Come on in and sit a spell. There's a seat for you around the campfire.
Forum rules
Please keep hunting posts to Traditional Bow Hunting. No canned or high fence hunts or stories allowed. Please be respectful of fellow members and helpful to those with questions. Treat others like you like to be treated. There is a Japanese word that I try and model my life after.
GAMAN: patience..dignity..restraint.
South MS Bowhunter wrote:I wonder if our minds pick up on these little cue and alignment landmarks in making that mental adjustment from shot after shot until it becomes ....well instinctive!
I gotta agee with about everybody. I do believe that tradhunter is right about the target panick issue. And I also believe that OSB is right about the form. But form is something I pay very little attention to. I just believe it will come naturally to you as yours and the way it needs to be once you are comfortable with the way you shoot. Also I tried what Rick said and I quess that I could be called a split vision shooter. While I do not use the arrow to aim or any part of it I believe it is was a proper step in training my mind to be instinctive. I just have no doubt that my mind has used it as a guage. Just my .02 worth. While it is never ever in focus and my mind is always on what I want to hit, when I think about it, I can recall the prescence of the arrow in my periphal vision, just like when doing the finger exercise.
I am going to do a couple of things now. First I am going to quit talking about it so I don't start thinking about it when shooting and I am going to name my way of shooting; "Justin's Instinctive Method". . LOL.
Seriously if target panic persists give the dots a try. It works.
Sorry Justin, I named it a long time ago, so I reject your name of it.
It's "GapStinctive". Got it?
The exercise that tradhunter describes ( I call it let down exercise ) has been instrumental in helping me deal with TP over the years.
It, combined with blind bale shooting are extremely productive in helping you gain control of both your mind, and your bow.
I would agree that there's no substitute for good form. AND that probably only 10% of the shot is aiming. AT 20 yards or less. As the distance becomes longer that 10% goes up by leaps and bounds. That's why instinctive shots have a rep for not being able to shoot the longer distances. AND on average they can't.
I can live with that Rick. I just want to hit what I shoot at. I really donb't see the difference in it and what I always considered truely instinctive. But, from now on I am going to call it by the real name of "GapStinctive". I would venture to say that is the way all guys shoot that hold the bow for any longer than a second. I still consider it instinctive. Shooo. Don't tell anybody because it is an automatic reaction.
There are times when I snap shoot at close range but if it is over twenty yards I hold and concentrate. I quess that is what I am doing. GapStinctive. As long as it comes natural and I ain't gotta guess yardage I am cool with whatever it is.
AWPForester wrote:I can live with that Rick. I just want to hit what I shoot at. I really donb't see the difference in it and what I always considered truely instinctive. But, from now on I am going to call it by the real name of "GapStinctive". I would venture to say that is the way all guys shoot that hold the bow for any longer than a second. I still consider it instinctive. Shooo. Don't tell anybody because it is an automatic reaction.
There are times when I snap shoot at close range but if it is over twenty yards I hold and concentrate. I quess that is what I am doing. GapStinctive. As long as it comes natural and I ain't gotta guess yardage I am cool with whatever it is.
Just pickin on ya Brother.
Yes - the whole process can, and usually does wind up being what we think of as instinctive.
Some of us (Me) just have to know what that process is, or we can't be happy with it.
Yeah I know. I was going to suggest since you were here with the dinosaurs you ought to get the right to name it instead of me, but then I got to thinking, heck he would take that as a complimnet. Ecspecially since he is drawing about 16 more pounds than I am at his "older" age. Got nothing but rrespect for you man and just riding you abit
Hope that knee is doing better. Been praying for you.
AWPForester wrote:Yeah I know. I was going to suggest since you were here with the dinosaurs you ought to get the right to name it instead of me, but then I got to thinking, heck he would take that as a complimnet. Ecspecially since he is drawing about 16 more pounds than I am at his "older" age. Got nothing but rrespect for you man and just riding you abit
Hope that knee is doing better. Been praying for you.
LOL, Thanks Brother. I appreciate the prayers, and yes, I am actually quite proud of my age.
You did however forget one thing - I believe George D Stout is a member here, and "HE" is a real dinosaur. I'm just a pup compared to him.
The one thing that has proven to help those with target panic that I know of is blind bale shooting. You are thinking about your body, form, etc. NOT about "releasing the string at a target"! It will also help in your form. After a few days of this stand at the target and aim at the bullseye at 5yds! If you can shoot a dozen arrows without getting tense and by committing to each shot then, AND ONLY then, you can move back 5 yds. Shoot the same way by committing fully to each shot. If you can then move back to 15yds. But if during one shot you flinch or jump or just don't commit to the shot go back to 5yds and start over. This rewards commitment, and penalizes less than full efforts.
I continue to have blind bale shooting as part of my weekly routine.
What Snag is talking about is called Bridge Program. Start by blank bailing. Shoot 40 perfect shots. Anything less than 40 perfect shots and you start back at 1, until you get a total of 40 perfect shots. Then you go back to 5 yards for another 40. ect. This was developed by Len Cardinale. It's a little different than that, but you have to shoot a lot of arrows at a practice session.
The target panic idea is Jay Kidwell's. And to think you can break TP in "few days" you have to be dreaming. This will work if you do it 21 days according to Rod Jenkins. I think it takes 30 days to break a bad habit and install a new good habit. NO OTHER SHOOTING at longer distances.
. LOL.
