Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
Instinctive Archery Insights by Jay Kidwell. Three Rivers sells it.
Good suggestion. I think that’s where I got the idea I’m about to explain.
If you don’t actually have target panic, you may not need the full blown course that Jay describes in his book. You may just be getting stuck off target because your body has quit moving. This would be great if you were stuck ON target instead. I think this is pretty common among all shooters who hold: once movement stops, your body locks in place. Snap shooters don’t usually have this problem because their movement never stops.
Rod Jenkins has touched on this problem. His recommendation, which is the same recommendation he makes for anything that doesn’t feel right at full draw, is to let down and start your draw again. Maybe this time you will be stuck ON target when your body movement stops. Rod’s advice is to never accept anything less than a perfect shot. Whenever you release an arrow off target, you’re training your body to accept less than a perfect shot.
Joel Turner doesn’t mention this problem specifically in his on-line course, but he deals with it indirectly in advising that you get your aiming done as soon as you come to full draw, which incidentally is while there is still some movement in your body, and then look at (not focus on) the target to keep it while you expand. His discussion of the body’s ability to maintain a point of aim without any particular additional effort while doing other things is interesting.
Rick Welch uses instinctive aiming and a dead release, but also holds on target. He advises the same thing: get the “aiming” done instinctively before holding, and look at (not focus on) the target during the hold, while focusing on your form.
My own method, which works for me although it may be one of many reason why I’ll never be a national champion, is that if I get locked off target, I just unlock myself. I do this by getting movement started again by moving at my hips, back and forth and side to side, until the arrow point is moving back and forth across the target. I maintain the magic T of my shoulders and torso while I’m doing this little gyration. Once movement starts, I can move the arrow point where I want it to be and let my body lock in place again.
Topic: Holding on target (Read 1577 times)
