# Target Panic



## jersey ga boy (Feb 22, 2008)

does anyone have the cure?


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## Robbie101 (Feb 22, 2008)

Nope, wish they did though......


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## In the zone (Feb 22, 2008)

jersey ga boy said:


> does anyone have the cure?



Determination & work...


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## P&Y FINALY (Feb 22, 2008)

jersey ga boy said:


> does anyone have the cure?



A 4 finger Stanslawski release.


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## Arrow Flinger (Feb 23, 2008)

I use to fight it every year when I layed off shooting for months at a time.  Haven't had a problem since I shoot regularly.  
When it showed up, I would take my target and stick a bunch of 1" dots and back up 10yards and shoot them for an evening.  It takes alot of concentration and makes me slow down.  When I can nail the dots consistantly,  I go back to normal practice.  I have sat in my chair in the evenings and just draw and aim (finger off the trigger).  No arrow of course but concentrating on form and holding on a target for long periods of time.  This will usually push the devil back into control for me.


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## bull0ne (Feb 23, 2008)

Arrow Flinger said:


> I use to fight it every year when I layed off shooting for months at a time.  Haven't had a problem since I shoot regularly.
> When it showed up, I would take my target and stick a bunch of 1" dots and back up 10yards and shoot them for an evening.  It takes alot of concentration and makes me slow down.  When I can nail the dots consistantly,  I go back to normal practice.  I have sat in my chair in the evenings and just draw and aim (finger off the trigger).  No arrow of course but concentrating on form and holding on a target for long periods of time.  This will usually push the devil back into control for me.



Good advice.

I have also seen others stand within ''can't miss'' range of a large target and shoot a few arrows with their eyes closed right at the moment of release. It helps you focus on making a smooth, controlled shot without the worry of missing.

After a few shots like that, you then back up to 10 yards....then further...........ect...ect. If the problem arises again after moving back, move back closer to the target and start over again.


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## reylamb (Feb 23, 2008)

Yup, I have the cure.........but it takes many hours of dedication doing something that is completely boring to eliminate it completely.  You can change sights, change bows, change arrows, even change releases, and immediately think you are cured.  However, if you do not fix the problem it will come back regardless of what changes you have made.......unless you fix the cause of the problem.  Everything else is just a bandaid, not a cure.

Keep in mind, TP is like a recovered alcoholic, they are always an alcoholic.

Here is what you need to do.  Like I said, it is boring.

First, what is the symptom?  Are you doing a drive-by and hammerring the trigger when the pin gets close to the spot?  Are you freezing above or below the spot?  Are you seeing too much pin movement?  Are you flinching before the release?  It really is regardless, at the end of the day TP is a mental thing that is typically caused by a form flaw.

Second, you need to eliminate form flaws being a problem.  Drawlength too long?  Draw weight too much?  Bow weight too much?  To much hand in the grip?  Torquing the grip?  Death Grip? All of these can lead to TP.  You need to find a coach, or someone with a lot of experience with a bow to check your form for flaws.

If you are shooting a trigger, set the trigger tension as heavy as you can get it.  If you are shooting a hinged back tension release, set the travel longer than it is now.  If you are shooting a thumb trigger release, set the trigger weight heavier than it is now.  Hair triggers are the worst thing possible for someone sufferring from TP.

Now, to "fix" it.  Take the sight off your bow.  Stand 3 feet from a LARGE target.  Nock an arrow, close your eyes, concentrate on using your back muscles to make the release trigger, and just focus on the form, this is known as blind bailing.  If you are looking at the target it will not fix the TP.  You will need to do this constantly, consistantly, focusing on nothing but the release for weeks, sometimes months, until you are no longer actually thinking about the release, it becomes subconscience.  

At the point when the release process becomes subconscience you are ready to put the sight back on and work on aiming from 10 yards.  At this point you need to focus on one thing......the spot you want to hit.  Not the pin, the spot.  Once you do get the sight back on you want to aim at the largest spot you can find.....a paper plate works great.  You need to get you mind convinced you can not miss.  You need to overcome the thought process that you have to control the pin.  Focus on the pin and you are not focusing on the spot.  Focus on the spot and your subconscience mind will take care of the pin.  Once you have engrained that process, focusing only on the spot, go to a smaller spot.  Keep going to smaller spots until you are aiming at a spot the size of a dime........still at 10 yards.  Once you get to the point you never miss that spot, move back to 15 yards and start over again with the paper plate, and gradually get smaller with the spot.  

Keep in mind though you need to only go to the smallest spot that is within your skill level.  Trying to get to a spot the diameter of a pencil at 40 yards will never be possible.  Be realistic with your goals.  A 2" spot at 20 yards is realistic, regardless of the1/2" groups @ 40 yards you see people brag about on the internet, that is not realistic, and usually bravado.

I have spoken with Randy Ulmer about this topic for a while.  It was from him that I obtained this process for curing target panic.  At one time Randy was the best 3D tournament archer in the world, and one of the favorites to win any target venue he entered.  Then he got TP.  According to Randy it took 6 months of blind bailing before he was ready to put the sight back on.  It took 9 full months before he had his TP "cured."  To this day he occassionally gets a little TP creeping back in.  When he does he goes right back to the blind bailing to reaffirm the trust in the release.

Sounds boring?  You betcha.  However, it is the only way I know of to truely eliminate TP.  Even then, it is never completely gone, it can creep back into your mind.


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## hiawatha (Feb 23, 2008)

Great advice Reylamb.


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## jersey ga boy (Feb 23, 2008)

thanks for the info everybody. reylamb hit the nail on the head! I freeze below the spot then wind up trying to pull it up&hit the trigger at the same time usally resulting in a major  HERKY JERK this condition is new to me i,ve been shooting 20 years 15years competively which is beside the point i guess the first step in solving the problem is admiting you have a problem.thanks again for the help reylamb


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## bowtie (Feb 23, 2008)

great post...i need to work out some issues myself


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## fountain (Feb 23, 2008)

find a golden key "answer".  it cured me.  i can aim all day long and squeeze like i am supposed to.  the shot will surprise me everytime.  a backtension will work well too.  tru ball makes some really nice ones.


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