GAS Bowstrings

    When my obsession with archery started, compound bows were just becoming a normal thing in the hunting industry. Although some people had begun using compounds, the vast majority of people were still using recurves, and I could hit apples with my recurve at 20 yards. Looking back on it, I'm not sure how I was ever able to do that. I'm glad my dad started me with a recurve, though. 

  As time moved forward, compound bows quickly began popping up all over the place. They came in many different designs, too. Most of the bows I used had steel cables and thick strings. Gradually, the strings began improving and steel cables disappeared. Different string materials quickly made their way to the market, and it became much easier to tune bows.

  Before long, aftermarket string companies began competing with each other and the vast number of choices for a string maker made it hard to know if you were choosing the best product. Over the course of the last 20 years, I've used a variety of string makers, usually sticking to one company but trying many of them. 

  Last year, Eric Griggs got back into the string business after being absent for a number of years when his love of archery landed him a job in the industry with a bow manufacturer, which ended up becoming part of a larger group with many archery related companies in it.  Having known Eric for a number of years, I've always known him to be a fierce competitor. He wants to be the best at everything he does, including making strings. He also puts everything he has into achieving the goals he sets for himself.

  Since I know how much he puts into his business, I knew I wanted to veer away from the longtime string maker I had been using and try something new. I began seeing issues with the strings I was receiving from another aftermarket string company. The servings were separating, and the overall quality of the strings had gone from being the best in the business to marginal at best. I had used this company for about 20 years. 

  After deciding to switch to GAS Bowstrings, my equipment has worked flawlessly. After installing strings on my PSE Supra Focus on Saturday, the peep never moved a centimeter after putting it in and shooting a hundred arrows. After setting the timing on the bow and checking it again after shooting a number of arrows, I was amazed to see that the timing was still dead on. 

  I could go on and on about the strings, but I'm sure you get the hint. When something is as good as this, there really isn't much reason to keep talking about it. If you need a new set of strings this year, I would seriously consider giving GAS Bowstrings a shot. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. If you have any issues with your strings after installing them, Eric and his staff are wonderful to work with, and you can contact them with any of your concerns. Since they are archers, they can relate to everything you can throw at them, and they will do their best to answer your questions and fix any issues that you might encounter. 

  The ability to choose your string colors and servings makes it nice for people who like to have their bows stand out in a crowd. You can get anything you want, and the quality of your strings will be second to none. 

  If you're new to the aftermarket string arena, I can assure you that this company is one that you should support. There aren't many companies that put the customer first. When you find a company that is more concerned about trying to make you successful with their products than they are about making themselves successful by having you buy their products, you know you have found a winner. 

  GAS Bowstrings is also on the verge of introducing some great new things in the string-making world. Keep your eyes open for the big announcement in the coming days. This is something that you definitely don't want to miss. When you think nothing better can happen in the string world, GAS Bowstrings comes along and shows the consumer that it's about the shooters and making the best possible strings for them. They want the shooters to have the most reliable strings they can get, and they want people's bows to perform flawlessly.

  I've attached a picture below with all of the contact information for GAS Bowstrings. Do yourself a favor when it comes time to change your threads, and call Eric and his crew. Let the new sheriff in town keep your bow on a straight line to the winner's circle. There's a reason why GAS Bowstrings tag line is, "Fuel Your Success." It really is that easy, pull up to the GAS pump and fill it up. You won't burn through this fuel when you're speeding to victory.

An Addiction?

 

It's amazing how my bow has the ability to turn me into a liar. Just a few days ago I said that I wasn't going to be shooting my bow very much this winter/year. After going to the range, I changed my mind. I just enjoy launching arrows.

  I went back to the range today because I knew some of my buddies were going be there. I haven't seen them since August, so I wanted to be there to catch up on everything that has happened over the last few months. I also wanted to shoot with them since they've been shooting for about a month now. It's always good to stand side by side with guys who shoot well. It creates a little more tension and creates an atmosphere which replicates something a little more than when you're shooting alone.

  When I went to the range today, I had every intention of working on maintaining pressure on both ends throughout my shot. That was the primary goal. Everything else would be secondary. During warmups, I felt a little shaky and realized I was gripping the release and pulling with my arm instead of maintaining pressure in my back. It was causing the release to hang up longer than normal and fire inconsistently.

  Since some of the guys are going to the Lancaster Classic, they were shooting at the vertical target, so I decided to do the same. I decided to start the year with a BHFS setup in case I decide to go to Lancaster at the last minute. I figured I wouldn't have enough time to put into it to throw a scope and long bar on the bow. I figured I would be able to shoot a little bit and still be somewhat competitive.

  I'm having a hard time seeing the pin on the target. Although I use a really large pin, I'm having a hard time telling where it it on the target when I'm aiming. I think it could be from a combination of things. I'm not sure if I need a larger peep, smaller pin or larger pin. After I shoot a few more rounds, I'll figure it out.

  As I progressed through the round, I made a lot of great shots. I'm still searching for the feel, but it's early, and I've only shot my bow a few times. I feel comfortable with the process right now, which is half the battle in this game. I'm still trying to figure out why I'm shooting 9s. It doesn't feel like my shots are bad enough to shoot any arrows out of the 10. I did shoot two arrows today that deserved to hit where they landed. One of them hit dead low, and the other one hit to the right. I can understand those two hits.

  When the day was done and I added my score, I was satisfied to see that it came out to a 635. I figured it was pretty good for a BHFS setup and 23 shafts. I'm still hemming and hawing about what arrows to shoot indoors. I think I've finally narrowed it down to the same arrows I've used for the last 15 years, which are 2613s, or I might try Black Eagle PS26s. I don't really want to spend any money on new arrows, so the trusty aluminum will probably end up in my quiver. I was happy to see that I had 41xs, but I was disappointed with the six 9s. I'll keep working on the execution and improve that in the next few weeks.

  My goal of focusing on maintaining pressure worked well. I did well with the work I put in today. I found myself off track a few times, but I quickly fixed the issues causing me to go there and put myself back in the place I needed to be. I'll keep working on this and see if I can improve with a few other things at the same time.

  I'm going to see Mark Myers this week to work on a few things. I look forward to seeing Mark. He takes great pride in what he does, and he is always willing to help people of all skill levels. I'm a tough nut to crack, so he might have his hands full with me, but I have faith in his abilities and his suggestions.

  I think I'm an archery range rat. I can't seem to stay away, even if I say I'm not going anywhere near the range. When hunting season closes, I go back to what I know: shooting arrows.

The Indoor Grind Begins

Well, it seemed like hunting season was never going to end this year, and I kind of liked the feeling. Most people who know me know that my life revolves around archery, but archery always comes second when I throw hunting into the mix.

  Although I've found some limited success on the archery trail over the years, the success doesn't remotely compare to the things I've gained through hunting. Hunting has given me the ability to write books, give seminars, appear as a guest speaker, write columns for magazines, and offer my opinions on a panel of expert deer hunters. I guess the success I've gained through hunting gives me a different perspective of many of the top archers out there. Some people consider me an expert because I've been lucky enough to take a lot of big deer. Unfortunately, I don't look at myself the same. I think I've just been lucky to take them because I spend an exorbitant amount of time in the woods unlike the vast majority of other hunters. I bust my ass to locate big deer and attempt to kill them. That's what drives me. I enjoy shooting my bow in archery competitions, but I live to hunt. That's what butters my bread.

