That picture is the story of my archery career. Most people who know me know that I don't say much about past success. I don't base my performances on wins or losses, just like I don't base my day on my score. I've won some tournaments along the way by a landslide and shot horribly in the process. I've also lost some tournaments when there's no possible way I could've shot any better. It's never fun to lose, but I can usually take it if someone beats me on my best day, a day on which I know I left it all on the course.
I've always gone about my business silently. I work really hard in my spare time to perfect different parts of my game. Although that's the main reason I started this blog, I have definitely veered away from my original intentions. I wanted to share with you how hard I work during the week from day to day.
This week I decided to do some long range shooting and sort through releases. Lately, I feel like I'm not shooting the release which is the most accurate. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a release junky. I think I've owned almost every release made in the last 20 years. I currently have more than 25 releases. Amazingly, I shoot all of these releases on a fairly regular basis. So throughout the week I decided to give a handful of the ones I shoot the most a shot at earning the starting job. I decided to shoot groups of six from 50 and 60 yards at a 5-spot target. After charting where the arrows hit and grading the shots, I would see if any of the releases performed more accurately than the others.
In the end, I narrowed it down to three releases: Stan Element, Stan Shootoff and TruBall HBC. The Element gave me my best groups and best feeling shot. I pounded with it in the yard, but I didn't feel like I had enough time behind it to shoot it in a tournament. Shooting the release also taught me a lot about what I've been doing that doesn't work. After getting in a groove with it, I realized that I need to hold the release with more pressure while executing the shot. I've always been in between when I shoot my releases, and I try to relax into it. With the Element, I realized that I have to grip it and pull the limbs off the bow. This method is somewhat different to me.
The Trump-Ball HBC stacked up with the Element for the most accurate of the releases. I was keeping most of my arrows in the white on a 5-spot target at 50 yards while shooting it. At 60 yards, I was averaging about 4 out of 6 in the white, and when I missed, I didn't miss by too terribly much. Although my Stan Shootoff finished in 3rd place, I feel the most comfortable with a button because that's what I've always used in tournaments, even though I've used a Stan SX2 almost exclusively for the last four years, and I feel like that release is part of my hand. Unfortunately, in my testing, I found out that the SX2 just isn't comparable in the accuracy department, even though it wins hands down in the execution and comfort departments.
After practicing every evening for a brief amount of time, I sat down and evaluated how the session had gone. That's when I looked in the mirror and said, "You are shooting awesome. You need to realize that you are shooting as good in the yard right now as you have ever shot. Quit whining about 3D shoots every weekend and go get after it. You have the ability to pound."
So I showed up in Rhode Island with my old attitude of believing in myself and my abilities. I decided to use the Shootoff and stick with it. Fortunately, it was a great course to work on different things. There were a lot of technical shots, some flat shots, some great yardages to decipher, and almost any type of shot I might see at the big dance. I shot really well on the first half of the course. Anyone who has shot with me on a regular basis knows that I'm one of those guys who usually uses up my letdowns throughout the course of the day. On the first 15 targets I only let down three times and those times were on uphill shots.
I did forget to mention that I decided to shoot MBR at this shoot to give my mind a little break. I've always shot pins well, and it's easy to ease my mind while shooting with pins. I don't try to be overly precise with them. Instead, I just try to execute good shots, and I did just that. I also didn't tell you that this was my first shoot ever with this particular bow. I decided to use my Elite Energy 35 V-grip. I shot SuperDrive 23s out of it, and the poundage is set at 61lbs. I feel like the bow has a little too much let-off, but it holds like a rock. I had very little movement in the sight picture, and I never missed an 11 on any of the 3D targets out to 45 yards or a dot while shooting on the practice range. My shot felt great. I was ready for this day. Going into it, I felt like Old Todd was ready to run loose. I would have a much better idea in a few minutes.
When the range official was calling out names for the different groups, I waited to see who I would draw for the day. When he called my name, I was excited to shoot with John Libby, Ben Lambert and Jason Kennedy. Could I ask for a better group of shooters? I guess I lucked out for the day. I knew it would be fun. There were four IBO World Championship titles between the four shooters in the group. It's amazing how many title holders there are in New England and New York, and I've been really fortunate to have so many of them in my groups this year. It's almost always easier to shoot with guys of that level. I'll give some advice to all of you guys who want to get better. Find the best guy you can find and go shoot with that guy. Try to get away from your local homeboys and challenge yourself. It's good to feel uncomfortable. I'll be the first to tell you that I have always been a top performer in peer groups or in tournaments in which cuts must be made to advance to the final round. I think I shoot better in these situations because I usually don't have a close relationship with any of the other shooters. It forces me to concentrate solely on myself and my game. My concentration doesn't swerve into other lanes; it stays on the straight and narrow path.
