The definition of Frustration

On Friday I was at the range using my two Ben Pearson Colt Recurve’s. One was a right hander and the other a lefty. The right handed one is a 46 pound draw while the lefty is a 42. The right handed one is the first bow I ever shot and it was my fathers, the lefty I found on Ebay and bought for seventy five dollars.

The left handed bow did not like the arrows that I use for my right handed. I couldn’t stop them from fish tailing, so I had new arrows made (500’s) and man, what a difference. Talk about straight flying, I was pumped. So I put my 3D Apple up and shot the six arrows and this is what I got.

Then I did it again two more times with the same result! 

In reality I’m very happy, Second time with that bow and I’m shooting that small of a group from 20 yards, instinctive (no aiming devices or method, I just look at the apple) to boot. Frustrated that I didn’t hit the apple, but happy in a way at the grouping. 

 

Just one of those days

On the Sunday before Easter I went to a 3D Shoot held by the Walden Sportsmen’s Club in What else, but Walden NY. All week I was looking forward to this. On the Thursday before the shoot I strained my neck on my right side. No biggie I thought, I’ll just shoot left handed. Well, I have never shot worse! Now, mind you, most of last year I shot lefty, but on this day I was off. I was low all day and It wasn’t until two thirds of the way through that I started to come around. I was so angry and frustrated that it ruined what would have been an enjoyable course. 

Then the Saturday before Easter I went to the Blue Mountain Reservation’s 3D range and I was back to normal. Sometimes you just have one of those days and all you can do is let it go and move on.

 

 

3D Archery Shoot Highwoods Sportsmen’s Club

This past weekend I stumbled upon an awesome 3D Course hidden just outside of Woodstock NY. It was a warm day (finally!) and I was shooting good, things just came together. I can’t wait to come back again in the summer! If you are in the area, check this course out, it will challenge your skill!

Shooting In the Rain

 

Here in NY, between the snow storms and the freezing cold, there has not been much time to shoot outdoors. So this past weekend I went to two different shoots and on both days it rained. Rain wreaks havoc on my feathers and it was something I was not looking forward to. On Saturday it started out as a drizzle and steadily increased. By the end we were soaked. On Sunday it was a constant light rain the whole time. But instead of ruining my weekend, the rain actually made it.

What I found out on Saturday was that I could shoot an awesome group on a bear that was 30 yards away. Nothing special right? Well the feathers on my arrows were so small from the rain, it was like not even having any. Now, Just to note, I do not “tune” my arrows, I have the local Archery Store make them for me. But the rain showed that those arrows were perfect for me and that if I stayed within reason all would be fine.

On Sunday, this belief was proven again as I made some great shots in the 20 to 30 yard range. I’m a big believer in knowing what the limits of your equipment (and you) really is and the rain this past weekend has shown me that bad weather does not mean I have to lower my expectations on performance. 

 

3 Steps Back

 

Another thing I learned in martial arts that applies to archery is the concept of three steps back. In Iai (Japanese Samurai Sword Arts) if you mess up a move, the reason you messed it up was was because of something you did three moves back that forced you out of place to execute the move planned.

So, how does that apply to archery. Simple, if you shoot an arrow and you miss, you then think about it and place the blame on a bad release. But if you continue to look deeper into that shot you will find out more often than not that the real reason you had a bad release was because of something you did a move or two before the release. It might have been your stance, your front shoulder was not in the correct position or how you drew the arrow, maybe you did not use your back. Doing anyone of these can affect your shot, for they take you out of your routine and any change in routine will be seen in your arrows flight. The release was just the result of you doing something different before then. Next time you shoot, instead of blaming it on a bad release, look further back and you will see the real culprit.

Instinctive Archery – Is it really instinctive?

Want to start an argument? Mention Instinctive Archery. There are more opinions on this than on any other subject in Archery.

To some it is a mystical thing, that defies description. To others it is nothing more than a gimmick, nothing more than a learned routine. 

The truth is in between the two views. First lets look at the word itself Instinctive, according to the dictionary. 

