An Archer's Journey: Tinkering for a Better Result

 That quote sums up archery. Once doubt creeps in, your chance to succeed is all but gone. While some people might notch a victory here or there while doubt lingers in their minds, most people will kill their chances before they even begin. 

 I've lived on both sides of this fence. I have had times when there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to do well at a particular tournament, only to find myself sulking in the backseat of the vehicle on the way home. I've also encountered those other times when right from target one, I knew I was done because I had doubts in the back of my mind that I would be able to do certain things to keep me out of trouble while on the course.

  Last weekend pissed me off. I hate losing, especially when I'm the root cause for the loss. I don't mind losing if I did the very best that I was capable of doing at that particular time, however, I can't stand losing because of things I encounter during my round that shouldn't have been happening, like the things that I encountered last week. 

  When I shoot at home, I very rarely encounter any tension in my release hand. I can stand there and never miss. I can execute one great shot after another. As I mentioned in the Archery Uncensored podcast, if all of the Joes walked down my street and couldn't identify me, the groups on the paper face on the target butt might make some people think I was Todd (Jesse) Broadwater. I feel that good on some days. The hard part about practice at home is replicating the same amount of tension. I never feel the tension until I'm in a position where I'm trying to to my best in a tournament or league. The drive to be too precise lets the tension creep in, and the tension keeps the motor from firing as it should. If I could replicate the same type of feeling in my yard, I would be a lot better off and probably kill the two-headed beast in no time at all.

  Since I don't have the ability to replicate it, I know I need to do something to beat it when I find myself facing it on the range. That's why I immediately took steps to fix it when I got home. I found myself pretty busy on Monday night, so I didn't have any time to do anything related to shooting. But I did have time to think about what I could do to confront the problem head on. I decided that on Tuesday afternoon I would work on different ways to hold my release while at full draw to eliminate tension in my index finger, which is the area that I have the most difficult time relaxing.

  Amazingly, I almost instantly saw positive results. When I came to full draw and settled into my anchor point, I let the tension release from my index finger, which rotated the release a little bit and allowed me to feel pressure build on my ring finger. Once the pressure was on my ring finger and I began rotating, the shot fired consistently. 

  I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the new process. I shot about 10 3-D targets at my dad's place and I shot eight stations on his field archery range. When I decided to hang it up for the day, I had shot all but one 10 on the 3-D targets and I had only dropped one point of the 32 arrows on the field course, and that one arrow was barely out at 65 yards. The shot broke a hair early, and the arrow found itself licking at the line at 12 o'clock. Although I was disappointed with that one miss, I was ecstatic with how my bow was holding and the way I executed my shots. Here's a photo of one round. It felt good to break in the brand new target the right way.

  Since I was shooting so well that day, I overdid it a little bit and paid the price. My elbow was wrapped in ice for a few days afterward. On Tuesday, though, I felt better behind the string than I have in about 15 years. My aiming dot was holding really steady and shooting seemed so incredibly easy that I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't having a dream. I'm hoping that I can continue down that path in the coming weeks. 

  On Saturday, I made my way to Mark Meyers' place to see if he could give me some insight on ways to beat the tense release hand. Although I tried my own thing, I really wanted to get someone's opinion whom I really respect, someone who I know has a lot of deep knowledge on many things about the shooting process. 

  When we chatted about a lot of different things, we decided to give something new a try. Mark suggested that I start with a really tense grip on my release. After coming into anchor, he said I should try creating a step in my process in which I relaxed some of the tension. We are hoping that if I start in a position where I so often tend to end up when I get under pressure that it will make it easier for me to avoid ever getting into that tense position. 

  Although I wasn't able to go to Maine due to other obligations, I came home from Mark's and spent some time trying what we discussed. I won't lie........it felt incredibly uncomfortable. It's really hard trying to get used to it. It feels awkward and choppy, but then again, what doesn't seem that way when you make a drastic change. I'm going to keep working on it, but I won't be able to see if it makes much of a difference until I get under pressure............or -- more like -- until I put unnecessary pressure on myself, which all of us so often do.

