Target Panic....that cancerous affliction, we will likely all have to deal with it at some point.Target Panic, will for this blog, be shortened to TP. TP for target panic and that your shot goes down the toilet.
My biggest bout came after some back and forth on a 3D forum that made me hyper self aware if anyone was watching me. I had been shooting well and felt like I had to make a perfect shot when I was on a GSB 3D course. This of course is the crux of TP, I became outcome based instead of process based. I started punching the wrist caliper very badly, with gyrations and spasms both before and during my punch.one of these flinches was so bad I missed a relatively easy shot by about 3 feet high and 11 feet left. the TP was just when people were around, then as I was trying to fix it, it insidiously infected every shot, no matter if I was alone or not.
I came very close to not shooting at all but decided to do some looking into how to fix this mental collapse. First I bought a 2 finger Stanislawski release, but at the time no one was shooting hinges in my circle . After a couple near face punches I bought a 2 finger Zenith Back Tension kit. the video was great and so was the release. Now I had 2 BT releases set at slightly different travels. This actually fixed the shot because I was hyper focused on getting it to fire. that 2 finger Stan won me my first and only MBO shoot off for first, not even a full year after almost quitting.
I got lucky, this does not fix TP for most and many who switch just cheat the hinge and actuate it on command like a trigger.
I was thinking about this sickness a couple days ago. over the years I have read and watched many items on the curing of TP, through all of them 2 recurring themes come up.
1. you have to learn to aim without shooting......
2. you have to learn to shoot without aiming......
I am actually working through a students TP this JOAD cycle, and my wife has it bad. Both need to commit to fixing it if this is going to work.It is frustrating to hear a student hadn't picked up their bow since last JOAD.
Anyways. how I will be working through Kim's ( my bestie and best half) issue is,
Step 1......
I am going to place a one inch circle on my rolling target stand and put her 3 feet away. I am going to have her go through the shot process steps until she gets to anchor. Then I will have her apply light pressure to the thumb trigger, hold until the hold gets unstable then let down. Right now as soon as she gets the pin in the yellow she jerks and flinches. so we need to retrain her subconscious to aim with out expectation of the shot being shot. I expect we will do this for 2 weeks or so, never shooting an arrow.
Setp 2..... I then will have her follow the steps until she gets her thumb contact, then shut here eyes and shoot with her eyes closed for another 2 weeks or so to retrain her subconscious to fire independently from what she is seeing,with extra focus on the feel of the expansion.by this time she should not be hammering the trigger but be conditioned to engage the peg and wait. so if she closes her eyes now she can just squeeze her rhomboids in and the shot should go.
Step 3. After this I will have her shoot 15 arrows with deliberate focus on each step of her shot process. AT A TARGET .In the 15 shots I will likely count her down, tell her to shoot or let down.If we back slide we will go back to aiming only, then back through blind bale.
This is not entirely my cure, it was distilled from many other approaches. Levi Morgan is a big believer in aiming without shooting as a cure. Others think blank bale is the biggest benefit to a cure. Reo Wilde suggests blank bale first, but as I said, I have reasons against this sequence.
I think both are equally important. I do ,however, feel that aiming without shooting should be done first. Most of the issue is in regards to aiming initiating a shot. So blank bale does not fix this. I have seen it time and again, people make a thousand good blank bale executions then as soon as that pin touches yellow BAM! the feel of the shot absent of a target should be done after learning not to jump on the trigger.It is very important to get this feel overall, but not as important in the cure.
Once you can get on target and let it sit ,you have programmed your mind to wait for the shot to go off, not make the shot go off.
I hope those ideas can help those afflicted .
Friday, July 28, 2017
110%?????....about 30% too much
Let me share a few thoughts on effort in archery. There is a culture in sport that anything less than 100% effort...110% for the mathematically challenged, is not doing your best. This may apply to some sports such as powerlifting, sprinting, wrestling and some others. For archery ,about the only time you should be giving all our effort is while learning and subsequently conditioning the subconscious, in new skills.
