm cursed..lol
Anyway, if any of you have gone through a similar situation, what did you do to get back on track?
Thank you
I quit thinking. I force myself into not thinking if that makes any sense. An example would be start shooting 5-10 before sundown. It forces me to be fast with my practice which doesn't allow me to think. When I do this my arrows fly where they are supposed to.
Too many possibilities to list, but your anchor sounds okay. You may be torquing the bow, do you use a very loose grip or do you hold the bow with a full hand?
There are so many small factors its impossible to fix you from a forum. When you start flinging all over, stop shooting. Take a break, then go back later concentrating on form and loose fingers. Your mind can be your best friend or worst enemy. If you are not relaxed, dont shoot.
I've gone through it too. When it happens I stop that shooting session then. Try it again tomorrow or even take a couple of days off and come back. If you keep forcing things no good will come from it. I think things like this pop up from lack of concentration and the worst thing to do is over-concentrate on it.
John try pulling to anchor and releasing,sometimes when I hold to long I get erratic,to me it just sounds like you are over thinking the shot,when it looks good let it go.
John,
You're trying too hard! It's not your equipment or tuning, it's your concentration. Relax a bit and shoot fewer arrows.
When you start "flinging arrows" quit! Practice with 3 arrows and take your time shooting them...MAKE THEM COUNT. Or...go out stumping with just one arrow and a Judo point and shoot leaves, sticks and clumps of dirt at varying distances. Stop shooting targets...make it fun again and regain your confidence!
Get out hunting and enjoy yourself. Take a shot only if you feel confident. There is a lot to be gained by just watching deer and NOT taking a shot. Have fun..you already have a deer anyway!
Good Luck -
Kris
Zradix!
Ask someone(or do it yourself) to film you during a session of 10 arrows. Do not stop the camera! Guess you'll find some errors jerking it up for you like gripping the bow hard, plucking the string, or my own favorite: moving the bow in the release making the arrows make shotgun patterns on the target...
Maybe you should try to make a paracord around your wrist and around the grip so you can shoot with your hand open for practice for seeing if the grip is doing damage for you?
Just my 2C.
btw also look into the shooters forum! A lot of good help and specialists there!
Best of luck!
Margly
I shoot only one arrow then go pull it walk to another spot and shoot.If I stand there with a hand full of arrows,I will shoot tight with a couple and then spray the rest all around.When I get frustrated I will lay off shooting a few days.
Another thing I do is actually set up a small target in front of my large target like a ping pong ball on a string or tennis ball.I also do not shoot a lot of arrows maybe 10-15 and always try to end my session with a couple nice shots.
If your form is good, you are just over thinking it,causing your shooting to nose dive. :campfire:
For me, when that happens, it's generally tension in my string hand and forearm. I need to pretend my fingers (mostly middle finger) is simply a hook attached to a string tied to my elbow. Total relaxation of the forearm (as if it was the "string" attached to the "hook").
Static releases can be prone to losing back tension. Try a bit more back tension with the whole relaxed hand and forearm thing.
This generally works for me...hope it does the same for you. Best of luck!...Ryan
Like GFA says in his "Instinctive Shooting" book. "Usually when my arrows start to wander it is because I am forgetting to "push" with my bow arm." Happens to me on occasion. I need to lock that bow arm and shoulder in.
Archery is mental, like any other sport. Your thinking way too much about missing your vitals. Any negative thoughts will cause negative results.
Put the bow down for a day or two. Pick it up before you head out hunting, take a few warm up shots and go hunting. I found shooting at live critters takes my concentration level a tad higher than when I'm flinging Judos at leaves or stumps in the backyard.
I was once giving some great advice. It's all between your ears. Over thinking the shot is driving you crazy. Just relax and don't be in a rush and go back to the basics. Don't take the fun out of watching the arrow fly down range.
Thank you all for the helpful insights!
"Free your mind and the rest will follow"...might have to change my signature..lol
Lots of really good possibilities here.
I really truly appreciate you all taking the time to try to help me out.
Thank you!
I would say if you have been shooting for some time it happens. Best of luck to you and just relax and have fun. One shot at a time.
Joe is dead on,
Happens to me every year. I start trying to force the issue and start changing things and just ruins my accuracy. Put the bow down for a day or two and just forget about it. I bet you will see things settle back in
C
Seems like you are so caught up in the baking that you are forgeting to taste the cake. Your form is already established, and probably doesn't need changing, but you're thinking so much about each step in your shot cycle that you lose focus on the target. Just pick a spot and let the arrow go, after release, keep your concentration on the spot. Don't watch the arrow!
QuoteOriginally posted by gringol:
..... Don't watch the arrow!
That is HUGE !