  Today I spent some time at the indoor range with George Connors. He had a rough day yesterday when his bow limb delaminated during the tournament in Maine. The last few weeks have been filled with second guessing when George has been shooting. He has been dealing with some unexplained accuracy issues, but the issues haven't been consistent. Like I said at the beginning of this weekly report, when doubt creeps in, it's really hard to be confident. George has been battling confidence due to equipment inconsistencies. Now, that the bow finally let loose, it will take some time to get his confidence back. This is why we are Joes and they are pros. We sometimes question our abilities when we run into a little adversity, even if they adversity has nothing to do with our own shot execution. That's a battle we all face. I'm sure George will get back on track, but I also know what he's facing. Here's a picture of what George had to deal with.

I'm looking forward to the coming week. Although the weather doesn't look very good for a lot of practice, I'll do my best to get some yardage practice in before the end of the week. I plan on being in Connecticut on one day of the weekend and in Richfield Springs, N.Y., for the other day. I'm hoping to continue working on my new form and shot execution. 

 I believe I've finally found my exact draw length. My aiming circle has become much smaller, and I feel really confident with my hold. If the weather would break long enough to get outside and find some type of regularity with judging practice, I think I will be on the right track. 

Profile of the week: Aron Stevenson

  This week's profile of the week is my buddy Aron Stevenson. I've known Aron since he was barely old enough to talk, and when I met him, he was using a bow that he had carved with his own two hands and put a string on it to help him shoot arrows..............and that's no bullshit story.

 Aron didn't have the ability to get out and on the road too often, so we brought him with us quite a bit. Most people who meet Aron never forget him. He loves to talk.........and talk..........and talk...........and talk. He loves archery, and he loves helping people involved in archery or others who have any type of interest in it. 

Aron served time in the United States Marine Corp, and we should all thank him for his service. During his tour, he was able to find a job in one of the most notable shop in California, where he honed is skills as a bow mechanic and customer service rep. 

Very few people know about Aron's accomplishments, and it's easy to get lost in them because he never makes any mention of them. He simply shoots his bow because he loves shooting it. He could care less if he's at the top at the bottom. Nothing ever bothers him, as he always seems to be experimenting with something or other while he's shooting. I'm convinced that he could be a top archer if he ever just left things alone and shot the exact same setup throughout the year. 

One year, Aron went to Vegas with a Hoyt Deviator, which he had strung up with a 4 1/2 inch brace height, and he pounded for two days..........until the wheels fell off the bus for a variety of reasons. Aron has the ability to compete with anyone on any given day.

In Aron's early years, he competed in the Barebow division, which was a fairly big class at that time. He actually beat most of the people who shot with sights and releases. Although nobody would ever know it, Aron was the runner-up at the IBO World Championship in the Barebow division in the '90s. People who didn't shoot back then probably can't understand how big of an accomplishment that is. He competed against some of the best barebow shooters ever, including the likes of Jim Brown, and he held his own.

 Over time, Aron decided that he wanted to shoot in classes with more competitors, and he began chasing down the Freestyle classes to see if he could compete. It didn't take long for Aron to realize that he had game in that Arena, too.

  Of everything he has done in the Freestyle class, the one that stands out the most in my mind is when he showed up in downtown Albany, N.Y, without some of his equipment. He borrowed a release from me, and I think some arrows from someone, and tried sighting his bow in during the only two practice ends. When the shoot was done, Aron had won the tournament and crushed everyone in the process. It was an inspiring performance to watch, an unforgettable one for anyone who saw it. 

  Aron has also won the annual Guan Ho Ha Vegas tournament, and he has shared the podium in many other indoor and outdoor tournaments alike. He is also an NFAA Level II instructor and working toward is Level III certification. Aron's entire family competes in archery, and his son Logan competed at the New England Trail Shoot last year. He was the winner of the inaugural event in his class. If you seen Aron and his family on the tournament trail this year, please share a few minutes with him. He will talk your ears off, and I'm sure you can gain a lot of knowledge from him. 

Until next week -----------------> keep plugging and never give up. Where there's a will, there's a way. Winners never stop working.

An Archer's Journey: Massachusetts IBO State Championship

  Today ended a week of preparation that had many ups and downs. No matter what kind of tournament I attend, I never want to go to being unprepared. I spent my time in the brutally cold and windy days after work trying to hone my yardage skills. Since I know I have to rely on my yardage to get me through this tough patch, I'll spend a lot of extra time in that arena. If a good shooter knows how far the targets are from the stake, he will be a great shooter who doesn't have those same skills. I fit perfectly into that mold. 

