RidgeRunr

It seems this is a problem most archers face sometime or another in thier shooting career(pro or hunter). Well, I believe that I have a bad case of it. The way I found out is I went to a 3-D shoot this morning and was shooting worthless. Before we went out to shoot, I had my warm up time and was doing fine, so I thought. My score for the first 5 targets was 15(no, that is not a misprint). So I ask my buddy to help me out and tell me what I was doing wrong. The next 5 target were 8' s. Not the best score but all double lung hits in a hunting situation. Which is why I shoot 3-D. My score for 23 target was around 115. The worst I had ever shot. Around 20 I was so frustrated that I could have went home, hung the bow up and quit. But I shot 3 more targets and said I can' t do this and get worse. I was sportsman enough to walk the rest of the course and score his shots for him though.
Anyway, since then I have been reading different ways to cure target panic, or punching the trigger. I know blind bale shooting is one way, another is back tension, using a timer to make yourself wait on target before shooting(holding at full draw and holding your aim), or having a friend trigger your release. I don' t have the right area for blind baling, choice of back tension releases is making it hard to choose, a timer to me only delays the action of punching, and a friend isn' t always there.
So, what are some of the ways that you all have cured this? Any help would be greatly appreciated because my favorite past time is gone until I figure this out. Thanks. Chris

jim243SRC

GKF makes a release aid called ANSWER. it will make punching the trigger change

Arthur P

You COULD spend more money and buy another doodad that might, or might not help fix your problem. The problem is not your release, though. It' s between your ears. Target panic is nothing more, and nothing less, than the fear of missing the target. It just affects different people in different ways.

With me, I was getting tensed up telling myself, by golly you' re gonna drill this next one, and then just blowing up. Every stinkin' target! When I quit TRYING so dang hard to hit the x-ring and just let myself execute the shot, I was shooting good again.

Establish a pre-shot routine and go through it step by step. I calm myself using breath control. After I take my stance I load the arrow and hook my fingers on the string (you' d hook your release). Take a good, slow, deep breath and exhale slowly. Taking about twice as long on the exhale as I did on the inhale. In through the nose and out through the mouth. As I draw, I begin taking another deep breath, finish it as I come on target and exhale slowly while aiming. The release will takes place as I begin the next breath and increase back tension.

Concentrate more on relaxing than on the release and just let it happen.

Any time it doesn' t feel right, let down!

That' s a great breathing exercise any time you' re feeling tense. Sit in a chair or lie down. Take slow, deep breaths, fully expanding your lungs and exhaling very slowly. Concentrate on feeling each muscle in your body relax as you exhale. Practice it at least twice a day for 5-10 minutes a whack.

CG

I probably have the worst case you can imagine.....what I ended up having to do was go to a pure back tension release like the Tru-Ball tru tension...there' s no trigger so you CAN' T punch it.....I shoot this all summer, and will switch to my caliper for hunting in Sept. I shoot just enough to get dialed in and tuned with the caliper and then practice again with the Pure back tension release.....I' m usually good for about 25 shots with the caliper before I start mashing the trigger......If it' s got a trigger I' ll punch it....this is what has worked for me but I hope you don' t end up with it this bad.....take Arthur P' s advise and see where that takes you....Best of luck!!

RidgeRunr

Thanks for the ideas. I am going to try the breathing deal, but I was never good at concentrating on my breathing. Even shooting a rifle is hard for me to control my breathing. I did make me a bigger spot to start with and I WILL get back down to shooting 1" groups again. Thanks again. Chris

CG

Again good luck and hopefully you found it soon enough that it won' t become an issue.......I don' t know if I' ll ever " fix" mine......
I hope the breathing trick works for you.....I shoot benchrest competitions and regularly shoot 1/4 MOA groups so the breathing thing isn' t an issue with me....Personally I think I' m psychotic ...... Or I' m gonna end up that way....

hawgdawg

What works for me is keep anchor point until arrow hits the target. Kind of like a golf shot, stay down and through the shot.

RidgeRunr

UPDATE: after yesterdays 3-d shoot I was ready to quit but didn' t. Today after work I tried 2 different releases. 1 hand held and 1 wrist strap. I could shoot 1 but not the other and it was actually mentally fatigueing(sp). So, I broke down and bought a back tension release. I know they are hard to get use to but I am determined to beat this thing. So I bought TRU Ball' s Sweet Spot 4. At first I was leary about it, but after 25 shots or so I got comfortable with it. I know 10 yards is a short distance but someone with target panic it is a GREAT feeling to put 10 shots the size of a quarter together. I plan on shooting this distance for a while and then move it out farther as I get more use to the release and my target panic. Thanks for the info you all have given and support. Chris

GOOD LUCK TO ANYONE WHO HAS THIS PROBLEM. If you have it, try a back tension, it seems to be working for me.

cgarrett55

Check out the article in Bowhunting America where you shoot a caliper release with your back and elbow. You do not squeeze the trigger.

xibowhunter

trying a different kind of release worked for me, i went from a fourth finger rope release to a caliper.