Mr. Opportunity???

[jcarter]

Sat in a new set last night for the first time...After about 3 hours of waiting had a big doe walk in right under me....

perfect set up....10 yards broadside, head down eating acorns... I picked a spot, drew hit anchor and that's where it went down hill...FAST>>>>

For some reason...this has happened at the last three deer I have shot at....Right before i release my eyes dart to the right...I guess target panic, i went to release and my eyes shot to her tail. My fingers seem to have "hung on the string" and my arrow went two feet right and stuck in an oak.

I have a "system" to try to coach my self through the shot...i talk myself through my steps, telling myself to pick spot, draw, spot, anchor, spot....and the release just happens...it doesn;t seem to be working.

I have killed dozens of deer with "other" equipment, but for some reason seem to fall apart when my longbow is in my hand....any advice on how to overcome this????

[GRINCH]

Once you pick a spot send an arrow to it,sounds like you are holding to long and your eyes are drifting along with your aim.

[Sharpster]

Originally posted by jcarter:
I have killed dozens of deer with "other" equipment, but for some reason seem to fall apart when my longbow is in my hand....any advice on how to overcome this????

Has all of your "other equipment " included a sight pin of some kind?

Ron

[JAG]

Don't over think the situtation.  Pick a spot, bore down on it, come to anchor, relax your fingers, and watch the spot until the arrow hits.  Concentrate on the spot you pick, from the time you pick it until the arrow reaches it.
Good luck.
JAG/Johnny

[Bill Carlsen]

TP!

[bornagainbowhunter]

Originally posted by JAG:
Don't over think the situtation.  Pick a spot, bore down on it, come to anchor, relax your fingers, and watch the spot until the arrow hits.  Concentrate on the spot you pick, from the time you pick it until the arrow reaches it.
Good luck.
JAG/Johnny

That is my game! I would add that I try to pull through the release.

God Bless,
Nathan

[Gump21Bravo]

X3 What JAG said....you could try tweaking your sequence a little to see what would work better then trying to aim throughout the whole shot.

Good Luck, Craig

[jcarter]

Sharpster...in answer to your question...yes, sight pins were used previoulsy....

This traditional thing is not new to me....i've been shooting trad off and on for 5 years now. MOre on then off if that makes sense...practically every night for 10 to 30 minutes....Non living targets are no prob...but if something i can put a tag on walks into range...i lose it...

I think what JAG stated is my answer...in all situations, right before i shoot, i take my eyes off of my spot for some reason..my draw and anchor are there, i may hold a little too long but the picking a spot and holding it are eluding me...

[Pheonixarcher]

If you shoot instinctive, try shooting in the dark! With only enough light to see your spot. It will help your focus on your target, and allow you to not pay any attention to anything else. I was having some issues before the start of season, and after one night of shooting, way past legal shooting light, I was hitting consistently better than ever. With confidence restored, I've had a lot of fun in the woods this year. The stumps and chipmunks have taken a beating, but I haven't had the right shot present itself on a deer yet. Hopefully the weather will cooperate this weekend and that will change. Good luck. Shooting in the dark will definitely improve your concentration.

[Dogboy900]

The only other thing I can suggest is practice with broadheads as much as possible. I found having a BH on the end of the arrow took my concentration off the spot and onto the BH which killed my accuracy for while till I figured it out.
Good luck

[Jim Wright]

I have proven that a "system" to talk myself through the shot does not work. I strongly believe fully drawing to a hard anchor, picking a spot and releasing should be commited to muscle memory and left alone. It can be tweaked and even repaired in practice sessions but when I am shooting at an object putting my concentration on the shot sequence guarantees problems. I started out shooting very well and quickly became a much better than average shooter and what obsession with form has provided in my case is problems for a couple of years now that I am still in the process of trying to undo. The more I tried to solve the problems by developing an even better "system" the more problems I made for myself.

[moleman]

Lots of good advise above, and am in agreement with the over thinking concept.
In my own personal experience i have found that over thinking the shot draws my attention away from the task at hand, which is simply, pick, point and shoot.
With all of your repetitive practice, anchor, form ,elevation, left and right will take care of itself, as long as you burn a hole in that spot.
 Good Luck!

[LimBender]

"That is my game! I would add that I try to pull through the release."  x2

I admit that not thinking at all of form and using muscle memory would be ideal (as some have offered).  But sometimes it's nice to have a backstop or thought (like a swing thought in golf).  So this is not advanced advice, but I am not an advanced trad shooter.

When I have a bad shot where I look up, drop arm, or pull the bow, one thing that seems to help is to make sure I pull all the way through to the back of my ear on release.  If I focus on letting that happen it seems to prevent other bad stuff from happening.

If you think about something simple like that instead of worry or past misses, you will be a lot better off.  I also have sometimes thought about something stupid and positive about nailing my target and that can sometimes work.  

Good luck the rest of the season, put it behind you!

[tuscarawasbowman]

I had this same problem. Ended up that I did not have a "subconcious release". I was anticipating the bow shooting and therefore was not keeping my eye on the spot. Search the shooters form forum for subconcious release and see if any of that stuff helps you.

[Lefty]

It is simply a breakdown in your shot sequence.  No matter the target you have to have a repeatable shot sequence and then practice that sequence until in become ingrained in you muscle memory.  Buck fever can make it difficult to focus, but as you described your actions as the breakdown occurs, it points to a problem with your shot sequence not focus, at least in my opinion.  
  Best thing in my opionion is to develop that shot sequence and then work on it with a blank bale until it becomes ingrained and you can do it almost at a subconcious level.  
  But if you believe that it is a focus issue than look into Kidwell's button method.  it will help you focus and maintain that focus through the shot.