  I still have a few days of hunting season left in New York in the zone I live in, but I started shooting my bow indoors the other day. I just wanted to make sure I could shoot 60 arrows without killing my shoulders and elbow.

  After finishing the round on Monday, I felt pretty good. I didn't have any pain in any part of my body, not even my back. My back usually pays the price from standing on the cement floor while shooting. I also didn't have any pain in my elbow. That was the most significant thing I noticed. It was the first time I didn't have elbow pain in the last two years. I pray that it stays that way.

  I hung a target and started shooting. I only shot two practice ends and went live. I wanted to see how  I could perform on a Lancaster round. When it was all said and done, I shot a 595 with 35 Xs for a 630. I considered that a success since I hadn't touched that bow since early October. I shot a TruBall HBC 4-finger release for the entire round and used SuperDrive 23 arrows.

  I went back to the range on Thursday after work to shoot a few more arrows. I wanted to practice maintaining pressure on both ends. During my practice, I gained a lot of confidence. It brought me back to the year I shot 42Xs at the annual Guan Ho Ha 450 Vegas tournament. The feeling in my back was exactly the same as it was the day I shot in that tournament. When I can feel the pressure being maintained in my back, I feel like I can't miss. I will continue to work on that as I move forward. Proven results don't lie, and I know that I shot one of my best rounds ever shooting that way and feeling the pressure stay steady in my back. If I put all of my focus on that, I believe I will be able to turn back time and perform at that level once again.

  Since my mind runs wild like a hamster on a spinning wheel, I decided to do something after my practice session to see what would happen. I decided to shoot the release my squeezing my ring finger to fire the release. I've used this method for many years. I maintain back tension and squeeze my ring finger. I wanted to see where the arrow would hit in comparison to shooting the way I've become accustomed to shooting.

  Amazingly, I ran off 21 shots this way and missed the baby X twice, both times barely out, one to the left and one to the right. Neither of the SuperDrive 23s cam close to touching the 10 line. I pulled the last three arrows and headed out of the range shaking my head. I guess I can still be a squeezer if I  have to be. I'm working to avoid that, but the results don't make it easy. In some ways, it feels good to know that I can activate the release in two entirely different ways and still find the center of the gold regularly.

  I'm not sure how much I will be shooting this winter. The shipment of my latest books will be arriving next Monday, and I need to focus all of my efforts this year on promoting and selling my books. If anyone out there can think of someplace that would like to host a seminar along with a book signing afterward, I'd be all ears. I've traveled all over New England and New York doing that type of thing for the last 10 years, and I'm always interested in any potential leads.

  I hope everyone has a great indoor season and finds success in whatever they're working on improving. I feel great about the things I changed last year. I have a feeling they will really show this year and help me during crunch time.

A Quick Indoor Trial Before Hunting Season Consumes Me

Although I swore I wouldn’t be one of those guys after listening to Shawn and Braden do their podcast and talk about the first Vegas targets that appear every year on social media, I can guarantee you that I’m not the first one this year. Since my schedule becomes very limited as far as free time goes when late October arrives, I decided I needed to go to the range to see how this PSE Supra Focus was going to perform indoors. I didn’t tune the bow, and I shot a Vegas round one afternoon last week. I shot the round with a Bowhunter Freestyle setup and used SuperDrive 23 arrows. I shot the entire round with a TruBall HBC 4-finger medium release and used a lighted .019 green fiber in my housing. My reason for shooting the round was to determine if I thought the bow would be forgiving and give me enough confidence to attend the Lancaster Classic in January. If I don’t think I can win, I don’t want to go just to participate. It might be a bad attitude, but that’s how I approach these things.

 I didn’t perform well indoors the last few years, but I always recall the days when I felt like I couldn’t miss. I know that those days still exist somewhere in my shooting bag of tricks. After making the form changes last year, I feel like I might be able to become more consistent indoors and perform at a level that is easier for me to accept. I’m not sure one round in October after not shooting much can determine if I’m going to have a good year, but I figured I would give it a whirl and see what happened.

  I headed to the range after I got out of work to meet Gary Wood for something. After talking for a few minutes, I headed into the range to fling a few arrows. Since it was 86 degrees outside, it felt cool inside. I warmed up on a few older targets that were already hung on the backstops. It took about six ends to get the bow sighted in.

  After getting it to where I felt somewhat confident with it, I hung a new target. My shots were breaking clean over the course of the first few ends. I didn’t feel any tension in any part of my body, and the sight sat down nicely in the middle of the bullseye. Throughout the round, I had a hard time getting the fiber to appear the way I wanted it to appear. Some rounds it was too bright, and other rounds it appeared too dull. This kept me from maintaining a consistent aim throughout the shot. I couldn’t tell if I was hitting where the pin was or if I was hitting around the halo of it. As we go into the winter and I get more serious about it, I will probably go back to my solid black pin. It seems more reliable for me while aiming.

  This round was strange. It went smoothly until the last two ends. Even though I was there by myself, and the round didn’t mean a thing, I got tight and nervous over the last two ends when I realized I was still clean. Tension crept in on the last end, and I became a viewer rather than a participant. Trying to put it in the back of my mind, I shot my last three arrows, and they all found their way into the 10-ring. Although I only shot 22xs out of the 45 arrows, I did end up with a 450. Half of the battle is staying in the 10-ring, and I managed to do that, so I feel pretty good about that, especially since it’s hunting season and I haven’t shot any type of target archery in a month or two.

  So I’m guessing some of you are probably wondering about the bow. I decided to give these bows a try because the cams feel pretty good on my elbow, which appears that it will have nonstop pain in it, and my surgically repaired shoulder. As I was going through old bows, I also realized I have more PSEs than any other bows I’ve ever owned, with Hoyts running a close second.

  During the round, the bow felt comfortable at full draw. I have it set on the 70% let-off, and I’m shooting it at 58lbs. The higher let-off felt too sloppy, and the lower let-off felt a hair too much for me to be consistent with, although I’m sure I could shoot it there and do okay. The bow sat down well on almost every shot. Of the 45 shots, I probably made 38 good shots, and the shots that weren’t great were still acceptable. The sight very rarely left the 10-ring. It didn’t sit as still as I’ve had some other bows sit, but I think that will come with time and familiarity with the bow. 

  One thing that bothers me about the bow is that it’s supposed to have 60lb limbs on it, but at 58lbs there is about a half inch left before the bow bottoms out. I’m not sure if PSE is always that much off on quality control or what the issue is, but I think it should probably be addressed if it is indeed an issue. The bow bottoms out at 64 pounds and is within all specs. I’m not comfortable shooting a bow that is backed out that far, especially when it’s supposed to be a 60-pound bow and I’m shooting it at 58 pounds. I don’t feel comfortable about the limbs staying in place when they’re backed out that far.

  Another thing I’ve been battling with this bow is that the draw length is considerably shorter than the other bows I’ve been shooting. I can’t figure this one out. I think I have good line, my shots break clean, and my aim is tight. When I lengthen it out to the same length as my other bows, I can’t hold it steady and I feel like I’m driving a loose racecar. I’ve stressed about this for a while, but I’m letting it go for now until I see Mark. Maybe I need to go longer, but I just don’t notice it while shooting this bow. I’m sure I’ll figure it out as I shoot more this winter. For now, I’m going to try to let it nestle into the back of my mind, not allowing it to bother me.

