What can one do to make shooting fun again?

[Papa]

I am not thinking of giving up the trad way of life!  I love everything that traditional archery stands for and would not consider giving up all of the fun and the memories of the things that I have experienced through traditional archery.

What I am talking about is that for the last few months, I have not enjoyed the shooting of the bow and arrow.  I use to be able to use my time shooting in my back yard as a means to unwind from the day.  Now when I come in from shooting, I am usually more frustrated do to my lack of shooting accuracy.  It seems that I am analyzing my routine with each and every shot instead of enjoying each and every shot.  I know that there needs to be a balance of enjoyment and accuracy and I seem unable to strike that balance.

I know that I am not the only one to experience this and I was wondering what others have done to return to back to the enjoyment of seeing the feathered shaft fly.

Mike

[Sam McMichael]

Remember that we don't need to be that serious all the time. When we go out to shoot, we are going out to play. Just let yourself be a kid, and have fun. Maybe stump shooting might be better than a lot of hard concentration on form. A brief layoff might not hurt, either. When the juices start to stir again, you will remember where you stored your archry gear.

[BOWMARKS]

Get together with some shooting friends. I do and we shoot the bull almost as much as we shoot the arrows , brings back old memories and good times!!  

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Shoot with a friend and shoot at things that are fun but not important.  Things like stump shooting and 3d where he target isn't a tiny little spot may be the trick to take the attention off of pin hole accuracy and back to the fun-ness of things.  Shoot at tennis balls and objects that move that may make it more fun and help strengthen your confidence.

[ricketts]

You sound like you are where I was last year and earlier this year. What I finally realized is that as I have grown older (I'll be 55 this year), my strength has slowly diminished and I was ever so slowly becoming over bowed. Shooting was no longer fun and I didn't look forward to shooting anymore and when I did, my arrows were all over the place with little to no accuracy. Dropping from a 64", 58# longbow, a Green Mountain Stingray, a bow I love, to a 58" 51# Robertson Vision Falcon and the fun come back. Not just a new bow but a lower poundage bow.
I am now looking forward to shooting and hunting with my new bow. The sad part is I will now have to sell my beloved Green Mountain longbow. I don't want to keep it as a wall hanger when it could make someone as happy as it has made me over the years.

[lpcjon2]

Friend,focus ,fun,and form.shoot at small ping pong balls and add things to get you on your game again.

[Benjy]

Friends to shoot with! My shooting buddy moved away 3 years ago, my shooting has gone down hill since he left   :(  
 It seems the challenge for me is not hitting the target but making a better shot than your buddy so you have bragging rights!

[Blkbird]

Watermelons and judos    
Candles on a dirt bank at dusk.
   
Get out in the woods and do a little squirell(I didn't spell that right did I) hunting!

[Steve in Canton]

Take a month off, I usually take from the end of our deer season in Feb. through the beginning of March and sometimes into april and do not shoot at all just so that when I start shooting again I am more focused. I also do not start to shoot everyday until about September.

[Jake Fr]

archery golf i get mad and then got out and just shoot a long ways and make a golf game of it it takes all the seriusness out of it and just watch it fly

[Butch Speer]

I agree with shooting with a friend. was shooting today with Mudd & our buddy Jeff. All the teasing & joking around, makes for a good time.

[Whip]

Forget the targets.  All you need to have fun again is a judo point.  Wander around the yard or wherever and have a blast!  You don't need stumps to go stumpshooting.  Dandelions, leaves, whatever catches your eye.  Vary the distances, and just enjoy the flight of the arrow.

[Rando]

Don't do "formal" shooting sessions each night - mix it up!!!
ANYTHING can get stale if you don't vary your routine and keep it interesting. With loss of interest, comes loss of focus.
Get out in the woods and shoot some stumps - no two shots, positions, yardages, etc. the same. You'll find your concentration, interest, and enjoyment (even in misses) are rejuvinated.
My two cents.
Rando

[NoCams]

What Whip said or 3 Rivers hammers and tennis or soft golf balls ! What a blast !

nocams

[oxnam]

Birds on the wing will open up a whole new dimension of fun!!  Quit reading about form, tuning, extreme FOC, too many things out there that can take away the fun.  Lob some arrows at extreme long range.

[TradBowyer]

yep, forget the targets..that happened to me a couple years ago. I was too frustrated shooting at circles on a hay bale. Grabbed an old foam soccer ball, starting kicking it around and shooting at it and I realized you don't have to shoot 4" groups and shooting started being fun again

[Toklat1]

Definately stump shooting! Shooting at the target over and over can get monotanous!

[Friend]

Introducing others, especially children to traditional and seeing their excitement serves to inspire me. Typically I shoot at the club on Saturdays and end up working with someone either to set-up their bow or just helping with form. On many occasions, all of my time is utilized working with others. I have no regrets.

Pony rides for gramma and balloons for the kiddies.

[Ron+dog]

take it easy
clear your mind
try different targets balloons watermelons somthing reactive and most of all dont worry so much remember it doesent matter how you shoot your relaxing and unwinding when you get there ill bet you start shooting better again