Well its beginning to happen again. Groups are getting larger, its getting harder to hold around the bullseye.. Should I just hang the bow up for a few days, or what? Also, I cant seem to get my release to go off using back tension. Any tips on this? Thanks

I've suffered from TP for years. Right now I'm in the middle of a pretty bad case of it.

I've received lots of good advice from folks..

One of the best ways to get through it is ELIMINATE the bullseye. Blank Bale shoot, and if you are shooting a target, NO BULLSEYE. PLace a garbage bag over your target and shoot at the creases, shoot at a huge paper plate with no bullseye, shoot at a 3D target exclusively .etc.

I took some time off, and with the help and encouragement from some friends and shooting at my blackhole target that is all black instead of at my Morell w/ spots, I'm starting to get back in the groove again.

Aim hard. If you are hell bent on aiming and aiming only,your subconcious will take care of the physical aspect (i.e. triggering the shot)

Blind bale

Yep.........and try about 1/2 the shots with your eyes closed. Just concentrate on the shot sequence and feeling the release and enjoying the explosion of the shot. (Get close)

Any hint of target panic that I may have ever had went away when I started to ENJOY the suprise explosion of the bow going off.......That quick little startled feeling is sweet.

Matt, I totally agree. I just started using back tension and set my wrist release to do the same after a bout with a handheld I didn't care for. I set my wrist release pretty touchy and started using my back to pull through the shot. Its a hairy feeling at first when the bugger goes off unexpectedly!![:-] But ya know what? Most times the arrow was right where I was aiming. Of course the other times...well....lets not go there.

I had target panic too and still do occasionally. Most times its a matter of letting the bow lay for a day or two for me. The above suggestions are great. If you live on or near a farm where you can get a big round bail to shoot at, shoot at it for a couple days with your eye's closed. Just focus on pulling through the shot nice and smooth.

I don't neccesarily think a complete suprise release is required to shoot at your best though. Getting a smooth consistant release is what I think is best, especially for hunting where you may need to command a shot. Its much easier to do this consistantly using your back muscles than it is with you index finger.

Thanks for the advice guys, I guess I'm an idiot for paint circles on my black hole target. Luckily, my neighbor has a few bales of hay. Now my next question, I'm shooting a Tru Ball Rackmaster release, and cant seem to get it to trigger with back tension. Is there any special techniques, am I using the wrong type of release, or are my shoulders goofy?

The worst case of target panic I have ever seen was me about 8 years ago I am surprised I did not give up on archery all together.
I have been shooting since I was 7 years old (i am 25 now). I was given a punch-o-matic wrist release when I started shooting ....and had no idea you were not supposed to aim, and then punch it when things looked right.
I shot as well as can be expected ...but things really caught up with me when I was about 15. I was starting to shoot some 3D, and at the worst point of my target panic I would hold my pin about a FOOT above the deer target and all in one motion I would drop my bow and punch the dogcrap out of my release. If I tried to aim at a target you would think I was having an epileptic seizure. It was tough times, and I knew something was seriously wrong. I did not have the experience to know what I was dealing with or how to deal with it.
Fast forward to that next winter. Deer season was over, I was 16, and me and my buddy decided we were going to shoot at the indoor range in the evenings (since we could drive...and all ). There were some really excellent shooters at our little club ...and I am going to be forever greatful for what a few of them did for me.
It took about 2 trips to the range for some of the regulars to let me know I had one of the worst cases of target panic they had ever seen. I had no idea what that meant. One guy in particular kinda took me under his wing and gave me a good talk. "If you want to get over this you are going to have to do what I say and not question it." One of those type of deals. First thing he did was lend me a Stanislawski 4 finger release. The second thing he told me was that I was going to shoot with my eyes closed, at 5 yards ...every night for the next week. The next step would be to shoot at 10 yards, with my eyes open now, at a blank butt for another week, working on form and perfecting my release with the stanislawski. After that, he said I would stand at 20 yards, and start aiming at a spot....and hold it as long as my arms could take it ....without ever firing a shot. For about 3 nights. ONLY THEN...would I be able to start shooting regularly again. And if any signs of target panic reappeared, the cycle would start all over.
Let me tell you ....that was some seriously BORING weeks. But he reassured me, and I stuck with it. My target panic was completely cured ...and I found out that I was a pretty good shot once I got that out of the way.
I spent that next summer on the 3D range, and occasionally would shoot at blank butts ....or shooting with my eyes closed ....or just practicing aiming without firing, just to make sure I kept the bug away.
That next fall ...I was so scared of going back to a punch-o-matic wrist release that I HUNTED with my Stanislawski!! I was not going to sacrafice all I had worked for. I killed my first deer that fall with my trusty Stan.

I went into the Marines 2 weeks after the IBO World that following year ....and mostly gave up archery. This past fall was my first season bowhunting again, and guess what ....I can feel the target panic creeping back into the picture again. It wasnt so bad that I couldnt control it by calming myself ...but that urge was resurfacing. Once I get the turkey hunting out of my blood and I start shooting 3D this summer, the Stanislawski 4 finger is coming out of retirement and it is time to get back to work!

Not sure if anyone is still reading this ...sorry to have been so long winded. Just one mans story of the battle with target panic. Good luck to those of you dealing with it!!

As I read back through this thread, there are a few more things I want to clarify/comment on.

I think the most important thing to getting over small bouts of target panic is just aiming without firing.
That is always what works best when things start to creep back up on me. I just stand at 20yds and aim. My brain just had to learn that the pin is not going to stay right on the dot!! It is going to drift. I never did perfect my relaxation at full draw ....so I was always a shaky aimer. But even thought I was shaky ...and that pin wobbled ...as long as I just relaxed and let the shot happen, it would magically just "be there."
So, that would be my first suggestion. Just draw back ....and be sure to put your finger ON THE TRIGGER. Dont leave your finger behind the trigger ...because you will trick your brain. Even at my worst ...as long as that finger was behind the trigger, and my brain knew that ...I could hold on target. But if I tried to lay my finger on the trigger ...and then aim, I would freak out and punch it.

The funniest thing about getting over my target panic was my reaction to the surprise releases. When I first started shooting a release that I had no idea when it was going to go off, every time I shot...it looked like someone just came up behind me and scared the crap out of me. I would seriously jump. Funny stuff.
But once I got used to it...that went away. It also changed the way I shoot a gun as well. I use the same principles.

I also did not mean to sound like I was saying that a pure back tension release is good for hunting. It was necessary in my case at that time ....but this past fall I bought a tru-ball similar to the one you are shooting.
It is not practical to surprise-release when you are shooting at game. But it IS very important to surprise release during practice. Especially for someone prone to target panic. Last fall when I was getting ready for hunting ....I would keep my stanislawski around when I was practicing, and I would start and end my practice with about 10 shots with the stanislawski. Just to keep my head straight.

good luck, brother