posted
I've been shooting trad for 3 years now. I improved very quickly in that first year, but seemed to have really hit a plateau in my accuracy and performance. I shoot respectably, but my groups at 20 yards may be 6-8" in diameter with 4 or 5 arrows. At 15 I'm money! At 30, I'm suspect. So my hunting range is 20 yards max. That's not a problem for me, but I want to shoot much better than that. I shoot a few hundered arrows a week. The groups and shooting I see on this site are MUCH better than that. I've worked very hard to have my bows tuned to the best they can be.
My question is to you guys that have experienced this -- what are some of the practical things you did to take your shooting to the next level and become extremely proficient in your shooting?
-------------------- 64# JK Chastain Custom Wapiti TD 55# Don Dow Stik Bow 55# Browning Fire Drake
"It's better to be safe a 1000 times, than dead once." - Mark Twain Posts: 378 | From: Kannapolis, NC | Registered: Jul 2009
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BobCo is right on. No matter if you have an aiming system or shoot instinctively, you must pick the smallest point on the target that you can see to score well. After form concentration is the key.
Posts: 140 | From: Oklahoma | Registered: Jun 2006
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All of the advice that you have been given is excellent, and I concur with it all. It seems, from what you have said, that you are shooting a lot of arrows each week. What I have found that works for me, occasionally, when I have that problem, is to stop shooting for a couple of days to allow the mind and body to settle in and clear. It works for me occasionally and it might work for you.
Posts: 115 | From: Tillson, New York | Registered: Apr 2008
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I think that when we start a venture and see large gains in performance we are beating the big issues (anchor, back tension, pull through and so on) into reasonable shape all at once. None of those items are likely to be perfect at the end of this period. Further gains come from refinement in each of those items. To do this, I think it helps if you can isolate each item and work on it. That is hard to do without an outside observer. A mirror or video might help with form and anchor issues. One thing I found is that when I changed posture and tried to shoot from the knees, I wasn't really pulling through the back and my anchor was floating around. It was like when I shifted the stance that much, I lost the fundamentals that I thought (but didn't) have. It helped to isolate the upper torso.
Posts: 69 | From: California | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
Take this for what it's worth, because I'm at about the same level. The coaching I've had has emphasized bale work, having a shot sequence, and working on specific components of form.
The aspect I'm working on right now is "commitment", which means you don't shoot until you have the shot completely set up, and if it's not right, you let down. In other words, you don't let a bad shot go, you let down. I read somewhere recently that this is a tactic elite archers use. It also helps with target panic and snap shooting.
Posts: 128 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Oct 2009
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Quit shooting groups of arrows for awhile. Get judos and blunts and go out into the woods and stump shoot. Forget about distance and go shoot in the field. You need to shoot some longer shots to get a "minds eye" of the trajectory of the arrow. Reduce the # arrows and shoot high quality shots, not high quanity shots.
-------------------- Longbows & Short Shots Posts: 3208 | From: Nacogdoches, Texas | Registered: Nov 2003
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I had gotten the same as you feel and what I did is started to shoot only one arrow at a time. I found that when I shot 3D my concentration and mindset was on that one arrow. I shoot 25-40 arrows 5x week but only one at a time from varying distances, plus I do stumpin 2x week.
Posts: 948 | From: Kingsport,Tn | Registered: Aug 2009
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I have to completely agree with NJWoodsman. Serious Bale work and slowly increasing distance by a couple of feet at a time. Bottom line is you do not move back until every shot is as good as the shots you took at 5 feet. Every part of your shot sequence must be worked on. Way too many focus too much on anchor or follow through neglecting to work on the other aspects of their form. Take the time to develop your form on the bale from close in and then work your way back, slowly and patiently. You'll build confidence and a solid shooting form.
-------------------- Currently intoxicated with the Emerald glow of the Northern Mist...... Posts: 1865 | From: New York - LI | Registered: Nov 2008
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What has worked for me is to focus one one specific aspect of the shot during each shooting session. For example, one day just concentrate on your release. The next, consistent anchor, follow through, picking a spot, etc.
Have a buddy watch your form and see if anything stands out, and then work on whatever the weakness is.
This has helped me out a lot, maybe it can help you too.
-------------------- "Aim small, miss small" Posts: 113 | From: Thumb of Michigan | Registered: Oct 2009
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Confident of a 20 yard shot at deer Confident of a 50 yard shot at deer Top shot at local 3D Top shot at national 3D Field archery Indoor spots Olympics
Each of these requires different levels of commitment and somewhat different ways to practice. For all of them you want to develop consistent basic form and execution.
Everything depends on what you want to do with archery and what you are willing to put into it.
So, where do YOU want to go?
Allen
Posts: 233 | From: Maryland | Registered: Dec 2006
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Well, I'm primarily a hunter...but to be the best hunter I can be, I'd like to be proficient at shooting tight groups in the 30 yard range. I would consider myself a "good shot" and be very comfortable with my level if shooting tight groups out to 30 yards.
-------------------- 64# JK Chastain Custom Wapiti TD 55# Don Dow Stik Bow 55# Browning Fire Drake
"It's better to be safe a 1000 times, than dead once." - Mark Twain Posts: 378 | From: Kannapolis, NC | Registered: Jul 2009
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Practice, practice, practice, and videoing yourself so you can see your form is a good tool as well. As far as the groups you see on here, remember that no one ever shows the bad ones.
Posts: 1155 | From: Richmond Dale, Oh | Registered: Jul 2008
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