Short drawing my bow..HELP!!

[1/4 away]

Lately it seems that I'm short drawing my bow and releasing the string just as my fingers hit the front of my lips. When I try to concentrate on getting to anchor my concentration on the spot I want to hit falls apart. Now I'm not new to trad bows, been shooting over 15 years. Also I'm only shooting 53# at my draw.  When I'm in the house I can draw and come to anchor...thumb along jawline and middle finger in corner of mouth...but put me outside in front of my target and my form goes to pieces. I've strung my wifes bow which is only 40#@28" and have been practicing my form....any other suggestions???  To say I'm frustrated is an understatement!!!!

[Big Sneaky]

Well, I hate to tell you this but you have target panic.  Don't worry though it can be cured, I'm proof.  I had the same problem about a year ago and I have been shooting for 20 yrs.  Mine started from shooting 70 plus pound bows for years.  Mine got so bad when I felt my hand even touch my face I would let go.  Try and get a hold Jay Kidwell's book.  He has a chapter on target panic that is good.  You can try the push-release method that may work for you but will probably just cover up the problem.  If you would like to see it I will send it to you.  I cured mine by just plain ol' mind over matter.  I started by just going to my target at 10 yds and coming to full draw and then letting down.  The first day I couldn't even do it and would let go.  It took me about three days of this and never shooting an arrow.  Once I started shooting, my TP would set back in so I would go back to holding and not shooting.  It took me about a month of this before I finally got a grip on it.  Once you get it licked your shooting will improve, mine has.  Good luck, Cade

[1/4 away]

Cade, Thanks for the input....I ordered Jay's book this afternoon after doing a search here on TP. My recurve is hanging in my den strung. Every so often I go in and pull it back to full draw at least 6-10 times hoping to build some muscle memory. Think I'll do this for a few days before trying it at a target.  Fred

[12ringman]

Try getting a clickey click and putting it on your wifes bow. Start up close and focus on your form only. Your mind can do only one thing at a time. If you have a large target get about 2-3 yards and shoot with your eyes closed so you can feel what the perfect shot is supposed to feel like.

[Ray]

Anchor then aim.Aiming while drawing Is what brings this on.I've been fighting this for awhile myself - good luck.

[1/4 away]

Ray, Funny you should say that. When I'm in the house and drawing the bow I come to full draw thenfirst then look for a spot on the wall to focus at yet when drawing on a target or animal its been said to pick a spot and concentrate on it while coming to full draw. Going to try drawing first tomorrow and see how that works out.  Fred

[Big Sneaky]

I had the same problem.  I could come to full draw and point at my new truck and know I wasn't going to shoot.  But put a 3-d target in front of me and WHAM, there she goes.  I also might add that I increased my draw length from 29" to 30 1/4".  Other than having to buy new arrows for my elk hunt it was a good problem to have.  One thing that really helped me once I got to where I could hold was to think about back tension and expanding the draw right before the release.  Learned that from Rod Jenkins on Masters of the Barebow.  There doesn't seem to be any quick fixes for this so stay with it till you get it beat!  Good luck!    Cade

[Flints]

Getting Jay Kidwell's book is a solid, good idea.
I once had tp so bad that while checking my draw length in my basement, I automatically released the arrow into a cement wall as I approached full draw; surprised the hell out of me. I found by facing something I would never shoot at (outside, I wasn't taking any chances after the basement incident),I was able to hold at full draw and feel in control. I would do this several times before taking a shot at my target. I faced the tree just to the left of my target and would draw, hold, and let down. After a few times I took a shot or two at the target. TP would slowly return as I shot. When this happened, I would, again immediately turn towards the tree and go through my draw, hold, and let down routine.I reduced my TP over time. For me, a strong deep hook kept me in better control over when my release happened. I can occasionaly feel the shot about to happen before I am set. This usually happens at the same time I feel some momentary creep and a reduction in draw length. Keep at it.
Don't let the frustration get you down. Shooting is too much fun. Good luck and don't:banghead:

[1/4 away]

Thanks all for the words of encouragement. It's good to know that others have experienced the same thing as I and have beat it. Jay's book should be here by mid-week. I know its gonna take time to lick this but I'm hoping to get a better grip on it as I still have about a month left of hunting season.

[Rick_H]

I found that coming to a full draw with no release not looking at the target as sort of a warm-up really
helps me....What Flints said..

[TSP]

You can beat it.  Persistence pays.

[tradtusker]

i found i was doin the same thing, and yes its very frustraiting! i found shooting at a blank bail with my eyes closed consentraiting on form and hitting my ancor helped and then when back to the target after a few days i draw back till i hit my ancor then aim, just like Ray said.

how are you getting on now?

[bayoulongbowman]

close bale work ...7yds. dont worry where the arrows goes on the target...its form...pull hold at anchor do figure 8 up and down , why holding the bow ...then do a side ways figure 8...all why holding the bow...this worked for me , with TP.....

[twotimer]

i shoot almost ever day,shoot a lot.i fell into this problem myself.had a horrible time for about 3 or 4 months.what cured me was shorting my draw and droping down in bow weight.i mean drastic change's.came from 28+ to 27" draw.total anchor redo.and droped about 7-8#s in weight.took me 2 months on the anchor.but thats all i worked on to start with.any way's it worked for me.good luck.hang in there.you will figure it out.regards,robert  

[Papa]

Get a copy of the DVD "The Push Release".  It is working wonders with my shooting.  I had been struggling with TP for over two years and after learning and applying this technique I am able to hold at full draw and release when I want to.

[Legolas]

Practice mental rehearsal of your shot. At the point you have problems see yourself in your minds eye doing/feeling the perfect shot.
If you can't rehearse it mentally you can't do it anytime...
Your brain does not know the difference between mental rehearsal and the real thing so correct in your mind first.

Paul

[1/4 away]

Hi guys. Thanks for all the input. I received an email from Jay Kidwell and he gave me some exercises to do which I've been doing daily and have seen significant improvement.

[Builder]

Same as above, shot for many years and aquired tp to the extreme. One absolute immediate cure is swith hands. It makes you draw and try to make sure everything is lined up before releasing. If that is not an option try gap shooting where after the draw, look at the arrow and it's relation to the target before releasing. This cured me after a couple of weeks. I never used to see the arrow only the target and when my mind said your on target the arrow was gone. The gap shooting forced me to stop and look at the arrow after the draw. Now sometimes I look at the arrow in my split vision and sometimes I don't but it cured my tp.

[Dirty Bill]

A clicker will greatly speed up the process of beating TP. it will help you to perfect your form also.

[Three Arrows]

Ooooo yea... When target panic strikes you just want to crawl into a hole.  You cannot shoot in public.  Jay Kidwell's book is a great place to start.  I found out that if you break your shot sequence down into specific repeatable steps and adhered to them; it goes a long way toward ridding TP. My personal thing is to get to full draw and mentally say "tick tock" release "solid as a rock".  Now it just happens.  I gave up traditonal for 2 years due to TP.  I could not even shoot a child's bow 5 or 10 lbs.  By breaking down my shot sequence to definite steps each way with a mental checklist, I have been able to rid the TP.  It is not gone, however, just in dormancy.  And each day it gets better. I now draw 29inches with a 70 lb pull and shooting better than I ever did with more confidence.  By controling the shot sequence and release, you can actually know what you did wrong.