HELP!!!!

[Troy Dulaney]

#131740

I have mainly shot a compound for the past 30 years. I bought my first longbow about 15 years ago and since then bought 3 more. I have spent several different times trying to be confident enough to take one hunting but I wasn’ going to do it till I’m consistent at 20yds. I put alot of time in practicing and I would always end up with the compound come bow season. Well this year I have made my mind up that this is the year and I have been shooting almost everyday for the past 2 months and I get the same result every time. Say I’m shooting at just a regular 3D deer target. If I shot at 10yds. Out of 10 arrows I would say its 9 to 10 arrows in the 10 ring. 15 yds. I would say 7 or 8 and the others are very close. 20 yds. Mize well put me at 100yds. Maybe 4 or 5 in. Others. Who knows. Lol. Butt. Neck. Leg. Stomach. I’m trying hard but I just can’t figure it out. I feel I’m getting a good release and the arrows are flying great. I don’ know if it’s mental or what. Anyone with any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[rgrist]

#131741

I bought the book called “Shooting the Stickbow” by Anthony Camera and read it several times. It helped tremendously. Also the books by GFred and Byron Ferguson were of quite a bit of help also. There are a heck of a lot of details in shooting a barebow accurately that you probably are not considering. Tried gap shooting, split vision, yada yada , but now it has evolved into something like instinctive. I’ve been shooting around four dozen arrows each day for about a year, just looking at a small detail on the target. It’s amazing how quickly the brain figures it out, with groups shrinking dramatically.

[Alejandro Zubiaurre]

#131747

Hello Troy, as Rgrist says, the instinctive shot is a 70% focus on the objective and the rest of the technique. If you look at the entire 3D target surely all the arrows will hit the target but all separated because you are looking at the entire target. But if you focus on a very small point, very small, in the target, your focus is only at that point and surely all the arrows will be very close and well grouped at that particular point. On the other hand, the real challenge of instinctive shooting is just to achieve the maximum efficiency in all our shooting technique. To that you have to add a large concentration in focus and success, little by little it will pay off d. Do not despair, it is required to throw many arrows to know the bow and know yourself. You must continue training at the same distance until you are totally confident of how efficient you are at that distance and, obviously as it happens to all of us, to know and accept the limitations. Little by little you will gain distance and confidence but use a single bow. The bows vary much their reaction from each other, especially the longbows. Be patient and keep on pulling. Good arrows for you A greeting for you. Alejo
P.S. I was also a compoun bow shooter, for many years.

[Stephen Graf]

#131743

Two words that define success with traditional archery are commitment and patience.

It sounds like you have made the commitment.  Now you must practice patience.

If you are accurate to 15 yards, then let that be your maximum hunting distance this year.  There is nothing magical about 20 yards.  What you will find with most traditional archers is that they sing about their close shots, not their long shots.  “I shot him at 4 yards!” is heard spoken with pride and excitement way more often than “I shot him at 30 yards”.  Traditional archery is about getting close.  Getting close takes better hunting skills.

As you continue to practice, you will get better.  You will get frustrated too, but your commitment will get you over the hump.  Learn to be patient with yourself.  And dream about that 4 pointer broadside at 6 yards this fall…

[David Coulter]

#131791

Hi Troy, great advice so far. Camera’s book is also helpful to me. Shooting a lot isn’t practice. Shooting and paying close attention is practice. I think that if a coach is available it would be a great help. I’ve gotten my coaching from these pages, from books and from some excellent videos from the likes of Clay Hayes, Arne Moe, Jimmy Blackmon and Joel Turner. I also like to listen to The Push archery podcast. It all helps to motivate and teach. Keep smiling and your bad days will get a lot like your good days. Best, dwc

[rgrist]

#131792

As Yogi Berra was fond of saying “It’s 90% mental and the other half is too”. Actually, once you get the form under control, it is about 90% focus and the rest being aware of the presence of the arrow.

[Troy Dulaney]

#131805

Thanks for the info guys. Alot of good advice for me to work with.

