Shooting going down drain

[willerstick]

I switched to traditional 5years ago without any real trouble shot compound instinctive for about 15years before that. But for some reason this year my shooting went down the drain. I cant seem to keep my focus, am not hitting my anchor, not picking my spotand without a doubt missed more  deer this year than I have in many years. I even went and bought a compound but after shooting it a few times realized all the reasons why I switched. My wife thinks I am loosing my mind and says that I need to make up my mind. I know she is right but I am afraid im going to wound an animal the way im shooting. Please Help. Could really use some good advice

[Danny Rowan]

Jeremy,

Get up to 5 yards from the target. As you begin to draw, close your eyes and concintrate on your form,ie anchor,smooth release. Do this over and over until it is ingrained in your subconcious. Move back a few yards, do not focus on a spot just center of target and again concentrate on hitting anchor and a smooth release, do this over and over.

Once you have done this numerous times then begin picking a spot and shooting, but always concitrate on your form.

Shoot one or two arrows at a time. If you are tired stop shooting and rest a while.

I still do this to this day and I have been shooting for over 40 years. If I have a bad day I move close and work on form. If I get tired I stop shooting.

Danny

[Mo. Huntin]

Ok it sounds like your tripping out here.  First realize that of all the problems in life this aint that big of a deal.  If you don't have some confidence maybe you should take the compound if you shoot it better no shame in that.  Our season is almost over figure it out and be ready for turkeys in the spring.  I think SOMETIMES not picking a spot is another way to say TARGET PANIC.  If you can't hit anchor pull the bow and hold it, aim, hold for a count of two on the spot you want to hit. and release ( you just picked a spot and hit anchor).

[Mo. Huntin]

I ran out of room, good luck bud.

[sdpeb1]

Just a thought. Tension. I explain this with my golf game but it applies to trad shooting. The first thing that will kill my golf is tension in my forearms and shoulders. In archery it seems the hidden tension is in my upper shoulders. Sometimes I have to concientously think about relaxing my shoulders, especially after coming home from work and I start shooting right away.

[longstiks]

What Danny said   :D .
Denny

[Killdeer]

"but I am afraid im going to wound an animal the way im shooting."

Not if you don't shoot at them. Targets and stumps until you are back in the groove.
Killdeer

[wapitimike1]

Try switching shooting styles for a while. Some times if your trying to learn some thing new you focus so hard that when you go back it seems natural and easy. Mix it up with some splitvision or point of aim. Take your time it's the off season. I always practice like Dan suggested though, just for focus and form.

[Arwin]

If I'm having a bad spell, I like to go out and stump shoot for a day. Don't think about what your doing wrong because you'll get stressed out. Relax, pick a spot, and anchor. Most of all relax.      :D

[scriv]

My advice would be to drink heavily.  Shoot a couple hundred arrows.  As you sober up things should "improve" immensely!     Seriously though.  Relax man.  Have fun.  Take a friend and tell jokes or something while you are shooting.  Enjoy the gift that is traditional archery.  My signature says it all.

[toddster]

what everyone else said.  When something happens to my shooting, I stop move back to 5/10 yards and just work on form again.  BAM, everything comes back together.

[Flyrite]

You have been shooting a bow for many years so the basics should be solid. I bet that you may have had a bad day shooting, and now have started concentrating on the basics. If you concentrate on the basics you can not concentrate on your target. Start focusing on your target again and let your muscle memory do it's thing. Slow down, relax, enjoy. Regards

[willerstick]

Thank you for all of the advice. My wife agrees that I don't seem to be having as much fun as I used to maybe that is the root of my problem. Ithink I'm going to go out tomorrow and not worry about finding a deer and just have fun. After all it is the funnest sport I know. Thanks to all.

[J-KID]

All good advice here.  I think all of us have have felt like our shooting was "going down the drain" at one time or another, though maybe to a lesser degree.  When you have lost the fun of shooting you need to remember what really made it fun in the beginning.  You'd just rare back and let loose!  I'll reiterate two recommendations given 1. Move closer to relieve some stress and 2. get rid of your tension.  I like to feel that my fingers are barely hanging on to the string on the draw.  The only tension is pressure on the heel of my bow hand and in the "tips" of my drawing fingers.

I'm not sure about how much you should focus on form.  Danny has been doing this for 40 years so he has figured out a lot more of these problems over that time.  He can focus on his form and still get back to the "spot" as is necessary.  At your point I think I'd first try and get my whole brain on the spot.  Your form is there so don't focus on anything around you (body, bow, release, stance etc.).  Just fling some arrows at a little tiny spot at closer ranges.  Keep it natural, comfortable and flowing.  A natural form is a repeatable form.  When you start enjoying it again you can begin to lengthen the distance.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like more clarification or you would like to discuss your situation more to receive more precise instruction.  Hope you get things going again.

[reddogge]

I say shoot with some friends.  Do a little friendly stump shooting.  Make small friendly wagers on impossible shots, winner picks next impossible shot.  Make it fun, have a blast.

Sounds like your body and mind are fatigued shooting alone all of the time in your backyard.

[Roy Steele]

To start with no matter who you are you can't can't compete with sights.You can shoot good enough to hunt.As long you keep your distance's.Right off the start are two things that kills your conivance.Really bad for someone just starting out.
   Shooting is traditional bow should be FUN.The way I'm going to tell you fix your two problems by learning to do one thing.Happen to a long time ago.Any one else that has tatget pinic.It worked for me and some friends.

[TSP]

"A natural form is a repeatable form."  JK

That pretty much sums it up right there.  Sometimes we think too much when shooting the simple bow and arrow.

[mjc]

I think it was Howard Hill that said the less we think about shooting when actually shooting the better we shoot. I think what he meant was concentrate on the spot.