  When I finished the round and looked at the target, I wasn’t impressed. Since I’ve had some time to think about it, I must take a lot of things into consideration, and I’ve realized it was a damn good round for a Bowhunter Freestyle setup with 23 shafts and the first time I’ve shot that bow indoors. So what’s the decision? I believe I will be going to Lancaster.

  I probably won’t be adding any entries to this journal until I start shooting in December, but this is where I stand going into the indoor season. If you want to follow me along and see what I’m doing over the course of the next few months feel free to toggle on the Hunting Journal  button on my website: www.toddmead.com

Remembering Roger Thibault

I had just finished shooting an incredible round of archery at the 1^stleg of the IBO Northeast Triple Crown. After finishing, I mixed in with many of my fellow competitors under a big tent on the Anheuser Busch grounds in Merrimack, N.H. Gossip floated around the tent as we all tried figuring out who stood where in the standings. I knew I would fall somewhere in the top 10 but wasn’t sure what place I would be in at the end. 

  That’s when I glanced across the tent and saw Roger Thibault, the man to beat, standing and talking. I ventured a little closer to the crowd and listened closely. Everyone was certain he would be the winner, and I was happy to know that my score was within 10 points of his score. 

 Although it was only my second year competing in the triple crown, I felt like I could give it a good run at the title, but I also knew I had to close the gap on Roger. The next tournament, I held my own and finished in the top 10 again, which at the time was quite an accomplishment with all the top-level shooters in New England. When the results came out for the second leg, I was excited to see that I had made the top peer group, and I would get my first opportunity to compete with Roger in the same group. He had a substantial lead on me, but I was sitting comfortably in third place, 26 points behind him and Al Lane, who where both tied. 

  When I arrived at the third leg in Rhode Island, the weather was anything but cooperative. Heavy winds and a strong storm ripped through the area before the start of the tournament on Saturday. When the group was called, I headed to get my cards. Once there, Roger extended his hand and said, “So you’re the new up and comer everyone has been tellin me about, eh?” 

  I shook his hand and said, “I’m not sure about that, but I’m glad to meet you.” Meanwhile, Steph Hamner, who was in the second group, shouted, “Keep an eye on that kid, Roger. I’m coming to get him.” They laughed back and forth, and we headed toward the first target. A wind gust ripped through the vendor area and toppled an outhouse. Arriving at the first target, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  It was a McKenzie rock rascal, the standing woodchuck, at about 48 yards, and it was set down a lane in a wide open field about 20 yards behind where a rock fence had a gap in it, which made the target look even further away. 

 Of the four shooters in our group, Roger was the only one who ended up in the vital area. The rest of us took fives on it. When the weekend was done, I had closed the gap on Al Lane, but Roger ended up crushing everyone, winning by more than 20 points. Al ended up beating me out for the runner-up position by one point. 

  After that weekend, I had Roger's respect. He always went out of his way to see how I was doing ,and he always asked about my dad. He and my dad shared the same birthday, although Roger was born a year before him. As time moved forward and I had many interactions with him, I learned how fierce of a competitor he was no matter what type of tournament he was participating in. He went to win, and winning was the only thing that mattered. He was always full of confidence and played a lot of head games with other shooters. Many times, he actually referenced how solid my mental game was because I didn't let anyone bother me or affect my shooting process. I took great pride in that because I always listened to my fellow competitors who had caved in while in his presence. He was just one of those guys whose name intimidated others. If his name didn't get to some people, his presence in their group definitely did the trick. 

  He was always the man to beat. Eventually, I made my presence known when I beat him and many of the other big names at some of the bigger shoots in New England, especially one of the years at the IBO Massachusetts state championship, in which there were more than 500 shooters.

  Of all of the things I watched Roger accomplish, nothing impressed me more than the first year I saw him shoot in the pro class at the IBO Worlds. He was just shy of 50 and showed up looking as redneck as a redneck could look. He walked to the tent carrying his camouflage Oregon bow with duct tape all over the limbs and wires holding his sight and rest together. I'm still not sure if it was just a head game he played or if the actually needed all of that crap on his bow. Either way, I thought it was awesome and eventually used some of the plays out of his playbook during my archery career: if you don't look the part, people don't expect anything from you and are amazed when you start kicking their ass.

  Anyhow, the first day of the Worlds that year, Roger was on the top of the pro scoreboard with a 198 (10,8,5 scoring). He had shot one 8 for the day. All of the big name pros scurried around the tent and tried finding out who Roger Thibault was...........because he lit it up. Roger loved every minute of it. His confidence wasn't lacking and he made himself known to everyone. Although many of the pros couldn't accept that a guy with no sponsors and a bow patched with duct tape was leading the pack, Roger went about his business like he always did. 

  Since our starting times were similar the next day, I spoke to him when he arrived at the tent. I was going out a little bit before him, so I wished him luck and told him to hold it together. I happened to notice he didn't have the same bow that he had the day before. Now, he had a camouflage Darton in his hands and acted like nothing was any different than the previous day. He said he felt that bow gave him the best chance on that day. I'm still amazed by what I witnessed.

  When the dust cleared, Roger had just missed the cut. I was really disappointed for him. I wanted the guy whom nobody had every heard about to take all of the big guys down. Although I can't prove it, I actually think many of the guys in the clique were happy that he struggled a little bit the second day and missed the cut. 

  Well, that was the end of that. Roger ended up signing on with Mathews and tore up the Senior Pro tour shortly after that incident at the IBO World. He went on to win the IBO World and the IBO National Triple Crown. 

  Roger's presence in New England made me a better shooter. He made me want to work harder and get as good as I could possibly get. Although I never reached the heights that he or many others in New England reached, I feel pretty good about the path that I followed along the way. I climbed some brutal mountains and reached the top a few times, and that is because Roger always pushed me, even when he was no longer shooting in the same class as me.  Not only did Roger make me better, he made every competitive 3D archery in New England better. His influence will never be matched in 3D archery in New England. There will never be another person who will compare to him. 

  Although we have some great archers now, nobody dominates like he once dominated. Now, there are a handful of guys who can shoot the highest score of the longest stake at any given shoot. It randomly rotates from week to week, with the same person very rarely running off two winning shoots in a row. However, Roger very rarely lost at all in New England when he was in his prime. It was incredibly to watch and be a part of. 

  I shared many dinner with Steph Hamner, Bob Rowe, Ryan Rowe, Roger and my dad. We would always catch dinner after the shoots in New England or at a national event. We had many great laughs and discussed a lot of things about archery. I'll be forever thankful for being able to shoot with Roger on a number of occasions. He taught me to be confident, mentally strong and to never quit, all things that have served me well while shooting. 

  New England has always been known for producing some great 3D shooters, having many IBO World Champions come from the region, but none of it would have been possible without Roger's presence. 

  When I heard of his passing last month while I was on the road, Eric Griggs wrote a few of his thoughts about Roger. He could't have been more spot on with what he said. Although I've never had the type of success that either one of those guys achieved, I had something happen a few years ago that still makes me  proud. When Bryan Hunt posted a bunch of IBO Northeast Triple Crown awards on the IBO Northeast Facebook page and asked if anyone could identify who had won all of them, I felt incredibly honored when almost every person said that it had to have been Roger Thibault who had won them. Amazingly, it was me who had won the awards. I took the picture of the awards and sent them to Bryan, and he posted them with the question. I feel very fortunate to have been mentioned in the same breath as Roger. I guess if people thought it was him, I must have had a good run in my time, too. 

