Focusing help?

[CMR]

Ok, here's my shooting problem.....
I focus on a spot on the target. Keep focused on the spot and draw back. I anchor in the corner of my mouth, and hold until my brain says "Shoot" but right before that happens.....I loose focus of that spot and see everything around me.
Thus, my shoot gets "pulled".

Does anyone have any suggestions to keep me focused onto the target?
Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Jerry Jeffer]

I often have had trouble staying focused, especially at the moment of truth. I have found that I need to give myself just a second longer to make certain of my focus.(kind of like telling my self in my head " are you sure you are on it"?) When I'm saying yes I am, I am all ready shooting. Also I need to make the effort of keeping my eye on that spot until the arrow hits. I guess I'm saying I've slowed down my shot. I also only shoot with one arrow. makes each shot count more.

[CMR]

Thanks for some suggestions.

Anyone else want to contribute?

[Terry Green]

I've never had this problem....but you might be 'peeking' to see where your arrow is going at release.

Might try starting with a contrasting dot about the size of a golf ball at 15 yards, and focus on it till the arrow hits the target. DO NOT move your head. Just let go of the string and keep staring at the spot till impact.

[CMR]

I'm not moving my head.

I'll get into focus....almost like tunnel vision to the spot on the target...then a split second before release, everything in my peripheral vision comes to focus!

Thanks for the suggestion though. Gonna give that a try.

[SteveMcD]

I think you just answered your question. You are moving your eye off of the spot on the target. For instance... the brain cannot concentrate on THE SPOT while it is also searching for the arrow shaft in your perphipheral vision. Trying to look at two things at once is impossible.
 
What has helped me is pretty much what Jerry said. When I come to anchor, I pause, hold at full draw, focus on the spot, release, head and bow arm do not move until I see the fletch in the target.

[CMR]

I'll try that too SteveMcD.

But to clarify, I'm not taking my eye off of the spot I want to hit. I'm not searching for the arrow either. Its kinda like using a zoom function on a camera.....right before you take the picture, the camera zooms "out" and you take the "whole" picture instead of that one spot.

Guess I have to retrain my brain and adjust my sights (smacks the side of my head..LOL)

[Molson]

I'm with Terry on this.  Peeking. If you are focused on a spot and then "zoom out", you are no longer focusing on a spot. Since it happens just prior to release my guess would be that you are anticipating the shot and looking for the result.  There's really only one reason to look at the whole target just prior to release.

[CMR]

UPDATE:
I took all the suggestions to the range.
Took a "dot" the size of a golf ball and placed it on the bails about 20yrds away.
I focused on the spot and nothing else. If I started to "see" everything else in the peripheral vision, I would stop shooting for a minute. Re-focus and go over my form.
That would clear my head up and let me re-focus on the spot.
Never did hit the "dot" but got with in 2 inches of it each time I shot.