Archery Shooting getting worse
 

Good morning could use some tips over the last couple years my shooting has become worse here is what is going on I shoot a 70 LB 2018 Mathews ,
Flinch and sometimes miss the whole target , brutal
Two quick to pull the trigger
Always shooting low can’t keep it on the target . I have shot for 20 years and maybe I need to change some things , so frustrated , maybe one step is lowering my poundage ? Help please. It’s not the Bow , I have several . It’s the shooter


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Sounds like you’re over weight for starters. Unless you have a reason to pull 70 lbs? But you’re accuracy will definitely improve if you dropped 10-15 lbs. Just from what you’re saying about quick to pull the trigger... you should be able to comfortably hold your draw for at minimum 30 seconds and still hit the target (not every time obviously. ( I use a 3 breath rhythm where I draw back on one breath, aim on the next, release at the exhale of the third breath.)

If you’re bow is 100% solid and tuned... your arrows are the correct spine... then It sounds like it’s the operator on this one.

I am sympathetic to your situation. My advice is to hit up a bow shop, find the lightest bow they have at 50 lb draw, and shoot that for a bit. Pay attention to accuracy. Also try a different trigger release. Maybe one that fills the palm of your hand more. Break everything down to basics may kick start your brain. Target panic can be tough to get a handle on but light poundage should help with your confidence.My left shoulder is shot from years of construction. I can’t consistently hold a bow up with my left arm, no matter how light the bow. Trial and error helped me conclude it wasn’t the equipment. There is no pain for me, I just can’t be consistent at it. Had a friend come over and I tried his left handed bow as it fit me perfectly. I’m left eye dominant so I was able to shoot with both eyes open for a change. Thank god I used my own arrows, as on about the tenth shot I managed my first ever Robin Hood 😎👍. Being right handed, I fought the lefty thing all the way, but actually trying things helped pave the way to correcting problems.

I suggest you try shooting different combinations to help expose the demon, then attack the problem head on.

Go on YouTube and check out some of the nock on videos, there is a good one on target panic. John Dudley explains things well in his videos. If your at 70 lbs, might want to back off a bit until things come together.

You have target panic. Almost all archers suffer from this at one point or another. And for a few lucky people like myself it's something that keeps coming back around every few years.
Best thing I ever did to treat this problem was learn to shoot with a tension release. This can be done with most any release style. Learning to let the shot surprise you will help you.

Remember archery is 80% mental, and the rest is in your head.

You have Target Panic.
Levi Morgan has a series on it on Youtube.
As someone else mentioned so does John Dudley.
Best thing you can do is get rid of the trigger release or learn to properly use it. Why I ended up switching to a hinge release without the click in it. A resistance release would be another option.
Take your site off your bow and just blank bale shoot with it. Don't focus on aiming. Focus on a point on the target.
You can make a simple training tool by tying some paracord together to form a loop the length of your draw length. Hold it like your bow and focus on a surprise release. You won't get fatigued and retrain your brain for that surprise shot.

Concur, target panic. I went through it big time for a season or so when I was shooting 3D competitively. It started when I shot a really good first round (dropped 4 points), then my first and only perfect (second) round .....I was top of the score sheet going into the last round and started feeling the pressure, fell apart.

I went from enjoying the sport, to expecting perfection, and stopped loving it. Took me a good while to back away and stop yanking the release.

Your draw weight may or may not be an issue, but backing off a bit and getting back to fundamentals is the key....and remember that you enjoy shooting. Target Panic is real, and will mess you up.

something that helped me with target panic with a wrist release was pulling through the shot similar to how you would with a back tension release. Rather than pulling the trigger with your finger, I found it helpful to sort of pull against the back wall and allow your finger to pull through the trigger during that motion

Target panic... reduce rep weight and look at a Wynn release.

Target panic.
Shoot at a round bales from a close distance with your eyes closed.
Feel the bow, feel the shot.
It works!!

This is great advice and absolutely correct on how a release is supposed to be used. The trigger finger should not be moved. Finger should be placed on the lever and pulled through using tour back muscles to fire. Dropping poundage certainly wouldn’t hurt either.

OP, someone stated starting with a blank bale or butt. Absolutely. I’d even pull off the sight. Focus on your method. Draw, anchor, release(using the above method). Once you feel that come along, leave your sight off and give yourself a big circle on your bale. Just look at the centre of that and go through your shot process. Do it all at close range. Burn a hole through the centre of that circle but don’t aim. You’re just working on muscle memory and building a properly delivered shot sequence. Then throw your sight back on. Stay close and stay with a big circle. Big enough that your pin cannot leave it. Again, don’t aim; focus on the centre of your circle and work through your shots. Once you’re good with that start letting your pin float around the centre. Don’t worry if you can’t hold it dead on where you’re looking. It’s impossible to hold it dead one but keep looking at the centre and let your pin float. Execute shots with the same method you’ve developed without the pin or aiming. If everything is coming together at this point then start slowly moving back, continuing with proper execution. Do this until you can start shrinking the size of your circle. Always staring where you want to hit and letting the pin float.

It’s not a speedy process but curing this is not quick. And don’t let yourself get fatigued when doing this. Stay fresh so your form doesn’t break down. Sometimes less is definitely more.

TP
 

I do believe that many archers who shoot a wrist rocket, trigger, struggle with TP.
It’s an awful mental anxiety.
A tension release, and John Dudley’s educational videos r sure to help u! Following his training and using a pull thru release allows u the freedom to let your pin float around the target and execute perfect shots!

As someone who has dealt with target panic and successfully shoots a wrist release competitively and hunting. Search out a guy named Joel Turner and listen to his interviews on podcasts... he explains how the brain works when it comes to acquiring a target and shooting, he trains police snipers and knows his stuff.

https://m.soundcloud.com/huntbackcou...th-joel-turner

Taking your sight off, blank bailing doesn’t fix it... switching releases is a temporary fix. Your sight picture and your “panic” around when the pin is nearing where you want to aim is what causes it. Levi Morgan subscribes to Joel’s technique too and mentions it in his series.

LC

I too recommend Joel Turner's stuff. The Hunt Backcountry Podcast Episode 087 "The Cure for Target Panic" with Joel Turner and Episode 242 How To Make A Good Shot When It Matters Most feature Joel in both, and would be a good starting point to listen to his material.


Also if shooting a wrist release, Jon Dudley teaches that, rather than using the pad of your index finger to activate the trigger, hook your finger around the trigger so that the second bone contacts the trigger - and then don't pull the finger to activate the trigger, but rather use your shoulder muscle to draw back slowly until the trigger is activated by back tension.

I was afflicted with target panic bad. Mine started at a big 3d shoot i attended. never a problem until got up to the line at that particular shoot and just fell apart. Missed targets at 30yds, shook like a leaf. Only thing about mine was that I suffered on the 3d course but when hunting I had no problem. I guess I didn;t have time to get into my head.

Now, buck fever was another thing. I had a 7x7 bull Elk at 45 yards broadside and couldn't even think about drawing my bow. At the time I could hit a loonie sized target at 45yds. Watched it walk away.

Target panic is a bitch that I couldn't overcome. I tried all sorts of advise but nothing ever worked. In the end my shoulder gave out and I couldn't hold the bow any longer. Thought about a crossbow but just couldn't get into it.


Good luck in your quest.

I listened to episode 87 in the tractor today, lots of good information to think about