  Over the last handful of years, I saw Roger a few times at some of the shoots in New England. I saw him at Lakeside in Maine, and I saw him at the Rhode Island shoot. He was shooting left handed, and he was still beating people soundly, even doing it left handed...............he never ceased to amaze me. 

  I could go on and on, but you probably all get the point by now. Roger was an icon in our region and will always be remembered, especially by me.......as an incredible archer but more as a friend. I'll miss him, and I will always remember the sound of his voice. His voice was as unique of a voice as I've ever heard. It wasn't hard to pick out in a crowd of people. 

 When you head to the shoots across New England next year try to remember the great ones we have lost in recent years, including Steph Hamner, Roger Griggs and Roger Thibault. All of these guys left lasting impressions on me, and I'm thankful for having them in my life. Thanks guys for giving me unforgettable memories. I'm not sure if Mathews archery every knew how great of an ambassador Roger was for them, but I can tell you that he's one of the best who ever wore their colors. He went out of his way to promote the product and always spoke highly of his equipment, even if he was struggling. 

An Archer's Journey: Recapping the Year

  My competitive archery year started on New Year’s Day. Although I hadn’t shot my bow much, I dug it out during Christmas week and sighted it in. Since I had committed to going to Nimrod for the annual New Year’s Day shoot with George, Chuck and Jeff, I wanted to make sure that my bow was sighted in, even if it wasn’t shooting good. 

  My first go of the year went well, as I banged out a 449 with a moderate to high X count. I felt pretty good about it. I was able to win my first elimination match before getting knocked out by Jason VanHillo. A few weeks later I found myself heading to Heritage Archery Academy in Phelps, N.Y., on Martin Luther King Day to see Mike Price. I went with one goal in mind: I wanted to relieve some of the pressure in my shoulders and see if I could eliminate some of my tension and shakiness when I became nervous during competitions. After spending the day with Mike, I headed home with an entirely new look. My draw was substantially longer than when I had arrived. I needed to go home and learn how to shoot again, even if it was going to take me the entire year to do so. After all, I went in with a specific plan, which was to be ready for the year I’m old enough to shoot in the senior class. I figured if I could do that, I might just give Senior Pro a shot for a year or two.

  As one month led into the next, I worked tirelessly on my shot. I was using muscles, bones and joints that I never knew existed. I ran into some elbow issues, but they gradually took a backseat as time moved forward. Although my elbow still hurts, the pain is somewhat manageable now.

  My 3D year was filled with ups and downs as I kept trying to determine where my new draw length needed to be set at to allow me to make the best shots possible. This time period caused me to show up at shoots every week with different things going on. I’ve always been a person who doesn’t change much, so the nonstop changes didn’t allow me to gain confidence in my equipment. 

  Finally, I settled in with a 29’ draw length, yup 2 ¼ inches longer than I’ve ever shot but very close to the original draw length I had in the ‘90s and early 2000s when I had all of my success on the national scene in SPM.

  After getting the draw length set, I changed bows and went to an Elite Energy 35 with a V-grip. At first, the bow felt awkward to me, like I was at full draw and holding nothing. I worked at it and finally got used to it. That’s when I began pounding with it, and my confidence soared through the roof. Old Todd, who had been hiding behind the surface, was ready to be unleashed. 

  Then, he jumped out of the depths of my soul and stood front and center and shouted, “Look at me!!” at the top of his lungs. Over the next three to four weeks, I went on a roll, shooting up in three of the shoots I attended and no more than 10 down in a few others. I also attended the New England trail shoot, in which I dropped 12 points, and I felt like I was very close to winning. I actually had a winning performance, but a little bit of bad luck kept me off off the podium. I was still satisfied with a 5^thplace finish since all of the best shooters in New England were at the shoot.

  After that performance and the 304, 301 and 300 that I shot, I was ready. I had crawled out of the depths of despair and made myself realize that I could still shoot at the same level I had become accustomed to over the last few years. Actually, I felt like I was shooting even better than that, but the scores hadn’t caught up to my shooting yet.

 That’s when I decided to head to the third leg of the National Triple Crown to see where I stood against the best shooters in the country. If I could go to a national event and hold my own, I would know that a lot of my work was finally beginning to pay off. Well, I attended the event and finished in the money. I also had a rough patch in the middle due to a few minor issues. I shot incredibly well for about 35 targets, and once again, I felt like I had a winning performance. My shots were clicking, and the arrows were hitting behind the pin. It felt really good.

  After the long drive home, Dad and I headed to the New Hampshire Senior Games the next day so I could try my hand at outdoor target archery with my new form. Without the equipment problems in the middle of the round, I would have easily shot the highest score of the tournament by a substantial margin. Even with the problems and having to sight back in during the scoring round, I still managed to put up a respectable score. I gained more confidence in that event and realized I could surpass my expectations and shoot even better scores than I had in a long time.

  Over the course of the next month, I struggled a little bit, but I also had a lot on my mind. I wasn’t really focused, and when I was focused, my mind wasn’t centered on the task I was trying to accomplish. I knew I could still shoot.

  All of those things brought me to the IBO World Championship. I went into it without any expectations, and when I handed the scorecard in at the end of the weekend, I knew that I had had a winning performance once again. Unfortunately, a little bit of bad luck kept me from shooting on the last day, but I knew I shot well enough to be there. It was an awesome way to end the season. 

  Before hanging the bow up for the season, I attended the Royalston team money shoot last weekend. My shooting had basically been pretty strong for the last month and a half, so I expected to shoot well. Although Jacob and I got off to a rough start, we made short work of that and began doing what we do well: we started shooting good shots. 

  As the day progressed, I began making better shots. Eventually, I felt like I couldn’t miss. I had come full circle since that cold day in January when I went to Mike Price and asked him for help. I had accomplished my goal. Every time I hit full draw and settled into anchor, I looked through the pin and began pulling. Most of the shots fired effortlessly and landed in or near the 11-ring. It was an incredible feeling after dealing with all of the struggles I encountered over the last eight months. The road has been long…………………..and I’m not close to the end. I know I have a lot more work to do, and I’m going to work with Mark Myers to improve upon some of the things that might be holding me from reaching my true potential. I’ll probably give up the score gig this winter, too, so Mark and I can work together to put that missing piece where it needs to be to get me to where I want to go. I’m a goal setter, so even if it's tremendously hard, I accept the challenge and look forward to conquering the demon that lies beneath the surface. Being a goal setter, I have had this piece of paper hanging in my bow workshop since 1991. It has helped me stay the course when I felt like giving up at certain times. I firmly believe that this piece of paper has helped me win many significant events along the way. It has helped me accomplish thing that many others haven't been able to accomplish. Surround yourself with people who talk in this manner and avoid the ones who spew negativity out of their mouths. You'll be amazed at how much you improve just by following that simple rule. Copy this and paste in your bow room. It will work wonders, especially for you younger guys, the guys who want so desperately to be more consistent and find themselves in the winner's circle. 

