Target
Shyness
A guide to causes and suggestions to
possible solutions.
Also Known As
Gold-Shyness &
Target-Panic
Call it what you will, it all results in an uncontrollable desire to release as soon as the sight gets onto the gold or even the target face.
The Miracle Cure? - Sorry There Isn't One!
Blank Boss Shooting...
A complete waste of time! As soon as you put a target face back on the boss,
back comes the panic
First, we need to understand the cause of Target Shyness.
Over-bowed...
Obviously, if you are drawing more weight than you can comfortably relax with
whilst at full draw, you will want to release as soon as possible. This can lead
to releasing earlier and earlier until you reach the point where you release
before reaching the aiming point.
(This is not really target shyness, but you end up with similar results.)
Over-aiming...
This, I believe comes from the archer believing that aiming is more important
than the correct execution of the shot. The archer then tries to aim harder
which puts tension into the shot and before they know it, they are on a spiral
downwards until they cannot aim on the middle without shaking like a leaf.
Some of this may go against what a lot of so-called "top coaches" say, whether here in the UK or from the USA.
"The glowing sight pin or glow-dot have caused more cases of Target Shyness than any other single item of archery equipment."
Try some of these statements for size...
-
"Whilst shooting at a Field Face at 30 meters (a 40cm face), the angle of deviation necessary to miss the gold is so small that it is humanly impossible to group your arrows inside the gold. Yet, many archers are capable of doing it.
It would even be difficult to make a machine accurate enough to do it!" TRUE -
"The sub-conscious part of the brain is very good (once taught) at performing very precise tasks without you realising you are doing them, and far better than the fully-conscious part of the brain." TRUE
-
"The sub-conscious visual part of the brain is very good at centring objects in it's field of vision." TRUE
-
"If you are not consciously lining up a sight with the target, you cannot have target shyness." TRUE
-
"Changing release aids will cure target shyness." FALSE
-
"Back-tension release aids prevent target shyness." FALSE
First, let me qualify these last two statements...
It is true that by changing your release, especially if you change to a
reverse-trip or a back-tension release, you will get rid of target shyness...
TEMPORARILY!
The reason is that once you get used to the new release, so that you no longer
have to think about using it, you will go back to trying to aim consciously and
the target shyness will return.
How do you cure Target Shyness?
First you read what I have written above a few times and understand all the
implications.
If you have a mild problem, then try this.
It is not a quick fix and you may have to repeat the process many times. The
trick is to be absolutely confident in the ability of your sub-conscious to do
the aiming for you.
I will talk as if you are shooting compound with a scope. You may have to modify
this for other styles.
Take the lens out of the scope and shoot at a 60cm face at 25 metres. DO
NOT AIM! Just stare at the gold through the peep sight and the scope
body. DO NOT TRY TO LINE ANYTHING UP Put your finger on the
trigger, feel the trigger, feel where it is on the finger and feel the increase
in pressure on your finger. Remember, you are not aiming and you are not lining
anything up. You are just staring at the gold through the scope body. By now the
release has gone off and the arrow is in the target.
REPEAT THIS 4 OR 5 TIMES
You may find that putting something like Blu-Tac on the trigger will help you
concentrate on the feel of the trigger.
By now you should have a group of arrows in the target. Apart from the odd
stray, they will be in a fairly tight group.
DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SIGHT TO GET THE ARROWS IN THE MIDDLE... just continue
the exercise and learn the feeling of "aiming, yet not aiming". This
is a fine line, but you will learn it if you give it time
I would recommend that you print out this page and read it between each set of
arrows!
When you think that you feel what it is like to let the sub-conscious do the
aiming, put the lens back in, but not with a spot. Instead, put on a big
circle, and I mean big... let it fit around the outside of the blue on
the target.
Now go through the same routine again.
I think you will be amazed at how accurate you are with such a big circle, and
you may never go back to a smaller one.
As you progress, note that you never actually focus on the ring on the scope,
you always look through it. Try different sized rings and find one which is
comfortable for you to use.
As soon as you feel you are using your fully-conscious side to aim, then go back
to reinforce the good work you have already done.
If you have a really bad case of Target Shyness, you will need extra help please feel free to e-mail me at: help@paularcherywebsite.co.uk
Adapted from article at Alternative Sporting Services
|