  At the beginning of the week, my elbow felt better than it has felt since the middle of the winter. I'm not sure if it might be because I took a little time off from doing my physical therapy. I think it might have needed a lit bit of recovery time to give the ligaments, tendons and muscles some time to relax and reload. While the elbow if far from being in good shape, it definitely didn't bring me as much pain as the previous few weeks when I didn't know if I would even be able to continue shooting. I'm hoping for some more improvements as time goes forward. Since I'm not able to shoot very much, I tried to choose my shooting days wisely this week. 

  The wind and cold just wouldn't let up, so I decided I would shoot 10-15 3-D targets a day at my dad's house to see the numbers. Every day that I shot I seemed to improve with my yardage judging. By the end of the week, I felt very confident about every number I dialed my sight up to. When I finished shooting the mini course every day, I put my bow down and wandered through the surrounding woods to practice my yardage. I'll get more into my process in the coming weeks when I have more time.

  On Friday night, I received a release in the mail that I traded for with another guy. It wasn't much of a change, but the change was exactly what I needed. I went from a large Stan Shootoff to a medium. I've shot large releases for a long time, but over the last few months, the smaller frames seem to feel much better in my hand and give me a more consistent feel. I really like the feel of the release, and after shooting it on Saturday afternoon in my final warmup for Sunday, I decided to roll with it. I have won a few things in the past with the large release, so I figured this one wouldn't be much different, especially since it felt better in my hand. Now, on to the real reason why I decided I should shoot that release, besides the feel of it.

  On Monday night, I headed south to visit Mark Meyers. He had let me borrow a few things a few months ago, and I needed to get the stuff back to him. After all, he was nice enough to let me borrow it, I certainly needed to get it back to him. 

  As usual, Mark and I chatted for a bit about everything archery. I asked him to take a look at my draw length. After using his Stan Shootoff, he told me the draw length looked as close to perfect as someone could get it. Amazingly, it even felt good for once. That's why I decided to use the release I received in the trade. It was the same release. Thank you, Mark, for taking the time to help me out and listen to my endless babble. I appreciate all of your insight and honesty. Now, I'll explain what I need to work on next.

  When I walked along the trail to the first target today, I didn't know what to expect when I got to the stake. After a quick glance at the target, I felt like I had a pretty good number. I dialed the sight in and struggled a little on the first shot. I could tell that I was tentative on the trigger, which led to a lot of tension in my hand, causing me to become static. Instead of engaging and becoming an active participant, I hung out and watched my pin float around in the 10-ring. I need to put an end to those shenanigans. 

  Through the first eight targets, I felt really good. My shots felt like they were relatively smooth. Although the shots weren't on the perfect end of the scale, they were solid shots.......until the last two on that first course. I know that when I make bad shots, they are going to the right. I made enough of the them today to figure that out. 

  As we progressed through the course, we came upon a lot of awkward footing at the stakes as well as some severe up and downhill shots. I seem to do okay with the downhill shots, however, the new draw length has been giving me some issues with the uphill ones. I did a lot better on them today than I did a few weeks ago, and I have Sean Roberts to thank for that. I feel like I have the draw length right about where I need it. I definitely need to continue working on the uphill stuff. It feels like a pair of soggy boots when I try to shoot up any type of inclined grade. I'm hoping that the feeling goes away as the summer moves forward. 

  By the time I got done, I was glad the day was over. I was mentally drained. The yardage was tough for the better part of the day and took a lot of concentration to get the right numbers. Today was a gentle reminder that my biggest problem lies within my mind. I have the ability to make great shots. I also have the ability to judge yardage close enough to very rarely shoot arrows out of the 10-ring. I felt like I made one bad guess today, and that was on the alligator. I really missed that yardage, but it was because I got a little sloppy and didn't really dial it in close enough when I was figuring out the yardage. That was a mental lapse on my part. That was my only 5 of the day. I lived outside of the 10-ring for quite a bit of the day, and it wasn't because I had bad numbers. The real reason was because of the tension in my release hand. I need to work that into my shot process. I need to really focus on making it part of my process to come into my shot, transfer into my back, then relax the release hand in the index finger and pinky finger. Those two fingers seem to be giving me some issues. It's amazing how easy shooting is when I just relax my hand and let the bow do the work. Amazingly, as simple as it sounds, I very rarely if ever miss when I'm able to relax my hand and participate in the shot. I will beat this, even if it's the last thing I ever do. I will get back to the top of the mountain. The climb has been rough, and today was one of those days I'd like to forget about. I never learn much on my great days, and I'm usually happy after those days. Today got under my skin a little bit and that's because I simply beat myself. I had good numbers all day. If we scored numbers based on yardage judging and not shooting, I'm pretty sure that Jacob and I would have had a pretty good run at the best estimations of the day. Unlike Jacob, I had some issues with my execution. Watching him is a pleasure. I'm hoping that he has a great year. I enjoy his company, and I like watching him shoot. After watching him today, I can't wait to see how the year plays out for him. If he puts in the work with the rangefinder every day, he will, in my opinion, have a fantastic year. 