  I’d like to thank everyone who followed me along on my journey this year, and I hope you enjoyed what I had to say. I’m glad that many of you told me you enjoyed the ride and the stories made you feel good when you realized that I also go through the same things that many of you go through. I’m not sure if I’ll do the same thing this winter or if I’ll just let it go. If any of you have any thoughts, I’d love to hear them.

  Oh, I’ve also been trying out some new bows lately. I’ve been looking for a cam system that gives me more feedback during my shot and when my shot fires. I think this would be better for me in the long term. I’ve been shooting a PSE PerformX 3D, and that bow feels good. It drives tacks and holds on the spot very well. I like the response it gives to me, and I might have one of these in my hands going into next 3D season. I’d like to try the new Supra for indoor and outdoor target archery, but I think I’d probably have to win the lottery for that to happen. I wish I had an unlimited amount of money to buy bows and try them, but for now, I think I might just try these PSEs and see what happens. Of course, that could all change tomorrow, but the shooting I’ve done in my backyard over the last week or two tells me that I should really pursue that option and see if it improves my game a little bit more. After all, we are always looking for another edge that might gain us some points on our competitors or even toward our personal bests. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to find out if my choices lead to either of those things. 

  

An Archer's Journey: The Royalston Team Shoot

   This week went by quickly. I scrambled to get my hunting rig set up since I will be in Colorado chasing elk in less than three weeks. Amazingly, the tune went flawlessly, and my hunting arrows were grouping as good as my 3D arrows in a matter of minutes after changing my rest and arrows. I decided on ACC 339s this year. I've been using ACCs since the mid-90s, and I'll probably never stop using them as long as they're made. I've always gone back and forth between 349s, 339s and 328s. Due to a few different variables this year, I decided the 339 would be my best bet. According to the groups I shot the last few days with those arrows, I think I made the right choice. I'll know more if I get to launch one at an elk..........stay tuned. You can follow my hunting journal on my website if you want more information about my hunting adventures. I try to keep it updated throughout the hunting season. 

  I posted the picture above her for a particular reason, and that reason is related to the team shoot in Royalston, Mass., on Saturday. Going into the shoot, I felt really confident about my shot. Coming off   a great performance at the IBO World last week, everything seemed to be clicking. 

  We drove through some nasty weather on the way to the shoot, and when we got there, we shot a few practice arrows and headed to the first target. We appeared to be the last group headed onto the course, and we had six people in the group. Since we were shooting marked yardage, it wouldn't be too bad. I thought my day was going to be a disaster when I shot eights on the first two targets. Instantly, I became a little agitated. How could I shoot two 8s in a row on marked yardage targets? My shot had been good all week, and I felt like I would shoot well at this event. The first two shots, I felt a little shaky and the shots definitely weren't some of the best shots I've ever executed. On the third target, I got my feet back under me and started doing what I do. Within a few targets, I was on a roll. Between Jacob and I, we struggled to hit the bonus rings. We weren't missing them by much, but we searched through our memories and realized that we started the exact same way last year. 

  We finally began rolling when we got out on the powerline last year, so we hoped for the same this year. This year there was a 70-yard antelope out there, and damn..............it looked like a fawn antelope.........a million miles away. When my shot broke, it felt really good, but when the arrow struck the target, we couldn't tell if it was a 10. We were pretty certain it was cutting the line on the bottom, but not sure enough to let Jacob shoot at the 14............so we held off and he shot for the center. When we got to the target to score the arrows, my arrow wasn't even close, it was a solid 10. I guess we needed better binoculars. After that target, we started picking up some steam and my shots began breaking perfectly. My pin sat nicely in the center of the kill zone, and my release fired with relative ease. And that's when we began digging our way out of the hole we had crawled into out of the gate. Neither one of us had any doubts, but we knew we had a ways to go. As I began shooting 11s, Jacob began shooting 14s. I felt at ease, which made it easy to shoot. I knew Jacob had my back, and I also knew he felt a little more relaxed when my arrows continually found their way into the 11s. Maybe, just maybe we would gain enough points back to stand a chance of besting our record score from last year. 

  The rain came down in buckets for about five minutes as we shot our last target of the first half. I centered it and Jacob followed it up with a 14. We both felt good about our first half. After all, I think we were six or seven targets in and were only three up. Things definitely weren't looking good at that point, but we had no doubts about our abilities.

  As we marched across the field to start the second half, we sat down and waited for another group to get to the stake. Since we had six shooters and they had four shooters, we decided to let them shoot the target before us so we wouldn't hold them up.

  As we conversed for a few minutes, Steve Santos and Jim McDevitt told us that Braden and Casey has finished at 67 up and Sean and Josh were at 37 up at the halfway point. Suddenly, we didn't feel so good about our first half. As we sat there dumbfounded, we began questioning if the wool was being pulled over our eyes. I've seen a lot of people talk smack, only to find out the smack was just put out there to troll other people. We questioned whether we were being trolled. That's when Jacob said, "We are going to do this, lets get everyone one of these on this half. If it's true, we have to give it everything we have." We both recalled last year when we shot that half and that's where we were able to get some separation. 

  When I Xd the first shot, Jacob followed it up with a 14...........and then it was game on. He reminded me on  every target that we could do it. I was shooting well and he was shooting like he always does, phenomenally well. As we made our way through the course, I stayed in the 11 ring on almost every shot and Jacob pounded the 14s, which almost made my shots seem worthless. At the same time, I knew I was doing my part, because Jacob wasn't going to shoot at the 14s if I wasn't in the 10-ring. Moving along, he kept reminding me that I was making it easy for him, and he said there wasn't any pressure at all when he knew we already had 11 points, but at the same time, he knew we needed the 14s to have any chance whatsoever of catching the other guys. 

  When we got a little way down the trail, we ran into Sean, Josh, Shawn and Brandon. Jacob and I were a little feisty and had some fun with the guys when Sean was showing us a problem he was having with a limb. Hearing the feistiness, Shawn Couture said, "Wow, Jacob I've never heard you like that. Did those scores you heard fire you up?" Jacob laughed and didn't acknowledge it. After we walked away, Jacob went on autopilot and told us he was going to get as many of those 14s as possible. Meanwhile, I'm thinking that he must have a lot of confidence in me...........because he wouldn't be shooting at them if I didn't do my part. 

  When we came out into the field for the last four shots, Jacob told me he was going to get every one of them. Looking at the shots ahead of us, I saw that each of the targets had some serious yardage on them. On top of the yardage, there were a few spotting scopes pointing at the targets and a fair amount of noise under the outside platform. I led off the feeding doe in the field and smoked it. As I'm feeling good about my shot, Jacob calmly steps to the stake and drills the 14.......again.

  Looking at the next target, I can see that it's the rising boar, and it has a little bit of an angle on it. When my shot broke, I said, "yup" in my head. I knew I had it, and the target was the judge of my performance. The judge held the 11 card up for Jacob to see. My performance had earned an 11. I was pretty stoked about it and sat in my chair to watch my partner's performance. When his arrow struck the target, we were unsure what the target was going to give him for a grade. His performance was really good, but the target didn't want to hold the card up. As we approached the target, we knew it was close. The paint has washed off the 14-ring. Luckily the arrow was touching the ring, and we had another 14 on our card. When we walked inside the baseball fence and strolled to the cinnamon bear, we felt pretty confident. I'm not sure if all eyes were on us, but it kind of felt like it. 

