Post by Twanger on May 18, 2006 9:40:10 GMT -5
So I observed something very interesting yesterday.
Four of us, all pretty decent shooters, went to the range yesterday to print some targets to decide on an acceptable accuracy standard. When slinging arrows for warm-up & for fun we were shooting 3-4" groups at 30 yds, and 2-3" groups at 20 yds.
Now comes the kicker.
We then put up clean paper targets and decided to make a record of our accuracy. THATS WHEN THE FLIERS STARTED. At 20 yds nobody could shoot a group of ten arrows without having at least one or two fliers that expanded the group from hitting a 3" circle, to a circle of about 6-7 inches. I can't tell you how personally P.O.'d I was about this.
It was obviously me that was the problem. Not a bent arrow, or equipment problem. I was melting down under the pressure. Once that flier was out of the way I could drop the next 4-5 arrows into the black, and then the pressure would build up again to keep 'em in the black and I'd fly another one. Performance anxiety. Sheer frustration.
I've had to relearn an old lesson that I knew all too well when I shot in the leagues. It seems to me that if you aren't keeping score, you're really not dealing with pressure, and you're gonna melt-down at the moment of truth... be it a paper target in your face with buddies looking on, or that ten pointer you've been chasing for 6 weeks.
So if you're still with me, how do you deal with the pressure and keep your form bulletproof?
I think I need to go back to keeping score.
Four of us, all pretty decent shooters, went to the range yesterday to print some targets to decide on an acceptable accuracy standard. When slinging arrows for warm-up & for fun we were shooting 3-4" groups at 30 yds, and 2-3" groups at 20 yds.
Now comes the kicker.
We then put up clean paper targets and decided to make a record of our accuracy. THATS WHEN THE FLIERS STARTED. At 20 yds nobody could shoot a group of ten arrows without having at least one or two fliers that expanded the group from hitting a 3" circle, to a circle of about 6-7 inches. I can't tell you how personally P.O.'d I was about this.
It was obviously me that was the problem. Not a bent arrow, or equipment problem. I was melting down under the pressure. Once that flier was out of the way I could drop the next 4-5 arrows into the black, and then the pressure would build up again to keep 'em in the black and I'd fly another one. Performance anxiety. Sheer frustration.
I've had to relearn an old lesson that I knew all too well when I shot in the leagues. It seems to me that if you aren't keeping score, you're really not dealing with pressure, and you're gonna melt-down at the moment of truth... be it a paper target in your face with buddies looking on, or that ten pointer you've been chasing for 6 weeks.
So if you're still with me, how do you deal with the pressure and keep your form bulletproof?
I think I need to go back to keeping score.