TARGET PANIC!

[bro-n-arrow]

I am a 69 year old bowhunter who suffers from extreme target panic. I have suffered from this disorder sence my teens. I have read and tried every cure I could find. Nothing works for me. What worked for you.

[BLACK WOLF]

For me...it was going back to the basics of developing solid form and shot execution to the point that every shot felt perfect time after time by practicing on a blank bale or shooting flu flus into the sky.

I also made a dry fire bow made out of 1" plumbing pipe to practice with on days that I couldn't go outside and shoot.

When I felt I had perfect form and shot execution shot after shot every day on command for about a week, I then began developing my aiming techinique to build confidence back in my aiming.

A key point to add while practicing, competeting or hunting is to make it a labor of love. You need to be enjoying it and having fun with it. If it becomes work or you develop frustration...it most likely will have a negative effect on your shooting.

Whenever I feel TP beginning to rear it's ugly head again...I always fall back to this.

Ray  

[Diamond Paul]

The only thing I can tell you is that you must make the result of the shot unimportant.  Target panic is simply anxiety, and it comes from being afraid of a bad result, i.e., missing.  I have never had it with a recurve, but had mild problems with it after I came back to competitive compound shooting after a long layoff.  I couldn't hold the sight steady anymore, and the movement panicked me.  I was afraid the dot wouldn't be there when the bow went off.  As Ray said, you must solidify your form and forget about aiming at or hitting anything for a while.  Shoot at a HUGE target with absolutely nothing on it to aim at, like a pile of haybales or something similar.  Now, you can't miss, so there's nothing to worry about.  Just execute the shot.  Eventually, you can go back to aiming by starting with smaller, but still big, targets and working down.  Make form your main concern, and aiming your lowest priority when you do this.  Forget about the result, that's the secret.  Now, I can also tell you that this is easier to prescribe than it is to swallow, but it can work if you stick with it.  Good luck, I know it sucks.  Paul.

[chuck172]

There is all different forms of target panic. Mine is having a hard time coming to full draw. Its like having a angel on one shoulder telling me to keep pulling and the devil on my other shoulder telling me to stop there, that's enough.
What's so odd with me is up to 15yds, I'm fine, its from17-25yards it kicks in.

[Steve Branson]

Have you tried switching to a different target? What I suffer from is target "Boredom". I do much better hitting objects than a painted circle.

[chuck172]

Yeah I tried about everything, what seems to help is drawing, holding, not letting go, let down. I mix a few of them in and it seems to help. If I tell myself I'm not gonna release I can come to anchor. If I put a clicker on I can come to anchor. If I close my eyes I can come to anchor. If I just try to shoot a few rounds without getting fancy the devil kicks in.

[Cecil]

I have tryed alot of things. I am doing something now that is working better than any thing I have tryed. first get Jay Kildwells book and read. the thing that people I think dont do is take the time to get over it. what ever form of it you have it will take time to get it out of you completly. make you a bow 6' pvc pipe put 2 eye bolts in the end put a string on it. you can use a piece of insulation for gip cost about 6 dollars.  for one week just draw put it on the target and off do not shoot it. what ever form of it you have address it with this bow. get as close to target as you need to hold with out shooting. after you fill good about the hold you can shoot it. the thing about the light bow or pipe it is easy to hold at draw for a long time. do it as often as you can. I even put me a target in the house to draw on. If you pick your bow up and try it and the target panic is at all there  do not shoot it go right back with the pipe till it is gone. this is some of the things Jays book has in it. you will notice improvment after a while with the pipe bow. I tryed it before and almost had it beat but gave up alittle to soon. but I was using my regular bow does not work as good as the pipe. Hope this helps good luck.

[laddy]

I have found that the more I shoot where I am prone to shoot with target panic the more probable it will show up everywhere else.  If I shoot left handed i have none, even in my backyard where the flinch is the worst.  If I go out and shoot at clouds in a large alfalfa field it will go away, until i start shooting in my back yard to much.If I go out and practice 100 arrows and only shot the last few without target panic, I have practiced target panic.  For some reason stump shooting early in deer season and getting real focused on small targets and my follow through, it goes away while I am in hunting mode.

[chuck172]

Any Yankee baseball fans out there. Remember a few years ago the second baseman Chuck Knoblach couldn't make an accurate throw from 2nd base to first. Well I think I understand him a little better now. He had a form of target panic.
It was so bad it ended his career.

[Cecil]

There was another thread on target panic on here a while back that had alot of info in it. I have had a hard time with it. I am doing good now but I am going to do shooting drills like drawing and holding without shooting in every practice. I draw and get on the bulls eye from left then the right  from the bottom and the top. hold on the bulls eye and count change the number each time.

[chuck172]

yeah that helps me the most. I have to fool my mind into thinking I'm gonna go to anchor but not shoot.
Then if the mind thinks your not gonna let go, let go. Keep yourself guessing!

I can sure relate to your frustration.  I too have tried every regimen that’s out there, in print and recommended.  I’d advise you to get Dr. Kidwell’s book too.  Read it thoroughly and glean all the “good” information you can.

I finally just gave up and started shooting left handed.  The darn stuff isn’t present on the left side.  Once I got confident enough to hunt lefty, I started working on the TP on the right side.  