  When I was aiming at the bear, my pin drifted to the right, and the shot fired. I hit two inches to the right of the 11. Once again, Jacob settled in after me and stroked another 14. Unbelievably, he had done exactly what he told me he was going to do. He said he loved having all eyes on him, then he told me the was going to get the elk. As we walked to the first target earlier in the day, he told me he was going to get the elk because that's how he wanted to end his 3D year, smoking an elk's 14-ring. 

  As we got closer to the platform, there was a lot of background noise, with whispers amongst some of the people. Of course, I'm fairly certain, but I can't be sure, that nobody thought we had any type of chance of shooting 67 up. I'm pretty sure that everyone had already handed out the congratulatory remarks to the 67-up team, Braden and Casey, after all, could anyone every beat a score like that, especially a team that was only 23 up at the halfway point? Although it was enjoyable for all of them to watch the Jacob show as we progressed through the field toward the finish, I'm sure none of them knew where we stood on the score sheet. 

  Before I shot the last target, Wade took me to the side and said, "All you have to do is shoot an 8 on this target and you have that 67 up score beaten. I said, "Really?" He said, "Yup, you guys have win if  one of the two of you just shoots an 8. Flabbergasted that we could have caught them, I didn't even know what to say. I'd be lying if i didn't tell you that it didn't distract me. Between everyone talking under the platform and Wade telling me that, the concentration that I had throughout the day was suddenly gone. When I hit full draw, I was thinking about a zillion things and none of them had anything to do with shooting my shot. I let down and decided to start again. When I hit full draw, I encountered the same problem again, but I muscle through it and shot an 8...........we had won, but Jacob didn't know. Wade didn't tell him, and I didn't let him in on it. He said, "What do I do?" I said, Go for it. We probably have no chance of catching them anyway." He said, "O.K. I got this one."

  Then, Wade gave me the cards and I looked at them. As I glanced down the card, I quickly saw that Wade had not added it correctly. That 8 of mine did not win the shoot for us. We actually needed a 10. I wanted to shout at Jacob and tell him to let down. I was sure he could shoot a 10 for us for the win. I don't know why, but I chose to sit back and not say a word. If he missed the 14, we would lose my one point. Seconds later, the shot broke, and the arrow landed on the bottom of the 14-ring on the 70 yard elk. Simply amazing. We ended the day at 72 up. Here's the winning shot and almost losing shot (closest one to the 10 ring on the left).

  When I asked Jacob to be my partner at this shoot last year, I figured we would have a good chance. I knew our shooting would complement each other. I'm a good shooter and he's a world-class shooter. This type of team shoot requires both teammates to shoot well. This shoot cannot be won if one shooter excels because there's no way that every 14 will be hit, it's just impossible, although Jacob did hit 18 of them, I think. The amazing part is that he barely missed three of them, and those three had the pink paint washed off the 14, so he was guessing where he had to hold. One of them was the white goat and the other was the bedded buck, both tough shots at long yardages. He missed both of them by about an inch total. Amazingly a few of the others he missed along the way were fairly close  as compared to many of them. He shot just out the top of them, no more than an inch. Although the score we ended up with was insane, it was within an inch or two of being even more stupid, almost as stupid as Mike Tyson showing up in "The Hangover." I'm really glad I was a part of this because I actually did my part in our team. Jacob always picks me up when I'm struggling along and shows confidence in my shooting ability. I shoot well with him, and he shoots well with me. We just have good chemistry together. There's never any negative thoughts or talk that comes up when we are shooting. We always take the positive, even if it's hard at time. I'm sure there were many teams that were ahead of us after about 8 targets. We didn't give up though, and we never had any doubt. We were both breaking good shots, but the scoring wasn't following. If you keep breaking good shots, the score will find it's way to the card. 

  As far as my own day goes, I was very satisfied. My first two shots were 8s and my last one was an 8. The rest of the day was pretty clear sailing and I executed some of my best shots of the year. Once again, I need to work on the concentration factor. I let a small distraction keep me from ending the day with another 10, a 10 we almost could have needed to win. I'll work on staying focused until the end and on every shot. Overall, my day was awesome in every way imaginable. I made the best shots I've made all year, and the results proved it. I'll give all of my form changes an A for the day. I felt like I had accomplished everything I set out to do.

  On our way home, we had a good time and shared many laughs. Wade, Jeff, Jacob and I talked about the shoot, the year and all sorts of other things. It was a fantastic way to end the year. Jeff and Wade both shot well, too. We even saw flashes of the Wade I used to shoot with all of the time about 15 years ago before he had to take some time off to raise his family. Jeff and Wade were really close to putting up a big score. Wade got his share of 14s, and the came really close to many more.  

  I'd just like to thank Shawn Couture for his hard work in setting up the course. I thought this one was the best one I've shot out of the three times I've been to the shoot. Many of the 14 were in play for most of us and there were also some shots that we just needed to stay in the 10. I think we have to remember that two of the best shooters in the world are in attendance and sometimes what they do makes it seem like it wasn't hard. This course was pretty tough for us normal Joes. If you look across the board, the judges (scorecards) showed it.

I'll try to give a recap of my year in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. Oh, I just want to give Jacob a shout out. Congratulations on a great year. Take some time off now and go do your thing in the woods. Have a great time with your dad and enjoy yourself. Going into next year, remember what we talked about. Approach every shoot like the one we shot this weekend, just go have fun. You love shooting a bow, just like I love shooting mine, so just shoot your bow because you love to and have fun while you're doing it. Great job, partner. Thanks for taking my offer last year and letting me be a part of your ride. I'm glad I did my part at this shoot. 

Oh, a shoutout to for my dad, too. He won the Maine Senior Games. He has struggled a little bit this summer, but she shot a couple scores in the 880s this week during practice. Although he didn't put up an 880, he came pretty close. I'm glad his hard work paid off. 

  

An Archer's Journey: Thoughts on the IBO World Championship

  When I began shooting competitive archery as a teenager, I knew these two items were things that were considered the Holy Grail of 3D archery. If you could win one of these, you had accomplished an incredible feat. Although I have many different awards, some hold more value than others. Of anything I've ever won, I feel the top picture is one that reminds me that doctors aren't always right. Three different doctors told me that I would never shoot a bow again when I had surgery a few years prior to winning that award. I told my dad I would made those surgeons liars. I love shooting my bow, and I knew I would do anything to be able to shoot again. So winning that award has more meaning than any other.

 Anyhow, since it's an IBO World Championship belt buckle, I guess we will give a review of this year's IBO World Championship. Read along and see if you kind find a part of your weekend in my weekend. I hope you all had a good time.

All I can say is that I’m glad the competitive 3D season is over. It ended with a bang at Snowshoe Mountain, and I got to see some of my friends put on some fantastic shooting displays.  It was a pleasure to watch. After talking to many of them, I realized that they battle the same demons that we all battle at times. 

  When I got to the target butt the first day, I did what I always do. I walked to the 10-yard butt and just focused on my shot execution. I think far too many people start at the 20-yard butt, shoot a few arrows then rush to their max-distance bale.  They’ll stand at that bale for the rest of their practice time and try their hardest to shoot arrows into the center of the dot.  Some people will shoot awesome groups and build their confidence, but others will spray arrows and head to the course with negative thoughts in their heads. After I work on my execution, I shoot a few arrows at the 35-yard butt to make sure that my marks are still on. If the arrows hit behind the pin, I return to the 10-yard and 20-yard bales to make sure I can feel my shot. That’s just some food for thought for all of you as you go into the future. 

