frustrated more than ever...HELP..!!!THANK YOU!!!

[Jeff Strubberg]

You can sure talk yourself into shooting poorly.  I think we all go through that at some point.

One thing that bothers me a bit about your form is your "static anchor".  It's extrememly difficult to maintain back pressure if you are thinking "pull, hold, release".  Very easy for that bow hand to creep a bit, or your frame collapse slightly.  Half an inch less draw can throw you all over the place.

Think about pulling all the way through the shot and see if things don't settle back down for you.

[Bill Carlsen]

I find that almost always when shooting in a hunting situation that I can't remember the shot. Most of the time I remember committing to the shot, picking the spot and the next thing I remember is the arrow going where it goes. Do I miss...on occaision.  Are my practice sessions always good...no. Does it keep me out of the woods...no. If I feel a shot is not good I just don't take it on a live animal. In a hunting situation focus and adrenalin come into play and it changes everything. If you practice good form that is usually what I experience when I go on auto-piolet.

[Brock]

get 5 feet from target...forget about where you hit just close your eyes and concentrate on good form....clean release...NOT DROPPING BOW ARM after you shoot.....not plucking string.  Do that for 10 shots then step back to 5 yards and shoot ONE ARROW getting the same feeling you had with eyes closed when you only concentrated on your form and the feel of the shot and not where it is going.
if it goes where you are looking, pull arrow and do it again one arrow...do it until you miss where you are aiming.  Then go back to close in and work on form 5 shots and call it a day.

I got a feeling you are plucking or dropping bow arm if nothing else changed....OR losing focus on your "spot"....when my eyes started going bad from too much time with computers and reading...I had similar issue...my eyes would want to focus on something closer than the spot on target as it was starting to get out of sharp focus.

Getting close and starting to wear sports glasses helped immensley...but starting over with basics up close to target to remove any question of that first helped.  once I realized it was my eyes....helped me to focus on my problem and keep shots closer and wear glasses when hunting.

[CEW]

I've found that if the shot cycle/ form is feeling good yet groups are getting larger it is usually because I'm focusing on the arrow tip instead of the target.

[Oldskool2]

I have been in this same situation just recently. I bought a 3d target and have been all over the place since then. I realized it was a bit of target panic creeping in so I make sure to abort every few arrows just to slow things down and that has seemed to work great. also I shoot with only one arrow during my accuracy shooting as well. It really helps my concentration.

[David Yukon]

Get in the bush and just make your self shoot at closer range, if 12 yards it is then it is!!
Just my 2 cents...

[Rob W.]

The hardest person to convince that you are a good archer is yourself.

I tend to shoot til I miss then dwell on the miss. Why? I have no idea.

Try a taking a blunt and a wiffle ball tied to a long string with someone pulling it around the yard. It is fun, a small target, you are constantly tracking its movement, and I always seem to lock into anchor better shooting like this.

Rob

[Hermon]

Just like when a golfer get the "shanks".  Like a couple others have said, just put it away for a couple days and relax.

[BCWV]

All great advice. I went through the same thing and am just getting a handle on it now. I aggree to video your shot or get a friend to watch you.
 I was sure I was doing things right but my shooting showed otherwise. I was creeping and collapsing and would have bet money I wasn't. May not be your issue but it was mine.

[RecurveRookie]

Archery was "fun" for me before deer season, but I started getting "too serious" about practice when the season got going. Every bad shot I made at home, I would think "that's a bad shot on a deer".  I realized what was happening and let it be fun again.  Maybe... you are stressed like I was.  You'll work it out. Good luck man.

[Plumber]

regroup this is a tough sport what we do is very hard.some people make it sound so easy.I missed 3 times this week tonight I got one just settle your mind an shoot like you know how good luck.

