Got target panic real bad!

[Murray]

I sometimes find it difficult to get to full draw without a clicker on my bow... (I was once so bad I couldn't even draw the bow and almost gave up archery entirely). It's still bad enough that if I have to demo barebow for a class, I shoot lefthanded as it's sufficiently different that it allows me to shoot the shot. So yes, give anything a try.

The symptoms of TP are many and varied, and the potential ways back are just as varied. The main thing is to stick with the drills and exercises you try and believe it will improve.

[chemistry]

thewayitwas,

Clearly you have a problem with the suggestion that fitting a clicker and getting advice on how to use it (coupled with getting help on general form also) might help with target panic. Fair enough. We're all entitled to our views, although I reiterate that the above advice worked for me.

However, might I suggest that rather than just unhelpfully saying "No thank you for this post" you do something positive and actually contribute to the discussion by pointing out why you think this is bad advice.

That might help namerehtaew out with their problem - who is wisely seeking information both from the forum and books - whereas just criticising others comments with a "No thank you" achieves precisely nothing.

chemistry

[niceguy]

Originally Posted by chemistry

thewayitwas,

Clearly you have a problem with the suggestion that fitting a clicker and getting advice on how to use it (coupled with getting help on general form also) might help with target panic. Fair enough. We're all entitled to our views, although I reiterate that the above advice worked for me.

However, might I suggest that rather than just unhelpfully saying "No thank you for this post" you do something positive and actually contribute to the discussion by pointing out why you think this is bad advice.

That might help namerehtaew out with their problem - who is wisely seeking information both from the forum and books - whereas just criticising others comments with a "No thank you" achieves precisely nothing.

chemistry

My thoughts as well. I can't see why your post deserves any criticism, direct or implied.

[andrew.paterson]

Originally Posted by chemistry

thewayitwas,

Clearly you have a problem with the suggestion that fitting a clicker and getting advice on how to use it (coupled with getting help on general form also) might help with target panic. Fair enough. We're all entitled to our views, although I reiterate that the above advice worked for me.

Worked for me as well. Made me think a bit more about the shot sequence, and not just releasing as soon as the gold appeared within the sight ring, and my brain saying just let go.

Also it is good for a beginner to know that others do go through teh same problems, and gone on to shoot very well. Sometimes archery can be a lonely sport when you are on the line struggling, but knowing others are in teh same position does help.

[paulhuk]

I suffered from exactly the same symptoms as you, namrehtaew, and pretty much at the same point in my archery career.

I tried the 'shoot at blank boss' for a while and it seemed to clear it, but within a couple of dozen arrows back at a target again I was back to the old ways.

Then a VERY experienced recurve archer asked me why I wasn't shooting with a clicker. No reason, so I tried it and it worked! It helped me to cure my symptoms almost immediately and I've since gone from shooting around mid to low 2nd class last year to Bowman a few weeks ago.

I must stress that this worked for me and may not work for everyone. Using a clicker needs good help from those around you to use it properly and get the most out of it.

Although I shoot compound now, I did shoot recurve for 3 years and had TP very bad. I could'nt draw the string to my face without letting go. A clicker solved the problem, but I did come up with an excerise that did help before hand.

What I did was before I drew the bow, I told my self I would wait for "n" seconds at full draw, before loosing the arrow. I varied the amount of time I would wait for each shot, say 3, 5, 4, 6.

This meant I was able to take full control over the shot, and I would only loose when I hit the number of seconds I had *agreed* with myself before executing the shot (counting in my head).

However, this was my own made up excersise and my not work for you, but give it a try.

[Shirley]

Alough I appreciate that fitting a clicker may not solve any underlying problem it made a fantastic difference to a young junior at our club.

His TP got so bad he was letting go about a foot from his face and getting very frustated. We tried a lot of the usual things blank boss, no arrow just drawing back, using simple fibre glass bow etc etc with very minimal success.

The senior coach in our club who had not seen him for a while fitted a make shift clicker taped to his TD 01 and that same evening the junior who worked very hard considering he's only 10 was able to draw back to his face consistantly. A couple of weeks later he shot a junior bowman score which he had never done before. So quick fix, maybe, but for a junior just what was needed as I expect the frustation would have led the lad to quit archery.