As archers we WANT the mind to relinquish control to the subconscious. so by giving all out focus we are in fact hurting the process of making a good shot. when we are learning we have to give focus to what we are trying to do. if we are working on a consistent grip we must consciously place the hand in the same spot, make sure the pressure point is the same, and make sure we relax the grip to avoid torque. we must do this in practice until it becomes natural and repeatable. Muscle memory and the subconscious will , at some point, place the hand where you used to think about placing it.
Same goes with increasing back tension, when in training you need to think about the small motion of rhomboid contraction, scapula rotation and bringing LAN 2 around the spine. Without thinking about this you will not be aware of feel of a good execution. Feel cannot be over emphasized here, if you know what it feels like, your subconscious will know if something is awry.
Did you notice I said training and not practice? Training and practice are different. When we train we give lots of focus to what we are doing. we actually do NOT want to do this in practice, practice should be your shot . Why would we practice thinking about anything? We want to practice our subconscious shot.
Now here is where I may differ from some other coaches. I feel like practice should always be scored. Practice should be being used to gauge where we are and if we are making forward or backwards steps. We should never score in training. for one thing scoring takes focus off what we should be giving 100% too. I don't care if a training shot misses the bale....if the grip was the same when working on grip then the shot is perfect. practice ends should have no focus on any aspect of the shot, just marching through the shot process. Focus on making the steps and score the shot.
Now this does not mean a coach should not make corrections. If a correction is suggested the archer should take one "mental shot" or 2 with focus to what is incorrect . For example if Stella McStellapants is not getting to hold and ripping one down range as soon as they get their anchor set, I would say "make sure you transfer to hold". Stella would then close her eyes, and go through every step of the shot until anchor is met ,then take extra mental care to feel the transfer. After one or two she would draw her bow and make the shot. For reinforcement purpose this aspect of the shot may have a little focus, with emphasis on feeling the transfer.Then back to practicing the process of the shot.
Score is only a tool to measure progress.
Blank bale is training.....
Holding drills are training.....
Practice what you are trying to do in competition, this include the mental side which should all be auto pilot subconscious execution.
Up next overcoming target panic strategy .
As archers we WANT the mind to relinquish control to the subconscious. so by giving all out focus we are in fact hurting the process of making a good shot. when we are learning we have to give focus to what we are trying to do. if we are working on a consistent grip we must consciously place the hand in the same spot, make sure the pressure point is the same, and make sure we relax the grip to avoid torque. we must do this in practice until it becomes natural and repeatable. Muscle memory and the subconscious will , at some point, place the hand where you used to think about placing it.
Same goes with increasing back tension, when in training you need to think about the small motion of rhomboid contraction, scapula rotation and bringing LAN 2 around the spine. Without thinking about this you will not be aware of feel of a good execution. Feel cannot be over emphasized here, if you know what it feels like, your subconscious will know if something is awry.
Did you notice I said training and not practice? Training and practice are different. When we train we give lots of focus to what we are doing. we actually do NOT want to do this in practice, practice should be your shot . Why would we practice thinking about anything? We want to practice our subconscious shot.
Now here is where I may differ from some other coaches. I feel like practice should always be scored. Practice should be being used to gauge where we are and if we are making forward or backwards steps. We should never score in training. for one thing scoring takes focus off what we should be giving 100% too. I don't care if a training shot misses the bale....if the grip was the same when working on grip then the shot is perfect. practice ends should have no focus on any aspect of the shot, just marching through the shot process. Focus on making the steps and score the shot.
Now this does not mean a coach should not make corrections. If a correction is suggested the archer should take one "mental shot" or 2 with focus to what is incorrect . For example if Stella McStellapants is not getting to hold and ripping one down range as soon as they get their anchor set, I would say "make sure you transfer to hold". Stella would then close her eyes, and go through every step of the shot until anchor is met ,then take extra mental care to feel the transfer. After one or two she would draw her bow and make the shot. For reinforcement purpose this aspect of the shot may have a little focus, with emphasis on feeling the transfer.Then back to practicing the process of the shot.