Instinctive is an Adjective

Relating to or prompted by instinct; apparently unconscious or automatic. :An instinctive distaste for conflict”

(of a person) doing or being a specified thing apparently naturally or automatically. “an instinctive writer”

Look at that second line. Is that not what Instinctive archery? I think people are confusing the concept of a primal instinct with the word instinct.

Is walking an instinct? No, it is learned and through consistent practice (every time we walk, we practice it) it becomes so natural that we no longer think about doing it, it becomes instinct. Do you “think” each time when you start to walk, jump, skip etc; “Left foot first or right foot”? You don’t, you just do it. Walking has become a part of you, it has left your conscious mind and entered you unconscious mind, it has become an instinctive action. 

Breathing is an natural or primal instinct, yet in sports we train in how to control our breathing, does this make breathing no longer an instinct? No, but we do learn how to do it better or should I say more efficiently.

Yes, Instinctive archery is learned, just like walking is. Yes, Instinctive Archery is Instinctive, just like walking. Both when done so much they become part of you and doing it becomes natural for you, it becomes part of you, you do it unconsciously, which is what instinctive means.

With that said (or written), how can you shoot “instinctively” right out of the box? You can’t. What your dong is “learning” to become instinctive. 

Let the debate begin ……

Trying my Hand at Target Archery

A local Archery club here in the Hudson Valley of New York called the Ti Yogi Bowmen held a Indoor Vegas 450 shoot. Well here in NY, we still have around a foot of snow on the ground (that is rock hard now) and by the curbs where we shoveled we have anywhere from 2 to 6 feet left! So most 3D shoots are on hold til it melts and that looks like April. 

So what to do? Well never having done target archery, gave it a shot (no pun intended). 

My wife and I were the only traditional shooters that day (the shoot was a two day event with two shoots each day). The rest were compound shooters, around 18 people total. We picked two lanes that we liked and were looking at the set ups of all the compound shooters. I was amazed at the sight with the magnifying lens on it. Another had the glass and instead of a pin, used a circular target ball, like on fighter jets, too cool. Almost everyone had the big thick arrows, we used the same ones we use for 3D and everything else. 

In the warm up I realized I choose a bad spot. I was shooting lefty and when I shoot I align my right shoulder to the target. This puts me right in the face of the person next to me who was shooting righty. I knew, despite what she said that it would be uncomfortable so I moved to the far left, right next to the wall and I mean RIGHT next to it. How close, my face was only 4 to 6 inches away! But Being a lefty I’m use to that. Both of us used the 40 cm single target, shooting at the 3 spot instinctive was asking for trouble. 

My practice round is about me warming my muscles and I don’t care about where I hit. Then came the first end. My first three were poor and fair. As we walked down to score, I told the guys next to me they that they didn’t have to score me, I was new and just giving it a try, I was not there to win and one guy just could not and would not accept or understand where I was coming from.  He informed me that I had to do it a certain way, he made it sound like if I didn’t there would no longer be any Christmas! So, I agreed and asked what do you want me to do? He replied “Nothing, your new and will screw things up, just stand there and get your arrows when I tell you”. So he read the scores as the two other guys wrote it down, mine was first, and in a loud voice for all to hear and with an attitude (Picture the guy from Seinfeld, the soup Nazi: “No soup for you!”) he proclaimed  “ZERO POINTS” on my first arrow (which was waaay low), Then he lowered his voice for the next two, Eight Points, Eight Points. The guy next to me said “don’t pay him any attention, he is always like that”.

The next end I had a 10, 9 and 8. Looking good and starting to feel good. Even the score nazi took note (acted surprised). The next end I scored an X, a 10 and a 8. I was feeling good. The next two ends were all in the eights and nines. Finished the first round strong and feeling good. The Score Nazi backed off, thank god. 

Then came the second, I still don’t know what I changed, but I was struggling. No consistency, and my points dropped. The guy shooting next to me, was saying that he was shooting bad, but I couldn’t tell it. All tens and X’s is what I saw. The third round was more of the same. I would hit one great shot and the next two were poor to say the least. 

