Losing "It"

[Sojurn]

I haven't lost my sanity(yet), but the more I shoot the worse I get.
  This spring I took a class with a well known coach, and its been all down hill from there.
  I lost two arrows at 15 yards recently because I missed my deer target. My groups at 15 yards range from baseball (rarely) to about 12.5 inches.
 
  I've taken plenty of video and I dont see anything glaringly wrong with my form, with the exception of my release hand which has been plaguing me for years(one of the maim motivators to go to a coach).

 So here's the question, who's lost "It" before, and how did you get It back?
  Right now I'm at a point of no confidence with my recurve, and deer season is right around the corner. I'm a desperate man reaching for straws.

[Pine]

Sounds to me like you are shooting with your head instead of your heart.

[Captain*Kirk]

A year and a half layoff from Covid lockdowns and an injury have me in the same boat. No consistency. My groups are brilliant, or they are dog poo.
I suspect it has to do with release and follow thru in my case. All I can do is slow down and try to talk the shot sequence through, one arrow at a time. It seems to be helping.

[McDave]

Step 1: Find someone who has not lost “it” to check over your recurve and your arrows to make sure they are okay.  Just okay, no need to be perfect.  This will give you confidence that your recurve and arrows are capable of performing as they should.

Step 2: When someone's groups go from baseball size to 12.5” at 15 yards, it's very often because they were concentrating on the spot when they shot the baseball sized groups, and lost their focus when they shot the 12.5” groups.  You state that you are able to achieve baseball sized groups, rarely, which means that it wasn't just a fluke.  You KNOW how to achieve baseball sized groups.

Work on your concentration.  You KNOW you should be concentrating on the spot from the time you start to aim until the arrow is in the target.  You THINK you are concentrating on the spot from the time you start to aim until your arrow is in the target.  You're just not DOING it. 

From the time you start to aim until your arrow is in the target, no words should pass through your mind.  If any words pass through your mind, let down and start over.  Do open your mind to all sensations from your body.  If you feel something from your string hand, open your mind to the feeling, so you can think about it (in words) after the shot is over.  This is the way we learn to correct errors, because even though we have learned how to do something in a class, we're not always going to do it correctly, but our body will tell us, if we listen to it.  We are capable of feeling physical sensations at the same time we are concentrating on the spot.  We are not capable of thinking in words while we are concentrating on the spot.

[Sojurn]

Thanks folks. I'm fairly positive whatever is happening is in my head. I'm just hoping for a a different perspective to pull me out of the funk.
  There's wise words here. I'll work on.

[Sam McMichael]

I agree with McDave. You know the mechanics, or you would never get those baseball sized groups. So maybe you are overthinking everything. Just pick a spot and let your brain do what it already knows how to do.

[PrimitivePete]

At times it can be the very simple part of our form that can send your arrows scattering. For myself I as concentrating so much on the draw arm that I started to forget I prefer to start the draw by pushing forward with my bow arm. In effect I was reducing my draw length and that affected my shot. While I am not advocating a push-pull method, it's what I do and I am happy with it, the point is the small movement I forgot to make because I was focused elsewhere, threw me off.

[Sojurn]

So I'm still not shooting as well as I would like. I've lost range compared to last year, and I'm not as consistent as I'd like.
  I find that if I think less, I shoot better. BUT I don't like that. It speaks to a lack of mental control I don't understand and I'm not comfortable with.
  With all of that being said, it's repeatable so I'll with it for the season.

[McDave]

  I find that if I think less, I shoot better. BUT I don't like that. It speaks to a lack of mental control I don't understand and I'm not comfortable with.

My plan is to think all I want in between shots, but to have my shot routine grooved in to the point that my subconscious mind can run my shot from the point I start my draw until my arrow is in the target.  The job of my conscious mind during the shot process is to just be an observer, without making any value judgements.  Evaluation of the shot can wait until the shot is over.  For me, keeping conscious thoughts out of the shot process is not a lack of control, but a mental discipline I strive to perfect.

[Sojurn]

I think that's the direction I'm going Dave. How I get there isn't obvious to me, but staying present in my shot didn't work, and what your describing sounds similar to how I shoot handgun.
 

[MCNSC]

I’m late for this I know , but was in the same boat, I had been shooting for years and was generally happy, I would have some off days but could usually figure out what was wrong. I decided to go to a class with a coach, I did the blank bale shooting working on each part of the shot sequence. Everything from foot placement, stance,bow grip,string grip,release,follow thru the whole thing. Shooting went downhill, started missing deer. I think my problem (s) was I was concentrating on all the mechanics of the shot but skipping the pick a spot part.
Thing was my shooting became more consistent, didn’t have as many off days but before the class on good days I was very accurate, not as accurate after the class but didn’t have those bad days. I’ve since went to using a SRF sight as for hunting it really helps with my confidence, and think it actually helps when I’m shooting my bow without sights.