grinder67

I have been shooting and hunting with a bow for 30+ years. For the last 10 years I have struggled with severe target panic. I was still able to take deer with no problems but when it was target shooting the instant i knew that I was going to pull the trigger I could not make myself put the pin any closer to the bullseye than a coulple inches. If I told myself that I wasnt going to shoot I could hold the pin solid on the bull for a good 30 seconds or better. But as soon as I decided to shoot BAM the pin would fall coulpe inches low and I could not make myself put it back on the target. I tried many different techniques some helped some didnt but none seemed to last. I was to the point of giving the bow up. I was over it!
A few weeks ago I got access to a back tension release to be specific a carter honey. I had heard these type releases where the way to go for people with target panic but didnt want to spend the high price for another failure. Man alive! Am I glad I did! My shooting has done a complete turn around and my confidence is higher than its been in a decade.
Sorry for the long post but I am psyched and wanted to share.

VTBoneCollector

I had target panic bad one year. Whenever my pin would come onto the target, I would punch the trigger release. To stop it, I started to shoot with my eyes shut, and just concentrated on proper technique. It took a few sessions but it worked. I now shoot with a thumb release and that helps a lot with the flinching.

Valentine

Target panic has nothing to do with modern archery equipment. It's mental and mental came before the compound bow.

I have no clue how a back tension release works but it sounds modern. I got my tension release training from basketball, starting at age 8. It came with foul shooting training. Calmness and getting in the "zone". Mechanics of doing it the same way over and over.
A lot like archery practice.

When I started shooting again after some years, I'd take ten shots with the bow; then take ten foul shots with a basketball at a basketball basket.
It was getting away from the modern rush and getting calmness and tranquility.

If you have target panic, I'd recommend you watch Kyudo Japansese archery on YouTube and watch their calmness. Calmness that doesn't come with a modern compound bow or modern life.

bronko22000

Val is right - target panic is mental. I think you did the right thing by switching releases. I also suffered the same thing and solved it the same way as you except I went to a thumb type release. I am now back to my Scott trigger release with no problems.
Another thing to do is to stand about 3-4 feet from your target block, draw aim at the center of the block, close your eyes and without moving the bow focus solely on the release. This will have you releasing your arrow without your brain telling you when you are ''on target''! This is what I do when I occasionally start jerking the trigger.

grinder67

I have no doubt its mental! lol! Just could never find a solution till now.
A back tension release has been around for some time now and only differs from a regular release by the fact it has no trigger. It is triggered by slightly and slowley twisting your wrist by apply backwards tension. So all I have to do is put the pin on the target and keep pulling.

Nomercy448

When I first started in target archery in the late 90's, I had a bit of a target panic issue. My resolution was to work on improving my application of natural point of aim, then close my eyes take a few breaths, and release the arrow. The groups weren't be great, since my eyes were closed and my mind was fighting for SOMETHING to aim at, but eventually I calmed down and could release with clean, surprise breaks. Be confident that you're on target such that your surprise break could happen anywhere in the length of a half of a second.

Nothing really different about a back tension release. If you don't have it timed properly for your comfort/confidence, that might be a problem, but you really should be living on a surprise break no matter what kind of triggering mechanism you're using, whether it be a back tension release, thumb release, or a trigger on a rifle. Nice and easy build in pressure, then a surprise break.

You're far more apt to mess yourself up by focusing too much on the shot than you are to help yourself. Whether you slap the trigger, torque the bow, punch the shot, force the sight on target, etc etc, all of those things that shooters do to fight themselves always end up hurting their accuracy, not help it.

grinder67

The suprise in the release is what the back tension release is helping me with. It is helping me relearn my shot process and I believe that I could go bact to my trigger release and shoot just fine. And that is probably what I will do for hunting but not right now for target shooting.

bronko22000

grinder I think if you do what nomercy and I have told you. To draw, aim, close your eyes and concentrate only on the release you will see your TP disappear. But only do this on a very close target and one large enough that you won't miss it.

Nomercy448

Sorry for repeating what had been said in my post, I didn't read Bronco's post before I put mine up this morning.

Another trick that a buddy of mine swears by is to have someone else pull the trigger on his release. Doesn't work for back tension, naturally, but if you draw, hold on target, and have someone else pull the trigger, it helps you get over your target panic. You really gotta focus on technique, and get comfortable with 100% surprise break... But it REALLY messes with some people's heads when you try it the first time...

grinder67

I bet that would work. I tried something similar , I would draw , aim but wouldnt shoot until my 6 year old told me I could. That worked half way decent. I shot for three days in a row with my eyes closed on every shot. Just draw relax and let the bow go off basically on its own. Shots felt natural and release broke like a long range rifle shot. On the fourth day opened my eyes and instantly even worse than before started punching the trigger. Just didnt seem to work for me. I have read alot on this subject and alot of people say that it worked for them but unfortunatly not me. With the release Im useing now I can hold the pin on the target throughout the shot process, when it goes off it feels just like it should (complete suprise). I was even able to hit the bee on my yellow jacket target at 50 yards last night 2 out of three arrows and tonight shot 3 arrows at the same spot at 20 yards and the third one robin hooded the second one. Not the first time I have done this but has been a long time.