  As I waited for my group to be called on the first day, I saw a lot of people I knew, which made it relaxing. Unlike some years in the past, I didn’t feel a lot of anxiety. After the year I have experienced, I had no expectations. My goal for the weekend was to execute good shots and try to get good numbers. I knew if I did that, I would definitely have a good chance of shooting on the final day. Although I have struggled this year, I know my abilities and never question my confidence. My confidence has remained constant, even though my scores didn’t live up to many other people’s expectations. Having put in the time to learn how to execute good shots with my new form, I was 100% confident that I’m as good a shooter as I was before the changes, and I’m headed toward being a better shooter. My goal for the year has been reached, even though the scores haven’t followed. I know the scores are lagging behind, but when you’re working on becoming better, it almost always takes more time for the results to show on the other end. 

  When my group was called, we headed down the road toward the first target. I quickly realized that I had some good guys in the group, and we were going to get along and have a good time. Dave Ferguson, from western NY, was in my group. Since I live in eastern NY, I’m quite familiar with Dave and his family’s success while shooting bows. That family has game, plain and simple. Dave had a great year this year and finished near the top at the national events he attended. I knew that if I could stay with him, I would be in good shape. I figured we would both be able to feed off from each other, which would keep both of us focused. Since I had never met Dave, I didn’t know what to expect. Within minutes, I knew he was just another guy. He was just like me, a guy who loves to shoot his bow and spend time with his family while doing it. 

  I was a little nervous on the first couple of targets, but my muscle memory took over and the shots broke cleanly. Our first real test came on target number four when we turned the corner and spotted a Big 10. Looking at it, the number jumped out at me. I knew it was between 45 and 50, so I dialed it up and settled in when it was my turn. The pin settled right next to a shadow on the target that I used for a marker, and I broke one of the best shots I’ve ever broken at a national or world championship. The arrow struck an inch above the 11. After shooting that shot, I felt like I was in a groove. I knew I was going to have a good day. 

  If my memory serves me right, the next target was a strutting turkey. As soon as I looked at it, I got a good number. The pin settled perfectly in the place I wanted it to sit, and the shot fired instantly. I was pumped when I saw the arrow hit behind the pin. Although it wasn’t in the 10-ring, it was just barely above it, less than an inch. I had no complaints. The arrow hit exactly where the pin was sitting. 

  The next target might have been my toughest target of the two days, but I battled through it and got a 10. It was still dark, and fog was drifting through some thick evergreens when we arrived at a wolverine that was in a dark hole on a pretty steep decline. The shot required a hard bubble to the left. When I drew the bow the first two times, I couldn’t locate the target. As I began to pull on the second attempt, something felt awkward, so I eased tension off from my trigger and looked around the side of the housing. Instantly, I realized I was holding to the left of a white dot on the neck. Thankfully, I let down and gave it another try. This time, I splashed the fiber to the right of those white dots and pulled. When the shot fired, I was nervous. Stepping back from the stake, I saw it touching the 10-line at 3’oclock. I felt relieved and lucky at the same time. 

  The rest of the day went smoothly. I continued executing good shots, and the shots felt awesome. Throughout the day, I had a hard time seeing exactly where I was holding, which might have led to my low X count. I got off the course with four eights, which were all just a hair high out of the 10-ring. I didn’t miss anything by more than and inch or two, and I held a great line, especially for a mountain with a lot of side hills to compete against.  I only shot four 11s, but I also just missed a bunch of them. I came pretty close to shooting even for the day and was satisfied with the result on the scoreboard. I had a winning performance. 

  Going into day two, I figured I would try to follow my original game plan. When we got to the first target, I had to lead it off. I got a few different numbers while measuring it up. When I finally settled on a number, I felt a little hesitant and thought I might hit it high. When the shot broke, I instantly knew it was farther than I had anticipated when I listened to the arrow in flight. Stepping away from the stake, I saw that I had a perfect line and the arrow was resting just above the 8-line at 6’o’clock below the 10-ring.  I definitely felt a little anxiety on that first shot.  

  As always, I never looked at the scores after the first day. Heck, there’s absolutely no reason to look at scores because a first-day score doesn’t mean anything at all. What matters is when you’re all done. After the first day, I knew that I was in the hunt. Having shot many of these events, I figured I could be no worse than the fifth best score of day one.  Later on, I found out I was right. I was the fifth best score of the day.

  After the first shot that day, I struggled a little with yardage before I finally got it dialed in. My shots became effortless and the arrows were hitting directly behind the pin. I couldn’t ask for more. Before I knew it, I had rolled off five 11s in a row, and I knew I was in a zone for more. The pin was holding good and my yardage was spot on. Very rarely do us Joes know we are in the “Zone,” but I’ve been there enough times over the years to know I was there. My mind was relaxed, my body was loose, and my shot was effortless. There were no outside thoughts in my mind that could distract me. Instead, I was trying to win every tournament I shot, and every tournament I shot was the next target. After my fifth 11 in a row, I knew I was going to get another one when I heard the group in front of us shooting at the target. I could tell that the target was set at 30 yards or under when I listened to the arrows in flight before they hit the target. 

  As soon as the group in front of us cleared out of the way, I walked to the stake with my group. When we looked into the woods, we couldn’t see a target………..we couldn’t see anything at all. As we searched, Austin finally located it and told us that there was an elk in there. I was relieved a little, figuring I could probably stay in a basketball-sized 10-ring at that distance, even if I couldn’t see it. After Austin shot his arrow, I couldn’t see it in the target, and he even had white vanes on it.  When I drew the bow and anchored, I tried finding the outline of the target and couldn’t see anything at all. I let down and decided to do what I know you should do when you can’t see a target. I drew again, anchored, put the pin in the middle of an entirely black area and began pulling. When the shot fired, I didn’t know what to expect. As I stepped away from the stake and glassed, I almost blew a top. My arrow had struck way to the right, just inside the 8-ring…………….on a 30-yard elk. 

  I’ve always been very proud of my mental game. I’ve accomplished things under pressure that very few people have been able to do while in the same situation. I’m proud of that ability and know that is the reason why I’ve come out on top many times. Unfortunately, we all have mental lapses from time to time. 

  As I walked away from the elk, I could feel the internal rage. Although I had been shooting one-arrow tournaments for the first 29 shots, I instantly thought about the future. When I did that, I pictured that one particular bullshit target-set (which I've never seen anything similar at a national event) as being the difference between making the cut and sitting it out.  Having made the cut numerous times, I know that usually it’s a combination of things that cause people to miss the cut, not one single thing. Instead of letting it go, I stormed to the next target. I could feel my blood pressure raising and bitched about it for the entire walk to the next target. 

  As I pulled my stool out to sit on it, I heard the guy in the group in front of us shoot an arrow. As soon as I heard the arrow, I had a pretty good guess at the number. I was almost certain of it, too. Heck, I was rolling, and couldn’t do anything wrong. With the rage still boiling, I skipped a few steps in my process, which threw me off my game. When I reached full draw on the gator, the pin settled on a small piece of sunlight on the target that was at the top of the 11. I began pulling and the shot fired. I knew that I had just smoked another 11………..I was on my way.  However, in the instant between the bow firing and the arrow hitting the target, there was a hollow noise, a noise I had never heard in my 30 years of shooting national and world events. I had missed the alligator. My arrow had just narrowly missed making contact with the foam. I had done something that I’ve watched so many other people do, but I have never experienced it myself – I let an outside interference take control of my mental edge. I can assure you that I learned my lesson and that will never happen again. 

