Here's a question on target panic sent in by a loyal follower, Kevin.
Question: Out of the blue, I started punching the button on my release. I usually shoot pretty well at the 3D shoots and know I have this bad habit. It is all in my head I am sure. Any suggestions for curing this? I have never done this before.
Answer:
Buddy, I am afraid that what you have is Target Panic. Archers and bowhunters get this and it is so frustrating. It will take some mental discipline to re-train but you can get it back under control. Yours truly went through it for about a year and a half back in the early 90s.
It's simply mind over matter. Most folks get target panic when they begin flinching when shooting, so they hold up under the target so they don't flinch when the pin hits the dot. What we have to do is shoot a lot at close yardage, say 5 yards, and put a piece of tape over your sights so that you just work on execution. Then practice aiming without shooting so that you see the perfect sight picture every time. Do these two things seperate for several weeks or more. Re-training your brain and muscle memory, then try just a few shots normal to see how things are going and always use the practice routine to keep you sharp on your shot. A key thing is not to rush it.
Good luck. It is so rewarding when you conquer target panic.
Travis
Tbone
Question: Out of the blue, I started punching the button on my release. I usually shoot pretty well at the 3D shoots and know I have this bad habit. It is all in my head I am sure. Any suggestions for curing this? I have never done this before.
Answer:
Buddy, I am afraid that what you have is Target Panic. Archers and bowhunters get this and it is so frustrating. It will take some mental discipline to re-train but you can get it back under control. Yours truly went through it for about a year and a half back in the early 90s.
It's simply mind over matter. Most folks get target panic when they begin flinching when shooting, so they hold up under the target so they don't flinch when the pin hits the dot. What we have to do is shoot a lot at close yardage, say 5 yards, and put a piece of tape over your sights so that you just work on execution. Then practice aiming without shooting so that you see the perfect sight picture every time. Do these two things seperate for several weeks or more. Re-training your brain and muscle memory, then try just a few shots normal to see how things are going and always use the practice routine to keep you sharp on your shot. A key thing is not to rush it.
Good luck. It is so rewarding when you conquer target panic.
Travis
Tbone
I feel your pain... I constantly fight it. I have found the more I care about what I score, the more I suffer from target panic. If I shoot a club shoot I score really well, usually because the score doesn't count for nothing and I am having a good time with friends. But get me in a tournament scenario were I really want to score well, and blamo... target panic.
I think it has a lot to do with that pin wobbling around when you start with the push/pull through your shot. If you execute the shot correctly, you should be surprised when the release lets go. But not knowing when the release is letting go causes the panic. You are thinking "what happens if this wobbling pin is way off course when this release lets go?". So what happens next is when the pin crosses over the spot your aiming you punch the trigger. Then you have a case of target panic.
What helps me is to take satisfaction in shot execution, and not in what did I score. That is hard to do, but I find if I don't care about my score and focus on execution, the score will follow right in line. Also work on forgetting the bad shots. That will also set off target panic. Many great golfers are successful because they don't let the bad score on the last hole bother them.
T-bone is right. It is mind over matter.
Todd - Indiana
Hey T-Bone,
Thanks for the tips. Great blog. Talk to ya later.
God Bless & Good Huntin'
Kristle Oberlander
I have to find the place that relaxes me the most.Then i imagine myself in that very position.I even say a word that describes this place in my mind.Which allows me to focus on aiming instead of the release.Hope this helps someone overcome taget panic good luck dennis