Score is only a tool to measure progress.
Blank bale is training.....
Holding drills are training.....
Practice what you are trying to do in competition, this include the mental side which should all be auto pilot subconscious execution.
Up next overcoming target panic strategy .
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
PSE and the LAS limb pocket
so, I am embarrassed to say that when I got my X Pression 3D's I just slapped some stuff on and started shooting , always saying i will tune it next week yada yada yada. then I took the outdoor match season and shot recurve. My bow was on the hook and the other in the case.
I took it out last weekend, sighted in and walked a couple 15 target 3d courses. the center shot was way out side of center. so much in cat that I thought I would need to move axle shims.
I had not adjusted the LAS which move the limb tips slightly for tuning. I was gob smacked with the small amount of adjustment needed to get the string centered in the grip and behind a center mounted blade rest.. less than a full turn on top and less than a half turn on the bottom and it is as perfectly centered as my eye could see.
oddly I could get a decent paper hole, even off like it was.
I took it out last weekend, sighted in and walked a couple 15 target 3d courses. the center shot was way out side of center. so much in cat that I thought I would need to move axle shims.
I had not adjusted the LAS which move the limb tips slightly for tuning. I was gob smacked with the small amount of adjustment needed to get the string centered in the grip and behind a center mounted blade rest.. less than a full turn on top and less than a half turn on the bottom and it is as perfectly centered as my eye could see.
oddly I could get a decent paper hole, even off like it was.
very small rest moves got the bottom pic. and the rest of the holes were not giant either. I will be fine tuning this weekend and expect it to be hammering! Even though I was getting a good hole, french tuning was a struggle and eventually I gave up until I could get it centered. The further out the more left it went, didn't matter much what I did with the rest.
Anyways, my first messing about with the LAS was positive and I am impressed to say the least.
One point of interest it I was moving it the wrong way at first pulling the cam towards me to move the string away from me like a limb on a recurve. Then I realized that a cam has the string position see sawed on the axle so the bottom of the cam goes opposite of the top of the cam, which is where the sting groove would be on a 'curve.. ahhh problems all solved.
Before I go, and this will be of interest in those who go to IBO worlds. Mt Sunapee in NH has put in an archery 3D course as part of their Adventure Park. They have all new Reinhart Targets , they only have 15 at this point. they are nice targets Elk, Moose Mt Goat and Dall sheep plus many more. the course is challenging , and excellent practice for 7 Springs PA. you take the lift up and walk to the course, it is a bit away from the mountain bike and hiking trails, with practice bags just near target 1. all this for 10 bucks. worth it for the physical conditioning at a very minimum .
As you may know i am off the FB , but I do have a twitter acct. I plan on using that to announce deals for straps and other items of interest. InsideOutAcademy can be found @HD_Castle
that is where this Twit Tweets!
Friday, July 14, 2017
lets talk about "adjustibility" as a selling feature
I was just thinking about adjustment range as a selling point for archery gear. on the surface it seems like a great thing to have, and for some gear it really is. For an Archer who is done or near done their growth it can actually be a bad thing.
Now, I am not talking a bout 4 or so inches, but the big adjustment rigs that go from 8-15 to 28-30, these are meant to fit a huge range of shooters, but the down side is the shape of the cam cannot be all that aggressive, that means less performance.
For adult archers they would be much better suited getting an adult bow. The cam is designed to function at the range it is marked at.another thing to consider is that beginner bows that are marketed as "grow with you" generally have terrible back walls. with poor to no existent stops.why does this matter? because if you are executing the shot properly you should be expanding, and if the release can travel backwards instead of firing when the HAND gets pulled back via rotation of the elbow/scapula it WILL cause shot anticipation and drive by actuation.
So for BOWS....unless you have a small child don't worry too much about how adjustable it is, fact is if they are serious about the sport they will be looking for a better performing bow well before they are thru the DL range.
