Struggling to reach full draw, what to do...

[shreffler]

So since last summer I've been struggling with my ability to reach full draw, regardless of what weight I shoot. I'm an in shape 24 year old guy, so I know it's a mixture of a mental break and not engaging my back muscles...

I have a new bow on the way set to arrive around the end of March. Should I work on my form with my current bow and 40 lb limbs until that bow arrives, or take a break for a few months and sort of start fresh once my new bow gets here?

I can't seem to get to a point where I can anchor and hold on a consistent basis and it's so frustrating.

[BWallace10327]

This is a good place to find a solution if you have a problem.  There are excellent archers here that will steer you straight, but I, on the other hand, am very experienced in developing bad habits.  If I were you, I'd shoot alot of blind bale, cognitive-behavioral therapy for the ailing archer. When you eventually feel the shot (correctly), open your eyes and shoot from 5 yards or so. Doing this will shift your concentration from hitting a spot to feeling the correct form as you shoot.  My March (or sooner), you'll have a a hypothetically reset brain and solid shot sequence.  

I can't hold and shoot accurately, so I embrace snap shooting and do well instead of fighting it and shooting poorly, others who shoot better groups will aim some how but I'm a firm believer in the blind bale practice no matter the shooting perspective in question.

[MRD]

I had a similar problem of shooting before I reached full anchor.  I think my subconscious was ready to shoot before I was because my sight picture looked good.  Denny Sturgis had a recommendation in an article a few months back that helped me tremendously.
He said to look at the tip of the arrow or the back of the limb (I put an orange dot on mine) and look at it while you draw and anchor.  When everything feels good, then look towards target, aim, and expand.
Not sure if it will help you, but definitely worth a try IMO.

[LongbowArchitect]

Sounds to me like your inability to reach full draw is the typical target panic that many archers experience. Lots of good books out there on how to re-program your brain to wait on the release. Try altering your shot sequence such as drawing back with no intention of releasing and then let it back down. Vary the amount of time you hold at full anchor also.

I strongly suggest you keep shooting until your new bow arrives. Bow pulling muscles are so specific to just shooting bows. BWallace's advice on shooting blind bale and progressing to eyes open/short yardage practice is spot on.

[ChuckC]

I had that issue for many years, and it got so overwhelming I changed to lefty.  I have certain beliefs about what it is and causes, but they don't matter, and everybody else also has their beliefs.

Can you get to full draw and hold it if your eyes are closed ?  If you are not looking at the target (preaiming)?  

I think that part of the issue ( for me this was spot on) is that the brain takes control and tells my body to release, even though I am not ready to.  Has nothing to do with any other condition ( fear, excitement etc).

I think that you need to work into a shooting sequence that includes defined steps.  Draw back to a certain point and anchor.  Lock in and use your shoulders.  Look at the target and aim (any fashion you choose to use). Be ready observe that you are "on target", then release.

You need to separate anchoring from aiming.  You don't aim till after you anchor and get set.  Don't even look for a "spot" till you are anchored.

After a (long) while of working at that, it might work out for you.  

I told you already, I had to switch.  I do not have that issue left handed, and I have created a shot sequence as above to try to forever keep from having that issue again.

There are other forms of target panic, in each, the mind is taking over and making your body do something you don't want it to do.

Good luck.

ChuckC

[McDave]

I agree with pretty much everything everybody has said so far.  I've had the problem before too.  The first thing you have to accomplish is to be able to draw to full draw and hold without releasing the shot.  People can generally draw and hold if they don't intend to shoot.  If you can't do that, then I can't help you.

Assuming you can do that, you have to figure how to do the same thing if you intend to shoot.  These are things that have worked for other people:

1.  Draw without the intention of shooting, and don't give yourself permission to shoot until you have good alignment at full draw.

2.  Draw to full draw without focusing on the target.  Instead, focus on the riser or the point of the arrow.  Before you shoot, shift your focus to the target.

3.  Close your eyes as you draw the bow.  Open your eyes after you feel that you are at full draw in good alignment.

These measures are more extreme as you go up the list.  Use the least extreme method that will work for you.  The problem is, each of these makes you drift more off target than the previous one.  For example, if you close your eyes while you draw, when you open your eyes you will find that you have drifted off target, and you will have to move your bow arm to get back on target.  It really destroys accuracy to move your bow arm at full draw, but use it if you must, because the first thing is to get to full draw without firing prematurely.  In fact, the thing you have to convince yourself of is that you will NEVER fire the bow until you are at full draw in good alignment on target.  Once that is solidly ingrained, then you can start working your way down the list.

Start this now.  Unless you address the problem, it will only get worse with a new bow.

[BWallace10327]

What is being experienced is one of the most interesting aspect of target panic, which I believe is a misused therm in itself, describing a very real cognitive malfunction accurately while attempting to provide a label for hard-to-break bad habits.  The symptom described is not unlike Conversion Disorder, although the thoughts leading up to shooting are very similar to Performance or Generalized Anxiety disorder.  It is a unique disorder that I sure like thinking and reading about, but one that I wouldn't wish on any archer.

[Fritz]

Give a clicker a try.

