Letting down

[Jock Whisky]

In my ongoing efforts at managing my TP I've started making letting down a part of my shooting routine.

I made an interesting discovery at the indoor range last night. Our club has a 48" FITA face at ten yards that we use for beginners. I was using it to practice occasionally letting down between shots. The club also has several commercial bag targets with three eight inch FITA faces on each bag set at twenty yards.

Part way thru the session I switched to shooting at the twenty yard targets. Imagine my surprise when I found it almost impossible to let down and not shoot. Switching back to the ten yard target letting down was much easier. I also noticed that I felt much more in control of the shot at ten yards. Drawing on the twenty yard target left me feeling that something was different about my form but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.
FYI I could usually put the arrow in an eight inch target at twenty yards as long as I wasn't tired. I just couldn't let down.

I'm shooting a 50 lb longbow, split fingers and canting the bow slightly.

So what's happening here?

[McDave]

I think training yourself to let down is an important part of learning to control target panic.  The only reason I can think of why you can let down at 10 yards and not at 20 is that you're feeling more stress, and consequently less awareness of your shot, at 20 yards than 10.  The increase in stress and loss of body awareness makes you feel uncomfortable and so you want to get the shot off at any cost.

I'm not sure I have any magic answer, but you can try this:   Whenever you fail to let down when you want to, for the next shot agree with yourself that you're going to let down twice before you actually shoot.  I think if you know before the shot that you're going to let down, you'll be able to do it.  Repeat as needed. In that way, maybe you'll be able to train yourself to let down when you want to.

[CLICKERMAN]

Letting down a shot should come from a recognition that something is not going as planned.  It is this recognition that must be practiced.  Make sure that you have an evaluation stage in your shot.  If all is good, proceed with the shot.  If not, let it down!!!!  Letting down a shot you have planned not to shoot is like pressing a trigger on a gun you know is not loaded.  If your subcon knows that shock will not come to the body, it shuts off the self preservation response.  There will be no anxiety because there is no anticipated shock or recoil to the body.  
I treat every shot as such:  when I draw my bow, it is a shot I might shoot, it is a shot I might not, I will only shoot it if it is perfect.  Letting down takes a thousand times more control than shooting a bad arrow.  But if you let down because you recognized an imperfection, you get exponentially better at shot control.  You need to build a mold for a perfect shot.  When you shoot a perfect arrow, stop and analyze HOW you did that before grabbing another arrow.  What was going through your head during that perfect shot?  When you know HOW you shot that perfect arrow, it is much easier to replicate.  Hence you build the mold for that perfect arrow.  With every perfect arrow, you strengthen the mold and your mental recognition ( concentration ) skills.  Call if you have questions. 253-686-3623

Joel Turner
IRONMIND ARCHERY SYSTEMS

[Green]

In Rod Jenkin's words...."most archers draw the bow having already committed to making the shot".  

Those of us who struggle to manage TP must practice staying in control with exercises like you've discovered.  The problem when we go to 20 yards and beyond is that the site picture is triggering the back end of the shot sequence.  Like you JW, I'm in complete control at 15 and under so I religiously practice for control.  

Trying not to be committed to the shot as you're drawing and focusing on your target as the distance increases is HARD! It's even harder trying to maintain that control when you move out of your own back yard and onto a 3D course, etc.  Good luck, and know you're in good company.....I've had several top FITA and 3D shooters tell me that most of the top shooters have all had to overcome it at some point.  It takes time and determination as we all have to discover the root cause for ourselves and to put it into practice in our own shot routine.

Joel Turner asks everyone to ask themselves one question, "What were you thinking about during that shot".  If your conscious focus is on running your routine, then your site picture can't take control of the shot.  Shooting lower poundage so that you can keep Commitment/Evaluation as a part of that routine is key.

[Jock Whisky]

"Letting down a shot you have planned not to shoot is like pressing a trigger on a gun you know is not loaded."

I hear you loud and clear Joel and I agree with you. I can hold for a second, maybe two at best but I haven't been able to get to the point where I have enuf time to evaluate the shot. I do tell myself I may or may not shoot as I'm drawing and very rarely at 20 yards I'll let down.
It's like I have an overwhelming urge to see the arrow fly to the mark. That's what I have to defeat. And it is a thousand times more difficult. But it's coming. My failure in the past is not making the evaluation part of my routine.

[CLICKERMAN]

Distance should not matter to you when have built the proper mold.  A shot at 5 yards is the same as a shot at 100 yards.  Without using some type of psychological trigger, the evaluation period is usually too short to stop a bad shot before it happens.  If you have a movement with a psychotrigger as the goal, like pulling to a clicker, or pressing a sear system, the time you are in the movement is also your eval period.  It is much longer in time and easier to recognize your thoughts within that time.  Makes letting down way easier.

[mahantango]

This is a great thread, I'm listening intently.

[slowbowjoe]

Yup, what mahantango says goes for me too.

Started trying this a year or two ago, when mentioned as part of some tuning tips offered by Rod Kelly. Remember it occasionally since, but this thread is encouraging me to make it a more regular part of my practice.

Joel, I'm definitely curious about what you teach. Will get in touch.

[Herdbull]

There are many informative threads in this forum, but this thread struck a cord with me. My intensity, passion, and aggressiveness during a hunting shot can go off the charts. Very difficult to let down, or even prevent the initiation of the shot. I struggle all the time, and my self-imposed pressure must be practiced. Thanks guys. Mike

[Scott Barr]

Jock,  

What you describe is exactly what happens for me. Thanks for posting this. No matter what I do target panic is my constant companion. Always around the corner with temporary absences.  For me to get TP under control I have a five number sequence that I concentrate on rather than the target.  One -set. Two-draw to anchor. Three - intensify back tension. Four (and this is the critical step) drill down from wide view to specific spot and decide to commit or not. Five let down or release. If I feel the shot controlling me, rather than me controlling the shot, I let down. I also find that I need to slow down between shots. Making each shot count. I don't have the most disciplined of minds.  So doing the above is hard for me and takes practice.  Scott

[Jock Whisky]

I bought Joel's video last spring and what I've learned from it is that in all my years of shooting I have not really tried to control the shot. My technique is ok. But that's the physical side of things. The mental part of shooting is where the really hard work is, and it'll drive you mental sometimes. Now I'm paying attention to it as well as evaluating the shot and the results are encouraging. Today I managed to draw, anchor, evaluate and let down on a few shots. But I'm here to tell you it is really hard work in the mental sense.