While shooting I would look over and see how my wife was doing. We would both make faces and smile about our struggles. We communicated with faces and hand gestures, we didn’t want to talk or make any noise for it seemed liked library etiquette and since we were guest who were we to talk?

Once when everyone was lined up and waiting for the green, one person let go of an arrow,I knew who it was from the sound, My wife. Later she bounced one off the target. She too was struggling, but since her injury to her shoulder, she went to a lower poundage bow and has only been shooting at 10 yards max. Her bow really struggled to hit the 20 yard target. 

Once done we all went into a room and waited. As they gave out the scores, the guy next to me, who claimed he was shooting poorly won the top division with a 448 (out of 450), only one arrow was not an X. This is the third time in a row the person next to me has won, and I I told him that and he said that I should come with him to the nationals. Turns out my wife and I were the only traditional shooters all weekend, we both got a trophy. That was nice of them to give it to us, we came to have fun, not to compete, but they insisted and being guest you don’t argue. 

Here are a couple of thoughts from a person who has never done it or even seen it before: 

1) I like the lights they used, letting you know the time, Green for shoot, Yellow for a certain amount of time left and Red for stop. Neat idea, I also think they should add a buzzer noise to go with it. Shooting lefty, against the wall, I never seen the lights til I was done. 

2) When done shooting I think it should be a rule that you must step back off the line. This would help in running the range. The man in charge of the range came to me (my wife and I finished long before anyone else) and asked if I would watch my half and hold up my arm when clear. In the service there was a person on each end with a paddle (more is the line was longer). One side was red, the other was green. They would hold it up so the person in charge would know of they range was “hot” or “cold”, I think this would be a great addition.

Overall, I had fun even though I struggled. Shooting at the same spot with multiple arrows is not something I’m use to. I have nothing but respect for those who do this. To some it looks easy and sounds easy, and they say: “simple, hit the target from 20 yards, I do that all the time”. But it is not and that is the challenge and the fun. I now have something to do and go to over the winter and on rainy days!

If you have never done one, you should, period. 

 

Take a walk on the wild side

Have you ever wanted to shoot in a totally different way but were afraid of developing bad habits in your current method?

Well believe it not you can, simply shoot from the other side!

 Yes, if you shoot right handed, then shoot left handed, it is that simple. What you do with your right hand side does not transfer over to you left side, or vice versa. Therefore you will not have any bad habits “seep” into what you have worked so long on to perfect.

 I’m a lefty, but I have always shot right handed. Why? Because the rest of my family (and my two brothers) are right handed. I was not going to have a bow just for me while my brothers had to share. Nope, not going to happen. I shot the old traditional way, split finger; anchor the index at the mouth. Shooting righty is all I have ever done or known…. until last year.

 Last year I tired shooting lefty and everything I knew how to do on my right, I couldn’t do on my left. So I did a little research and found out that co-ordination skills and muscle memory are not transferable from side to side (For proof, try throwing a ball or writing your name with your other hand). I realized this gave me a chance to try something new , anchoring under the jaw. I could start fresh and not have to fight to re-learn anything. 

It has been a growing process and yes, I have gotten better, my right is now only slightly better, but the left (which I spend most of my time shooting from) is catching up. My shot cycle on each side is totally different and if I try to replicate the cycle from the other side, it just feels weird.  

There is a downside, you will now have to buy extra equipment. But it has allowed me to shoot two very different styles and that is a blast. So if you ever wanted to shoot a different way, take a walk on the wild side.

 

Daily Decrease in Archery

Besides archery, I’m have been training in the martial arts for the past 20 years, first in Tae Kwon Do, then in Kickboxing and Iaido (Samurai Sword). In the martial arts, Bruce Lee has to be one of the most quoted people and most of the time they get the quote wrong or they misinterpret it.

One “mantra” that he had was “Daily Decrease”. People took this to mean to train in less each day. But what he really meant and it applies to archery is that each day you should strive to eliminate something that you’re doing that hurts your performance. Instead of approaching your training as trying to “get better”, you should focus your training on Eliminating the “holes” in your technique. This is how you will become better. 