[tarponnut]

All good advice. I've had this problem for years and have killed a lot of game through all of it. I use a clicker, I just draw to just before it clicks and release:) I used to beat myself up over it then I realized that my job as a bowhunter is to get very close to game animals and shoot an accurate arrow, I do that most of the time.

We've had archery instructors and guys with fifty years of bowhunting experience miss pigs cleanly at ten yards. It happens.

I do like the blind bale shooting technique, when everything falls apart I go back to that. If I can force myself to hold even a milisecond it helps my accuracy, and most importantly, my confidence. I had a guy comment on one of my Youtube hog kills, "did you notice you released before you reached full draw?". My response was, "did you notice the hog is dead?" Ha ha! I try to keep things in perspective:)

Steve Morley answered a similar question on another forum recently.  I think it's about a good a response as I've seen to begin working thru target panic.  I wish you luck.

Steve wrote:  "Work through an established shot process and important to make the aim just one part of that process/sequence.

What happens is you over focus on aiming and it's overpowering the rest of the shot process/sequence. You will need to establish a block where you don't start aiming till you've established Anchor and Back tension, this is done by drawing and holding with BT on aim with no intention to shoot, letting down and running the process again and again, after a while you can start to do random releases i.e. 1 in 5 shots. It's just to let you know you can hold on aim relaxed when no commitment to make the shot is given. Some can be fixed within 30 min others may take a couple of days work, depends on if they already have a grooved shot process or not.

When I gapped I had issues freezing just off my aim, part of it was not getting Back tension sorted before aiming (if you start aiming before you just wont get to proper BT) and the other was checking/peeking for the Gap which put a spanner in my mental shot process and locked me up.

I'm now Stringwalking and as the arrow is 95% of the time in the spot and I stopped peeking at the arrow, then I understood how pressured I had become during Gap aiming, the Stringwalking really relaxed my aim and allowed me to run my sequence much more relaxed i.e I was running the process in the right order.

To sum up, the key is the shot sequence and where you commit to the shot within that sequence."

[shreffler]

Chuck, this describes 100% what I'm experiencing. I can come to full draw when my eyes are closed, or when there's no arrow on my string, or about any other time except when I'm looking at a target. My brain sees I'm aimed on target, and immediately wants to release.

Thank you for the advice everyone...I'm going to focus on building a shot sequence and maybe try a dot on the limb to divert my attention until my sequence becomes a routine.

I like the idea of a clicker but I also don't like the idea of a crutch...although effective and lots of great shots use them, I'd prefer to fix the problem at the source first before using a clicker.

Anyone else with advice, please chime in, I appreciate everything said here.

 

Originally posted by ChuckC:

Can you get to full draw and hold it if your eyes are closed ?  If you are not looking at the target (preaiming)?  

I think that part of the issue ( for me this was spot on) is that the brain takes control and tells my body to release, even though I am not ready to.  Has nothing to do with any other condition ( fear, excitement etc).

ChuckC

[TSHOOTER]

I've had a touch of this before and I suggest you come to full draw with eyes open but do not shoot.  Do this 15 times and go back in the house.  Do not shoot.  Repeat every day for a week. After a week you should be much better.  If it flairs up again make a habit of coming to full draw and letting down several times prior to your shooting routine.

[McDave]

Originally posted by TSHOOTER:
I've had a touch of this before and I suggest you come to full draw with eyes open but do not shoot.  Do this 15 times and go back in the house.  Do not shoot.  Repeat every day for a week. After a week you should be much better.  If it flairs up again make a habit of coming to full draw and letting down several times prior to your shooting routine.

I've heard of this before, although I've never tried it myself.  Going out every day and drawing 15 times without shooting sounds awful, but I'm sure if it works it would be worth it.  Better than going out and short drawing every day for a week!

[BWallace10327]

I hope overcoming the problem is that easy for Shreffler, I know it wasn't for me. I had to change my entire thought process around the shot and put a clicker on my bow, feather to nose didn't cut it.  I shot less then 5 yards for a few weeks and it improved my shot and control alot, although I still shoot a little quicker than most while reaching full draw.

[Etter]

Buy the iron mind archery dvd. It is the only answer to target panic. Saved me from quitting the bow.

[TAWL]

Talk yourself through your shot sequence. Distract your brain and muscle memory. "focus" "draw to anchor" "lock in" "count to 3 or 4 or 15 or whatever.... just make sure you hit anchor every time. I'm not an expert by any means but this helped me.

[Joseph71]

Start with closing eyes and drawing to full draw and releasing without looking... Shoot into large target. Learn to anchor without looking. Get your make up to accept and go through this of anchoring.
Do this for a week several shoots with eyes closed only.
Your mind is processing shoot in a wrong order... Look...draw ... Aim... Release.
You prolly looking ... Aiming ... Drawing and releasing but releasing coming early because in your mind you already have aimed.

[Dan Jones]

Shreffler:  you might want to read Arne Moe's September 17 reply to my question about target panic. It's excellent advice, and it's posted below in this forum.

[Flingblade]

x2 on the ironmind dvd.  Or you can look at Joel's thread here titled target panic reality check.  He'll also be at the Kalmazoo expo doing a seminar.