Another thing to think about is if you are a girl, with short parents and are petite to begin with the adjustment to say ..30" 70# is not relevant anyways.
Some will argue that the resale is better with a lot of DL/DW range, I don't really believe this is true.
For somethings it is a good selling point, release aids come to mind.being able to really fit a release to YOUR hand IS very important. the thumb peg on a handheld button is critical to a good release. searching leads to punching.same with a wrist release, the barrel needs to get the trigger in a position where it can be fully wrapped by the finger, a deep hook if you will.
then there is timing on a hinge, and speed of the hinge. trigger releases must be adjustable for 2 things to be worth even buying. 1. travel, a squishy trigger is problematic and cancerous to your shot, if you feel it move before it fires you will eventually squeeze it to make it go faster. 2.tension, for a good back tension shot to happen( being aggressive and powerful in the shot) you must be able to build tension and rotate. so a heavy trigger lets this occur naturally , a light trigger goes before back tension can really happen. it also,for wrist shooters, allows for a slap.
there has been the thought that a hair trigger is best for decades...this is just not truth. truth is, if you are actuating the trigger by finger motion you are not shooting to your potential.
smell ya later
Handsome Dave
Now, I am not talking a bout 4 or so inches, but the big adjustment rigs that go from 8-15 to 28-30, these are meant to fit a huge range of shooters, but the down side is the shape of the cam cannot be all that aggressive, that means less performance.
For adult archers they would be much better suited getting an adult bow. The cam is designed to function at the range it is marked at.another thing to consider is that beginner bows that are marketed as "grow with you" generally have terrible back walls. with poor to no existent stops.why does this matter? because if you are executing the shot properly you should be expanding, and if the release can travel backwards instead of firing when the HAND gets pulled back via rotation of the elbow/scapula it WILL cause shot anticipation and drive by actuation.
So for BOWS....unless you have a small child don't worry too much about how adjustable it is, fact is if they are serious about the sport they will be looking for a better performing bow well before they are thru the DL range.
Another thing to think about is if you are a girl, with short parents and are petite to begin with the adjustment to say ..30" 70# is not relevant anyways.
Some will argue that the resale is better with a lot of DL/DW range, I don't really believe this is true.
For somethings it is a good selling point, release aids come to mind.being able to really fit a release to YOUR hand IS very important. the thumb peg on a handheld button is critical to a good release. searching leads to punching.same with a wrist release, the barrel needs to get the trigger in a position where it can be fully wrapped by the finger, a deep hook if you will.
then there is timing on a hinge, and speed of the hinge. trigger releases must be adjustable for 2 things to be worth even buying. 1. travel, a squishy trigger is problematic and cancerous to your shot, if you feel it move before it fires you will eventually squeeze it to make it go faster. 2.tension, for a good back tension shot to happen( being aggressive and powerful in the shot) you must be able to build tension and rotate. so a heavy trigger lets this occur naturally , a light trigger goes before back tension can really happen. it also,for wrist shooters, allows for a slap.
there has been the thought that a hair trigger is best for decades...this is just not truth. truth is, if you are actuating the trigger by finger motion you are not shooting to your potential.
smell ya later
Handsome Dave
Thursday, July 13, 2017
about ready to breakout the compound......
So as mentioned, I have been shooting the Recurve for the summer tournament season, my season is over. I qualified for IBO Worlds in RU, and also shot the outdoor archers cup.
It was a good ,fun, summer season. But it is now time to get back to serious business...compound indoor season. I still haven't tuned or gotten sight marks for my "outdoor" Xpression 3D.
Why go back and fourth? Well....I am the only compound coach for our JOAD club, everyone else has been trained with recurve as the focus. this is cool and I can dig it, but compound does have some minor differences that need an experienced compound coach to see.
I shot the recurve for the season to become a better coach, along with a little personal challenge. I feel it was a productive season on both respects.and it is likely I will shoot recurve some next year for the outdoor season. not totally, as I have compound goals that need attention as well.