  I'm not sure how much shooting I will be doing this week. I have a zillion things going on that need my attention a little more than my bow. I need to take care of some insurance issues, finish writing my speech for my dad's hall of fame induction on Saturday, and continue working on the pagination process of my book. I need to get these things done. Since I'm not sure if I'll be able to go to the Maine shoot next weekend, I'll spend my time with these things.

Here's my card for the day. I need to clean up the 8s. Most of them weren't from yardage. They were from tension in my release hand. I easily left a minimum of 10 points on the course due solely to that problem. Gotta keep grinding. I'll find a way.

Shooter Profile of the Week: Jeff Wagoner

  

  This is my buddy Jeff Wagoner. Many people don't know the first thing about Jeff. It's probably because he's so unassuming that he mixes into the background and you overlook him. He's the kind of  guy that everyone needs as a friend. He's always calm and just goes about his business like the doesn't have a care in the world. 

  Although Jeff shot a Mathews for a few years, he has been a PSE guy for the majority of his archery career. Jeff is one of (or maybe the only guy) who has ever shot a perfect score at the New York Indoor State Championship with fingers. We tried convincing him for year to change to a release, but he always asked why he should do that if he could beat most release shooters with his fingers. He did have a point, but we always figured he would do well in the release classes because he could aim so well and was always calm. 

  A few years ago he started shooting a Stan hinge and quickly picked it up like he had done it for years. After switching to the release, the is always in the hunt but very rarely gets any credit it for it. He took home second place money at the Connecticut state team shoot last summer, and he was in good shape for a great showing at the New England Trail Shoot halfway through last year, until an equipment problem reared its ugly head and things spiraled out of control but was no fault of his own. 

  Most people don't know that Jeff has been able to capture a couple of third place finishes at the IBO World Championship, and he has also been at the top of the leaderboard on more than one occasion in the old days at the Atlantic City Archery Classic. 

  A few years ago Jeff was diagnosed with cancer, which was a direct link to chewing tobacco since he was a kid. He encourages all people to stop the habit if they have it. He stopped instantly when he was diagnosed and hasn't picked the habit back up since that time. He had to take some time off from shooting as he battled against the cancer, but nobody would ever know it by looking at the way he shoots now. 

  If you see Jeff on the tournament trail make sure you extend your hand to him and introduce yourself. You won't beat a better buy than him. As we say, "He's good people."

Until next week -------------------------> keep working on the little things and jump over the hurdle that's in front of you before going for the next one. It's one at a time until you cross the finish line. 

  

An Archer's Journey: Is Practice Overrated?

Why did I choose that title? is practice overrated? Why is it that some shooters need to practice a lot to be competitive, yet others don't need to shoot very much at all? Since I've been battling this elbow injury, I've learned that for me to be competitive, I need to be able to practice.

This week wasn't much different than the last month when talking about shooting arrows. My elbow just won't allow me to practice very much. I was able to shoot my bow two times this week, and I waited until the end of the week to do that. I went to a 3D shoot yesterday to keep my edge on numbers. I've only shot 30 3D targets this year due to the weather, and those targets were shot last week when I attended the first shoot in the NY State IBO Eastern Series. Since I will be attending the Massachusetts State Championship next weekend, I decided I better shoot a few targets because the weather forecast for the week doesn't look beneficial to getting outside very much. 

