Should you practice when your not in the mood for it ?

[LookMomNoSights]

No.   If your head isnt in it,  your head isnt in it!  Practice DOES NOT make perfect......you know the rest!

[Sarah]

Just made this call last evening. Got home from work and was exhausted (as in fall asleep at the dinner table exhausted). I decided not to shoot.

When I'm too tired or not in the mood, I risk damaging arrows when I miss, or worse, injuring myself if I'm not paying attention to my form.

[tom cunningham]

Maybe it's days like those that cross training is valuable. Perhaps using a form master for strength training.. or close blank bale shooting with your eyes closed...or draw and letdown in front of a mirror and watch for form....all good stuff........Tom

[Hoyt]

I do it all the time..but I have to shoot to keep my strength at the level I want it. I always get into it after the first shot anyway.

Right now I'm forcing myself not to shoot and I want to. I had appendix removed 3wks ago and wasn't suppose to lift more than 25lbs for 3wks. Somehow I forgot and started shooting my recurves again two wks after the surgery and started having a little pain in my lower right side so stopped for about a wk so far anyway. Might start back this afternoon. Good practice for using back tension only.

[Mudd]

I do not practice ever.... that sounds like another of the four letter words I don't like...it rhymes "work"!!...lol

I simply shoot...and I shoot almost every day.

It's almost like breathing.

God bless,Mudd

PS: It's the best and cheapest form of therapy I've ever experienced.

[ChuckC]

I agree with McDave for the most part.  If we are talking one or two days, fine, don't shoot.  If you are waiting weeks or months to get in the mood, then maybe you need another sport.

Not in the mood, and not able to concentrate and do it correctly for a few dozen shots are not necessarily related.

ChuckC

[GreyGoose]

Absolutely not.  On the other hand, I can't remember the last time I wasn't in the mood to shoot!

[TRAD101]

I shoot every day and if I find that my concentration is not what it should be (from that
days stress or whatever) I will just move in close
and do blank bale for that session and and press
on. there is always something to work on.

[MOFISH]

If I waited for a time when I wasn't tired, stressed, or thinking about multiple other things besides shooting, I would never get to shoot. I either figure a way to block all else out or like others have suggested, move up close and work on form or go to the blank bale. Save the longer or challenging shots for those days when the stars are aligned.

[TRAP]

I don't do much of anything I'm not in the mood to do.

[tmccall]

I've always heard that "bad practice" is worse than "no practice."

[b.glass]

I tend to agree with what Rob W. said. I try to practice through being tired. The practice when things are not perfect, I feel will only make you better when you are well rested. The mental part of it may be a different matter but I think it is somewhat the same. I may not shoot but a few shots and really try to concentrate on good form. Also, maybe just some blind bale shooting would be appropriate.

[b.glass]

I read the first page then posted my thoughts. I then read page 2. Several are saying what I was thinking. I especially like the way McDave said it.

[dan d]

Originally posted by McDave:

Now I'll disagree with everyone.  Anyone who wants to really excel at something will find a way to practice each and every day.  When Hemingway went to Paris, he made an agreement with himself that he would write at least X number of words each and every day.  Sometimes he would throw away everything he had written the day before, but he wrote anyway.  I'm sure pro athletes practice every day in season and pre-season, and most days in between.  I know enough pro musicians that I can say they practice just about every day, even the ones who aren't stars.  Any of these people, writers, athletes, musicians, will generally practice whether they feel like it or not.  If they don't practice, it's because they can't, for some reason or another, not because they don't feel like it.

Now if the reason you're shooting the bow is just to have fun, fine, but if you want to get to the next level, you're going to have to figure out some way to practice on those days when you don't feel like it.

Well said McDave, them are my thoughts & you put it into words better than I could. I want to be able to confidently hunt at 20 yards & previous years I limited myself to 15 yards because it is what I felt comfortable with.
 
I thought about it as training like an athlete would, you practice on bad days if in the mood or not. I have been very happy with my improvements. Last year I could barley hold my anchor, this year I can hold it for 5 minutes.

But........  As posted I was afraid of developing bad habits. As long as Its only once a week I'm not in the mood it sounds like I will be ok. 99.9% of the time I enjoy practicing.

Dan

[duncan idaho]

Yes.

[twistedlim]

Originally posted by TRAP:
I don't do much of anything I'm not in the mood to do.

Bwaahaaahhaa     You are the man.  Perfect answer.

[paoliguy]

I just start thinking how cool I look wearing my back quiver .... next thing you know I'm flinging arrows in the back yard!!!

Practice sounds serious - I like fun.