How I'm beating Target Panic

[Ray Johnson]

I thought that I would post this in the hope that it may help someone else suffering from target panic.I've been shooting a recurve for about 9 years now and have suffered from target panic off and on the whole time.I've tried alot of different shooting styles and alot of different target panic "cures",including Jay Kidwell's techniques that are found in his book.

   I shoot 3 under and am finally shooting with confidence and am in total control of my shot.This may or may not work for you but it sure has transformed my shooting.I'm using a "modified" Rick Welch technique.I draw with my bow already raised and pointing at the target.I use a deep hook on the string.I have my arrows fletched so that the cock feather touches my nose at full draw.I look at what I want to hit and draw to anchor with my draw hand slightly away from my face and bring it in to anchor(thumb knuckle behind jaw).Once my thumb knuckle is behind my jaw,I continue to pull with my back until the feather touches my nose and pull through and release.The reason this has helped my target panic is that I've conditioned myself to not release the arrow until the feather touches my nose.Sometimes,I will nock the arrow wrong or just not draw back far enough and I will have to let down on the shot.I still have target panic because I can't shoot an arrow that is not fletched right for me more than a couple of times  without losing control of the shot.I guess that I've short circuited my brain somehow with the feather on the nose.All I know is that it has transformed my shooting and I'm shooting as well as I've shot in a long time.Maybe this will help someone else that is suffering from target panic.

[Ray Johnson]

What I mean by "modified" Rick Welch method is that I don't do exactly what he does.He uses the fingertips to hold the bowstring.I use a deep hook.Also,he draws as he raises the bow.I have a set bow arm and draw while already pointed at the target.I tried to mimic his style exactly but found what I'm doing works better for me.I haven't taken his class but learned his style more or less from his dvd's and what others have posted on traditional forums.What he is doing obviously works for him and alot of others who have taken his class so I thought I would try it.

[Mike Vines]

Whatever works, go for it.  I will try taking a deeper hook, and see how it works for me.

[LongStick64]

What you are basically doing is a adding a clicker to your setup by using the arrow fletch as the clicker but as you said you still haven't beaten the bug. I would bet that you also may have a hard time holding the bow at full draw with the arrow touching your nose for more than a second. I see the same happen to shooters that use a clicker, as soon as they hear the click they release. POW no back tension, follow through. Also they do not practice maintaining the tension after the click. That's what you need to work on.

[Ray Johnson]

Longstick64,you are exactly right in saying that I'm using the feather as a clicker.And,yes,I do release very shortly after the feather touches my nose but by that time I've already been at full draw for 2-4 seconds and the shot is lined up.I do realize that this isn't a cure for target panic,only a bandaid really but it is allowing me to shoot well again.I was almost to the point of selling my recurve a few months ago.Now,I've won the local 3D shoot a couple of times.I shot a 3D yesterday but only shot a 184 on a 25 target course because I missed 3 targets.Shot low on all of them.There were some long shots and I rarely shoot long shots at home.Overall,I'm very confident in my new shooting style,even though I know that without the crutch of the feather on the nose,the TP would return again very quickly.

[Cecil]

I do sort of the same with a clicker. I pic my spot draw anchor pull to click then I try to count to 5 while maintaining back tention. arrow is gone most of the time by 3 but that is fine. becouse I have broke that fill of letting her go as soon as the clicker clicks.

[LongStick64]

Ray
What you should be careful when you bandaid the tp is sooner or later you might have problems even getting the feather to your nose. It's one reason most pros work on what they do after they release more than what they do before.

[Lazy Ike]

I'm going to get flamed by some for saying this... but here goes. A clicker used properly is a release trigger. It's just like shooting with a back tension release for a compound shooter. You only have two things to do. Aim and pull, and many focus on just one of those two. The release is subconscious. You train yourself to release on the click. All Olympic shooters that achieve a level of success release on the click. The best usually have the fastest reaction to the click. I'm sure it can be used as just a draw check, but if you have target panic, it won't work very well that way. A friend of mine is using the cock feather as a clicker and is doing quite well.


Ike

[LongStick64]

Ike,
Have to seriously disgaree with you about olympic archers shooting at the click. When I was a competitive archer, compound bow, I shot in a tournament that was open to all. There was a FITA shooter next to me on the line. He had a pause after the click. Best way to explain it, he set the clicker, kept pulling, click, kept pulling, release, follow through. That young man was outstanding. Found out later he was an alternate for the US Olympic team. And he beat everyone that day including the compound shooters.

[reddogge]

The clicker was designed originally as a draw check, not a release trigger so holding or pulling through the click would be using it as designed. Some archers release the second the clicker goes off so they are using it as both a draw check and release trigger. I was one of the latter and it was unnerving to be slowly pulling back and have the clicker blade sliding down the shaft, hanging slightly on the nib point, sliding down the point and finally releasing. I found myself preoccupied watching and listening to the drama going on with the clicker. I also shot through the clicker once in a while. I eventually discarded it because it was more of a distraction than an aid.

