Bad omen...

[bryan r]

I don't understand how last week I was consistently nailing the tennis ball at 15 yards, and this week I'm down to five arrows...

I think someone is trying to tell me something.

After losing my last two field points this morning, I went out and watched one of my broadheads deflect off the top of the target and sail off into the woods.

3 days to go, and my confidence has disappeared.    

[adeeden]

Sounds like your pressuring yourself to much.

Relax, if you were hitting consistantly before it's probably just in your head. take a day off from shooting and then shoot and see what happens.

[maineac]

Settle down.  Sometimes a bad dshot sets you up to miss, as you start to over think your shots.  I know this can happen to me.  I have to stop and go back to focusing on the target, not on my past misses, or point gap (unless that is your style).  Goo look for your broadhead and put the bow down for a day or so.

[JamesKerr]

I agree it sounds like you are over pressuring yourself.

[KodiakMag]

Yep, been there, done that. Do what others have said. Just take a break for about two days and the day before go shoot just a few arrows.

[danderson]

same boat here man. I was shootin great out to 16-18 yards and these past few weeks all hells broke loose and i'm getting fliers more often than not. My confidence is shot and it may be another season with the training wheels before i have the confidence to hunt

[KodiakMag]

Originally posted by danderson:
same boat here man. I was shootin great out to 16-18 yards and these past few weeks all hells broke loose and i'm getting fliers more often than not. My confidence is shot and it may be another season with the training wheels before i have the confidence to hunt

If you were shooting great before you may have just worn yourself out and don't know it. Take a few days relax your shoulders clear the mind and take a few shots as you were doing before. I shoot instinctive and the key really is not to think. Kinda self explanatory right? If you keep going back to the wheels you are putting another year off to accomplish something so great and fullfilling. Even if you don't get an animal you will feel rewarded at the end of the season.

[buckeye_hunter]

Start drawing and letting down occasionally to relieve the pressure of feeling like youe HAVE to shoot every time you draw your bow. That way you don't feel like every time you draw it means you have to shoot.

It has helped me and reminds me to engage my back muscles. To hold at full draw is hard if you don't use your back muscles. I find often if my accuracy has gone to crap this process helps. Do some of this practice with blank bales too! Finally you might want to take a day off shooting to kinda let the stress go. Yopu may have slight target panic and not even know it.

In my opinion,
If you can't hold at full draw without letting down and not shooting, then you are definitely having some target panic. You should be able to pick your spot, come to full draw, hold and let down-if you want. If mentally you can't do that and HAVE to let the arrow go. You need to work on target panic. This was an issue for me and p&ssed me off because I consider myself mentally strong. It has cured a number of problems for me as much as I hate to admit it.

I hope things get better!

[bryan r]

I think you all are right, I'm putting too much pressure on myself. Probably a mix of excitement, and over-thinking everything.
I'm debating on fletching up a few of my "junk arrows" and spending the day blank bailing at 5 yards. I have this overwhelming desire to redeem myself, but on the other hand I don't want to over-do it and develop any last minute bad habits.
It's a frustrating situation... One that I didn't expect.

   

[snakebit40]

When I go through this stage I end up getting real close to the target (like 5 yards or less) and shoot. As my arrows start to go where I'm looking I take a step back, and before you know it your at 20 yards again shooting great. Hope this helps.

[KodiakMag]

That's right just relax. By the looks of it you have a good spot around you, you were shooting great all you have to do is just take a breather and show up opening day. The deer will be there all you have to do is sit back and have a good hunt.

Breeeeeeeeathe.......!

[Jake Fr]

You should go fishing and stop shooting for a day or 2 then go shoot 2 shots and put it down it will come back if ya push to hard you will get the oposite of what your trying to acomplish

[bryan r]

Aside from breathing, fishing is the best suggestion I've heard yet... I need to get out of my head for a while.
Spend all year preparing for that one moment, it's a bit disheartening to watch it all fall apart at the last minute.
Thanks for the help all!

[PaddyMac]

Yeah, go fishing.

Check brace height.

Shoot from so far away there is no way you can hit the target.

Shoot some skeet.

Take your wife clothes shopping and sit there getting those pat-on-the-head looks from the other women shoppers while holding her purse while she tries on 127 pairs of jeans, each time asking you, "Do these make my butt look big?" "How 'bout these?" That will make a stone-cold dead-eye killer out of you.

Or yeah go whack a trout.

[Gen273]

Take a break for a day; and then just shoot the bow. Don't over think it, just let the shot happen. Good luck and keep your head up!!!

[Thumper Dunker]

Go stumping.

[bentpole]

Simmer down now, simmer down now!          

[LimBender]

Nice trail cam pic!

Thinking a simple thought like "breathe," "push-pull" or "nail the spot" or something like that may be the trick.  

The mind can sometimes really wedge its way between you and a good shot.  I've fought this in other sports.  Don't let it get to you, you know you can do it, so shut it out and let it happen.

[wtpops]

Your thinking to much. Check all the specs that you have logged down for your setup, brace, nock point, ect ect... and then just go have fun shooting.

Like sadi above if i start think to much about my shot i start gitting in my own way, just let it happen.