So for inside this year my goals are Silver and Gold Olympian pins. I have only NOT gotten a pin at one compound shoot and it was missed by 2 points for silver. so I should be ok this season. my focus will be on a effortless hold and release. I wont worry about scores I will just execute.
have a great archery filled day!
It was a good ,fun, summer season. But it is now time to get back to serious business...compound indoor season. I still haven't tuned or gotten sight marks for my "outdoor" Xpression 3D.
Why go back and fourth? Well....I am the only compound coach for our JOAD club, everyone else has been trained with recurve as the focus. this is cool and I can dig it, but compound does have some minor differences that need an experienced compound coach to see.
I shot the recurve for the season to become a better coach, along with a little personal challenge. I feel it was a productive season on both respects.and it is likely I will shoot recurve some next year for the outdoor season. not totally, as I have compound goals that need attention as well.
So for inside this year my goals are Silver and Gold Olympian pins. I have only NOT gotten a pin at one compound shoot and it was missed by 2 points for silver. so I should be ok this season. my focus will be on a effortless hold and release. I wont worry about scores I will just execute.
have a great archery filled day!
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
The PSE Theory **quick thoughts and mini review
thanks to Jon Brown of PSE for helping me acquire a Theory to review.
first thoughts .....
WOW nice lookin' bow! it is a a mid range / perhaps slightly higher than beginner ILF recurve. I think it is better than a Samik cast riser that is similar in price point, i like the riser more than Sebastian Flutes of similar price as well. the cartel Phantom and Mybo Rio are probably good comparisons. it is a clear step up from the PSE Summit G2.
some things i like are
1. nice finish, a two tone riser, mine is black and red. It is also available in Black and Blue.
2. comes with a glossy manual, my X Appeal came with a seemingly photocopied leaflet.
3. comes as a full set with limbs ,riser, tools, and a string.
4. stainless bushings for all accessories, although i will be using it for Barebow Pinshoots it is nice to have good attachment points.
I don't dislike anything on the bow, it has good limb pockets, tiller and alignment were both good out of the box. the grip is plastic and it is pretty basic,but comfortable , serious archers will likely cover it and or build it up.
It is noticeably heavier than my X Appeal, this I think is good as I will be shooting it Bare.
thats about it, i have not fully tuned it yet and have only blank baled a couple dz arrows to see how it feels....and it feels good.
Stance and its importance in the coil.
While coaching I have noticed several archers are having a hard time lining up with a open stance.
This is slightly odd since we teach NTS at JOAD, NTS suggests an open stance is best for the system. While I don't agree with all of what KSL says I do agree on this point.
When lining up slightly to a little more than slightly open it is actually setting your posture to help get a good coil and in turn good alignment, especially the bow arm.
When we set the bow arm alignment when getting into set set up by pulling your bow shoulder into position you get a little "precoil" then there is room to get the final coil when bringing your release arm into alignment. both become harder from a neutral position, worse in forcing the shoulders into alignment while neutral it can(not for everyone) cause the bow shoulder to pop up. we all strive for perfect alignment and a low shoulders. Proper care in the set setup ,after a good stance, will help everything come together.
Remember that NTS is a system, every facet needs to be done correctly, and if the last step was done correctly it should make the next step easier to do.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
wholly moley...traditional is FUN
I have been playing with a PSE Ghost traditional hunting recurve. what a hoot!!!!
ya ya I know its ILF so not a trad as purist like....I am not a purist!all the bits that matter are in the bow, crowned shelf, no berger button hole, no stabilizer or sight holes....so in execution it is no different than shooting a self bow., I shot some 3D with my wife over the weekend, and I shot about 200 points lower than my compound.....but I had an X worth of fun on every shot!
My good buddy JB of PSE helped me get into a PSE Ghost, it is great!!!! he also got me into a new barebow, a PSE Theory. this turns out to be a very nice choice for competitive bare bow. it a slight bit heavier in the riser than my X Appeal. but for a non stabilized bow this is a benefit.
