I've been frustrated with my shooting for the last couple of weeks as I have been working on some specific form problems. In fact I've been having trouble keeping arrows in a pie plate from any distance. But for some reason today I was in "The Zone" My very first shot from 12 yards was in the 1" bull. ( Nice, but maybe a fluke -the arrow has to end up somewhere!) I moved up to 10 yards, back to 15, then 18, then shot again at around 12 yards. I shot one arrow at each distance - some standing some sitting. I quit after about 30 arrows when I felt I was losing concentration, but every single one of those arrows were within a 4" ring. This may not sound like a big deal for you trad veterans but for me, it's like a 15 handicapper shooting a 35 on the front 9. I think the mental side of this sport is very similar to golf. Some days you just think about where you want the ball to go, take a swing and it goes there. Other days you have no feel at all - you take a swing and look up to see where it went. This morning I felt like I was "willing" the arrow into the bullseye. Weird. Of course next time I may be back to spraying arrows all over the yard, but the memory of those few minutes in the zone will keep me coming back.
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"The Zone" and the mysteries of instinctive shooting
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Originally posted by jerp View PostI've been frustrated with my shooting for the last couple of weeks as I have been working on some specific form problems. In fact I've been having trouble keeping arrows in a pie plate from any distance. But for some reason today I was in "The Zone" My very first shot from 12 yards was in the 1" bull. ( Nice, but maybe a fluke -the arrow has to end up somewhere!) I moved up to 10 yards, back to 15, then 18, then shot again at around 12 yards. I shot one arrow at each distance - some standing some sitting. I quit after about 30 arrows when I felt I was losing concentration, but every single one of those arrows were within a 4" ring. This may not sound like a big deal for you trad veterans but for me, it's like a 15 handicapper shooting a 35 on the front 9. I think the mental side of this sport is very similar to golf. Some days you just think about where you want the ball to go, take a swing and it goes there. Other days you have no feel at all - you take a swing and look up to see where it went. This morning I felt like I was "willing" the arrow into the bullseye. Weird. Of course next time I may be back to spraying arrows all over the yard, but the memory of those few minutes in the zone will keep me coming back.
Bisch
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I remember the first couple of weeks when it all started clicking too. It sounds like you have experienced "being in the zone" also.
For me, form first has to become automatic with no conscious mental input. Just keep in mind that it's very often one-step-forward and two-steps-back and don't get discouraged when it slips.
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Originally posted by fletcherfor2 View PostI remember the first couple of weeks when it all started clicking too. It sounds like you have experienced "being in the zone" also.
For me, form first has to become automatic with no conscious mental input. Just keep in mind that it's very often one-step-forward and two-steps-back and don't get discouraged when it slips.
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When I think too much about any one thing, or all of it together--form, aim--that's generally when I don't shoot as well as when I'm relaxed and just get out there and do it. Of course, at this stage of my game, I'm still working on getting my form down, anchoring right, and picking one spot to aim at rather than seeing the whole target. I have lately learned how to put down my bow after 10-15 arrows if I feel like I'm trying to "muscle" it. That AW bow of mine doesn't seem to respond well when I'm not relaxed and try to force it.
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When I was reading Dr. Love's book, Field Archery Technique I recall working on one form item during each practice session, and often being frustrated because my arrows were not hitting my 9 inch paper plate. The release chapter alone listed 32 possible things that could go wrong, so I was distracted thinking about whether or not I was doing any of those 32 things! I pushed through the chapters one at a time and practiced each form issue until I no longer had to think about it. Then I moved on to the next chapter.
Eventually, I started doing practice sessions with no particular issue in mind, and made my targets progressively smaller. 18 years of yoga have taught me that breathing is the most positive method of focusing the mind while simultaneously unfocusing it. That's what people refer to as being in the zone. It's where I go when I practice yoga, it's where I am now with archery.
My targets are now 2" square and I use four of them on stacked hay bales at different heights. I shoot from unmarked distances of 10 to 30 yards and enjoy shooting every day. I've only been shooting for 6 months, but have improved dramatically, and continue to get better every day. Focus on your form, then focus on your breathing, then focus on your target. It will eventually all come together. Keep at it!
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