[The Hawk]

Been there and have that sweat stained t-shirt! Relax and take some close shots, 5 or 10 yards. It's supposed to be fun. 90% of it is 90% mental 90% of the time! If I have inconsistancy, 90% of the time (see the pattern there??)it is because I am tired and waving that bow arm a little. Fred Asbell said in his shooting clinic that if your bow arm is good you can't really screw anything else up (all other problems are symtamatic of bow arm collapse or other bow arm problems). I find this to be true. If my bow arm is good the shot will be good. Try pushing that arrow into the target with your bow arm and let it happen! Good luck and don't burn yourself out. It's supposed to be fun!

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by Manitoba Stickflinger:
For me, when that happens, it's generally tension in my string hand and forearm. I need to pretend my fingers (mostly middle finger) is simply a hook attached to a string tied to my elbow. Total relaxation of the forearm (as if it was the "string" attached to the "hook").

Static releases can be prone to losing back tension. Try a bit more back tension with the whole relaxed hand and forearm thing.

This generally works for me...hope it does the same for you. Best of luck!...Ryan

I have the same mileage as Ryan my string arm is my usual culprit.

[moleman]

Been there, done it. I believe that a lot of times problems arise from over thinking the shot. All of the thought put into push, pull, anchor, left, right , up , down ETC. takes so much concentration, that you lose sight of your original goal, which is to simply burn a hole in the spot you intend to hit, and shoot it.
Remember to shoot the target, not the arrow, the rest will take care of itself.

[Cookus]

Check your brace height. It will only take a second... Along with the other advice, you'll get it! Hang in there!

[Bonebuster]

Target panic stinks for sure.

Been there done that.

I took some advice, and I would get VERY close to a big backstop.

I would go thru my normal shot process, except I would close my eyes and "FEEL" the shot instead of see it.

Don`t worry about anything, just draw, anchor, and release....over and over and over. The whole time, keeping my eyes closed and concentrating on a consistent full draw and anchor point.
 
Congrats again on your deer!...relax and enjoy...it`s just a glitch in your protien powered computer.  :D

[Zradix]

Thank you Brothers!

After laying off for 2 days..boy was that hard...
AND taking a lot of the different advice offered here I'm really getting back on track.

Video showed me plucking (even though my thumb was still on my jaw line..lol)

realized I wasn't "bearing down" on the spot....too anxious to watch where the arrow went this time..

Also, I was shooting with my elbow up a bit ( thank you video)

AND I realized I was shooting with what I call a lazy wrist. I shoot with a very high/straight wrist. I noticed I was letting my palm fall at draw and that was letting the top limb tilt back and my arrows were going high.


man o man...I was a wreck..lol

But my arrows are getting about where they should.
I shot bad so long and so many shots I need to retrain my muscle memory in how to do this right again.

If all goes as planned, I'll be in the woods tomorrow looking for this buck that has been making scrapes and rubs around my area..

Thank you again gentlemen for your help and insights.

Good luck to you!
And may you never have to go through what I just did..lol

               

[**DONOTDELETE**]

after hunting season is over, you may want to try lowering your high wrist style and put a bit more even pressure on your thumb pad bro....

That style is more repeatable than the high wrist using a traditional bow, and you get more of a bone to bone set in your wrist.

when i was shooting compound bows in competition we all used high wrist grips...but we were only hold 13-15 pounds at full draw. now days even those guys have started coming around to a slightly lower pressure point now..... food for thought latter on.... kirk

[Roger Norris]

Originally posted by onewhohasfun:
Like GFA says in his "Instinctive Shooting" book. "Usually when my arrows start to wander it is because I am forgetting to "push" with my bow arm." Happens to me on occasion. I need to lock that bow arm and shoulder in.

Great advice.....

[Zradix]

You guys ROCK!
After really taking all the advice in...
I've spent the last couple hours shooting one arrow every 10-20 mins at 20 yds.

This isn't super pretty but it's good enough for me to feel secure in a shot at game.

Thanks to you I'll be HUNTING tomorrow instead of scouting!