......more on that later!
ya ya I know its ILF so not a trad as purist like....I am not a purist!all the bits that matter are in the bow, crowned shelf, no berger button hole, no stabilizer or sight holes....so in execution it is no different than shooting a self bow., I shot some 3D with my wife over the weekend, and I shot about 200 points lower than my compound.....but I had an X worth of fun on every shot!
My good buddy JB of PSE helped me get into a PSE Ghost, it is great!!!! he also got me into a new barebow, a PSE Theory. this turns out to be a very nice choice for competitive bare bow. it a slight bit heavier in the riser than my X Appeal. but for a non stabilized bow this is a benefit.
......more on that later!
SPEED and why it helps left and rights......
I was speaking to a JOAD student last night and they mentioned wanting to go up to 50lb limbs on her compound, but that she would wait until after a selection event this weekend.I mentioned that it should gain her a couple points providing she can handle the weight without her form changing to another coach. This was overheard by another parent and a conversation ensued. They thought highs and lows would maybe benefit but not so much on a know distance event, but absolutely on unknown(3D /FITA Field). I said it would help a little on left and rights and they thought I was out of my gourd.
As it turns out....I am completely inside my gourd. Left and Rights should be helped for EXACTLY the same logic as Highs and Lows. lets start with the traditional view that speed will help in the vertical, and I DO believe this is mostly a benefit for unknown distance. If you have a faster arrow it simply has a flatter trajectory solely due to being under the influence of gravity for less time.
This is really for apples to apples comparison, say a Easton Fatboy cut to 28.in 80gr tip should be somewhere around 312gr. out of a 40# it will be going slower, out of a 50# it will be faster..(and probably fly better due to being closer to optimal spine) I think the real benefit to having a very fast IBO rated Bow is you can shoot a heavier Arrow at the same speed as a slower bow. but for now we will stick to a 312gr arrow. now a 312 gr arrow will fall at the same rate as a 500 gr arrow, this is where speed comes in for distance, the faster the arrow the less time it falls.
ok, so how will a faster arrow be better for left and rights? simply put it is under the influence of wind for less time, and as I said a heavier arrow at the same speed as a light one would be better than lighter arrow, because a heavy arrow resists the wind better than a light one.
so , perhaps minimally, a faster arrow should group better ALL other things being equal.
so for the earlier mentioned student going up to 50# limbs should help overall score, since she is so light in DW now she is shooting a good arrow for 50#, of course 10# more of energy being produced will change the feel and feedback of the bow. a heavier arrow would tame this but her current arrow is more than adequate for the job.
isn't Physics fun????
As it turns out....I am completely inside my gourd. Left and Rights should be helped for EXACTLY the same logic as Highs and Lows. lets start with the traditional view that speed will help in the vertical, and I DO believe this is mostly a benefit for unknown distance. If you have a faster arrow it simply has a flatter trajectory solely due to being under the influence of gravity for less time.
This is really for apples to apples comparison, say a Easton Fatboy cut to 28.in 80gr tip should be somewhere around 312gr. out of a 40# it will be going slower, out of a 50# it will be faster..(and probably fly better due to being closer to optimal spine) I think the real benefit to having a very fast IBO rated Bow is you can shoot a heavier Arrow at the same speed as a slower bow. but for now we will stick to a 312gr arrow. now a 312 gr arrow will fall at the same rate as a 500 gr arrow, this is where speed comes in for distance, the faster the arrow the less time it falls.
ok, so how will a faster arrow be better for left and rights? simply put it is under the influence of wind for less time, and as I said a heavier arrow at the same speed as a light one would be better than lighter arrow, because a heavy arrow resists the wind better than a light one.
so , perhaps minimally, a faster arrow should group better ALL other things being equal.
so for the earlier mentioned student going up to 50# limbs should help overall score, since she is so light in DW now she is shooting a good arrow for 50#, of course 10# more of energy being produced will change the feel and feedback of the bow. a heavier arrow would tame this but her current arrow is more than adequate for the job.
isn't Physics fun????
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