To Think or Not to Think....

[radsbow]

...that is the question!!</p>

I find when I think, I mean really focus,#about trying to hit the yellow or group my arrows, it all goes to pot and I'm lucky to get#blue scattered arrows#nevermind#reds. But when I focus/think about something else, like nothing,#my groups tend to come together and I manage to get consistent yellow.</p>

If I'm trying to correct / perfect some form floor in my technique (of which there are boat loads # ) I tend to focus on that one thing and my groups go to pot, but once again if I start to think nothing in particular - it all comes together. Is this the ZONE? and if so how do you bottle it??? </p>

Is it better to think while you practice, then try and switch off when you do a round or competition??</p>

[Furface]

Thought gets in the way. When competing, we should be trying to do everything automatically, letting muscle memory take over (like, for instance, walking). Some try to make this easier by using the target, or something else like a piece of music, as a mind-clearing "meditation object".
Practicing is different - sometimes. If you practice properly, there will be times when you are deliberately focussing on the element which you are practicing. Say you are correcting a dead loose - you will be concentrating on your loose at first, trying to build up an efficient set of actions that your muscles can "memorise" - this will affect grouping etc. The hard bit with this then comes when you try to slot this in to your other memorised actions. Gradually you will realign your focus from the loose to your competitive state, until you can do it without thinking.
And then, of course, you must practice not thinking!

[radsbow]

Thanks FurFace - now I'll go and put into practice what you've just taught me

[StinkyPete]

I might be doing this all wrong then...

When I'm on the line I concentrate like hell. I concentrate on everything, breathing, draw, anchor, loose

Is this wrong?

[radsbow]

StinkyPete - 24/8/2005 9:17 PM I might be doing this all wrong then... When I'm on the line I concentrate like hell. I concentrate on everything, breathing, draw, anchor, loose Is this wrong?

</p>

I suppose that depends on what your results are like and whether you are satisfied with them or not! All I know is that I seem to think too much sometimes </p>

[cliveanne]

I agree with Furface. Thinking gets in the way. Try a session &quot;Just for fun&quot; in other words pull, aim, shoot.. go for gold by all means, but don't worry about not hitting it... count/score your golds. Later do the same shoot again but <u>concentrate</u> on everything that you think you should... count your golds the see the two totals side by side. I think that should tell you what you need to know.</p>

Good shooting to you </p>