ever doubt yourselves

[stevewills]

got back into trad after several years away.shoot everyday in the house.do you ever have days where you could hit asprins,then the next could barely hit a big balloon..wondering if anyone has had this and hopefully how to fix it,or will it just go away with more practice?

[BroMark]

Not me... I never miss...      

When my group starts spreading out I just shorten my shots up a foot or two at a time until they tighten up again.  Some days I end up behind the bag...  

[Soilarch]

Not good enough with trad yet...but I went through that even with the compound.

My remedy...if you're having one of those bad days end the session on the next "good" shot.  Start again tomorrow.  I'm finding in both types of archery my first shot or first 2 or 3 are money...and that helped my "on-game" confidence a ton.  If you experience the same thing go out and shoot 1 arrow.  Leave the rest of the arrows inside and bring you bow in when you're done. Next time you get a free minute pick the bow up with another arrow.  Step outside and sent another to the target.   By the end of the night you might be really surprised...and refletching a few arrows!!

[osiristheclown]

Every day, and I shoot every day or night. I'm lucky enough to have a range right out the back door. Out the door 5', step off the deck, cars 15'to the left and bag 30' to the right. We shoot during the day, night, rain, snow. Straight out the back door and 40' up the hill we have a 3D target in front of a shed full of bales and a tree stand 20' off the ground with a ladder going to it.

Apply yourself to the task, don't just go through the motions. I don't shoot for groups really, being a hunter I concentrate on the first shot since that may be all you ever get in most hunting scenarios. I make each shot my first...picking the center as my "spot". Each shot after that I use the nock of the first arrow as my spot. My room mate got me doing this and it works. We refletch a lot of arrows around here.

[Dick in Seattle]

For my shooting, I generally end up taking the aspirin!

[Doug S]

LOL,
  Early this fall I hunted early animals is Elk, MT goat, speed goats, Bl bear. I had practiced alot before the season came. I was confident and shot well on all those critters. Then I worked for 6 weeks without shooting hardly at all. When deer season came I had lost my confidence. Still don't quite have it back. The difference was what you said "practice". The way O clown said. The level of concentration we use makes a huge difference also. Day to day that could change depending on what else is going on and our motivation level. Motivation is huge. I know a guy who made an unbelievable shot one time after his wife offered him a reward   :eek:   if he made it. Bullseye! Glad I wasn't around.

[Ray Hammond]

You don't need to hit aspirin to kill big game.

Learn to get close to them....if you can hit a six inch circle from 10 yards you can take any animal there is in N A.

Hunt better, then there's no need to be a trick shot. Stay within your shot distance limit and you won't ever regret letting the arrow loose.

If I waited till I could shoot an aspirin out of the air or for that matter on the ground I'd never have let an arrow go.

And the single most important component of all is between your ears- to achieve something, act as if it has already happened. Be positive about the results...I WILL MAKE THE SHOT. Not "what if I miss".

Think about golf- if a golfer stands on the tee box and says " just don't knock it in the water" guess what happens?

On the other side of the coin, if he says " I want to place the ball right THERE" as he is lining up the shot, he usually gets it close.

Shooting animals works the same way. Be a better hunter, set a distance limit, get inside that distance or don't take the shot. Kill the animal, take a hero photo, and show it to us here.

[tradtusker]

top advise from Ray    

[mcgroundstalker]

Right On Target Ray!

... mike ...

[30coupe]

I have good and bad days shooting at targets. It isn't really a confidence thing; it is a concentration thing. If you shoot instinctive, you must have total concentration, total focus. Some days I guess I just have too many other things on my mind. When that happens, I just hang up the bow and come back to it later.

When hunting concentration is not generally a problem. I go into hunter mode. I don't even really think about the shot. I just focus on the spot I want to hit, and I'm often surprised that an arrow suddenly appears there. I don't even think about shooting. It just happens.

[Scott J. Williams]

I too, have days when I am not shooting as well as I would like too.  I can with honesty say that those days of inconsistent shooting have, for the most part become fewer and farther apart.  

I think one of the things overlooked, or misunderstood is the importance of "calling your shots".  In other words, when I miss now, I know what I did wrong by the analysis of where the arrow went.  

I am not a bow "Guru", I am someone who spent a lot of time understanding spines, tuning, and other factors that affect where my arrow hits.  So when I consistently hit right of the target, I am left handed, I can with honesty say that I have been looking for my arrow in flight/dropping my arm.  