[geoffretired]

I have watched several archers releasing with the string well in front of their face.
Why can't they pull the bow back to their face, aren't they strong enough?
One comment I have had from several archers is, " I can when there's no arrow on the bow."
They then try to shoot the next arrow. They try NOT TO LET GO TOO SOON, but they do. They almost feel compelled to, by some outside influence; or so it seems. They are trying to break a habit that they have picked up. The problem is, they try to break the habit by following the same shot sequence that "compells" them to shoot too early. They are actually repeating the bad habit as they cannot resist its compulsive force.If they could resist they would, yes?
Rather than trying to break the bad habit, I feel, it is more successful to set out to learn a new habit; a good one this time.
To give this new habit a chance, there needs to be a difference in the shot sequence so the archer is able to "keep them apart".
What the difference is, depends to some extent on the nature of the bad habit. Some can't reach the face with the string, others can but, can't wait to get on the gold; there are others.
Fitting a clicker can be different enough for some archers. It puts the mind on a different track, or so it seems. So now the archer pulls till there's a click!
Reinforce that success with lots more like it, and a new shot sequence is being developed.
During that development stage, the archer needs to focus on one aspect of the shot, such as, did I reach my face before releasing? If the answer is yes, success! Note how success starts to increase rapidly once a few good shots have been executed. Later, the focus could be " Was I on aim when I released?" (The string would be on the face by now almost without exception) If the answer is yes, that is a success at a higher level. Note how the successes increase in number.....
If the archer sticks to the new sequence long enough, (without interrupting their learning to shoot rounds etc, using the "old" form,) then the work can be very encouraging.
When the new form is well stablished, it can be used to shoot rounds and competitions and archery returns to "normal"; or should that be "better than normal"?
The old form will stay in the brain; the archer can however, decide not to use it by selecting the new form.

[Stretch]

The question of whether a clicker will solve target panic really depends on what you mean by target panic. In circumstances as described here it might well help. Point of focus etc. But it can be a band-aid applied over a problem that will come back to bite later. However, there are different levels of anxiety - TP isn't a term I like to use at all.

If the anxiety is not about aiming then a clicker could make it worse. To get through these problems you really need to work with someone (coach or experienced archer) that you are prepared to share your feelings with. They should be able to watch and identify where the problem really lies. If everyone lists every method they've used/seen used to help TP type issues you'll have a very long list! (and some very strange things to try!)

Just be confident that you will be able to work through it. It's not always that hard either, I once watched a GB International with TP so bad she was missing the target on the Friday night - then pasted a 1300 on Saturday.

Stretch

[namrehtaew]

Originally Posted by Stretch

The question of whether a clicker will solve target panic really depends on what you mean by target panic. In circumstances as described here it might well help. Point of focus etc. But it can be a band-aid applied over a problem that will come back to bite later. However, there are different levels of anxiety - TP isn't a term I like to use at all.

If the anxiety is not about aiming then a clicker could make it worse. To get through these problems you really need to work with someone (coach or experienced archer) that you are prepared to share your feelings with. They should be able to watch and identify where the problem really lies. If everyone lists every method they've used/seen used to help TP type issues you'll have a very long list! (and some very strange things to try!)

Just be confident that you will be able to work through it. It's not always that hard either, I once watched a GB International with TP so bad she was missing the target on the Friday night - then pasted a 1300 on Saturday.

Stretch

My 'target panic' is really an unwanted reflex that kicks in when I'm at full draw with the sight aproaching the gold. It happens when I'm perfectly relaxed taking the shot ( at home, shooting on my own ) as well as more pressured situations. This is why I think the term 'target panic' is such a bad one in my case because there simply is no 'panic' involved at all! I can place my bare hand on an electric fence with no panic in me ( have worked with them for most of my life having been a dairy farmer ) and when the shock comes, my arm flinches, not because of pain or fear of pain but because the electric current affects the muscles in my arm. Sometimes the unwanted releasing reflex in my string fingers feels like an electric shock.

Thanks everyone who gave their opinion. I'm still working at it, but it's going to be a long haul and I'm not certain any more that I will ever beat it but I'm still trying!