I attended the shoot with my dad, Gary and Mark. It was good for all of us, because we are all working on different things. I enjoy watching others who are trying to improve their game. If I can offer any assistance, I try to be positive and offer what I can. Mark and Gary have come a long way with Mark Meyers' help. I'm looking forward to see how they progress as the weather gets nicer, which will allow them more time to be outside. 

I'm not sure how to grade my day. Although the day started off okay, the weather turned when we are about halfway through the course and turned miserably cold. Out of the gate, I shot a low 8 on a 35-yard black bear. It wasn't a good shot, and I really never felt the transfer into my back when I came to full draw. Amazingly, I got on a roll after that shot, but I never felt like I was shooting that well. I felt like I executed better shots last week, but the results were better this week. Of course, last week's course was a little tougher, but I still needed to make the shots. I put 4 or 5 twists in my string after the shoot last week to shorten the draw a little bit. The bow definitely held better this week, but I also had a lot more left and right issues than I did before I shortened the draw. I need to give it more time to determine if the change was for the better or for the worse. I made a handful of uphill shots, and the bow aimed much better than it did last week. I felt good about that. 

Near the end of the shoot, I shot a five on a gator. I hit it high and deserved the 5. I simply misjudged the target. I shot it for 38 yards, and it was 33-34 yards. Unfortunately, I let that shot bother me and followed it up with a few more 8s. It was from a combination of being cold, losing my concentration and thinking about things that had no business being in my head. I pulled my head out of my ass on the last two targets and executed my best two shots of the day. I realized that this game is really simply when we allow it to be simple. The last two targets proved that to me. I think I was trying too hard all day to get the exact perfect feel. Instead of just trusting my shot, I tried to hard to make everything too perfect. I felt like I had made a few strides forward after the day was done, and I'm looking forward to next week.  Here's my card for the day. As you can see, I had a good run. Hopefully, some of that continues in the coming weeks. I'll take any bit of good I can find, because the journey has been pretty tough over the last few months. 

Since my elbow didn't feel too terribly bad, I decided to shoot a little bit today, too. The weather wasn't all that conducive to shooting, but I went to my dad's and gave it a whirl anyway. By the time I  got there, the freezing rain had subsided, but it was still a little drizzly outside. 

I basically worked on my numbers. Although, I shot some of the 3D targets, I didn't really concentrate on my aiming points. Instead, I focused on my process and tried to improve my aiming. I just can't seem to conquer the aim. Since I changed my draw length, I haven't had the bow aim in a manner that really satisfies me. I'm beginning to think a lot of that problem could be related to my elbow issues, but I try not to use that as an excuse. I'm unsure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. 

After wandering around and looking at the 3D targets, I decided to shoot a couple of targets on the field archery range. I stayed at the 50 yard marker on one of them for a few minutes. I shot 20 arrows and never shot one out of the 4-ring, but the arrows weren't stacked on top of each other. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself, but we -- as archers -- tend to to that far too often. Instead of being happy about keeping all of the arrows in the 5-ring, I wanted them to be in a quarter-sized group. The bow just didn't hold well enough to have a group that size. I'm going to get this, though. I'll keep working at it to improve my aiming. I think it's because I only shoot once a week now. I'd love to shoot more, but it's just not possible. 

As I wandered back to the house, I stopped at my dad's outside target archery butt, and shot some arrows from 60, 50 and 40 yards at his 122-cm face. I did shoot a few 9s, but I felt good about the overall picture. It was cold, miserable and spitting rain. I guess I couldn't ask for much more. 

  When I walked off the hill and called it a day, I realized that I'm just not able to put the proper practice time in to incorporate all of the changes I've made and have them become a part of my game. I'm doing the best I can, and I'm praying that my elbow will eventually get well enough so I can shoot without pain. I'm considering going to another doctor in the coming weeks to try something new, but I'm still undecided about that move. Health insurance is an entirely different topic, something I will never understand.

 I'll see all of you on the tournament trail in the coming weeks as long as I'm able to shoot arrows, even if I can only do it once a week. I'll use past experience to do the best I can do, and I'll realize that sometimes it's necessary to take two steps back before you can take a step forward. I won't lie to any of you; this is a grind. I think it's important to realize how quickly things can change. You could be the best shot in the world, but that can disappear faster than you can even imagine if the wrong thing happens. That's why I'm thankful that I can still shoot a bow. This year might not live up to my expectations, and my success probably won't be near what I'm used to, but I'll enjoy every trip to the range and hope for the best. 

