Having hard time focusing

[Hickoryswitch]

The other day i took out my new bow and was shootin at a target that has 5 3'' dots on it and I couldn't hit for crap. I had a really hard time focusing on where I wanted my arrows to go. Has anyone else had problems focusing and how can I cure this? I usually shoot fairly well. Deer season will be here soon and I wanna be shootin good again by then.


Thanks
  Wayne

[DBernier]

I shoot at a sofa cushion with no markings on it. As Mel Gibson said, "Aim small, miss small". Stare at the center of the cushion and let go. Having 3, 4, or 5 small targets is a distraction which I have difficulty overcomming. See photo. Both groups were shot at 20 yards. I sympathise with you.

Dick

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[Pat B]

Try shooting one arrow at a time at a target with no markings. Concentrate where you want the arrow to go and shoot...retrieve that arrow and shoot it again and continue this until you feel confident in your shooting. The deer you will be hunting don't have a bulls eye on them so why practice on a target that does. It can be confusing to your mind.   Pat

[Hickoryswitch]

Thanks for the tip. Maybe thats why i was shooting better before I just used a hay bale without a target. I was thinkin something was wrong with me thanks guys.

[Pat B]

On those targets there are too many things to distract you. After your technique, form and release are mastered and well embedded in your brain it might not matter but for person learning to shoot(at least for me) they are too busy. None of my targets have any markings on them. Near deer season most of my shooting is at 3D foam deer. A week before the season I shoot only 1 arrow a day(sometimes 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening) at a 3D deer so when the time comes all I have to do is concentrate on where the arrow "IS" going. Sometimes I don't remember drawing the bow. It just happens.       Pat

[Otoe Bow]

Hickory:  I think Dick and Pat are right on.  I recently started using a target with multiple target circles on it and I keep hitting one, but not the one I wanted.     I think I'll cover it up and use it just for a backstop.  First chance I get, I'm getting a 3D one too. 

[Pat B]

Shooting more than one arrow at one can be distracting also, especially with bright nocks. Your eye goes for the "spot" and you shoot where you are looking.      Pat

[Hickoryswitch]

Yeah I turned my bale around earlier and shot .  Whoa what a difference!  I was shooting fist size groups instead of basketball size ones. It's takin a little while for instinctive shootin to come back to me after shootin wheelie bows for so long. I am gettin back in there tho just little things like this throw me for loops sometimes. Thanks everyone for the tips they really have helped.



Wayne

[recurve shooter]

shoot cans sitting on top of stumps. use yer target for a backstop. i can nail cans at 20 but cant hit a much larger dot on my target.

plus, i aint ever seen deer running around with big red dots on their shoulders.

[mullet]

  Try shooting from about 10' away and focus on the same anchor point and form each time. Then try moving back once it becomes a natural feeling of anchoring and releasing. I used to go out at night and shoot at a burning candle from 10 yards trying to put out the flame. It's harder than you think.

[recurve shooter]

i guess so. i might could hit the candle itself, not the wick.

[Pat B]

You might be surprised how close you would get to a candle flame(glow stick might be safer) at night. All other visual clutter is missing and you can concentrate on the flame...and that is where your arrow will go.    

[GregB]

I've had trouble with target panic for some time now although I'm making good progress this summer. I know that the visual comes into play big time. I could shoot at a target and "double clutch" a couple of times with my eyes open. If I closed my eyes and shoot at a target up close, everything smooths out and I have a good release and follow through.

[kayakfisher]

its just practice and focusing if I had a rough day or a lot on my mind and cant concentrate my shooting is way off  picture this little guy on your target and shoot him .  you will come real close
                                 Dennis

[Pat B]

The most important thing in instinctive shooting is getting the fundamentals of shooting down pat! When it comes time to make the shot, all you want to do is put the arrow in a specific location. Everything else should just happen!   If you haven't developed the fundamentals, all the concentration in the world won't necessarily put the arrow where it is supposed to be. The second most important thing in instinctive shooting is concentration. All the fundamentals in the world won't necessarily put the arrow where it is supposed to be without concentration.          Pat