Practice Regimen

[That_MN_Guy]

My ultimate goal is to hunt deer, so I really focus on making each arrow count. I try to keep it to ~20 arrows, making sure to take the time to really focus on my form and the spot I want to hit on each one. I'm currently working at 10-15 yards for this and would be tickled pink if I could get proficient at that distance.

Curious what some of the seasoned folks here do for their practice regimen? And of course would love to hear critiques/suggestions I can do to mine that will help me achieve my goal.

[McDave]

I’m a believer in mixing it up.  Dial in your form at close ranges on level ground to eliminate distractions, but the truth is, I’ve  never had an unobstructed hunting shot on level ground.  So some of the time shoot under the same conditions under which you’ll hunt: in and around tree limbs and bushes, up-hill, side-hill, and down-hill, and from tree stands if that is part of your hunting plans.  If you plan to limit your hunting shots to 15 yards, spend a lot of time shooting at that distance, especially at unknown distance targets that you later measure to see how close your distance estimate was.  But also spend some time shooting longer distances, up to twice the distance you plan to hunt, because that will put things in better perspective and make 15 yard shots seem easier.

[Sam McMichael]

Like McDave, I am shooting a lot at distances considerably beyond my hunting distance. It seems to make my closer shots seem to be easier. I have a very poor release in that I commonly pluck the string. My daily routine consists of a period of time off the range in which I visualize myself making the perfect release. If I can recall a specific shot, I picture the shot from the draw, the sight picture, and the smooth release with my hand simply relaxing and allowing the arrow to cleanly leave the bow. I do this many times throughout the day to develop a mental approach geared toward the desired action. Visualization sounds silly to some, but I believe it has definite value. Once on the range, I take several shots from only a few feet from the target with a smooth release as the only intent. Accuracy is not a concern at this point. Then I move back to the distance I want to practice at. If I am shooting well, I may shoot 50 or more arrows. If it is a crappy day, I back off and then come back later when I am more "together". Many days, especially since the shutdown, I may do two or three shooting sessions per day.

To summarize my regimen in practice:

1) I spend considerable time visualizing the perfect release to build a good mental image.

2) I make several  shots concentrating solely on form , release in my case.

3) shoot from my chosen distance, paying attention to form and accuracy.  NOTE: I only shoot one arrow at a time. That way, I am focused on a single shot rather than flinging a bunch of arrows at one time. This allows a few moments to reflect on each shot while I retrieve the arrow.

4) stop if I get tired or am having one of those frustrating days that is not producing results.

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

I can't believe it took me 13 years to do this, but I just recently made a super lightweight elastic loop from rubber tubing. It's about 10-15 lbs to hold at full draw, and it lets me practice my shot without shooting a bow. Good for working on form, shot sequence, etc. You can very easily get hundreds of reps, with the added benefit of shooting into the mirror so you can check alignment. I do wrap my "bow" hand in a wool sock, towel, etc to keep the loop from snapping me too hard when I let it rip.

[That_MN_Guy]

Great replies, thanks!

Trumpkin the Dwarf - that's a great idea with the lightweight elastic loop.

McDave & Sam - both great points. I started taking a few shots from my deck and noticed that the sight picture and subsequent POI were way different when shooting from elevation. I'm not quite to the point of stretching things out yet but think that's a smart idea to make things easier at the shorter range.

[slowbowjoe]

If you have the opportunity, "stump shooting" or roving are a fine way to practice. You'd want to have some arrows set up with Judo points (and be prepared to lose or break 'em once in a while).
It incorporates much of what Sam and McDave have said, and is, at least for me, a lot more fun than target shooting in the yard.
Certainly closer to a hunting environment.