I've definitely noticed myself doing that..ESPECIALLY when things aren't going well.
Hey bro.... forget about groups and just shoot one arrow at a time and pull it before you shoot the next one. break up your yardage and shoot one at 12 yards then 18 yards. try different angles to your target and focus on one shot...
You are fine brutha.... confidence is a huge part of accuracy. you want confidence in your first shot....
my advise is forget about arrow grouping and get your buns out there and get another deer. You can do it.... Kirk
When I do that, it is usually lack of back tension. I work on that by coming to anchor then thinking, "Back tension," rather than release. If I let the back tension build until the arrow just leaves, I am very accurate. I find that I am kind of surprised when the arrow leaves the bow when I do this, which is a good thing.
I also started practicing with a light draw weight bow, which really shows you the errors quickly. My shooting has improved considerably and quickly.
Here are the things I have discovered over the years (BTW - I shoot right handed):
Plucking the string = high right/right
Low back tension = left/low left
Anchor too low = high centered
Dropping bow arm/poor follow through = scattered
Not focusing on a spot = high
I'm probably missing some, but these are my most common issues. Hope this helps.
Some days I combine two or more of these. :knothead: Then I just go back in the house and try again later or the next day. I start up close (10 yards max.) when I restart. I concentrate on form, not accuracy. Surprisingly, the accuracy shows up when I do this. Then I move back a couple steps at a time. If I'm really struggling, I shoot only one arrow (rarely). Usually I use three arrows. As Byron Ferguson says, it is hard to concentrate for more shots than that. Once the arrows start to cooperate, I will vary the distance with each shot from 7 to 25 yards.
This is what works for me...usually. :rolleyes:
As said....one arrow at a time. The first 5 or 6 times don't even shoot. Talk your self through the shot, Draw, anchor, sight picture, and then let down. Take the arrow off.....and the repeat. Run thru that routine 5-6 time and then the next time shoot 1 arrow go get it and start over. Only shoot maybe 8 arrows.....go have a coffee and come back and hour later. You'll work it out, just don't panic and over think this whole thing.
You can sure talk yourself into shooting poorly. I think we all go through that at some point.
One thing that bothers me a bit about your form is your "static anchor". It's extrememly difficult to maintain back pressure if you are thinking "pull, hold, release". Very easy for that bow hand to creep a bit, or your frame collapse slightly. Half an inch less draw can throw you all over the place.
Think about pulling all the way through the shot and see if things don't settle back down for you.
I find that almost always when shooting in a hunting situation that I can't remember the shot. Most of the time I remember committing to the shot, picking the spot and the next thing I remember is the arrow going where it goes. Do I miss...on occaision. Are my practice sessions always good...no. Does it keep me out of the woods...no. If I feel a shot is not good I just don't take it on a live animal. In a hunting situation focus and adrenalin come into play and it changes everything. If you practice good form that is usually what I experience when I go on auto-piolet.
get 5 feet from target...forget about where you hit just close your eyes and concentrate on good form....clean release...NOT DROPPING BOW ARM after you shoot.....not plucking string. Do that for 10 shots then step back to 5 yards and shoot ONE ARROW getting the same feeling you had with eyes closed when you only concentrated on your form and the feel of the shot and not where it is going.
if it goes where you are looking, pull arrow and do it again one arrow...do it until you miss where you are aiming. Then go back to close in and work on form 5 shots and call it a day.
I got a feeling you are plucking or dropping bow arm if nothing else changed....OR losing focus on your "spot"....when my eyes started going bad from too much time with computers and reading...I had similar issue...my eyes would want to focus on something closer than the spot on target as it was starting to get out of sharp focus.
Getting close and starting to wear sports glasses helped immensley...but starting over with basics up close to target to remove any question of that first helped. once I realized it was my eyes....helped me to focus on my problem and keep shots closer and wear glasses when hunting.
I've found that if the shot cycle/ form is feeling good yet groups are getting larger it is usually because I'm focusing on the arrow tip instead of the target.
I have been in this same situation just recently. I bought a 3d target and have been all over the place since then. I realized it was a bit of target panic creeping in so I make sure to abort every few arrows just to slow things down and that has seemed to work great. also I shoot with only one arrow during my accuracy shooting as well. It really helps my concentration.
Get in the bush and just make your self shoot at closer range, if 12 yards it is then it is!!
Just my 2 cents...
The hardest person to convince that you are a good archer is yourself.
I tend to shoot til I miss then dwell on the miss. Why? I have no idea.
Try a taking a blunt and a wiffle ball tied to a long string with someone pulling it around the yard. It is fun, a small target, you are constantly tracking its movement, and I always seem to lock into anchor better shooting like this.
