target panic
 

have i got it ???
went to my first shoot after being away from archery for about four years and won( lucky hey)

started to help others set up there equipment as it was all wrong and i had my own shop back home in australia and now all of a sudden im snatching at the release not focusing on the pins etc haveing trouble seeing through peep just seems all going wrong on the practice butt i can group in 3 inch circle i get on the course and i cant do it all over the place realeasing before i get pin on the spot and asi said snatching the release sending arrows right dammmmmmm wish i knew what was wrong

RE: target panic
 

A.D.D.:D

RE: target panic
 

thats what it is :Dhang on i have cut down on the beer maybe thats it

RE: target panic
 

This belongs in the technical forum.

RE: target panic
 

sorry can someone move it

RE: target panic
 

Did you put a copied peice of equipment on if so maybe it is a feeling of guilt.

RE: target panic
 

You might try going to full draw, put the pin on the target and holding for 60 second before releasing. This technique has helped me in the past. You seem to relax more while you hold on the target. After awhile it's second nature to just relax as you draw.

RE: target panic
 

That is exactly what you should NOT do to cure target panic.

RE: target panic
 

you know what blackfish i did put an arrowrest on it was probably copied from another arrowrest maybe thats the problem :D

RE: target panic
 

ok but first do you think thats what i got ???? and then what do i do in not the above ???

RE: target panic
 

Please explain.

RE: target panic
 

Definitely sounds like target panic to me ..... how to stop it, someone told me to make sure I am pulling back with my bow perpendicular to your body and then LOWER the bow to your spot .... worked for me .....

RE: target panic
 

ok will try gotta get this sorted never had a problem like this before must be age :D

RE: target panic
 

Well, first off you shouldn't be concentrating on those pins. Let the pins float, burn a hole in the target. Secondly, if your draw length is too long none of what I say will work. The best way to cure the panic is with some blind bale shooting. You've gotten into a lot of bad habits and it takes a lot of work to get out of them. In blind bale shooting you should stand 6-10 feet from a big target with no target face on it. Just a big blank backstop. You draw, anchor, take up the slack on your trigger, close your eyes and with back tension the shot should go off within 8 seconds. If it doesn't, let down and start again. You shouldn't shoot at a target for quite some time, like weeks maybe more.

Your draw length has to be right. Get the tip of your finger off that release. Your finger should curl around the trigger at the first joint. The shot will be triggered with back tension and should surprise you when it goes off. If you can't get the idea of back tension just imagine a spot about 3 inches behind your release elbow and try to touch it with your elbow. The trigger finger doesn't move once you've taken up the slack,your arm moves. DOn't hurry and try to shoot a lot thinking the more you do the faster you'll be cured. You're better off shooting 5 or 6 great shots, take a break of a couple minutes and do it again. IF you're muscles are not built up from a lack of shooting you got to worry about getting tired. You'll be amazed at the FEEL of the shot vs. the punching of a shot.

When you get one of those great shots you'll realize how bad you've been triggering things. You aren't cured at this point. You've just found what it's suppose to be like. Now you have to retrain all those muscles to make it habit, natural and complete muscle memory. I had a target in my garage off the den. I'd walk out during commercials and shoot a few shots all night long. Depending on how bad you are... determines how long to do this. I'd say at a minimum 2 oe 3 weeks just to get the feel. I did it for 2 months. In that 2 months I never shot at a target face, 3D target or anything. All shots were shot with my eyes closed.

If the shot doesn't happen in 8 seconds... LET DOWN and start again. In the beginning you'll let down a lot. When you think you're ready to start on target, just shoot close range 10 yards to begin with at a blind bale with your eyes open. A couple days of that, put a paper plate on the target. Concentrate on the plate, not the pin. You'll be amazed at how well you'll group. A few days of that you can go back to 20 yards and so on. Keep a big target though. Eventually you can work down to smaller spots... but not right away.

If at any time you find yourself staring at pins or not feeling the shot, go back to blind bale shooting. It's a good idea even when you're back to regular shooting to begin every session and end every session with some blind bale shooting. Feel the shot. It's not a quick fix. It takes work and discipline. Take short cuts or have your draw length wrong and it won't work.

This method was given to me by a world class shooter who had had a couple bouts with target panic. I find myself at timessneaking back to old habits. I go shoot blind bales for a couple days. If you start looking at pins and trying to hold them still you're dead. Let the pins float over the target. You have to think of course which pin to use and it'll happen. See the spot and not the pins. Draw, anchor, take up the slack... the shot will happen if you touch that spot behind your elbow. The finger doesn't figure into making the shot. GET THE TIP OF THAT FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER.

RE: target panic
 

thanks will try all of the above thankyou

RE: target panic
 

If you look at the thread Matt started you'll see he put it another way that might help you understand back tension. I couldn't get the feel of trying to squeeze my shoulders together, but imagining the spot somewhere behind my elbow helped me get it. Same end point.

Here's the link to Tn Matt thread. Realize, he's shooting a different style release. I assume you're shooting a trigger fingerfor hunting. http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2683781