  As soon as I did it, I went to my stool and realized I was still in decent shape.  I would need to pull off one of my better sets of 10 targets, but I knew I could still do it. I quickly researched my brain and began recalling some of my experiences. In the last leg of the national triple crown a few years ago when I won, I shot a 109 on a 10-target loop. Then, I thought back to the IBO World last year when I shot 13 out of 20 11s on the last day or the day in mid '90s when I shot 18 our of 20 xs in Erie at the second leg of the IBO National Triple Crown.

  We got to the next target, and I put all of my focus behind the string. I quickly reeled off three 10s……….I was running out of time, but I knew I could probably still get at least five of the remaining seven 11s, heck I had done it before. 

  I continued grinding, refusing to give in. I’ll never quit, even if I think I’m in last place. That’s what has allowed me to take this form change this year, share it with you, and make progress every week, even if the scores didn’t show it. I refuse to lose. Winners are not chosen; they are made. I make myself a winner.  Can you say the same? Would you have folded your cards after shooting a zero at the halfway point? Not this guy. 

  As far as the zero goes, although I’ve shot some zeros here and there along the way, that one was my first one I’ve ever shot at world or national event……….ever due to my own actions and not an equipment failure. I take ownership of losing my mental edge, but at the same time, if the target set wasn’t a bullshit-set that relied on pure luck to shoot a 10, I could have easily let it go. When you’re trying to determine a winner, NOTHING should come down to a lucky shot. I’m not sure who set the stake or the target, but it never should have been approved, even if it was a 30-yard elk. I could go on for hours about it, but whoever set it or approved it can be rest assured that it prevented me from making the shootoff and not because of the difficulty of it, because of the agitation of so much luck being involved to get the highest score on it. Let the shooters be fooled by a target set that induces a bad estimate, not something that relies on pure luck for everyone involved. You either drew the bad luck card or the good luck one. Unfortunately, I drew the bad luck one. My reactions to it will never happen again. I learned a valuable lesson, and I’m thankful for it. It will help me in the future. 

   When I signed my cards and headed up the mountain at the end of the day, I knew I had just had a winning performance. I shot well enough to win. Sometimes bad luck bites you, and sometimes you win when you don’t have a winning performance. It’s just a fact of tournament archery. After all of my struggles this year, I finally felt pretty damn good about my hold, execution and results. If I throw out the two unfortunate incidents, this tournament settled nicely into one of my top three of the year. I still have a few things to work on, but I know I will keep improving as time moves forward. I accomplished my goal for the year, and I did exactly what I figured I would do when I decided to make changes: I sacrificed a year to ready myself as I inch closer to the senior class……………Step 1 of the mission has been completed.  Step 2 will begin with the indoor season in a few months. I need the time away from the bow right now. I'll begin after next week's team event with Jacob.

  I’m excited for a lot of my friends who were able to get to the final day. It was even more fun to watch a few of them shoot in the shootoff. I watched John Vozzy donut the 11 on the first shot of the shootoff and continue strong through the next two before I stepped away to watch Jacob and Ben shoot in their group. Jacob and Ben went arrow for arrow through the course, and as it should, it came down to the last target. Ben led it off and needed to shoot a 10 to secure the win. Shooting a 10 on a coyote that is over 45 yards for the title is something I’m sure everyone can appreciate. He hit the top of the 10, and Jacob followed it up with an 11. I know many of you shoot large diameter arrows to gain points. For average Joes you’re probably hurting yourself more than improving your odds of getting better scores.  Although Jacob shot a phenomenal round at 106 in the shootoff, he would have ended with a 109 if he had been shooting a .22 diameter shaft. I’ll bet you see him change arrows for next season. As I walked with these guys,  Jacob reminded me of myself. He kept talking about his dad and wondered how his dad was doing. He just wanted his dad to shoot well. He cared more about his dad than he did himself. I always think the same for my dad. Great job John. That was really impressive shooting. You had a phenomenal year. Keep it up and move right on into hunting season. 

  It would take me forever to give props to everyone who did well, so I’ll just extend my congratulations to all of you, whether you made the cut, shot a personal best, made new friends, or just missed winning. 

  I’ll also tell a few of you that my pain is your pain. Aron, Jon, Dad, Deb, and a few others I’m sure I’m forgetting, I know the feeling of turning the doorknob but not being allowed to go inside. You have to stand on the porch while everyone is inside partying it up. I’ve been there. It sucks. Nothing is worse in target archery. Try to build from it and use it as experience. Let it drive you to smash the door open and join the party next year. 

  Kathryn I can really feel your pain. I’m sure you can look at people and say they just don’t get it. I get it, and I know exactly what it feels like. If we had had a little bit of luck on our side, we both would have been able to last for another day. Hopefully, you can build on this year and come back with a vengeance. Continue working and show people you can persevere. You can put a momentary bad incident behind you and use it as a driving force. Great job this year. 

  Ol’ Vozz, my heart hurts for you. No matter what anyone says, you put on a great display of shooting. It would be totally different if a bad shot cost you. I guess the silver lining is that you had one bad number that made the difference. Your shooting looked great, and you held everyone back for 49 targets. Sometimes NASCAR drivers start banging back and forth at the finish line and one guy dominates but when his car gets hit, the two cars go over the finish line at the same time, the dominating car got a bad break and crosses a hundredth of a second behind the winning car. You dominated and we all got to see it. Great job. Get back at it and find your way again. You won one and came in second at one. Outstanding job.  Just like you told me………..watch Little Brave.

I’m not going to do a shooter profile this week. There are far too many people who deserve it. I’m just glad I’m surrounded by a lot of people who have the same passion for archery that I have.  As things wind down, I hope all of you cherish your good moments and learn from your bad moments. Even if you had the worst world championship ever, I’m sure you can find something good about it to build on. We all experience a bad one here and there. Unfortunately, it sometimes comes at the most inopportune moments. Don’t let it get you down if you’re one of those people. I’ve sat in that row of seats, too, but I found a way to learn from it and come out on top, just like I’m doing right now as I build upon one of my worst scoring years ever, but best shooting years. 

Last night was a great night. I was surrounded my an incredible group of guys, all of whom I call friends, all of whom I respect very much in archery. We talked about a zillion different things. All of these guys feel like they are my family. We bid on targets, bullshitted and talked about many different things. As I looked around the room, I couldn't believe the level of people who surrounded me. Everyone in that room had accomplished a great feat in archery at some point in time. It's not too often that you're surrounded my greatness like that, and it felt awesome to know that I'm one of them, we are all part of each other's success. We all want to win, but we all route for each other. I think that's what makes all of us better. Thanks for a great night.

I’ll be teaming up with Jacob  at Shawn Couture’s shoot next weekend in Massachusetts, and that will be it for me for the season. I’ll be headed to Colorado to chase elk two weeks after that.

Until next week..................live, breathe, eat and sleep archery, because that is definitely what I'll be doing. Here's my card. I got through without any bad numbers that led to a five. If we take the mental lapse out, I would have been shooting with Jason on Sunday.