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Dear TBM,
I wanted to comment on David McReynolds article “A Fresh Look at Target Panic” in the Aug/Sept 2022 issue. I’ve had a very similar experiences myself. I’m 71 years old and struggled with target panic for over 30 years while shooting a compound. I got so frustrated that I decided to switch to traditional equipment about 15 years but the target panic followed me. I originally learned to shoot a recurve but switched to the compound in the 70’s.
With the new recurve I became a snap shooter and tried my best to copy Fred Bear’s technique. Although I was able to shoot successfully and harvested several deer, I never really felt in control.
Several years ago I saw a video with Ken Beck of Black Widow bows talking about his struggles with target panic and his technique of stopping just short of his anchor until he was ready to shoot at which time he pulled the string back to his anchor and released the string. I adopted his technique and stopped about an inch short of my anchor point Andrea it worked pretty well for several years but the target panic was still with me.
About 18 months ago I decided to try pulling all the way back to my anchor and found that if I waited to concentrate on my spot until after I was at full draw I could hold at full draw for several seconds while focusing on the spot. I don’t think about shooting technique when I’m concentrating on the spot. I still release by pulling a little further into my anchor and I hold my anchor on my face until the arrow hits the target. Just changing my shot sequence so that I spend time at full draw trying to increase my focus on the target frees me from the urge to release. I think David’s article offers real help for many people suffering with target panic.
When I have trouble focusing, I tend to have a jerky release and the shot doesn’t feel smooth. I view my technique more like shooting a rifle where the concentrated aiming process occurs after the rifle is in position for the shot. I believe that concentrating too much on the spot before you reach full draw triggers the urge to release as soon as you get near full draw.
I shoot a Black Widow PMA with a 46 # draw weight. I shoot instinctively by just focusing on the spot and I use a split finger release with my middle finger anchored in the corner of my mouth. Focusing my concentration on the spot after I reach full draw has been a godsend for me. I encourage everyone who’s ever suffered from target panic to read David’s article.