Releases and target panic issues - 07/06/09
This may not make much sense to non-archers, or even many archery folks in general. It's a specific issue that seems to rear it's ugly head for a percentage of bow hunters that have switched to a release from fingers. Remember finger shooting? back in the old days, 8 tracks, cassettes, manual roll up car windows. Or for those that have always used a release.
The problem that I'm referring to is hitting the trigger without full control, or with some sort of "spasm" before you're dead steady on target. I never did this with my release, until two years ago. Now everytime I draw the bow and hold steady for the shot, I have this kind of a "panic" in my mind that its gonna happen. Sure enough once that seed is planted it's near impossible to recover. For some archers,..... maybe for life.
I've spoken to some of the more outstanding archers and countless bow shop owners and "pros" about this. They actually have a name for the condition it's called "target panic". I've heard numbers from these folks ranging from 10% to "everyone shooting a release will eventually have this happen"...... So..... great it's not just me, or..... oh crap it's .. "me too"
The up side to this for me is that it's only with targets, I've never had this happen with my total concentration aiming and shooting game. So the issue is completely mental. In the world of firearms we would probably refer to this as "flinching" but it's not at all the same problem. For me, the problem is the trigger of an archery release, They are deliberately designed to have a hair trigger. ( where did that come from anyhow.... "Hair trigger" I guess we know what it means...... but how do we know this?) My firearms all have a 2.8 lb trigger pull, trying to smootly squeeze the archery release is not an option. If a gnat were to land on that trigger it would fire. ( maybe we should call this "gnat trigger")
So the instant you feel you're on target, you touch the trigger and it's done. problem is the sights are swimming around the dead center of the bull and you touch off the shot when the pin is dead on but it moves as you touch the trigger and then you jerk from the surprise and your arrow is 15" away from the intended point of impact. After this happens one time, good luck with the recovery process the rest of the target session!
The solution....... not so easy. This does not happen to anyone (to my knowledge) with a finger release, or with instinctive shooters. So you could switch over to one of those systems if this becomes a real problem.
Then we have the shooting blind folded at a bale of straw too big to miss from 5 yards. Ya gotta do this something like a million times so that you can get all your muscles working in sync, and trigger control back, this may take many years of dedicated and then intermittant practice to make work. I gave up the first hour., Just cannot seem to get into shooting from five yards blindfolded
Then there is the back tension system, which I felt was the most logical. You set up the bow to be dead on the money at full draw, and then squeeze your shoulder blades together which pulls your finger back and the bow fires. So you're not actually using the finger to pull the trigger, but rather you're using your finger as a mechanical hook to pull it when you squeeze the shoulder blades together. This actually worked really well for me, but there were times when I bumped or even jerked/ spasmed, blinked, or a small underfed gnat landed on the trigger and let the arrow fly.
So I have this beautiful Mathews bow and I'm about to sell it and go back to finger shooting, long issue with that, but you can't shoot a short bow with fingers, that's another topic. Just know that when you shoot fingers you need the longest string you can handle for a good smooth release. I have now invested in 4-5 releases, and countless hours of various mental practice, and each time I think i've got it back and I'm good to go .............zing and arrow goes off into the sunset. Wow how depressing.
Then in Africa this year, I have two bow hunters whom I am working as the PH (professional hunter) and they low and behold both have this same problem. At this point I'm thinking my tracking dog is gonna be in for a real weeks work finding the animals these guys are gonna "shoot at".
Neither is the slightest bit concerned and when they are shooting for practice after they arrive. They are deadly calm and certain of every shot. So how did they manage this?
Well..... this problem may be far more common then I had been led to believe. These guys who together own a rather large archery pro shop back east claim most folks will have this "target panic" at some point in their lives. Target archers being the worst, but due to the controlled conditions of competition they learn the back tension system and make it work perfectly. Hunters with the problem are not as common but they have much greater complications with the fix. This is due to all the environmental influences surrounding the hunting fields, and the bulky clothing. Not to mention the excitment and possible "buck fever" issues to add to it.
They told me of a company that makes a release which is set to your bows draw weight. It's fully adjustable for the holding weight and the secondary function of the release weight. When you draw the bow and settle in on target, you calmly continue to draw and when the preset holding weight is exceeded the bow will release. There is no trigger on this release, it's just a hook and a safety. You hold the safety in so that you can let down if needed, then draw back settle in and take a breath let go of the safety and then slighly pull back until you hit the point of release. Wow a surprise release while on target every time.
A PNW company (in Idaho)by the name of Carter makes these. Cost wise they are quite proud of them! But what a magic device for the bow hunter nearing the point of giving up and going back to a finger release. It absolutely takes some time to set up and practice with. However once you get into the groove with this, it's magic. It is not possible to stab at the trigger, (there is no trigger) and it requres additional slow and steady force to make the bow fire. I'm sure there is some way I can find to screw this up too, but so far, it's been a flawless fix for the "target panic" issues I developed.