Rob
Just like when a golfer get the "shanks". Like a couple others have said, just put it away for a couple days and relax.
All great advice. I went through the same thing and am just getting a handle on it now. I aggree to video your shot or get a friend to watch you.
I was sure I was doing things right but my shooting showed otherwise. I was creeping and collapsing and would have bet money I wasn't. May not be your issue but it was mine.
Archery was "fun" for me before deer season, but I started getting "too serious" about practice when the season got going. Every bad shot I made at home, I would think "that's a bad shot on a deer". I realized what was happening and let it be fun again. Maybe... you are stressed like I was. You'll work it out. Good luck man.
regroup this is a tough sport what we do is very hard.some people make it sound so easy.I missed 3 times this week tonight I got one just settle your mind an shoot like you know how good luck.
Been there and have that sweat stained t-shirt! Relax and take some close shots, 5 or 10 yards. It's supposed to be fun. 90% of it is 90% mental 90% of the time! If I have inconsistancy, 90% of the time (see the pattern there??)it is because I am tired and waving that bow arm a little. Fred Asbell said in his shooting clinic that if your bow arm is good you can't really screw anything else up (all other problems are symtamatic of bow arm collapse or other bow arm problems). I find this to be true. If my bow arm is good the shot will be good. Try pushing that arrow into the target with your bow arm and let it happen! Good luck and don't burn yourself out. It's supposed to be fun!
QuoteOriginally posted by Manitoba Stickflinger:
For me, when that happens, it's generally tension in my string hand and forearm. I need to pretend my fingers (mostly middle finger) is simply a hook attached to a string tied to my elbow. Total relaxation of the forearm (as if it was the "string" attached to the "hook").
Static releases can be prone to losing back tension. Try a bit more back tension with the whole relaxed hand and forearm thing.
This generally works for me...hope it does the same for you. Best of luck!...Ryan
I have the same mileage as Ryan my string arm is my usual culprit.
Been there, done it. I believe that a lot of times problems arise from over thinking the shot. All of the thought put into push, pull, anchor, left, right , up , down ETC. takes so much concentration, that you lose sight of your original goal, which is to simply burn a hole in the spot you intend to hit, and shoot it.
Remember to shoot the target, not the arrow, the rest will take care of itself.
Check your brace height. It will only take a second... Along with the other advice, you'll get it! Hang in there!
Target panic stinks for sure.
Been there done that.
I took some advice, and I would get VERY close to a big backstop.
I would go thru my normal shot process, except I would close my eyes and "FEEL" the shot instead of see it.
Don`t worry about anything, just draw, anchor, and release....over and over and over. The whole time, keeping my eyes closed and concentrating on a consistent full draw and anchor point.
Congrats again on your deer!...relax and enjoy...it`s just a glitch in your protien powered computer. :D
Thank you Brothers!
After laying off for 2 days..boy was that hard...
AND taking a lot of the different advice offered here I'm really getting back on track.
Video showed me plucking (even though my thumb was still on my jaw line..lol)
realized I wasn't "bearing down" on the spot....too anxious to watch where the arrow went this time..
Also, I was shooting with my elbow up a bit ( thank you video)
AND I realized I was shooting with what I call a lazy wrist. I shoot with a very high/straight wrist. I noticed I was letting my palm fall at draw and that was letting the top limb tilt back and my arrows were going high.
man o man...I was a wreck..lol
But my arrows are getting about where they should.
I shot bad so long and so many shots I need to retrain my muscle memory in how to do this right again.
If all goes as planned, I'll be in the woods tomorrow looking for this buck that has been making scrapes and rubs around my area..
Thank you again gentlemen for your help and insights.
Good luck to you!
And may you never have to go through what I just did..lol
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
after hunting season is over, you may want to try lowering your high wrist style and put a bit more even pressure on your thumb pad bro....
That style is more repeatable than the high wrist using a traditional bow, and you get more of a bone to bone set in your wrist.
when i was shooting compound bows in competition we all used high wrist grips...but we were only hold 13-15 pounds at full draw. now days even those guys have started coming around to a slightly lower pressure point now..... food for thought latter on.... kirk
QuoteOriginally posted by onewhohasfun:
Like GFA says in his "Instinctive Shooting" book. "Usually when my arrows start to wander it is because I am forgetting to "push" with my bow arm." Happens to me on occasion. I need to lock that bow arm and shoulder in.
Great advice.....
You guys ROCK!
After really taking all the advice in...
I've spent the last couple hours shooting one arrow every 10-20 mins at 20 yds.
This isn't super pretty but it's good enough for me to feel secure in a shot at game.
Thanks to you I'll be HUNTING tomorrow instead of scouting!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :archer2:
(http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx121/Zradix/11-10-12.jpg)