[Ray Johnson]

I'm using the feather on the nose as a band aid I suppose.I really can't shoot well without it.The deal is that I could work out of the TP once again using the exercises Jay Kidwell recommends but honestly,I'm sick of those.I just can't do it anymore.I'm tired of always having to do some kind of TP exercise.I'm shooting well now and I don't care if it's a bandaid or not.I can just go out into the yard and shoot.I've been fighting TP  off and on for years so really I'm not losing anything by using the cock feather as a clicker.It has only helped my shooting.I really have a good system going now.I  know my shooting style and if that cock feather isn't on my nose,the arrow is not getting released.It's working so far.

[Cecil]

Ray, the clicker does the same for me with it I dont have any problem. I settle in on the target and pull till it clicks and just apply a little more back tension and the arrow is on its way. I know what you are saying about all the drills.I have tryed to shoot off the click but I would flinch. I been working on my shot since last june but this spring my scores have improved alot.

[Ray Johnson]

Cecil,I've always heard that a clicker is a bandaid but olympic shooters use them and they release on the click from what I understand.Anyway,if it helps a man to enjoy archery and shoot well again,I'm all for it.The TP drills work but it's almost like AA.You have to continue to use them or they quit working and I just got tired of doing them.I just want to shoot and I'm now doing that.I still do some bale work to reinforce my form and it helps with maintaining and improving my current shooting system.

[LongStick64]

Ray
The key to solving your tp is finding the cause. The drills you do should be specific to solving the cause. You can do drills till your blue but if they are not geared to fix what is broken you are just wasting your time.
I know for me it was the sight picture causing me problems. When I created drills to get me to work on good habits my shooting came back. Bottom line the drills helped develop good form principles, it affirmed good muscle memory. No more TP. I still drill but that is what the pro's do, and it works great for them.

[Lazy Ike]

Cecil, a year or so ago on another forum Tony Camera ( viper ) sent me an article written by the son of the man that invented the clicker. He lived in Cincinnati Oh. he developed it to fix the problems that his family had developed after shooting field archery. The problems that he described were all classic target panic. He was determined to find something other than the sight picture to trigger the shot.His son, the writer of the article,had gotten pretty good at field archery. He then became afflicted with target panic. Within a year or so of learning to shoot with the clicker, he won the National title in his age division. If this article is genuine , then no it was not invented to be just a draw check.


Ike

[GregD]

LongStick, Would you mind going into more detail about how your sight picture was causing you TP?  Thanks, Greg

[LongStick64]

Greg
Basically I could not get to anchor, TP was so bad that as I drew back, my mind would see the sight picture developing and I would release way too early. I would be hitting my face with my string hand.
One of the drills I used was to draw the bow watching the arrow all the way back to my anchor and then only after reaching anchor I would shift focus to the target.
Next drill after I developed confidence in getting to anchor I would draw to anchor, count to three and then continue to draw back using back tension for about a quarter inch.
From what an Olympic coach told me was the problem had developed from aiming too early. So I would pick a spot, focus or aim whatever you want to call it, and the tension would rise, causing anxiety, the rest is target panic.

[knobby]

From someone that's been under the chokehold of target panic since '79, use whatever it takes to make shooting fun again. If it works for YOU, do it!

[Ray Johnson]

Longstick,there is no telling what caused my TP.I've been afficted with several types.First,it was just shortdrawing and snapshooting.I then trained myself to hold at anchor but after a while I ended up with a terrible collapsing problem.I just couldn't draw to anchor,concentrate on what I wanted to hit,and increase back tension,then release.I would always end up collapsing on the shot.Sure,I could shoot well at times and actually shot very well at times,winning or placing in alot of local 3D tournaments.The problem was that I was very inconsistent.What I'm doing now has increased my confidence,accuracy,and consistency 100%.It is really amazing as far as I'm concerned.I have a 3 point anchor(thumb knuckle behind ear,middle finger in corner of mouth,and feather to nose)and it's something I do on every shot.Sure,I still make bad shots from time to time but overall I'm shooting well and I'm consistent from  day to day.
   I think one thing that causes TP is trying to think of 2 things at once.I'm not one of those who can just "burn a hole" and let my subconscious take over the physical act of the shot.I've tried and tried but I'm not wired that way.Now,My mind is on my form and aiming is done subconsciously I guess.My main focus when I shoot is getting the feather on my nose.The release happens automatically once I've done that.Once I reach anchor,I continue to pull until the feather hits the nose.The release is dynamic.I'm usually 2-4 seconds at anchor.
   This is working great now and I'm not going to change a thing.I've been shooting this way for several months now and I've only gotten better.I guess I could have problems with it in the future but I'll deal with that when and if it comes.Thanks for the input.

[Cecil]

The clicker is a great tool for folks having problems. but you have to control it and that may take a while. you may even shoot worse to start with. I have had alot of trouble not getting to anchor or getting to anchor and doing a passby shot as I move through the target. I cannot think of but one thing at a time when I shoot so I have broke my shot down into steps and it is working good. anyone that has tp dont give up just find what works for you.