Higher scores at 100yrd than 80yrd.

[Alex]

Morning all,

I have a perplexing problem. Shooting a St. George in a League match yesterday, I shot a higher score at 100 yards (264) than at 80 yards (256)! This seems to be a regular thing with me, as I did it last year as well whenever I shot a St. George.

My setup is a Hoyt Ultratec with spiral cams and a set of AXIS FMJs. Since last year I have changed arrows, drawlength & strings which points towards me rather than the bow.

What can I do to improve my 80 yards?? Any and all advice gratefully received.

Alex.

[Schme1440]

This is a common problem and its not a tuning issue. Its basicly a mental issue IMO its when an archer comes down in distance and expects to shoot better because the distance is shorter and therefore easier. The concentration goes down then frustration sets in with the lower scores and its basicly a downward spiral. The key is to try just as hard at the shorter distances. Things like this are never tuning issues.

[Alex]

But at 60 yards I scored 306!

After the first couple of ends at 80 yards I seemed to concentrate just as hard as at 100 yards, maybe harder.

I'm going to try and tempt the missus to shoot an Albion next weekend, so I can 'keep her company' and see if my 80 yards score then is comparable to this weekend.

Alex.

[Quadratus]

I agree with Schme1440 about frustration and downward spirals. The key to your problem may be in your statement that you concentrated "even harder" at 80 yards - it suggests that you were already anxious about the distance.

The answer to this type of probelm is usually practice, practice and more practice at 80 yards. I find it all too easy to spend my time shooting the longer distances and forget the intermediates. Practice at 100 yards or 60 yards, or whatever is not the way to improve your performance and, critically, your confidence at 80 yards. One of my favourite Frank Pearson-isms is "shoot what you practice and practice what you shoot".

[tel]

I had a similar thing in Cardiff last week at a Fita - I was quite happy with 90, 50, and 30 but 70 was lousy. During the week I shot fita 70s only and it made a hell of a difference this weekend - far more rounded performance. Like the man said "practice, practice...."

[Flying Whale]

Could also try shooting the 80 and 100 in reverse order in practise.

[martin]

In a FITA there's nothing quite as frustrating as shooting an exceptional 90M only to match it at 70M!!!

Keep the faith in your own shooting, relax and it'll soon sort itself out.

[ug45cwb]

It could be that your dot size suits your aim better at 100. I know some top archers have a different scope for each distance, with the aim of a "halo" of gold on each one.
If your dot is say half the size of the gold at 100, you could find this is too small at 80 as it has too much gold to float around in, making your aim sloppy.
Try experimenting with different dots/lenses. The same effect can be achieved (to a lesser degree) by moving your sight bar in.

[Murray]

Been there (almost) - shooting only a couple of points better at 70 than 90, and getting mighty p***ed off about it 50 and 30 were ok... Sometimes you just get these distances where you just can't settle into the shot, and as a result the groups go mad.

*sigh*
I hate this sport.



Anyway, do some tests in practice, with no pressure - measure your group sizes and dozen scores at both distances and see what you can deduce fro that - was it competition pressure perhaps?

[geoffretired]

Following your reply to Schme; perhaps the 60 y is better because of the shock of doing worse at 80y. It would be worth doing 80y first to see the difference, as Flying Whale suggested.The first distance is the only one where you get sighters.A slight error at 80 with no sighters is more damaging than at 60.