Practice for me is not overrated. I need it to maintain the level I've set for myself.  Keep pushing forward and enjoy every arrow you shoot. Visualize the best ones and imagine what a perfect shot would have felt like if you shoot a bad one. Instead of giving the bad one any extra motivation to drag you to a dark place, just feel the good one you could have made and walk away with that. It will do you far more good than focusing on the negative.  

Until next week -----------------> shoot them in the middle and enjoy the ride. 

An Archer's Journey: First NY Championship Series IBO of the Year

 

The weather doesn't seem to want to give in. It's making it all but impossible to get outside and begin any type of practice for 3D. If the wind isn't whipping, it's raining, snowing or just too cold to get outside and feel comfortable. I'm sure things will change and we'll probably go from winter to summer and never experience a true spring.
 
  My elbow was extremely sore this week, which made it really difficult to shoot my bow. I was only able to shoot about 35 arrows for the week, and 21 of them were shot on Friday night at the club just to make sure my marks were good.

  When I got to Southern Duchess & Putnam Sportsmens and got ready to go, my elbow actually felt halfway decent. I'm not sure if it's because I had taped it that morning and put my brace over it, or maybe I was just too bundled up to feel the difference. My shots felt really good at the practice butt, and I figured I would have a good day, even though I hadn't shot at a 3D target since the IBO World Championship last August. The last target I shot at was a javelina at about max distance during the finals. For some reason, that target seems to stay fresh in my mind. I didn't make the best of shots on it, but the end result wasn't too terribly bad.

  My first shot this year was a memorable one, too. When I got to the stake, I couldn't believe my eyes, when my first glance told me the bobcat wasn't over 45 yards and, it wasn't under 35 yards. From there, I had to narrow it down, but I knew it wasn't going to be an easy shot. Finally, I decided to set my sight on 39 yards. I was really confident with the number but felt hesitant about holding the pin where it needed to go since the 10-ring was basically right near the top of the target. Any error on my part would send the arrow over the back. Unable to have confidence in my shot, I wobbled around pretty good and made the mistake of not trusting my shot. Instead of just shooting the shot, I had too many thoughts racing in and out of my mind. The evil monkey was bouncing off the sides of my skull. When the shot broke, I knew I was in trouble. The arrow struck the target below the core for a five. The worst part was knowing that I had the right number. My guess was confirmed after the tournament. I had missed the yardage by one yard, but I stood there scratching a five on the scorecard for my first shot of the year. Definitely wasn't how I anticipated the year to start off.
 
  When I got to the second target and spotted a small deer up the hill, I knew the yardage was similar to the target that I had just shot. I barely moved the indicator and figured I would give it a whirl. Once again, the shot wasn't the best, and the arrow landed just below the 8-ring. During the first two shots, I realized the draw length was a little bit too long. I was having a problem with the uphill shots and holding steady. I knew I had to make the best of it, so I plodded along in hopes of learning something.  I was once told by a great archer that you don't learn a damn thing on your best days, however, you learn the most on the days that nothing seems to go right. By the end of the day, I saw that statement come full circle.

  As the day progressed, my shot began to feel better and better, but I continued having the same problem show up in my aiming. I had a jittery aim that kept diving low and returning to the center. Although it was driving me insane, I kept at it and tried my best to execute good shots.

  When the day ended, I was a little irritated, but I was also excited. I know I can beat this change. I know I can come out the other end and be better for making the change. It's just going to take a while to learn my new system and put it into play on a week to week basis. I need to keep plugging and swallow when I get the bad taste in my mouth. It makes it difficult when I'm used to performing at a certain level, and that level seems miles and miles from where I am right now. I did get a glimpse at the old me when the new me began shooting perfect shots. For the last 10 targets, I ended up shooting  even, and I felt like I shot even better than the score. I'm looking forward to continuing in that direction the next time I shoot. It does make it extremely difficult to be competitive since my elbow isn't allowing me to practice. I'll make the best of it and keep doing the therapy exercises.

Here's my card. It's not pretty, but my shooting was way better than my score. We must always remember that our score is not always reflective of our shooting. I think if you ask Sean about my shooting, he would tell you that I shot well. Maybe he wouldn't, but it seemed like he didn't see anything that was too bad.