Jimmy Johnson, the Football coach has said that it is not always the team that makes the biggest plays that wins games, but the team that makes the fewest mistakes. That he would rather have a team that made the least mistakes than one that made the big ones and gave up the big ones too. People and teams lose more often due to mistakes than they win due to making the big play or shot.

Next time you train, go into it with the attitude of “daily decrease”.

The Secret to Instinctive Archery

The Secret to Instinctive Archery is your Shot Cycle (a Shot Cycle is everything you do to shoot an arrow), plain and simple. I have the books, the DVD’s, I have been to seminars and all I ever heard or read was for you to “Focus on the Target”. Let me tell you I have been doing that and guess what, I was not getting any better. I was getting frustrated, I had plateaued and I had no clue as to what to do next.

 Being an Instructor myself (I train people in Muay Thai and I teach kids Martial Arts) for the past twenty years I know a thing or two about teaching / learning.  So I thought about it and found the one group that trains the most archers, the Olympics.  To train a large number of people you need to have …… a system. One that is repeatable, adaptable, teachable.

 What I found is that they have broken the Shot Cycle into different phases or parts. This simple revelation has helped me get past that plateau and has helped me to teach archery in a more efficient manner (yes, I teach archery for a leadership group by of West Point). I took what they did and adapted it to what I do and it is a great tool to help you clean up your shooting.

 The beauty of this was proven yet again yesterday for me. I was at the range and I was shooting like crap. The worst I have done in a long time. Instead of getting frustrated, I went over my shot cycle, step by step, I got better as I went and I fixed a nagging problem I have had. Ever since I switched to the under the chin anchor, from time to time, my arrows will fishtail, not all the time just some. I couldn’t figure it out and neither could those I asked, wrote to or even those I had watch me shoot. No, it was re-focusing on my shot cycle. I realized what was causing it was my Anchor. For some reason I would let the bottom of my hand turn out, which in turn twisted the string slightly and when I released the arrow, this twist would undo and cause the fishtailing.  

 Want to get better, then write down and practice your shot cycle, know it inside and out, so when things go wrong you won’t be in the dark as to why.

 Here is the Shot Cycle: (Now I could go for days on each, but I won’t)

 STANCE: How you stand can and will affect your shot. There are many ways to stand and yes, over time you will be able to shoot from almost any position. The point is that when you are learning or trying to get better you need to use the same stance every time. Remember the more variations in your shot cycle will show up in your accuracy.

 NOCKING THEW ARROW: How you not doesn’t really affect accuracy and can be done how you like.

 GRIP THE BOW: An often over looked area. How you grip you bow really does affect you shot. Squeeze too much on your pinky and you’ll shoot low, too much on the index and you’ll go high. The grip should be firm but relaxed. The bow should not be able to move around in your hand. You can take you fingers out of it altogether. The key is to grip the bow the same way each time.

 GRIPPING THE STRING: Again, there are many ways to grip the string; Split Finger, Three Under, Pinch, Thumb Ring, etc. The key is to ensure that you grip it the same way every time.

 SET POSITION: This is the stage where you’re ready to draw, at this point in time you start to “Focus” on the target, this one is more mental than physical.

 DRAWING: Many ways to draw, Low, Middle or High. But do you do it the same way each time?

 ANCHORING: Again many ways, but is you’re the same each time?

 HOLDING: If you’re not a snap shooter, you do this, it might only be for a second or two. When in this stage you should feel the pressure through your arm and into your shoulder. I you feel the pressure on your arm and chest, you have not “locked it in” and your accuracy will suffer. This is what many people mean when they say “Use you Back muscles”

 RELEASE / FOLLOW THROUGH: There is a nice debate on this, when you release does your hand stay put or move back to your shoulder? I find myself doing one way for a while and then the other and my accuracy shows it.

 FEEDBACK: After you have shot think about the cycle and how it felt. If it was good then try to duplicate it. If the shot was bad, think about how it felt and see what was different.