The problem that I'm referring to is hitting the trigger without full control, or with some sort of "spasm" before you're dead steady on target. I never did this with my release, until two years ago. Now everytime I draw the bow and hold steady for the shot, I have this kind of a "panic" in my mind that its gonna happen. Sure enough once that seed is planted it's near impossible to recover. For some archers,..... maybe for life.
I've spoken to some of the more outstanding archers and countless bow shop owners and "pros" about this. They actually have a name for the condition it's called "target panic". I've heard numbers from these folks ranging from 10% to "everyone shooting a release will eventually have this happen"...... So..... great it's not just me, or..... oh crap it's .. "me too"
The up side to this for me is that it's only with targets, I've never had this happen with my total concentration aiming and shooting game. So the issue is completely mental. In the world of firearms we would probably refer to this as "flinching" but it's not at all the same problem. For me, the problem is the trigger of an archery release, They are deliberately designed to have a hair trigger. ( where did that come from anyhow.... "Hair trigger" I guess we know what it means...... but how do we know this?) My firearms all have a 2.8 lb trigger pull, trying to smootly squeeze the archery release is not an option. If a gnat were to land on that trigger it would fire. ( maybe we should call this "gnat trigger")
So the instant you feel you're on target, you touch the trigger and it's done. problem is the sights are swimming around the dead center of the bull and you touch off the shot when the pin is dead on but it moves as you touch the trigger and then you jerk from the surprise and your arrow is 15" away from the intended point of impact. After this happens one time, good luck with the recovery process the rest of the target session!
The solution....... not so easy. This does not happen to anyone (to my knowledge) with a finger release, or with instinctive shooters. So you could switch over to one of those systems if this becomes a real problem.
Then we have the shooting blind folded at a bale of straw too big to miss from 5 yards. Ya gotta do this something like a million times so that you can get all your muscles working in sync, and trigger control back, this may take many years of dedicated and then intermittant practice to make work. I gave up the first hour., Just cannot seem to get into shooting from five yards blindfolded
Then there is the back tension system, which I felt was the most logical. You set up the bow to be dead on the money at full draw, and then squeeze your shoulder blades together which pulls your finger back and the bow fires. So you're not actually using the finger to pull the trigger, but rather you're using your finger as a mechanical hook to pull it when you squeeze the shoulder blades together. This actually worked really well for me, but there were times when I bumped or even jerked/ spasmed, blinked, or a small underfed gnat landed on the trigger and let the arrow fly.
So I have this beautiful Mathews bow and I'm about to sell it and go back to finger shooting, long issue with that, but you can't shoot a short bow with fingers, that's another topic. Just know that when you shoot fingers you need the longest string you can handle for a good smooth release. I have now invested in 4-5 releases, and countless hours of various mental practice, and each time I think i've got it back and I'm good to go .............zing and arrow goes off into the sunset. Wow how depressing.
Then in Africa this year, I have two bow hunters whom I am working as the PH (professional hunter) and they low and behold both have this same problem. At this point I'm thinking my tracking dog is gonna be in for a real weeks work finding the animals these guys are gonna "shoot at".
Neither is the slightest bit concerned and when they are shooting for practice after they arrive. They are deadly calm and certain of every shot. So how did they manage this?
Well..... this problem may be far more common then I had been led to believe. These guys who together own a rather large archery pro shop back east claim most folks will have this "target panic" at some point in their lives. Target archers being the worst, but due to the controlled conditions of competition they learn the back tension system and make it work perfectly. Hunters with the problem are not as common but they have much greater complications with the fix. This is due to all the environmental influences surrounding the hunting fields, and the bulky clothing. Not to mention the excitment and possible "buck fever" issues to add to it.
They told me of a company that makes a release which is set to your bows draw weight. It's fully adjustable for the holding weight and the secondary function of the release weight. When you draw the bow and settle in on target, you calmly continue to draw and when the preset holding weight is exceeded the bow will release. There is no trigger on this release, it's just a hook and a safety. You hold the safety in so that you can let down if needed, then draw back settle in and take a breath let go of the safety and then slighly pull back until you hit the point of release. Wow a surprise release while on target every time.
A PNW company (in Idaho)by the name of Carter makes these. Cost wise they are quite proud of them! But what a magic device for the bow hunter nearing the point of giving up and going back to a finger release. It absolutely takes some time to set up and practice with. However once you get into the groove with this, it's magic. It is not possible to stab at the trigger, (there is no trigger) and it requres additional slow and steady force to make the bow fire. I'm sure there is some way I can find to screw this up too, but so far, it's been a flawless fix for the "target panic" issues I developed.