While it is our duty to become the best marksmen(and women)that we can, due to factors beyond our control few of us will become "Howard Hill, Ben Pearson, Terry, or you name your favorite".  Take your accuracy to it's limit, using all the tools.  Tools such as proper arrow selection, maximum tune, because if you are not tuned no matter how great your potential may be you will never reach it.

Some of you are saying what the heck has this got to do with the question on confidence, I say everything.  You must have a level playing field to develop confidence, and confidence will come with success.  Incorporate the total package of tuning, and good practice.  Pour in a little time, and the consistency from day to day will level off to the point where there will be fewer days with inconsistent results.  

Again, I am no "Guru", just a few things I have learned that have made a big difference for me.

[wollybear]

just every time i shoot. its not what i would like to admit but it maks me think why i try then it hits me i love trying  

[Montyc]

I go along with Ray.  Get close to the animals.  Think positive, and confidently that you can make the shot.  PICK A SPOT!!!  I'm a golfer, and it works the same way as with a golf shot.  If I concentrate on a specific spot, and in my mind I know I can make the shot then 9 out of 10 times I do (OK maybe not that many   ).  When I am shooting well with the bow I get in that "Zone"  where nothing seems to interfere with my concentration right before I make the shot.  It doesn't happen as often as I would like, but when it does wow what a feeling.

[stevewills]

went out and shot after doubting myself,put 6 arrows in a quater size group.....think i have days when i could hit asprins and days i cant hit a barn.........thanks

[Swamp Pygmy]

you'll get over it. there will always be bad days but when you understand your form and shooting enough they will be more rare and nowhere near as dramatic.

try shooting less shots, but more times in a day. pick it up cold several times. Instead of shooting for a half hour, shoot just one quiver and go back in. Shoot again in a few hours and do it several times a day. First shots are what count anyway.

[buckeye_hunter]

Steve,

Find out what your "automatic" distance is and then don't shoot at anything outside that range while hunting.

Automatic is a distance that you can ALWAYS place an arrow inside a 6 inch circle. Stick with it until you get better and can increase the distance. If it never increases that is okay. Just know your limitations while hunting.

For me that is 10-12 yards, I am 100% confident that I can put an arrow in a 6 in circle at 10-12 yards(as long as everything is tuned).

That being said, I did get a spot of buck fever and take an ill advised shot this season outside my range. Fortunately, I missed clean and no harm done.

It will not happen again and all my shots from here on out will be 10-12 yds.

Hang in there,
Charlie

[Dan Chamberlain]

I could never hit an aspirin.  Never will.  But if the balloon is big enough, I'll always hit it!  

Dan

[Doc Nock]

RAy's comments made me remember two things I learned from reading here over the years.

One quote went something like,"You can't hit what you're trying not to miss!"  I think this goes to Ray's good comments, echoed by others, that there has to be PMA (Positive mental attitude).

Which brings me to another voice in my head from here some time back. That advice was to spend 80% of your time "working the bag" (at 5') "running the shot" in your mind and burning all the RIGHT motions/actions into your muscle memory...making EVERY bow hand position, draw, anchor and release...perfect...at 5' so you don't think about accuracy.

The jist of that was that if you work on form..without trying to hit something...when you try to hit something..with proper form burned in..you will!!

I think the same source said that "a lot of practice means nothing..perfect practice...shooting perfectly focused individual shots..makes perfect shooting.

Lastly, a good shot who took me under wing once, told me that "if you focus on how well you're hitting, at normal shooting range, you will never become a good shot"

That one drove me nuts.  But... it led back to the instruction to "work the bag, build perfect form, and accuracy will follow."

Only aspirin I related to in shooting is that I need to take when I give myself a headache because I get bored doing what's right...and just want to shoot, screw up and then have to start over on the bag!  

[mdwatts]

Sure, I have good days and bad.  Sometimes a lot of bad days.  But, it's all about focus.  Sometimes I have a lot on my mind and it bleeds into my shooting.  You got to focus on the spot until the arrow has reached its mark.  Takes a lot of concentration.  Somedays we have trouble with that.  Don't beat yourself up about it.  Just realize what it is, accept it and overcome it.

[Sam McMichael]

I agree with Ray. No need to hit the aspirin - just close. However, I have seen him shoot, and at normal distances, the aspirin may be in great peril.