Anchor and Anxiety(Target Panic)

[LongStick64]

Ive been working on my form with intense purpose to become a better shot. And my work through my form has brought me to a small revelation that might help you diagnose your form issues, especially if you feel you can't control your shot.
I will say that most believe that target panic or the build up of anxiety is a mental struggle, but I think in some, not all, there might be a physical part of the shot that may be causing the buildup of anxiety.
I have talked with Joel Turner and his concepts of concentrating on pulling is what put me on this road to a better execution of the shot.
Here is what I found out about my shot, I was anchoring, split finger with the middle finger in the corner of my mouth and index finger on my tooth. Sounds like a real solid anchor, and it was, but it wasn't an anchor that allowed my to get the drawing elbow just inside the string. I was at anchor but I was already in a creeping position. So at anchor I was struggling to keep pulling because I was fighting collapsing.
The struggling with keeping to pull was building the anxiety and you know how hard it is to execute the shot if you don't feel you are in control.
Long story short I worked on my anchor, I found an anchor that puts me in a stronger position, where at anchor I am in the best position to maintain the pull and struggle to keep pulling. I have added 3/4 of draw to my shot.
I can now draw, anchor and run my mantra till the shot goes off.
Incidentally I am anchoring on the cheek bone with my index finger and lay the rear of my thumb on top of the lower jaw bone. In essence I no longer anchor on the tooth which allows me to rotate the hand back.

[Wiley Coyote]

What are you using as a trigger to shoot? I am also a split finger shooter and I can't possibly get the feather to my nose or any other part of my face. Any info would help!

[NBK]

Great point.  I too used to be concerned with a tooth anchor.  Terry's "double anchor" combined with moebows rotational draw has made my anchor point very similar to yours where I get my elbow back first and slightly raise my draw hand up putting the base of the thumb behind my jaw.  My middle finger is in the corner of my mouth, but I'm not "fishing" for a tooth.
I recently posted some videos looking for input that shows this.

I think your insight on the anxiety is accurate because I too feel stronger at full draw, easing the time spent there to aim and not fighting the urge to "just let it go!"

By the way, the bow in your avatar is one of my favorites.

[LongStick64]

Thanks Mike it is a great bow. I agree with you on getting the elbow back, probably the most passed up part of the form. Or at the very least the most ignored.

Wiley, for a trigger I simply rely on increased controlled pulling. If I focus on a trigger, I begin to increase anxiety waiting for the trigger to happen. I trust that when I am at anchor now, and my sight picture is set all I need to do is focus on the increase pulling.
My anxiety issues were from being at anchor but not being anatomically in the strongest position I need to be in to control the shot. I was in a weak point, where I was collapsing on the shot at anchor.

[McDave]

I think you are right about anxiety being induced by trying to hold the bow at full draw when you haven't reached the optimal position where your back muscles have taken over the job.  While one should never lose back tension during the shot, there is a definite easing of tension in the arm and shoulder muscles once back tension takes over.  It's almost like reaching the valley of the draw on a compound bow when the back muscles are set and the elbow is behind the arrow.  Not anywhere near so dramatic as a compound bow, of course, but a feeling you can become aware of.  

I would treat the anxiety as your friend, in this case.  The anxiety happens because you have become aware that things are not exactly as they should be; they could be better if you came all the way to full draw.  It is a signal that possibly you should let down and start again.

This is quite different from target panic. More positive and more useful.

[Jock Whisky]

Wiley I'm going through the same thing right now. What I did was to determine how far back the feather had to be mounted in order for it to contact my nose. I did this by mounting a zip tie on the arrow shaft and experimented by moving it back a bit at a time until it touched my nose as I was pulling at anchor. I measured the distance from the zip tie to the throat of the nock and mounted the shield cut feather so that it's high spot was at that measurement. Worked for me. Hope it helps you.

