Case of the Shanks?

[headgear]

Anyone else have this problem, not sure if it is the excitement or nervs or what but for the past three years a week or two before the season opens my shooting goes to sh*t. I've been shooting bullets all summer, a few days ago everything went great. I go out this morning to fling a few arrows and I am all over the place. I don't see anything wrong with my bow but I can't stop questioning if my form is suddenly changed, if I am over or under thinking anything, I should pretty much be on auto pilot but clearly something is wrong either physical or mental.

If history is any guide things will be fine in a few days and I have never had this happen during open season but it is a little scary because you feel like you don't have control any more.

[BigHunt]

Anyone else have this problem, not sure if it is the excitement or nervs or what but for the past three years a week or two before the season opens my shooting goes to sh*t. I've been shooting bullets all summer, a few days ago everything went great. I go out this morning to fling a few arrows and I am all over the place. I don't see anything wrong with my bow but I can't stop questioning if my form is suddenly changed, if I am over or under thinking anything, I should pretty much be on auto pilot but clearly something is wrong either physical or mental.

If history is any guide things will be fine in a few days and I have never had this happen during open season but it is a little scary because you feel like you don't have control any more.

[Arrowbender]

That used to happen to me almost every year. It was my form. I think when you shoot too much you loose your discipline and start to mess up. For me it was almost always not following through and I would pull everything left, now if that starts to happen; I just put it up, and skip a day or two then go back at it a little more in moderation.

[BigHunt]

just like the guitar ...fifteen minutes a days is all you need to pratcie for it to stick

[Stanley]

Concentration (lack of) would be my guess.

[headgear]

That used to happen to me almost every year. It was my form. I think when you shoot too much you loose your discipline and start to mess up. For me it was almost always not following through and I would pull everything left, now if that starts to happen; I just put it up, and skip a day or two then go back at it a little more in moderation.

Wow I think you hit the nail on the head, might be shooting a little to much and losing my form. Then I try messing with my form and everything gets worse. Funny a lot of my arrows are going left too. Time to give it a rest and come back a little more focused the next time. You would think I would learn, my wife says I have been doing this forever so it's probably been a lot longer then 3 years.

[Stanley]

That used to happen to me almost every year. It was my form. I think when you shoot too much you loose your discipline and start to mess up. For me it was almost always not following through and I would pull everything left, now if that starts to happen; I just put it up, and skip a day or two then go back at it a little more in moderation.

Yep, lack of concentration.

[kenn1320]

I used to chase my groups as time went on during the year. It was my form improving and getting back to that sweet spot. Then I would put the bow up for the year and the next time out months later my sight would be off and the process would repeat. Since I shoot a longbow daily and my wheels only a few times a year, I can hit about anything with it anytime I want. I suppose there is such a thing as over practicing and picking up bad habits. Seriously if you have a peep sight and a front sight, how can you really all of a sudden start to shoot poorly? Remember the basics, solid anchor, don't drop your arm, align the round pin guard(you are using a round pin guard right?) in the peep, don't hold at full draw for too long, dont grip the bow, and dont purposely hold your hand fully open either, squeeze the release and bulls eye! Your peep should be the smallest you can use and still see your round pin guard. You want to be able to have them concentric with each other. If they are not, your rear sight isn't truly aligned.

[swamp-assassin]

i have to agree with shooting too much,,,i have had that happen to me and as soon as i stopped shooting as much, it stopped happening..now i get the bow out in june and make sure its dialed in and tuned right, then i just shoot maybe 3 times a week for about 10-15 min. until right about now in september i just put it in the case and not touch it until its time to hunt

[NatureBoy]

...when you shoot too much you loose your discipline and start to mess up...skip a day or two then go back at it a little more in moderation.

Totally agree with this. At this point in the game, no more than 30 arrows a day. Less if possible. The heavy practice should take place in the summer.

[dan]

I certainly don't have a problem shooting "to much"
Where I have shooting issues is when I shoot for extended periods. I loose my accuracy after about 20 minutes of shooting and would have trouble getting it back... But I realize that the only arrow that counts is the 1st one. So as long as any time I pick the bow up, the 1st round of shots is in the kill zone, thats all that matters to me.

[BigHunt]

I certainly don't have a problem shooting "to much"
Where I have shooting issues is when I shoot for extended periods. I loose my accuracy after about 20 minutes of shooting and would have trouble getting it back... But I realize that the only arrow that counts is the 1st one. So as long as any time I pick the bow up, the 1st round of shots is in the kill zone, thats all that matters to me.

nicely said dan

[Zap]

I am going up to the range to shoot my bow.......

[BigHunt]

I am going up to the range to shoot my bow.......

sweet good luck zap

[Zap]

Started shootin 15 minutes after sunset.

Shot from 38 thru fifty five.

Best group was first, 38 yards.









Worst group, 46 yards.




Shanked one..........