I learned a lot this weekend, and I had a great time shooting. If you're going to use your back while shooting in tough terrain, you better make sure the draw length is in a place where you can control the aim. I'm sure mine is a little bit shorter than where it should technically be, but I'm going to leave it there for now. With all of the changes I've made, I feel that I need to get used to it in this place before I lengthen it any more. I'm really looking forward to the next shoot. Hopefully, my shot stays clean, and I clean up some of the yardage mistakes that I made this weekend.

  My shooter profile this week goes to my friend Sean Roberts.



  Sean is a lot like me. He's not a natural at archery. He has to grind it out to see any type of success at all. Everyone probably thinks he just has "it," but I know better. I know he's one of the guys who has to put in endless hours to figure things out. He experiments with things, and he listens to other people who he thinks might be able to offer some insight on something he's looking to conquer.
  I had the pleasure of shooting with Sean this past weekend. We had a great time, and he probably focused more on helping me than worrying about himself. That's how you know someone is a good friend. He wants me to figure out this new form as much as I want to figure it out for myself. He built me up the entire day, and when he told me stuff, I knew he wasn't just blowing hot air at me. He's not the kind of guy who tells you you're doing something right when you are doing it wrong. That's how I know I must be on the right track, because he kept telling me that I'm getting close. He told me to try twisting up the string a few twists to get the draw length where he thought I needed it due to the way my hold looked from the outside. He said that he had the same issue and the slight change in draw length fixed it. I tried it today, and it seemed to work for the few arrows I was able to shoot.
 
  I've enjoyed my many long conversations with Sean on the phone. We can talk about anything archery, and we understand each other. As Scott Tozier says, "You guys are both angry." We laugh and agree that we are the angry archers............and I'll have something to display that in the coming months, hopefully. Stay tuned on that one. I have something in the works that I'm excited about. Sean got a sneak peek at it this weekend.

  I like Sean because he's humble. He lets his bow speak for him. He doesn't feel the need to brag himself up. Instead, he shoots his arrows and accepts where they land. Sometimes they land in the right place and sometimes they are just a hair off base. He takes the good with the bad and tries to grow from there. He's always trying to learn more to make his game better. I oftentimes think that I work really hard at it. I know that Sean puts in the same amount of work. Neither one of us will ever be at the top of any venue by mistake. We will both put in our time and work to achieve the things we achieve. We know that we are responsible for our successes and failures.

  If you see Sean on the course this summer make sure you take a minute out of your day to say hello. If you're having any shooting issues or just want to bounce something off from him, I'm sure he would love to give you a hand. Although he and I are angry archers, we both like to talk about our passion with anyone who will listen.

  Although I won't be able to shoot much this week, because I'm going to continue to let my elbow rest, I plan on trying to do some rangefinding. Hopefully, the weather cooperates, and I can hone that craft. After my performance on Saturday, I know that I need to work on that if I plan on scoring better in the near future. Until next time ----------------------> shoot straight and remember......it's just a game.

An Archer's Journey: The Beginning of 3D Season

 

Well, 3D season is here, even though the weather is telling us that the end of indoor season is winding down. The weather just doesn't seem like it wants to let up, and I'm more than ready to get outside and start shooting some arrows from distances beyond 20 yards. 

  I got released from physical therapy this week. I think it's the first time I've been to physical therapy for something and felt like I didn't gain anything from it at all. Knowing my body, I can tell that what the therapists and surgeon think is wrong with it is not the case. If I had to bet money on it, I would bet that no amount of therapy is going to ease the pain in my lower arm and elbow. While I can still shoot my bow, I can't do it comfortably, and I can't spend any time to practice. If I shoot, I can't spend long enough doing it to gain anything from it, which makes it really difficult to progress.

  I did shoot a few times indoors this week. I tried to get my 3D bow rolling, but the hardest part was deciding which bow I want to run for 3Ds. I have two options and both bows are 35' axle to axle and 60lb bows set at 57 lbs. 

  I spent Saturday morning and early afternoon with my buddy George. We worked on my 3D bows to get them so they all measured the same draw length. I'm going to start there and see what happens. I highly recommend this type of teamwork while working on equipment. Find a person whom you trust and bounce things off from each other and work together. I've always thought that two minds are better than one. I also like when you can make changes on something and see the results of the changes. I guess you would call it a security blanket. Although we both work on our own equipment, I think it is sometimes easier to identify problems or potential problems when four eyes are looking at something rather than two. 

