Who has beaten Target panic?

[Paul WA]

Best thing Ive seen for target panic is a clicker...PR

[GregD]

Wow. I started this more than 6 months ago, I was surprised to see it still hanging around. I'll tell you what I've done in case anyone wants to try it. I couldn't beat it so I adapted. The first thing I did was switch to gap. I think it is twice as hard to beat as an instinctive shooter. I shot instintively for more than 20 years so that was a very hard decision. I switched to a tab in order to deepen my hook on the string, with a tab I'm able to point my fingers back toward my face and really get a deep hook. I put a clicker on my bow, I can't say I like the clicker but for now it's a neceessary evil. I hope to remove it by next year. I don't shoot as quickly or as fluidly but my accuracy and more importantly my consistency has improved ten fold. I plan to work on this a lot more after hunting season. I think this was the best thing for me to do so I could continue hunting. I want to thank everyone for they're advice and wish everyone still working on it good luck.   Greg

[Stan the bow man]

GET MAD AT THOSE TARGETS

[b.glass]

Beat it with relaxation techniques.

[Clint T]

Good news and Bad news!! Good news is that (from my experience) target panic will finally go away. May take several months but for me anyway, it haunted me for a long time and gradually just evaporated to the point now I never feel effects of it on the practice range. Bad news is that as soon as a "pressure situation" arises it comes back with a vengence!!!!! This has been very disappointing as I got into this to hunt deer, I could care less about a score on a target range as I want to fill my tags with a traditional bow. Soon as a deer comes out it is a full blown battle to execute. If anyone has ANY advice on how to beat this I would like to know!

[Daddy Bear]

[bow'narrow]

Have been shooting recurves and longbows for a half century and have had my own range for over 30 years.  When I am in a slump I just call it lousy performance.  I never hunt or otherwise shoot with a sight...untill I'm in a slump.  Then I string up[ my ""zen" bow.  It's an old '50's Bear Tamerlane with a sight. The 34# weight allows me to concentrate on the pin, my form and my release all at the same time.  My good groups are also a confidence builder. No "Zen bow?, Great excuse to go shopping, or add to your Christmas list.        Bow'narrow

[BroMark]

I read several of these replies, but not all of them... so if this is repeat I apologize.

I had a case of "drive by shooting" form once upon a time with a compound bow (stay with me - this applies to traditional as well).  I would come in from the top of my target with my pin as started trying to shoot just as soon as the pin got there.  It got to where I would shoot on the move, before it ever got there - target panic.  I was able to cure it after receiving some advice from a good friend.  He advised to hold on the target until fatigue prevented holding the pin steady and then to let down.  I did this repeatedly for several days, never firing an arrow.  It was the best thing I ever did to chase away "the beast".

I've had this same type behavior shooting traditional.  I don't gap shoot - I just stare at the spot I want to hit and let the sight picture take over.  But what I catch myeself doing occasionally is shooting on the move.  I get in too big a hurry and don't settle in before I release.  I used the same routine with my longbow/recurve as I did with the compound.  I'm sure mileage varies with each individual, but it sure helps me a great deal.  

I also know if I make myself count to 2 or 3 before I release that my groups will tighten up quite a bit.

Good luck to you - you can beat it!

[longbow1]

I suffered with TP for four years until I couldnt take it anymore. I sought professional help. With the help of an Olympic coach, I put the monster in the closet. I will forever be grateful for the help Lenny Cardinale gave me free of charge. Without his help I probably would have switched to a compound.

[Cecil]

I have had it for a while. Been using Jays practice drills. it is a slow process got me a 30# bow. that helps to hold longer. If I try to shoot and it dont go right. I go back to just drawing settling on the bulls eye and letting down. I have started placing a image of a orange dot on what I am shooting. I can see how this is helping couse I am shooting at the same orange dot every shot. Good Luck to everyone trying to beat it.

[Roy from Pa]

I had it bad when I first joined an archery club back in the 70's. Most guys were shooting 3 fingers under and aiming with the tip of the arrow. So I started doing that. At the same time I bought a little too heavy of a target bow. I would draw and start out above the bulls eye and move down to the bull. But I began to freeze above the bull and would just release the arrow. I shot good groups but always 3 inchens above the bull. It carried over into hunting and I shot over many deer. Then I went to a compound and sights and the problem followed me there. 10 years ago I went back to my recurve and 3 under, problem followed me there. So after taking heat from other trad guys because I was considered to be cheating shooting 3 under, I switched to one finger over and just stared at the spot I wanted to hit. Bingo, target panic was gone. I guess the tip of the arrow and the compound sight was giving me the problems. So after many years of shooting one finger over, I decided to try 3 under again just for kicks. The target panic was gone and I was able to hold the tip of the arrow right on the bull without any panic. But I still shoot one finger over now.

[cvarcher]

OK, For those wanting to try and get control back in there traditional shooting for hunting purposes.
 1. Start with a bow of no more than 40lbs.
 2.Set up a dozen arrows with blunt tips.
 3.go to an open field where you can shoot and DO NOT SET UP  A TARGET.
 4.Now your ready to groove in your form with your own technique.Draw your arrow to anchor WHILE looking out at the horizon.(you can do this real slow so you can see the draw hand coming back to the face (in your peripherel vision) and you can see the alignment of your bow ,the arrow in fact alot of things.
 5.Now at the hold staring at the horizon line concentrate on that perfect release right off the face.
 6.when you release stay completely stationary-do not move anything .
 7. If you can see your arrow pick another area on the horizon but do not be aiming for anything yet.
 8 do this for an hour as many times a week as you can.
 9.When a month or two goes by of just doing this now set up a plastic soft drink bottle at about 75 yds away.
 10.Shoot the bottle.Make this your practice spot and keep it no less than 40 yards away in time.
 11.Forget the animal targets and bullseyes and cubes with dots.Just Plastic bottles and blunt tipped arrows.
 12 I guarantee you will improve and regain control.
 13.You can play with the hold at anchor counting seconds and releasing at differant times.
 14. When ready to hunt -dont worry about nothing --shoot the darn animal in the heart!