I recently read several posts by “sixby” about TP.  He had so much confidence that he KNEW how to cure the stuff in a few days, that I gave it a try, with some modifications of my own. Believe it or not, it WORKS.  I can now hold and shoot and can see the end of the tunnel.  I’m not cured, but the progress is phenomenal.  

I believe target panic is nothing more that a confidence issue.  Once you begin to regain your confidence, each shot will bring on more. I believe your (our) eyes have created some type of short-circuit to the brain (somehow).  When you’re on, you shoot.  I think you have to transfer the stimulus to shoot. Since you, and other sufferers of the stuff don’t have anything to loose, I’m going to share with you what I’ve done.  Give it a try and let me know how you get along.  Remember… if you can shoot just one arrow in control, you can shoot all of them in control.  CONFIDENCE, I believe is the key.

1)   Get a light bow in 30 to 40# range, or lighter if need be.  The bow must be light enough so you can hold without stress.
2)   Stand about 10 feet away from your target, draw your bow to anchor, frame your shot, and then close your eyes.  With your eyes closed just concentrate on your form. Feel the back tension and push your bow arm toward the mark.  Concentrate on nothing but your form and then… let down.  Do that until you can do it without any of the anxiety of the TP.  This may take a day or two, but when you can do it in complete control it’s time to move to the next step. Always start your regimen with this drill.
3)   Now you have complete control at 10 feet.  Move back to 10 yards and repeat.  Always concentrating on your form while your eyes are closed and letting down.  When you have COMPLETE control and 10 yards move back to 20 and repeat, then 30 yards and repeat.  Don’t advance until you have “complete” control.  You’ve had the stuff a long time; it may take a while to retrain your brain.
4)   Now to the next step… draw frame the shot, close your eyes, and let down a few times at 10 feet like before to get the feel of the form… always the form.  Now draw, frame the shot and then move to a different spot of the target face (with eyes open), concentrating on your form, then let down.  You can mix it up some and move to two or three spots but always let down.  Don’t shoot an arrow—yet. Once you can do that without ANY anxiety of the TP move back to 10 yards, and so forth just like before.
5)   In the next step begin your regimen as usual then draw, frame the shot, close your eyes, concentrate on your form, and release the arrow.  Do that again and again until you can do it without any of the anxiety, but don’t release every time.  Draw and close your eyes, then let down and shoot only about every third time.  When you can do that without the stuff pressuring you it’s time to move on.
6)   Lastly:  Begin with the usual regimen.  Then, draw frame your shot, concentrate on the form and release.  Shoot about every third arrow.  Draw and let down at least twice before shooting your arrows.  Once you’ve mastered this at 10 feet, move back to 10 yards and so on.  Don’t try to go too fast.  It’s most important that you maintain control.

***If at any time the anxiety creeps back on, just go back to the previous step.  Repeat it until it's gone then go to the next.

I’ve been doing this for about three weeks now and I can draw, hold, concentrate on my form and shoot every third arrow all the way out to 30 yards with no hint of the STUFF.  I’m not ready to shoot arrow after arrow, but that’s okay.  I can sure see a big difference.
Good Luck!

Jim

[chuck172]

Jim, Thanks for all the good advice.
 I can begin right at your last step. I can at this point draw, come to full anchor, let down. Twice- then release at full draw the third arrow. At any distance.
I could always come to full draw with my eyes closed  at any distance.
As a matter of fact if I make myself believe I will not release the arrow I can shoot normal, just keep lying to myself.
It's only when I shoot shot after shot the panic sets in and I begin to short-draw.
I think the key for me is to rotate holding and releasing with no set pattern.

Chuck,

I know what you mean about being able to draw with your eyes closed.  That was always part of the recommended regimen I've read about.  The difference here is that you draw, with eyes open, frame the shot, then close your eyes, concentrate of form, and let down.  This seems to be a huge help.  Apparently the mind remembers that the mark has been focused on, and then transference of thought to the form is taking place, rather than the NEED to release (or some such stuff).  Whatever it is, it's given me some fabulous progress.

Jim

[Cecil]

I didnt take the time that I should before to cure it before going back to shooting regular. I made my mind up this time to take as long as it takes. the things in Jays book are working great the light bow is a great help. when I do get rid of it I am going to practice holding and letting down. shooting less arrows in my practice. Way to go Jim feels good to have control. thanks for the tips.

[fishingjim]

I don't want to sound dumb but what is target panic?

I'm not going to tell you, and I hope you NEVER find out.  :^)

Well... okay.  It's simply a loss of control of every aspect of the shot.  It comes in various forms. Some folks can't even get to anchor before the arrow leaves, others can't maintain a hold, etc., etc.

Jim

[chuck172]

Fishingjim, Like I said before, If you follow the Yankees and remember Chuck Knoblock. He developed baseball target panic. He couldn't beat it and it ended his career. He couldn't make an accurate throw from second base to first.

[chuck172]

O.K Jim Castro I understand what you mean. I'll give it a try. Glad to see it's working for you. This is really some spooky stuff, target panic and the power of the mind.

[Target Panic]

I am 66 and suffer from the same malady. I cannot hold. Once I hit anchor I have to let go. My preferred anchor is my thmub behind my jaw. If I do not anchor there I can hold the bow OK.
I am determined to beat this snap shooting though and I will. I have read  and watched everything on the subject and conclude it is learning again how to shoot a different way and will power.
My only suggestion is practice with a heavier bow than you normally shoot. This build muscle and makes it easier to hold your normal bow.