RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

I love whenever I hear that AI quote, so funny.

I don't practice hardly at all. When I go home on the weekends, from school, I shoot as much as possible. I better shoot more, turkey season is around the corner. Not to mention THIS LEAUGE.

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

Matt:

I probably need to keep on the BB for a while. I'll keep doing that.

Buckeye......GREAT read. Thanks.;)

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

Hey Guys I see all the talk about blank bales..

Never having had a coach at Archery, I'm trying to understand what this practice teaches. The only thing I could see is if you made some significant change like in a release or anchor pointand you are trying to learn the feel instead of concentrating on a target.

So if you made a change ... I guess, I get it.

What about shooting at 10 yards? Just a confidence builder?? How? I mean if I want short shots to be easier I'd shoot farther in practice. I do this all the time when the season is near..I shoot more at 50-60 yards to make the 20-30 yarders chip shots.

Hey I'm like you guys I wanna get better....I'm not slamming the methods, but I have to understand the methodologyto believe in them.

Thanks

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

Gr8, I've got a demo for a prospective client in a few minutes but off this afternoon. This answer won't be short, but I will get to it when I get home later today. It's a great question, and the short answer to it is that this type of practice is what seperates those that fling arrows from those that specifically train to become a better shooter. ;) I think Jeff can attest to this as well as Matt / TN because I know both of them have been following it for a while, and both have seemed to make some noticable improvements in a very short amount of time, and with probably less effort than what it would normally take otherwise.

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

When Matt and I were discussing the validity of the 10 yd games.....I gave him an analogy that he understood perfectly.

When I was playing a lot of golf.....(A LOT)....I was never in my "comfort zone" until I was under par. the only way to get there and be comfortable....is to be there a lot. I can't tell you the number of times I used to get to 3-4 under and start thinking about how low I might go.....and then I'd get back to my comfort zone (at that time) by getting back to a score I was more familiar with. I also saw this in my fellow competitors. they'd get to (___) under.....and feel out of sorts.

So.....I figured out a way to combat it. Give in. I used to play a round or two a week (back then) from the ladies tees. You're reaching every par 5 in 2. "Some"par 4's in 2. Every par three is a chippie 3....and sometimes a great birdie opportunity. It wasn't unusual to get to some very low numbers.....and 6-8 under was the norm.

By getting under and getting in my comfort zone....it made being OVER par seem out of sorts. Under was where I was most comfortable....AND....when I got to a (seemingly) ridiculous minus score.....I'd been there before.

I see the 10yd games in Vegas the same.

I hope this makes sense.

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

Yeah it makes sense maybe more-so in the golf game than Archery..ladies tees you say.[:-] I can get a 1-2 under and be comfortable, I can even shake 3 under to the house. I was 5 under with only a tough par 4 to finish and you bet your butt I doubled it.( 9 hole League Rounds)

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

That makes perfect sense, Jeff. I need to start employing these methods. I have been a flinger for the most part. I understand the mechanics of making a good shot having been a long distance shooter for many years. Now that I have the time to devote to my bow, I want to improve to the best of my ability.

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

But I agree with GR8 when it comes to distance shooting to prepare for hunting season. I shoot a LOT from 50-60 yds to prepare for hunting situations......and I didn't take a shot over 27yds, this year.

GR8.....do you always know where you're at to par when you play golf? I mean....if you get under....do you always know how many?

I could RARELY tell you how many I was under....but I always knew if I was over....and exactly how many. When you can get to 2-3 under and not try to bring it to the house (i.e. keep playing your regular game).....you'll know youve found your comfort zone. It took me a couple of years to get to that point......and I was playing 4-5 rounds a week.

Golf (TO ME) is SO much like archery. That's why I guess I love this. It's different.....but the same. The key to golf, for ME....was not caring. Once you set up to a shot...you gotta let go. I see archery (targets) no differently. You gotta not think about it.....and let go. trust your practice....and live with the outcome. Repeat.

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

Yes Jeff..I always know where I'm at, be it over-level-under par.. I wish I could turn it off. It's just the math is so easy I don't know how to not know.

If I'm playing you...I know where your at.. and most likely everyone else in the 4-some.

RE: We talkin bout PRACTICE....
 

That would change, believe me...if you played a lot. I used to be the same way. I then got to a point to where I honestly didn't know what I shot until we added them up at the end of the round. I COULD tell you every club I used on every shot....what the yardage was for that shot....etc...for my last 4-5 rounds. But....score....I let go of.

I then went through a phase where I'd get mad when someone would say "Dude....aren't you 5 under?". Then...that passed, too.

The mental aspects of these games (golf and archery) are strikingly similar. Scary.....and I don't ever want archery to get to that point for ME. It's still fun, now. Golf was fun....but playing to a (______) level is a lot of work (mental and physical). If you asked me.....MORE mental.....MUCH more mental.

There's a Mathews commercial where the guys are giving tips on how to be a better target shooter. If you turned off the picture...and related it to golf....it would be spot on.;)