[pktm]

My thought on TP is that it starts when we focus too much on the last part of the shot sequence, the release. We tend to tighten up progressively as the shot sequence builds up. Basically we create a mind/body anticipation or panic. Best to try to focus on some other part of the shot sequence like the follow through. Make the follow through the prupose of the shot, not hitting the target. In other words let the shot happen do not try to control it. Did you ever notice that when people have target panic they can draw and hold at full anchor steady when they are not attempting to shoot at a target. Why because they are not building up to shoot an arrow. When they attempt to shoot at a target they get too focused on the shot, hitting the target that they forget eveything else. So my best tips are to get into solid form, perfect alignment, and then focus on the follow through make it the reason you are drawing back.

[Cecil]

I can pull it right back there hold it move off the target get back on what ever I wont to do. till I tell my self I am going to shoot.

[LONGBOWKID]

I dont know if T.P. is the correct name for it, people who have never had "it" will talk smack all day long about it not being real. I know this from experience, you get 100's of reasons why your shooting badly, "Your overbowed!"  "Your release is crappy!"  "You just dont know what your doing!, listen to me and it will go away!" etc.  

I wont say I have "T.P." but I have something in that area. It will always show up under high pressure situations, 3-d shoots, hunting, and such. Never in the back yard when I'm shooting alone. No pressure, nothing but a spot on the target to concentrate on.

I will short draw REDICULOUSLY (I'm talking a 20" draw here) and release. As soon as it lines up I'll let go, and anything over 20 yards turns into an embarrasing shot. Almost every single target, sometimes its a 20" draw when it lines up, sometimes 27", but rarely will I pull it together at a 3-d shoot for more than one round. Luckily that one round is usually pretty decent.

I dont know what it is, other than pressure. Its not the bow, because I have shot the course with a 35# bow and it still happened.

But, sadly it's always there, as I NEVER hit my actual full draw, which is a tad over 28".  27" is what I pull usually, just in the back yard practicing. If I really concentrate I'll get to my full draw, and in turn I will shoot great. But I cannot keep it consistently for some reason.

Some days its terrible, some days I can hit a lifesaver at 20 yards (on purpose      

  :D  
The Kid

[cvarcher]

Sounds like you have it pretty bad to me. 20" draw! Thats bad.You mentioned using a 35lb bow but is that what you are always shooting with or just a quick try test? Because I would say stay with that 35lb bow and start going back to blank bale shooting WITH NO TARGET.I cannot emphasize how important that part is. You need to go back to the start and practice shooting for your form and not concentrating on anything else -especially a bull or target.USe Rubber blunts so after the hit it falls down and you dont shoot at your own arrows.Do this for a month till its all ingrained in your head.Form must be perfected.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Longbowkid,

I agree that TP is the kind of thing a lot of people can't understand until they have it themselves. Then it's one of the most frustrating things they can imagine. The worst part is that no two people seem to have the exact same problem, so these one-size-fits-all cures are often more harm than help.

I fought it for years using every method I could find: blind bale work, this drill and that drill, and a half dozen mind tricks. Nothing made a lasting impact until I caved in and bought a clicker. The first few months with a clicker were pure hell until I really learned to shoot it correctly.

Now my shooting is better than ever. I should have bought a clicker years earlier. But that's what worked for me. Your solution may be totally different. Either way, with hunting seasons winding down or over, now is a great time to may whatever changes you need to get control of your shot again.

[LONGBOWKID]

Yep CV it is. I may be over-exxagerating a bit there, but not much. What I'll do is as soon as my shoulder locks into place, I'll freeze. Then I have to concentrate to use my back muscles to come to full draw, or I'll short draw, and usually snap shoot. No matter the poundage of bow.

I shot the 35# for a few months and the problem went away. I have a 40# now and I do the same with it when I get in a rut.

Luckily during early deer season, my confidence level was through the roof with my 57# longbow, couldnt shoot twice with broadheads for fear I'd kill an arrow.

Recently I sustained a hand injury, one of my tendons is stressed, or partially torn , something on that order. And I had to stop shooting for almost a month. I'm just now starting to shoot again gradually, and theres still a fair amount of pain. "TP" is making an appearance. All it takes for me to cure it is intense concentration for a week or two. But the hand injury is NOT helping, when it hurts to come to full draw, it puts a damper on your concentration.

I would completely out-rule the "TP" aspect of this, but I can come to full draw, anchor, pause, and release on a pine cone next to my target. I can even draw on the pine cone, swing to my target, and watch my draw decrease and lock in place at about 24".


Jason, I have used a clicker before, I concentrated more on the clicker than I did on aiming. Wasn't really for me, or I didnt try long enough. It stayed on my bow about a month before I took it off.

Lots of different "cures" out there but all I can say is just find which one fits you, and focus on that.

The Kid

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by LONGBOWKID:
Lots of different "cures" out there but all I can say is just find which one fits you, and focus on that.

The Kid

That's it in a nutshell! Perfect advice.