Target Panic Reality Check

[Ron Vought]

Keep working on it guys. It will take time to re-program. I'm shooting two different but similar longbows now...one with a clicker and one without a clicker. Doing well with both but still hitting a wall about 1/2" from anchor (corner of my mouth). I really have to struggle but seem to get it done and execute the shot.

I just keep in mind that every arrow shot must be a good arrow. If not let up and try again...

Ron

[BOHO]

fixing to order a 25# Sage to work with. Hope it will do the trick

[Ron Vought]

We should probably get some updates on how everyone is doing....I'll start.

I still have the clicker installed on my #50 hunting bow. Shooting all kinds of distances with the clicker going off on almost every shot. My accuracy and form has been much improved compared to the snap shooting that I have been doing for years. Can tell when I start to get tired but that's when I concentrate the most on keep drawing and achieve full anchor. I have also been shooting a secondary bow that is similar in design but without a clicker. Seems my shooting is about the same. Not ready to pull the clicker off just yet. I will catch myself once in a while trying to snap shoot and short draw. Constant struggle with the gremlin but much improved.

Ron

[MISSINGINOHIO]

Joel
 Just wanted to thank you for the help. My shot is a controlled shot and release now. And is improving daily. Not perfect yet but getting close.
Thank you and Happy Holidays.

[Ron Vought]

Couple of thoughts on Target Panic....

As I now realize there is no magic solution in defeating target panic. I tried just about everything. Most things that I tried only worked temporarily. I had to narrow the shot sequence down and where I needed the most focus to overcome my particular form of target panic. I would draw and hit a wall about 3 inches from my anchor point which was the corner of my mouth shooting split finger....

What I found in the end is that I had to really concentrate on coming to full draw and establish a solid anchor. The way I got there is by using a clicker and really concentrating on coming to full draw each and every shot and let down if the shot sequence didn't feel right. I didn't care about accuracy or anything else because I knew that would come if only I could get to full draw consistently.

For several weeks I felt as if I was going through a full fitness program both physically and mentally....it literally wore me out. Struggled at times but I knew that I had to repair this area of the shot sequence and kept in mind that this was not going to happen immediately. The aiming part of the shot sequence and good form was not much of an issue for me and with a solid anchor now everything is coming together.  

I believe you have to clearly identify the area where you are having the problem and work on that area first. I think too many people try and do too many things at once. The key here is to be patient and don't expect overnight results. Also keep in mind the end result is confidence in your shooting and more importantly control of the shot.

Thanks to Joel for his help. Joel really understands target panic. By talking to him on the phone this was a much easier process for me to work through. I'm not there yet but making good progress.

Ron

[cch]

I am trying to transition from the clicker that I shot for a full year to feather to the nose. I just took it off yesterday. I shot a few arrows and am doing ok. It is not as easy as with the clicker. I need to go out today and do some work with my eyes closed and get the feel of the feather touching.  Yesterday I had to let down about 50% of the time. If I still have issues with this style in a week or so I am putting the clicker back on. I really liked hunting with it this year.
Chris.

[BWallace10327]

I thought I had the target panic beat for good but I was wrong.  After many hundreds of arrows shot at bag target at 5 yards, with distance gradually increasing out to 45 over a period of a few months (with the clicker not clicking only 14 times) it (tp) has been resurrected by only 2 300 vegas shoots.  The good news is it hasn't creeped back into my stump shooting and small game hunting.  It looks like the next time I'm shooting at a target face it will be from a few yards away.  Probably with a mechanical release on for a while to prevent premature shots and reprogram my brain to not shoot before I aim.

[Ron Vought]

Brent - I think shooting at further distances and working through the stress is the key to addressing target panic. I can shoot all day long at 5-10 yards and come to anchor every time with the clicker engaged on every shot. Its when the shot distance widens that the gremlins over take my ability to come to full draw. I shot indoors the other night at the local club without a clicker and felt in control after fighting target panic for months and possibly years.

Ron

[cch]

It sounds like you are more focused on the aiming than on the pulling. When you get to the point that your focus is not on pulling you have to let down. The more you do this the better you will be at controlling the shot. Just remember to let your aim happen naturally and only focus on pulling. Use the mantra when you are having issues. Give Joel a call and he will get you straightened out.
Chris.

[Little Busch]

Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou Joel Turner,Ihave tried everything there is out there to get rid of my target panic including spending $300.00 to get hypnotized twice. In the 10 years that I have belonged to our club I have only broke 300 once.Since buying your CD I have not shot under a 300 and today shot my personal best of 341.I prayed to God that I would shoot good and give him all the glory but I just had to give you some accolades. I have never posted anything on any site anywhere but I had to let you Know how this has really changed my life.I had group watching me shoot and it still didn't affect me. I feel I owe you more than the $26.00  I paid for the CD. Just wanted to let everyone know. With all Sincerity & Gratitude Jerry Buschle JR

[CLICKERMAN]

Jerry,

Glad to hear of your success!!!  Make the decision to only shoot the arrow if it is going as planned.  Recognize those foreign thoughts when they come in and make the decision to let down.  Keep asking yourself those questions of WHAT WAS I THINKING ABOUT?  WAS I SAYING MY MANTRA?  On those perfect shots, ask yourself those same questions so you realize HOW you executed that perfect arrow.  Stopping a bad arrow before it happens is the goal of the program.  Shot control is an amazing thing.  Know what you did to get it, and recognize what you need to do to keep it.  Congrats!!!!