[Jimmie Newton]

#131812

Stephen Graf sorta touched on something with his statement about “patience”. Most folks that have previously shot compounds with sights don’t instantly come up to their “past standard of accuracy” in a short amount of time. Barebow shooting definitely requires more time to get hunting-level accuracy than a sighted system does, I think. Simply put, it takes some time, quality practice, and the aforementioned patience to get proficient shooting instinctively. Don’t stress over it; that’ll only make things happen slower……

This month’s issue of Traditional Bowhunter magazine has another great article about instinctive shooting by G. Fred Asbell on “Concentration”. This has been a huge part of  the problem with my personal shooting. The times when I’ve focused intently as he describes have resulted in some of my best shots. I have a tough time focusing on “the tiny spot on the target” when I’m preoccupied with some other aspect of my shot cycle.

It’s sorta gotten easier to focus/concentrate by limiting myself to only 2 arrows, and limiting the length of time I practice. I pick the the 2 ugliest, most beat up arrows outta my quiver, and those are what I practice with for a given amount of time (say, 20-30 minutes). When I group shoot 6+ arrows, my shots/groups typically get worse the longer my practice sessions go. I think this is mostly due to fatigue. Shooting only one arrow (sometimes) or two arrows forces me to try to make my shots count”, like in a hunting situation. Shooting fewer arrows definitely makes it easier for me to concentrate, and I get more much needed steps in retrieving arrows…….

I’m still not where I want to be, yet. I’ll be one of those that will hunt, but impose a limit on myself of 10-12 yd. shots, as it now stands. That’s fine; I feel it’s every bit as important (if not more so) to refine my hunting skills/woodcraft as it is my shooting skill…….

Good Luck with your shooting! Hope this helps!

[David Coulter]

#132079

Hi Troy, about a month since you started this thread and I’m wondering how you’re coming along. I didn’t shoot much this winter after the season closed. Getting back in the swing makes me takes notice of what I’m up to. I’m reviewing all the step from how I put my fingers on the string to where the bow settles on my hand to anchor and back tension. One lousy gremlin for me has always been focus. Last night I shot a couple okay groups and then I realized I wasn’t really focusing. When I burned a hole on my mark the arrows flew right in. There’s a good article posted here recently on focus. For me, all the rest are the easy parts. Focus takes effort. That’s my One Thing to focus on…. focus. Dwc

[Ralph]

#132082

My arrows follow my focus: here, there, over here, over there, wherever in impossible places my mind is wandering at the time.  I often wonder what I was thinking that could be in the deepest, densest,  thorniest patch of brush somewhere in the vicinity of the original point of intense focus.

It seems the older I get my attention span lessons……….It’s amazing what can happen in the short period of time between the draw of the bow and the release of the string.

Actually, right now, I’m relearning the ANCHOR part of the bow shooting process.  It helps the focus, focus, focus part immensely if the Anchor, Anchor, Anchor part is not floating. 

 

[Ralph]

#132083

And there’s always focal assistant #1

[David Coulter]

#132087

Those eyes are definitely focused!

[Jimmie Newton]

#132110

Man, seeing that pic reminds me….. I wish I could concentrate on a shot the way my dog focuses on a ball or frisbee he’s chasing…….

[James Harvey]

#133058

Troy, I’ll second the comments about a coach. If you’ve really tried and have found yourself not improving further, it’s a great idea to have someone who knows the game have a look at you. There is no shame in it, rather it demonstrates a thirst for improvement that we should all seek to emulate.

 

If you happen to be somewhere where you can’t find/afford a coach, I can strongly recommend the videos by Arne Moe on YouTube. They are really well done and you’ll try some different things. I’m sure some of them will click.

 

Good on you for working hard and asking for help when you need it! Good luck.

 

Jim

[David Coulter]

#133059

I’ll third that suggestion to get a coach. I’ve studied all the online coaching, including Arne and Jeff Kavanaugh and others. I’ve also read quite a bit and have one of the Masters of the Bearbow dvds. These are all great things. You’ll notice one thing when you look a little deeper. All top shelf athletes have a coach, just like beginners. That’s gotta tell us something.  What we can learn from a good coach in an afternoon can take us a long time to learn on our own.

[rallcox]

#133557

Try practicing at 30 yards.  You will see your group at 20 yards get tighter.

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