Beating target panic

[JR Chambers]

I use a psycho trigger as well. When my clicker goes off I let er eat.

[buckeyebowhunter]

I'm not sure you can actually get rid of it entirely, but as someone mentioned there are a lot of band aid type remedies and drills that can alleviate the symptoms.

I've found that a clicker will almost immediately entirely eliminate it for me, that is until my brain learns to anticipate the click. If my shooting is suffering horrendously I will use a clicker but almost as a last resort. I despise having them on my bow, not only are they ugly but the crutch idea bothers me for some reason.

I've found that the pressure of hitting a target is what spawns TP for me. The more I want it, the worse it gets.

If I really bare down and talk myself through each phase of my shot I can almost always make it happen, this requires a ton of mental focus that can get downright exhausting and tricky to do on game or in front of crowds. This is part of the reason I don't shoot as much 3D as I used to, TP can definitely suck the fun out of something that should be so simple and enjoyable.

[Arctic Hunter]

I'm not sure you can actually get rid of it entirely, but as someone mentioned there are a lot of band aid type remedies and drills that can alleviate the symptoms.

I've found that a clicker will almost immediately entirely eliminate it for me, that is until my brain learns to anticipate the click. If my shooting is suffering horrendously I will use a clicker but almost as a last resort. I despise having them on my bow, not only are they ugly but the crutch idea bothers me for some reason.

I've found that the pressure of hitting a target is what spawns TP for me. The more I want it, the worse it gets.

If I really bare down and talk myself through each phase of my shot I can almost always make it happen, this requires a ton of mental focus that can get downright exhausting and tricky to do on game or in front of crowds. This is part of the reason I don't shoot as much 3D as I used to, TP can definitely suck the fun out of something that should be so simple and enjoyable.

Spot on. I hate the look of a clicker on a bow. And I will admit that, while it has made the biggest difference in my ability to beat TP, my brain does know where that feather is when using it as a psycho trigger.

Probably the most helpful thing I've done lately is switching from the "keep pulling" mantra to actually talking myself through each step of the shot process. Almost like I'm telling somebody how it's supposed to work.

[Rob DiStefano]

I'm not sure you can actually get rid of it entirely, but as someone mentioned there are a lot of band aid type remedies and drills that can alleviate the symptoms.

I've found that a clicker will almost immediately entirely eliminate it for me, that is until my brain learns to anticipate the click. If my shooting is suffering horrendously I will use a clicker but almost as a last resort. I despise having them on my bow, not only are they ugly but the crutch idea bothers me for some reason.

I've found that the pressure of hitting a target is what spawns TP for me. The more I want it, the worse it gets.

If I really bare down and talk myself through each phase of my shot I can almost always make it happen, this requires a ton of mental focus that can get downright exhausting and tricky to do on game or in front of crowds. This is part of the reason I don't shoot as much 3D as I used to, TP can definitely suck the fun out of something that should be so simple and enjoyable.

YES!  TP is *TOTALLY* a mind game that can be banished forever.  I'm one of many who can attest to having had TP many decades ago and have beaten it For Good.  It's a rewiring of the brain, no more or less, but for many it's a very Very VERY difficult task.  There are many options, methods, for overcoming TP, but once done, and the brain is allowed the option of failure, the subconscious control that defines TP is gone, never to resurface.

[BOHO]

I'm really not sure why, but going back to split finger helped me a lot. I'm anchoring just in front of my ear. Maybe because so much of the arrow isn't in my sight picture?  Not sure. Also another thing that helped me a ton is to let down a good bit when you're still fighting it. Pick your spot , get to full draw and hold, then let down. It will teach your brain you don't have to shoot every arrow. I'm also in MS if you wanna get together and shoot some.

[Rob DiStefano]

I'm really not sure why, but going back to split finger helped me a lot. I'm anchoring just in front of my ear. Maybe because so much of the arrow isn't in my sight picture?  Not sure. Also another thing that helped me a ton is to let down a good bit when you're still fighting it. Pick your spot , get to full draw and hold, then let down. It will teach your brain you don't have to shoot every arrow. I'm also in MS if you wanna get together and shoot some.

Mind game change of thought.

[Surffever]

Something I saw recently really hit me square in the shot process.  Watching a Youtube on one of the big trad gatherings, had a question "what's your shot process during a hunt?"  And they asked many of the archers at the gathering including Tom Clum.  He is an expert level coach.  He said as he is getting to anchor he begins repeating in his head " let the bow settle, let the bow settle", until he has achieved the solid anchor before continuing with aiming and expansion to release.  That simple mantra really helped me allow the bow to stabilize on target before continuing with the shot.  I had tried counting and even saying the name of elk or deer in Latin.  Cervis Canadensis Rosevelti was my timing mechanism for several seasons, with mixed results.  But Tom's simple mantra/command made me actually pay attention to the bow and my stability on target more so than simple count or Latin name.  It is amazing to me that it was a simple phrase that led to better shot process.  So much is controlled by subconscious process that the simple command to "let the bow settle" became a better tool for the task.

[McDave]

I like Surffever's suggestion, because it goes directly to my problem.  After working on target panic for years, and attending every course I could find, I'm about 80% there, but I'm left with a lingering tension when I draw under pressure that keeps me from shooting my best.  I know how I would like to feel when I draw under pressure: the same way I feel every morning when I go out to shoot with my dog.  I try to visualize that same relaxed feeling when I draw under pressure, but it rarely works.  I shoot enough good shots every day that I have "blueprinted" my shot process, as Joel Turner would say, and use his mantra "keep pulling."  I think I'll try "let the bow settle" for a while and see if that works better.