Focus, Focus, Focus, Follow Through

[Wudstix]

I keep relearning this almost every time I spend time shooting.  Don't even raise your gaze.
 

[Wudstix]

Fiddling with St Jude Black Widow arrows and I think it finally sunk in.  Woody Weight behind a 160 grain point for total arrow weight of 707 grains.  Hits with a thump.
 

[McDave]

The most important time to focus is at the instant you release the arrow, closely followed by the instant before and the instant after you release the arrow.  I think we all intend to do this, but we don't always actually do it.

I don't know long I can hold an intense focus, but not for very long, a couple of seconds at best.  More than that and my mind starts to drift, whether I like it or not.  I know there have been times when I have done everything right, and still miss by more than I should.  I assume when that happens, I have simply lost my focus at the moment of release, and the arrow begins to drift off the target.  Of course, it could also be some form error I was not aware of, but by now I’ve made most of them enough times to know when I’ve done it.

What I’ve been doing lately to keep my focus intact is to limit my intense focus to the time it takes me to draw the arrow from 1/4” away from my nose to where the feather touches my nose, which is less than a second, plus another less than a second of followthrough until the arrow hits the target.  I can stay in focus for the less than 2 seconds it takes to do that.  This is something I should have started doing years ago when I first took Joel Turner's course, but resisted doing for some reason which now escapes me.

[Steelhead]

I shoot instinctive.

For me I really have to start my intense focus on the spot before I draw the bow.Then continue that focus on the spot through the draw till I get to full draw.Then finish of with that that same intense focus or a little more to account for the holding of the poundage of the bow.Getting allignement and that good feeling and getting the string off.

Focus and concentration and intensity can vary from shot to shot.Its something to work on being consistant with.Relaxation combined with that intense focus is important.Getting those 2 things at the same time can be difficult.Its a fine line IMO.

[Wudstix]

Dave and Steelhead,
I find that my two main faults are that I pull my hand off my face and I glance up at the arrow in flight.  That puts me a couple inches off at 15-17 yards.  If I am focused on the spot when the arrow hits and my tab is still on my face, things are golden.  I can do that for one or two arrows and then I get into launch mode and just fire arrows in the direction of the spot.  Perhaps taking a pause after the arrow hits to review what happened prior to the next shot would help!
 

[JohnnyBa]

Dave and Steelhead,
I find that my two main faults are that I pull my hand off my face and I glance up at the arrow in flight.  That puts me a couple inches off at 15-17 yards.  If I am focused on the spot when the arrow hits and my tab is still on my face, things are golden.  I can do that for one or two arrows and then I get into launch mode and just fire arrows in the direction of the spot.  Perhaps taking a pause after the arrow hits to review what happened prior to the next shot would help!
 

This is my M O. I got enough time to do it right the first time but it gets harder as the arrows come out of the quiver. I just have a hard time with the one arrow thing but that enforces concentration for me.

[Friend]

How frustrating and unproductive it is to have your hunting dog trailing the unintended quarry.

We often are continuously identifying and striving to correct the flawed elements in our shooting form that are having the least amount of impact on the results of our shot. And the flawed elements are often exacerbated by a preceding primary deficiency which has not been identified nor properly addressed.

Establishing and maintaining focus at the abbreviated moments during the shot execution is paramount.

This thread’s focus is excellent…

[Wudstix]

Thanks.  Even a blind hog finds an acorn occasionally!!!
 

[5deer]

 

[gnome]

Thanks.  Even a blind hog finds an acorn occasionally!!!
 

...I find blind hogs are easier to shoot...

...my dialog goes: ...hold focus...hold form...hinge back...plus the hundreds of little stuff that goes between the 3 big ones...

[JJ198]

I don't post here much at all, mostly read and enjoy the trad brothers and experience. I will say this is pushing my button when it comes to my focus and accuracy. I have recently tried the "swing draw" method like John Shultz and rexcently Robert Carter posted on his shot sequence and I found it interesting but i just can't master it and I think I'm like most of you I have to FOCUS and concentrate on my total shot and I mostly hit where I look, 1-1.5" close. I like ya'll loose the focus and concentration after a few arrows.   My goal is to be on edge that is sharp edge on each shot as I practice this summer.  Thanks for all the honest and candid remarks and refreshing to know others struggle here also!! I love my trad bows and self bows and the to hunt with them is oh so nice!

[Wudstix]

For me 3-D shoots are a great way to practice the "intense focus" required to be consistent.  One year in Austin TX I shot four of the five rounds available  All in one day.  Recurve wood and open class, LB wood and open.  Didn't have a self bow.  The guy at registration remembered me and said he had folks complaining they had to shoot two classes in one day and I shot them all.  When he saw my bows were both 65#+, he commented that I was either a stud or crazy.  I'll go with that first one!!!
 


 

[Wudstix]

One more small thing.  Shoot a bow you really enjoy.  I like all my bows, but there are two that I really enjoy shooting, Big River LB and MOAB.  It almost isn't fair when I hunt with either of these bows.
 

[Smguinnip]

3-D and stump shooting seems to hone my ability far more than target shooting in my backyard does. Prolly has something to do with simulating a real hunting situation.

[Wudstix]

Also varying distance and target size helps sharpen your Focus.
 

[Wudstix]

Got some more focus time shooting from my hunting chair this evening.  Was actually pleasant this evening after the hard rain earlier.
 

[Benoli]

At a 3D with my cousin (best shooting partner) when he nails a bulls eye on pig target at thirty yards. After several “nice arrow” comments my cousin, very casually says “all it takes is a little concentration”. 

[trad_bowhunter1965]

And this is what my ADHA looks like .

[Kirkll]

The follow though, and focus on your point of impact is huge… I have told somenew guys that I have trained a simple trick to learning this is pretending that when that arrow leaves the bow, that you can steer that arrow right into the bulls eye with your bow…

 pretend you have a string connected to the arrow that goes through the bow, and you are holding the end of it with your string fingers … after the release, you can guide it into the bulls eye by holding that bow on target, and the end of the string to the back of your ear until it gets there while focusing totally on the point of impact.   

It’s amazing how well this little tip helps to get a follow through system in place.   

Kirk

[M60gunner]

“Burn a hole in it” is what Hill said. I personally like the phrase “ aim small, hit small “. To make my point I bought those little red dots and cut them to fit the eyeball of the prairie chicken target. Trying to help (not teach) seniors that are new to archery keep their arrows in the target butt. Unfortunately a few can’t see the dot at 20 yards. “Imagine “ that dot in the kill, it helps me. But as I tire my focus will shift, worst since I hit the 70’s in age.