3-D tournament shooting......

[ronda]

Whats the physical and mental keys to success

[Mike Bolin]

The biggest thing for me is to have fun. 3D shooting is one of the things that helped me decide to switch over to traditional equipment. I was shooting alot with wheels and hit the Triple Crown IBO shoots and any of the qualifiers that I could drive to. I got to noticing how much fun the guys in the trad classes seemed to be having. The other wheel guys were dead serious and not pleasant to be around. Guys in trad were offering pointers to each other because they wanted to see each other succeed.
To be competitive, you must first of all be competent and comfortable with your equipment. A 40 or more target 3D shoot in 90+ degree temps and long lines waiting for your turn  to shoot will let you know right away if you are overbowed. Practice is the key and being able to shoot without being distracted. At the bigger trad shoots like Cloverdale, there are a bunch of folks on the range. You will hears guys laughing and joking, the occasional metallic ring of an arrow striking a water trough or bait barrel, turkey calls, elk calls, moose calls....it ain't a quiet place. CONCENTRATION along with PRACTICE will lead to CONFIDENCE. My suggestion is don't take it too seriously....have fun and enjoy shooting the bow. If it starts to get frustrating (everybody has an off day now and then) put the score card away and shoot for the joy of shooting. I tend to put too much pressure on myself when I am trying to "win" and I quit having fun. Compete against yourself, set a goal of some sort. My goal is to shoot at least 80% at every shoot. I try to beat "me" the next time...if I shoot a 165 out of 200 at one shoot, I am trying for a 170+ at the next one. Good luck and have fun! Hopefully Rod Jenkins will jump on here 'cause he is a SHOOTER! Mike
p.s. if you make it up to Cloverdale this summer, let me know and I'll look you up!

[Rod Jenkins]

Mikes suggestion to not take it too seriously is spot on! Took me a while to learn whether I won or lost not much that really counts is gonna change in my daily life. Another key for me is to shoot MY shot at each target (the key word here is MY shot) with each part of the shot approached consistantly and then do my job by shooting each shot the same....then if the arrow lands dead center, its not a big deal...I was just doing my job...likewise if I shoot a bad arrow, as long as I did my job...not a big deal, theres gonna be more shots rightup ahead!

Physical? Being in shooting shape, means being able to shoot a couple hundred arrows in the heat of summer and the last shot be of the same quality as the first.

[ronda]

Thanks for the info guys and Rod I really enjoyed your section on Masters of the barebow. Waiting on my ACS CX.

[mike g]

Ronda....
    As mentioned above, the Key to a 3D shoot is to have FUN....
    I use the same bow and arrow set up I hunt with....
    So strength and stamina is a key,sometimes there are 42 Targets and 2 shots per Target you looking at 84 shots....
    Your last few shots need to be as good as the first....
    Again I say the key is to have fun.....

[John 4]

One thing I try to do,is to shoot with the best shooters I can.
On the physical side,I don't drink any alcohol for a few days before the shoot,and I try to keep my sleep patterns regular.
Mental,Try to stay relaxed yet focused,only shoot each shot once and if it ain't so great,"forget it".
Enjoy the day,it's not that important.

[String Tracker]

I personally have shot a few rounds of 3-D   LOL  and like others have said, have fun, enjoy yourself.  when i go to the ranges 90% of the time im the only trad guy there.  so if i do see another trad guy ( or gal ) i try to team up with them and just chat threw the range.  but like most times i usually end up with compounders.  they are a rough bunch but i just give it right back at them.  its all in good fun.  they bust on me and my stick with string and i just give them the training wheels comment right back with a big smile the whole time.  I try to hang with them even though im shooting shorter distances than them.  my one club puts trads no farther than 25 yds.  most shots are about 17-22 yds.  the compound guys are anywhere from 25 (if i have a short distance) up to 45 yds out.

I have 3-d has help mentally train me about shot placement and judging yardages.

[Jacko]

In 05 I decided I was going to compete in 3d , set goals and picked up a book my father said helped him with his Golf called Quantum Golf by Kjell Enhager .

 Bascically the authors approach is to look for a good shot [ Quantum shot ], not the score , luck can still put a poor shot on target and to record the percentage of Quantum vs average feeling shots with a goal to increase this percentage over a period of time . Got to the stage where if I missed and it was a Quantum or even a good shot just deceived by good target placement I was happy . As the percentage of good shots increases so will your confidence and then your scores . Also never forget its only a game - enjoy it . Worked for me exceeded my expectations in 3d comp . regards Jacko

[KodiakBob]

Confidence, knowing that you can make the shot because you have shot it before. "Comes from practise". Knowing you equipment is the best and tuned to perfection.

[laddy]

the fun three D shoots around here are shoot till you drop and no one keeps score.  And make jokes, as many as possible. Like " Hey look there's a Herters that hasn't blown up yet!"

[Floxter]

Shoot against the toughest competition you can find; it will bring out your best. And you'd be surprised how many tips the other competitors can offer. Also remember that the last two or three targets are the most important ones on the course. By then most people just want to get it over with, tally their score, and take a break. Don't fall into that trap; concentrate the hardest on the final targets and you'll almost certainly pick up a point or two over your competitors.

[Tom A]

Its always good to eat well before a shoot and also carry energy bars and water.

[Scott J. Williams]

Having fun is the best advice.  I will add something to that, remember that 3D is not bowhunting.  In other words, you will find a lot of guys that have bows set-up just for the competition.  There is nothing wrong with that, if you want to be a champion at 3D mainly, but if your focus is hunting, shoot your hunting bows, with quiver attached if that is the way you hunt.  

I know a lot of guys who bring out the binoculars, and carry picture cards of the kill zones.  There is nothing wrong with this either, and I would recomend it if you want to be a 3D champion,  but I perfer to shoot them like I would if I were hunting.  That will not  give you the highest score per target, but it will get you ready of hunting.  Unfortunately, not all kill areas on 3D animals are located in the best place to put the arrow when killing is your goal.

It has been stated above, very well I might add, that you should not worry about what others are doing as far as score.  Let your first shoot be your starting point, and attempt to get better from there.

While I don't shoot as many of these as I once did, I averaged about five a month for ten years,  I never exclude my personal hunting practice,  that is purchasing my own 3D targets and placing them in areas, creating senerios that mimic the hunting I will be doing.

I am of the opinion that anything that keeps a bow in your hands 12 months out of the year is a positive, putting you way ahead of most bowhunters.  Don't neglect the practice of shooting in the woods where you don't have a perfect view to the target.  Learn what the trajectory of your bow is at different ranges, learn to shoot kneeling, sitting, leaning, from an elevated position, and even from your belly.  This is not likely to happen at most 3D shoots or ranges.  

What a lot of us have done is to purchase a target or two each,  set up some treestands, and ground blinds on a mini range.  We then go through and pick different shots, follow the leader.  Sometimes we keep score, sometimes we don't, by the time the season rolls around, we are sharp as tacks.  This is not a subsitute for 3D competition, but an augmentation to your hunting.

[longstick]

The fun and comoradarie is why I shoot 3d..I probably break or chase more arrows than anyone but I bet theyre not having as much fun as I am
 

[thedrof06]

I would agree with everyone, have fun with it.  Think about only the shot you are about to take, not the one before or the next target.  Pick your spot and let it fly.  I don't think about scores till the end whenthe shootin's done.  I think of the targets as actual animals, how would I shoot it in the wild.  I shoot my bows exactly as I hunt with them, with the same set up and arrows.  But most of all, have fun, meet new people and enjoy the sport.