Perfect Practice

[roncc]

I've heard the term "perfect practice" for the greatest practice improvement.

I would  be interested to know some "perfect practice"  methods some of you use instead of just flinging arrows for groups?  Thanks

[goingoldskool]

I grab the bow and 1 arrow, go out to the 3d target and let loose. Then go back inside. It can be very humbling, but that is the way it will be while hunting....

It makes you think pretty hard about form and focus.

Good luck

Rodd

[McDave]

The three steps to learning any hand eye coordination skill are cognitive, experiential, and inspirational.  This means that you first learn instructions, then you experience the activity, then at times you discover ways to do it better.  Improvement is not generally linear; instead, there are jumps followed by plateaus or even times when your skill level seems to get worse.

Once you learn the rules, you should maximize your experience of the activity, because you never know when an inspirational jump will occur.  

"Just flinging arrows" mindlessly is not maximizing your experience.  Limiting yourself to one arrow a day is not maximizing your experience. "Trying" to do the things you were taught is not maximizing your experience. Being totally aware, in a non-judgemental way, of what is happening when you shoot an arrow is maximizing your experience. If you could shoot 1,000 arrows a day, and be aware of what was going on when you shot each one, then you should shoot 1,000 arrows a day.  But you probably can't.  

I shoot as many arrows as I can until my mind begins to drift. Then I should stop. Sometimes my mind begins to drift in the middle of a tournament, and it would be awkward to stop, so I don't. Sometimes I manage to recover my concentration at the next target or so, and I suppose that's a useful skill to learn too, but if my mind begins to drift in a purely practice session, it's probably a good time to stop.

[moebow]

It's not how many arrows or how many days per week! It is WHAT you do during each practice session! Do you have a plan? Did you have one thing to work on and work on that? Did you keep track of what you did and how it worked out? That way you know what to work on the next time.

If your "practice" is just shooting arrows and hoping to get better, you probably won't (get better).

FWIW

Arne

[Don Stokes]

"Perfect practice" would have to include shooting equipment that is perfectly in tune with you, so that every arrow goes where the last one went. You can't really experience the ultimate in accuracy if something is out of tune. No amount of practice can substitute for arrows that don't fly consistently for you.

[roncc]

Thanks!  But, I guess what I was asking is if anyone had an actual process or technique for their perfect practice?....a practice regimen they use that they know have helped their accuracy?  thanks again

[gonefishing600]

Years ago, I used to work out in the gym several times a week. My regimen was first and foremost, I would always warm up before any workout doing some sort of cardiovascular exercise, usually the treadmill. Then it was, upper body one day, skip a day, lower body next day, skip a day. My breakthrough came when I started measuring my progress by keeping a journal.

So, theoretically you could take that same procedure and apply it to an archery workout. Always warm up first, work on form one day, skip a day, next day work on distance, and skip a day, next day work on accuracy, and so on, and so on. Keep a journal.

As far as accuracy goes, I would relate that to having six pack abs. Have you ever seen these ads that claim to give you a six pack by doing this one thing, or taking this one pill. Having well defined abdominal muscles are a byproduct of your whole body being in very, very good shape, along with proper nutrition, and diet. Accuracy is a byproduct of everything coming together at once, you can’t have one without the other, period!

Hope this helps!

[reddogge]

Grab a Judo point and roam around the lawn shooting pine cones, leaves, tufts of grass. If you hit them or come real close that is perfect practice for me.

[roncc]

Thanks!

[Green]

Perfect practice is the mindset that is powerful enough to cure target panic.  If you'll let it.  

In order to achieve perfect practice, you have to teach yourself one of the most important skills in shooting a bow......to let down.   Like Arne said, you have to have a plan.

When I had TP so bad I couldn't get to anchor some days, I became so frustrated that I had to figure it out.  I already shot with only one arrow in my sessions.  What changed was that I became determined NOT to reward myself with the flight of an arrow unless I did everything 100% right.  I actually had to teach myself to let down.....learning that became the goal and reward in my perfect practice.  Achieving this goal is what helped me reach the ability to have a perfect practice as I'd gained the mental control over aiming and running my shot sequence.  For me, it's the only way to practice and not be sliding back down the slope into uncontrolled shooting.

Once I hae this level of control at the bale, I bridge back to further distances and test and ingrain this new found strength.  Shooting with friends, in tournaments, and hunting further tests and strengthens things.

[JDunlap]

What Green described is exactly what I am trying to do. I don't have a problem getting to full draw-I have what Kidwell calls "premature hold".  Therefore, I would agree that a productive, if not perfect, practice is to increase your ability to exhibit total shot control -- which is essential in a high stress shooting / hunting situation. I also like the idea that sometimes actually shooting the arrow can be detrimental if it is not the climax of a good shot sequence. I am a long way from total shot control, but can see light at the end of the tunnel.