  When I left George's place, I had three bows set up with the same draw length. The length I settled on is 28 11/16. I'm sure there will be some fine tuning along the way, but I know have a good starting point. We shot each bow through the chronograph, too. The speeds were 300, 301, 300 with Gold Tip Platinum Pierce 500s. I shot a Lightspeed 3D through the chronograph, and it came out at 312. That's the arrow I used last summer. I'm unsure which arrow I will be using, but I need to make some decisions in the next few weeks. 

  I spent one day walking through the woods at my dad's house to see if enough snow was gone to put targets out. I carried my rangefinder with me to check my numbers. Amazingly, I was unbelievably accurate out to 52 yards. If I had shot a 3D event that day, I would have scored well. Unfortunately, it might just have been some pot luck. Hopefully, I'll have good numbers next weekend for the first New York IBO shoot. 

  After leaving George's place on Saturday, I spent the afternoon trying to get a bow ready to roll for the 3D next weekend. I had a mixture of emotions while getting marks on my sights. My groups were okay at best. I did shoot some really good groups at times, but I also shot some groups that gave me cause for concern. Hopefully, I'll improve as the time outside increases. 

  Earlier this week I exchanged a few messages with one of my buddies about shooting with an accelerated heart rate. I can say that I've had that happen on more than one occasion, especially in big spots.  He asked how that feeling can be replicated, and although many people think it's impossible to replicate the feeling, it's not if you use a little bit of your creative imagination. 

  The picture I posted at the beginning of the article is from the final day at the IBO World a few years ago. It was taken at the second target of the final round on the last day. When I got to the target, my heart began racing. The target was a coyote, and it was just about the maximum distance -- and I had to lead it off. Knowing I had to get the shot off quickly because my nerves were through the roof, I told myself that I needed to let my body relax as soon as I hit full draw, and that's what I did. The arrow fired almost instantly and landed just right of center. I was ecstatic. 

  When I got to the target, I had the same feeling that I had experienced every day during my practice routine, so I knew I could make the shot. How did I get that feeling during practice? Every day I walk up a steep hill to shoot on my practice range at my dad's house. I leave a deer or a wolf target at the top of the hill and shoot it every day when I get to within 38-50 yards from it. I always race up the hill as fast as I can, and without wasting any time, I stop and draw the bow. My heart is always racing from walking up the steep hill, and it's almost impossible to hold as steady as I would like. So I taught myself to accept the rapid heart rate and just shoot the shot. Over the course of the summer, I got to the point where I knew I was going to smoke the 10-ring, even though my heart was beating through my chest. I felt the same exact way when I drew my bow on the coyote that day. I had shot the same shot every day throughout the summer. Although I was in a tournament, the shot was exactly the same. It's easy to do something that seems so similar to what you do every day at home. 

  In the winter, I sometimes go to the range when I know that nobody will be around. I do this so sprint back and forth between the bale and the shooting line After four sprints, my heart is usually in full gear, just like it is during some indoor tournaments. If you do this enough, you'll become confident that you can shoot well with a racing heart. I've done it enough to know it works. While sprinting might not be for you, maybe you could try skipping rope. I've done that on more than one occasion, too. Do whatever you need to do to replicate the racing heart you feel in a tournament. Use your creative imagination. 

The first 3D is new weekend. I'm not overly optimistic about it, but I've already decided that this year is going to be a year to learn and grow. Hopefully, I can stay the path and figure out this new draw length. I won't lie, it has been a grind. I just wish my elbow was good enough to put in the kind of practice I need to put in to succeed. I'll take it on step at a time. 

This week's special archer is a little different than the past few weeks. The archer I want to highlight this week is one of the best guys I've ever had the pleasure of knowing in New England archery. Although he is no longer with us, he had a lot to do with my participation in IBO events in New England, and he played a big part in my success throughout the years. That man is Steph Hamner. Quite a few years ago, I got a call from his wife shortly after he passed away. The following link it what I have to say about Steph. I wrote it the night I received that phone call. Please read it if you have the time. I just think it's fitting since we will all become our own big archery family in the coming weeks. We never know when we might see someone for the last time. I encourage all of you to be thankful for the time you have to spend with each other on the archery range. 

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