[Jock Whisky]

Oops, sorry Wiley. I should have said until the zip tie touched my upper lip. Because I shoot split fingers the feather is below my nose and therefore won't touch it. It will touch my lip though

[locohunter]

For years, with my compound, I would get target panic when my strength was poor.  I fixed that by shooting daily at 5 yards, then could easily shoot at any distance with any pin.  The panic came from the stress of holding on target and moving all over the place.  I would flinch, creep, jerk all over the place.    With my recurve, I have not had panic, but i don't hold at full draw either.  I draw slowly, focusing on the target, until my finger reaches my anchor and the arrow goes!  So far so good.  I think the point I am making is that The panic comes from thinking TOO much.  For me i think abut one thing: the spot on the spot i want to hit, and let my sub conscience do the rest.

[TomatoLane]

Originally posted by LongStick64:
Ive been working on my form with intense purpose to become a better shot. And my work through my form has brought me to a small revelation that might help you diagnose your form issues, especially if you feel you can't control your shot.
I will say that most believe that target panic or the build up of anxiety is a mental struggle, but I think in some, not all, there might be a physical part of the shot that may be causing the buildup of anxiety.
I have talked with Joel Turner and his concepts of concentrating on pulling is what put me on this road to a better execution of the shot.
Here is what I found out about my shot, I was anchoring, split finger with the middle finger in the corner of my mouth and index finger on my tooth. Sounds like a real solid anchor, and it was, but it wasn't an anchor that allowed my to get the drawing elbow just inside the string. I was at anchor but I was already in a creeping position. So at anchor I was struggling to keep pulling because I was fighting collapsing.
The struggling with keeping to pull was building the anxiety and you know how hard it is to execute the shot if you don't feel you are in control.
Long story short I worked on my anchor, I found an anchor that puts me in a stronger position, where at anchor I am in the best position to maintain the pull and struggle to keep pulling. I have added 3/4 of draw to my shot.
I can now draw, anchor and run my mantra till the shot goes off.
Incidentally I am anchoring on the cheek bone with my index finger and lay the rear of my thumb on top of the lower jaw bone. In essence I no longer anchor on the tooth which allows me to rotate the hand back.

Put a stick on clicker, or clickety clicker
dont release until a 1 second count after the click.

That will fix your draw,and help with back tension,form, and target panic.
Just make sure to match your arrow length to your REAL full draw length.

[LongStick64]

Don't believe I need a clicker to tell me I'm at full draw, bone on bone contact in the back works better than a clicker as a draw check.

[TomatoLane]

was just truly saying. did not mean to offend.Or suggest you dont know how to full draw.

When any trouble arises.I always go back to basics.  

Sorry for the suggestion.

[LongStick64]

No problem just making a point that sometimes we already have the tools we need to get the job done without relying on items like a clicker. Using a rotational draw and using bone on bone contact in the back has helped me better define my anchor point and draw length. The point of my original thread here is that I had a bio mechanical reason for the increase in anxiety on the shot, because I was relying on my anchor point as the full draw point. By moving the anchor back due to bone on bone contact made me stronger on the shot. A clicker would not of helped.

[Jake Scott]

I agree with longstick,

I struggled with both alignment and anchor for a long time, even shooting hundreds of arrows per day.  After watching Terry's short tutorial on the bowhunters of Tradgang, I found hat when proper alignment is achieved, it's almost a natural clicker, like has already been said.  It helps with anchor because you are fighting the weight of the bow far less.  It also completely eliminated my short draw problem, which I had been fighting for years.  Words simply do not describe the difference proper alignment can make in your shooting.  I am glad you had the same epiphany.  

Jake

[Gene R]

I have struggled a lot with letting go too soon. I have made good strides but still struggle. I saw where Mebow had a video on the rotational draw. I started to use it as he showed in the video it has really got my back into the draw something that was lacking I guess. Well it has increased my draw and my power at full draw and it seems like the need to olet go is greatly reduced. I have a lot more control during the shot. I think if anyone iis struggling take a look at his video and try it it may help. Good luck and God Bless!

[Gene R]

I have struggled a lot with letting go too soon. I have made good strides but still struggle. I saw where Mebow had a video on the rotational draw. I started to use it as he showed in the video it has really got my back into the draw something that was lacking I guess. Well it has increased my draw and my power at full draw and it seems like the need to olet go is greatly reduced. I have a lot more control during the shot. I think if anyone iis struggling take a look at his video and try it it may help. Good luck and God Bless!