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.
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