JT

[Ron Vought]

Update:

Still have the clicker installed on one of my longbows only for continued practice and shot control. I shoot everyday even if its only a few arrows. My goal was to come to full anchor, let the clicker click and hold a second or two before I release. These practice sessions over the Winter really put me in control and I believe curbed the target panic. Joel was 100% right on with his instructions. Thanks Joel for taking my calls and continued encouragement! Also have to give some credit to Leon Stewart for critiquing my form and helping as well.

I have gained complete control of the shot and now shooting my other longbows without a clicker. It feels good again to be in control of the shot sequence and have good form. Haven't shot this good in over 20 years.

Ron

[CLICKERMAN]

Ron,

Be very,,,,,,, very careful with what you are doing with the clicker.  If you make it click and then hold for a couple seconds before releasing, you are using it as a draw check and not a trigger.  If you use it as a draw check, the subcon is once again allowed to tell itself when to release.  If you allow the subcon to tell itself when to release after the clicker, you are much more susceptible to efficiency.  The subcon will attempt to shortcut your system.  As for your other bows you have taken the clicker off of, please realize that a shot with no trigger as the goal of the pulling, is being released when the subcon wants.  No trigger=subcon driven system of efficiency.  Trigger=conscious driven movement.

I say these things to make sure you do not fall into the pit of false efficiency again.  If you want to shoot with no trigger, more power to you sir, but beware the ol' gremlin that you have just let back into your shot.  He will try to make you more efficient, ie not get into your back muscles before releasing.  Make sure you stick with the program of not shooting a shot unless it is perfectin concentration.  With no trigger as your goal, that evaluation process gets more difficult and it is much more difficult to stop a bad shot before it happens.

I am not trying to be offensive, I just want you to know you are shooting two totally different shots that are driven by different portions of the mind.  With whatever shot you choose, make sure you only shoot the perfect ones and stop the bad ones before they happen.

[Matt Parker]

Joe is 100% correct on this.  I shot a compound for years and had a difficult time going to traditional because I didn't have a trigger with fingers.  With a compound and a release I concentrated totally on squeezing the trigger slowly until the release surprised me when it went off.  My mantra with a release was "keep squeezing".  With the clicker you concentrate totally on pulling and don't ever think about the clicker, it just naturally happens.  The clicker is definetly the only way to go in my opinion.  It assures that your mind will always be in the right place because it makes you focus on something other than the release. You just have to always make sure that you focus on the pulling and not the clicker going off.  I never think about the clicker, just the pulling.  Just as I only thought about the squeezing with a release and not the release going off. The clicker will ensure the proper surprise release every time.

[Matt Parker]

Ron,

If you are letting the clicker go off and then holding, then the clicker isn't giving you a surprised release.  You are holding after the clicker goes off so you are thinking about the release before it happens. It will work short term but once your mind figures this out it will go down hill.  The key is to focus on the pulling and the release will naturally happen when the clicker goes off.

[Ron Vought]

I'm pulling back to full anchor and releasing with accuracy 100% of the time. I would think that this indicates control of the shot sequence. The trigger point for me is drawing to the corner of my mouth with a firm anchor and releasing. With target panic I couldn't even come to full draw and accuracy was suffering. It's hard to explain but I feel very relaxed and in control of the entire shot sequence. Maybe some false hope but I did a complete 180 on my shooting. Just kept after it all Winter....I had a plan.

[Flingblade]

Ron,  I may be wrong but I think you mis-understand what Joel is talking about as to a trigger.  What part of your shot is a non-anticipatory trigger?  Coming to full draw, firm anchor and releasing are not triggers.  The clicker is your trigger if you release at the click.  I use feather to nose trigger but have a clicker that I plan to install on one of my bows to try.  Absent a trigger the gremlin will be back.  I know from experience.  I was recently trying some new arrow shafts and doing some bare shaft tuning.  Absent my feather trigger my control went downhill quickly and soon I didn't even have control with fletched shafts.  
Gary

[Matt Parker]

I know for a fact at least for myself, in order for target panic to never come back, a unanticipated trigger is necessary. Without it target panic always comes back. The clicker is a great way to make sure target panic stays gone.

[CLICKERMAN]

Ron,

Please don't take any of these comments the wrong way. If you have control of your shot and you know HOW you are maintaining that control, then stick with your program. Just be very careful to only shoot that arrow if it is perfect in concentration and the shot is going as planned.  It is just a bit easier to evaluate if the trigger is the goal of your movement.  I believe you can do it, stay strong and diligent with your shot and please call me with a progress report when it's convenient for you.

[Ron Vought]

The trigger is when I come to full anchor with the middle finger anchored fully in the corner of my mouth. I won't release until all of this in play otherwise I just let up and don't shoot. I can't say that the target panic won't ever return but I can say that I am in control of the entire shot sequence now. I still have the clicker installed on my practice bow but trying to switch back and forth to get in sync which has worked for me.

Ron