How-To
Decrease Target Panic and Improve Accuracy
It Starts with the Mental Game
Whether you think you can or you can’t… you are right either way.
A. Determination in each shot.
B. Decisions are vocal.
C. Presence helps you be aware of where you feel anxious and forced.
D. Concentration does not give in to open-loop thoughts. Correct what went wrong with the shot.
-You need to see in your mind’s eye how each shot will go off and be determined and confident it will happen in a controlled way.
-Accuracy is found in a combination of three things. It’s like a three-legged stool. The first leg is your bow. Your bow must be set up to you. Don’t shoot a bow that has a draw length that is too long or too short. If you’re choosing a draw length with speed in mind or how it compares to others, you’re doing it wrong. This will affect the aim of the bow. Don’t shoot a bow that has too much poundage for you to pull comfortably. It is better to hit where you are aiming at a slower speed than to miss at a faster speed. Balance the bow with the right weighted stabilizer. This will help keep the body from reacting to the shot of the bow. This is where target panic starts. Once your bow is set up to you, is tuned shooting the correct spine arrow, and sighted in correctly, then you can move on to leg two. The peep sight. Keep in mind, stance, position, how you hold the bow and how your form is matters in accuracy.
This is the most overlooked strategy to accuracy. It is your repeatable alignment system. George Ryles says that it is the most important part of the bow for accuracy, so let us examine what it can do for our accuracy. Peep sight size helps us align with our sight housing. To be most accurate you want a peep sight that is as small as it can be but will still let in enough light so that is doesn’t affect the visual field. A peep sight will appear different sizes in different lighting conditions. The best way to alight the peep is not to match the outer part of the sight housing, but to let it overlap the sight housing. This will allow you to still align with the sight housing in low light conditions. A ¼” peep lets in the most light but usually doesn’t align with the sight housing. A 1/8” to 5/32” size peep will provide the most accuracy by aligning with the sight housing but will not let in the most light or provide a good sight picture for the eye. This is where the Clear Vizion Peep shines. It accomplishes these two important features. Choose a peep that has micro anchoring, is dark, black in color, is small but will let in the most light, and has a large field of view. It will solve all the pain points that occur with other peep sights. The final leg is your release aid.
You want a release that is either a hinge or one that provides a click. This is the only way to shoot a surprised shot or a controlled shot. In reality you can get away with a little control in your shot, but target panic will creep in and you'll start punching the trigger, and you don’t want that to happen. The pros usually shoot a hinge or at least train with one. A good release with a click is the Stan clicker. Now that you understand the three legs to accuracy you can begin your work.
Ask yourself these questions. You should be able to explain all of them, if not, you need to find the answer.
-How do you aim? How do you make the trigger go off? How do you put the pin in the center of the target? How do you get your pin to the middle of your target if it falls out. Why does it fall out? Can you slowly execute the trigger while pin is on target without feeling rushed or anxious? THE PIN DOESN’T PULL THE TRIGGER. Etc.
-The reality is no one can hold the pin still in the center of the target. Enjoy the float.
-Control is not thinking. Control is speaking louder than your thoughts and executing. Target panic happens in an open loop system through thoughts. Shooting a controlled shot is a closed loop system.
Steps in the Shot Process: Curing Target Panic.
-Aim. You need to get the pin in the center and only focus on the target. Get the pin on target fast and enjoy the float. You have 6-8 seconds before the shot breaks down. DON’T LET THIS BE THE REASON TO PUNCH THE TRIGGER. Choose a release that lets you be ready to execute without the worry that it will go off if you move it a little bit.
-Peep to sight alignment is key. The peep should give you feedback and align with your sight housing with no gaps and no full eclipse. Then anchor. Micro feedback from your peep sight and a great sight picture will decrease target panic.
-Focus on the target as a whole and find the center or see the center and focus on the spot and get comfortable with the pin float. Enjoy the pin float. Once the aim is complete, let it float, and move on to the next step. In reality no one can multitask. How quick you can get to each task and back and correct each task while speaking aloud will decrease target panic.
-A well set up bow to the archer will have little pin float and return to the center quickly. If you are stuck off target and punch, this is target panic. See Drills to cure target panic. WE DON’T SHOOT BETTER BY FOCUSING ON AIMING…WE SHOOT BETTER WITH A SMALL PIN FLOAT OVER OUR AIMING SPOT, THEN BY PRESSURE IN THE TRIGGER AND A SURPRISED SHOT.
-Wrap the Finger on the Trigger. If you are shooting an index release, make sure that you finger is set deep. No pressing the trigger with the tip of your finger. Only one finger on the trigger. The other fingers should be relaxed. The finger does not move, it stays locked. The shot is initiated by pulling through the trigger. You will do that same thing with a thumb activated trigger. One of the best releases is one that has a click in it. The click brings the mind back into the shot. If your focus goes to the aim, talk through the process and get back to the trigger
-YOU MUST THEN SAY, “HERE I GO, AND START THE RELEASE PROCESS.”
-THE PRESSURE MUST INCREASE SLOWLY. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO STOP THE PRESSURE AT ANYTIME. IT MUST BE 100% SURPRISE OR ELSE YOU ARE PUNCHING AND INCONSISTENT SHOTS WILL HAPPEN.
Drills
Pin on target. Go through shot sequence, get the pin on the center of the target, then get the finger on the trigger. Float the pin as small as you can…THEN LET DOWN AND REPEAT. THE PIN DOES’T TELL THE TRIGGER TO GO OFF.
Trigger pull: Stand close to the target and point the arrow at the target. Close your eyes and pull through the trigger until a surprise release happens. Go as slow as you can 5-8 seconds. Repeat
Aligning Peep. 6 to 9 drill. Once the pin is on the target align the peep with the housing. Look at 6 o’clock to make sure there is no gap. Look at 9 o'clock to make sure there is no gap and make sure these are balanced. Then look at the level, then back from 9 o'clock to 6 o'clock. The is also a field of view that allows you to visually look at the larger picture. You should be able to see all of the peep, sight housing, target etc. Practive this view.
Pin on target. ACCEPT PIN MOVEMENT. Aim at the center of target with a large circle. Stand 3-5 yards from the target. Get comfortable with the pin floating and moving through the circle. Talk through the shot process and shoot an arrow in the center. Practice close at the large circle, then close at a small circle. Move back when you can hit 10/10 centers. Move back five yards and repeat. Do not rush this process. This will be key in knowing how to engage and execute the trigger without anxiety or target panic. THIS IS THE SECRET.
Avoid Punching the Trigger: Stand on one leg and shoot. This will amplify everything. You are still not allowed to punch the trigger. Go through the shot process. SET A HEAVEY TRIGGER. NO LIGHT TRIGGER PRESSURE.
If you can shoot with two eyes open great. This is especially nice in low light conditions and when hunting. Practice this. This will be a life change in every shooting situation. This is another KEY SECRET.
TARGET PANIC IS NOT HAVING CONTROL OVER THE TRIGGER WHEN THE PIN IS IN THE CENTER OF THE TARGET. TARGET PANIC HAPPENS WHEN OPEN LOOP SHOOTING OCCURS.
This information was obtained from commentary by Joel Turner, Levi Morgan, and John Dudley from Youtube.
Vizionusa.com for all your peep sight needs.