Target Panic; group therapy

[Grasshopper Mouse]

The first bow I got was a hickory/purple heart lam longbow. The bowyer told me the bow was "7/8 broken at full draw." This was to impress his customers that the bow should not be overdrawn or held at full draw too long, less the wood be overstressed and blow.
I took his instructions to heart and managed to develop a snap shooting technique where I did not come to full draw and I never really got a chance to aim because I was letting the string go too early.
When I had an opportunity to get a glass lam recurve I discovered that I couldn't get it to full draw without letting the string go too early. I kept hearing "7/8 broken" in my mind and couldn't get past that, even on a bow where that was not an issue.
My girlfriend is a hypnotist. She's done stage shows at parties and events as well as personal therapy with people. When I asked her if hypnosis would help me she asked me a few questions about what I wanted to accomplish and then suggested we give it a try. After our session it was a few days before we had an opportunity to visit the archery range. The first time I drew my bow I tried to not think about things. My string hand came back to a solid anchor and showed no desire to let go of the string until I decided it was time to do so. The rest of the range session was the same. In fact, I've never experienced the short draw-snap shot again, and that was some 16 years ago or so.

I can't say if hypnosis would work for everyone with a target panic-like issue but it sure seemed to help me.

Guy

[Nate]

Hey Guy. There have been days when I felt I was more in need of an exorcist than a hypnotist! As if my bow and draw hand were conspiring against me. It's an interesting thought. Hypnosis for shooting problems, but it really sounds logical because instinctive shooting is largely a mental  process and hypnosis as I understand it is somehow tapping in to one's subconscious. Not sure if I'm ready to try it though. I'd probably get laughed out of my church if it was known I'd been to a hypnotist to cure my shooting issues.

[Nate]

Pete, is there a link to that article by Jim Polen or a way to find a copy? I'd be very interested to read it.

[burchett.donald]

  Target panic for me is an off/on thing...I think the biggest cause is fatigue...Panicking to get the shot off before the shaking or stress comes into play...I have a glass bow that I pick up and repeatedly draw/exercise to stay in what I consider archery condition...I shoot one at a time and pull from 15yds and in when I get to go outside and shoot my self bows...If I am in shape everything seems to just be relaxed and on the money...If I get tired and start panicking/rushing I quit...There's so much going on when I have a deer coming that the target panic doesn't come into play, thankfully...For me, conditioning is the key...
                        Don
                                                                                                               

[PeteC]

 Hypnosis,very interesting.They have been used by some sports teams in the past to help rid the sub-conscience of negative thoughts,but I have no experience with it,nor do I know anyone who has.I wish I knew of one.If I did,I might give it a try.  Donald,without a doubt,it is worse with me when I'm tired.I try not to shoot when exhausted. Nate,all I have is the issue.Fall 2000, Instinctive Archer. Page 47-50. I have no idea whether they are archived or not. Thanks y'all.   God Bless

[Nate]

Thanks Pete. I'll try to look that up. I was shooting a bit this morning in the basement. ( it's cold and snowy outside) I tried coming to full draw while aiming at a spot, then glancing down at the back of my bow hand and back at my target spot before releasing. Shot amazingly accurately.  Any ruffed grouse would have been in mortal danger at the 17 yards I can manage in my basement. So interesting how our minds work isn't it?

[DC]

 I was almost always releasing to soon. I kept thinking that my bows were too heavy until one day I noticed that if I was just exercising a bow I could pull 40# quite easily but if I was shooting I could only manage 35 or so. So now I just buck up and pull. Knowing that I can do it has helped a lot. I still have to concentrate or the arrow is gone before full draw.

[PeteC]

It is amazing Nate. Just diverting focus helped for a while,then I began to have the same old problem.To keep the focus in check I have to ask myself  the ? I mentioned earlier. If I do this every shot,I can keep enough control. Without it,I'll slip back into TP. DC,I hear you. I try to break down the steps of the shot ,"seamlessly";point,come to anchor,just barely making contact with the corner of my mouth,finish aim,then tense my back muscles to fully anchor,and a pull through release.It's a wonder how something that used to be so simple for 40 years or so has gotten to be so demanding,that is,If I'm going to shoot at the level I used to. God Bless

[PEARL DRUMS]

I was almost always releasing to soon. I kept thinking that my bows were too heavy until one day I noticed that if I was just exercising a bow I could pull 40# quite easily but if I was shooting I could only manage 35 or so. So now I just buck up and pull. Knowing that I can do it has helped a lot. I still have to concentrate or the arrow is gone before full draw.

That's the problem DC. You are focused on your draw. That's very similar to my issue. To be "good" all we can focus on is a target, the rest of the shot cant be a conscious thought. Muscle memory has to take over, as well as our sub-conscious.

[DC]

One thing that bothers me is temporary fixes. If I come up with an idea, say, concentrate on feeling my finger touch my eye tooth, I get full draw for about 10 shots. Then it doesn't seem to work any more. I've tried concentrating about things that happen before release and things that happen after release. They all seem to help for a while. As soon as I turn it over to my subconscious it goes west. I wonder if I damaged it in the 70's

[PeteC]

DC,you may have to do like I do,(or should do).If all you have is 10 shots,then shoot your 10,then quit.  I went yesterday intending on taking just a few shots.I was shooting well,so I kept on shooting.Sure enough,I started making mistakes. I should of quit early to maintain the high confidence.  JMHO     God Bless

[DC]

I'm trying to build some muscle too and 10 shots a day won't do that

[Nate]

I may be out to lunch on this but I think that the whole target panic thing is a learned condition.  We essentially train our minds and then our mind starts anticipating our actions and taking short cuts. Then we attempt to compensate for those "short circuit" short cuts and we are launched into a downward spiral of involuntary physical hiccups,  shattered confidence, and focus that's scattered like last falls leaves. That's why I now focus my training regime on teaching my subconscious mind that I do NOT release every time I hit anchor or every time the sight picture looks right. After training this way I am regaining control and confidence. We can beat this thing!

[PeteC]

Nate,I believe you hit the nail on the head. It is definitely a conditioned or learned response. I believe in my case it goes back to snap shooting,or a floating anchor, for all those years. Somewhere along the way my timing got off a little,which caused a very subtle change in accuracy at first, and this had a snowball effect that built into the monster it is now. I too,feel I can beat this with the right training. I have made progress this last year,but still carry some doubt that must be overcome. God Bless

[PEARL DRUMS]

I'm trying to build some muscle too and 10 shots a day won't do that

Try standing about 6 meters from your target and shoot with your eyes closed. Focus strictly on feeling the draw, anchor and release. After several hundred shots your muscles will start to remember what to do without your conscious mind directing. Its sole purpose is to burn a hole through your target and nothing else. You've heard the old story several times I'm sure, where the hunter recollects the hunt and doesn't remember drawing or releasing, but hit the 10 ring on his game. That's muscle memory hard at work and what we all strive for in one way or another.