I got off to a good start by shooting a low 10. Although i was a little disappointed with my score after 10 targets, I knew I was having a good day. My shot was breaking with good timing and flawless execution. I misjudged two targets: a bedded ram and a strutting turkey. After the first 10, I only had one 11. As we continued through the course, my shot began to feel better and better. I think I shot the most aggressive shots I've ever shot. I ended up shooting one more 8 on a brown bear, with the arrow hitting just over the 10-ring. When the day ended, I was really happy with my day. I made great shots, and I only shot one arrow that was more than an inch left or right of center. I think it was the best left/right day I've ever had while shooting, and that's saying something. I'll give the day a solid A for all aspects of my game, including yardage judging, pin gapping, execution and timing. Old Todd came out for the day, and he loved what he saw. Yes, he can still play this game at a high level. He needs to listen to himself when he's practicing in his own yard. There's no way I could not give a shoutout to the other guys in my group. They all shot really well and helped me throughout the day through positive feedback and great shooting. Here's the card for the day.
As anyone knows who shoots archery, you're only as good as your last tournament. With that being said, I knew there would be no rest. I would have to get back on the horse on Sunday and see if I could keep strolling down the same recognizable path that Old Todd found himself on the day before.
Since I had the mental relaxation day on Saturday, I figured I would shoot my open setup on Sunday and get back on the raging bull that has bucked me off and battered me against the fence for the better part of this 3D season. I'm getting very close to taking off my helmet, grabbing the bull by the horns and wrestling him to the ground. I'm going to take my full 8 seconds on his back and withstand everything he has to give me.
When I got to the shoot on Sunday morning, it was really busy. I hoped to get assigned to another good group. I figured I would be able to continue working on my shot and hopefully build more confidence from my successful day. When I heard the names called and realized I was in a group with George Connors, Scott Tozier and my dad, I felt good about the beginning of the day. I've shot with all of these people, and I knew I would always have an arrow around the 10-ring. I was expecting a relatively easy course because I had shot this tournament in previous years, and it was never too terribly difficult.
When I started off on the bedded elk, I liked the feel of things. I executed a good shot that landed squarely in the middle of the 11. When I stepped up to the next stake, which I had to lead off, I was a little startled when I saw the Rinehart small bear on a stump. I took the average of my three guesses and decided to shoot it for 43 yards. The pin sat near the bottom of the 10-ring, and when the bow fired, the arrow hit behind the pin in the 8-ring just below the 10. I was ecstatic with the result due to the difficulty of the shot.
As we continued through the course, it didn't get easier. I had to work to get every number out there, and we shot a lot of targets that were set at long yardages. It's the kind of course I like, especially when I have good numbers.
After I shot the first four targets, the day turned into a nightmare. I used my maximum number of letdowns many times throughout the day. On the bright side, when the shot did fire, the execution was really good. Since I was shooting my camouflage E35 with the banana grip, the bow I've had all of the success with, I instantly realized that the draw length is a hair long. The bow I shot the previous day was spot on, which is why I didn't have any problems with execution. I will change the draw on this bow before the end of the week. I'm going to take it easy this week and give my body a little bit of a break. I'm thinking the draw length is so close that I might be able to change it one or two twists in the string or cables and get it where I need it. Being a hair too long, my elbow is caving in to the right while at full draw, which sometimes gives the appearance that the draw is too short. Scott and I have shot together enough to be well aware of how the other person does things. I can pick things up on him, and he can pick things up on me. He caught me doing the bad stuff with the elbow, and I instantly knew that's where a lot of my lefts and rights have come from in the near past. I will continue working on that. Thanks, Scott, for catching this for me and pointing out. I always appreciate your help. I hope I don't mess you up when I lend some of my advice to you.
George told me my day didn't look nearly as bad as it felt. He told me my shots looked great when they went. He told me to focus on that and build from it. I will definitely do that. I love shooting with positive people. If you shoot with negative people or any people who harp on the negative things, you need to distance yourself from them and surround yourself with positivity.
Although I struggled today, and I told you the day turned into a nightmare, the scorecard turned out just fine. I have to take the positive of the day. I did execute great shots when they went. I had a lot of problems with tension in my release hand today. I also had a lot of problems committing to the shot due to the yardage estimations I was making. My yardage judging was spot on today for almost the entire course. Finally, as we neared the end, I shot three 8s, which ended up ruining what I would have considered a phenomenal day for the difficulty level of the course. Still, I feel really good about where I ended up. I shot a 293 on a really difficult course, and I'm happy with that, even if I come in dead last. Here's my card for the day in New York on the toughest yardage course I've shot all year. I feel great about my numbers.
To sum up the week in a sentence: I am a really good shooter, and I am back. I need to continue working on my confidence and understanding that I'm shooting really well again. I need to trust that fact and accept it. Instead of fighting it and pretending I'm not shooting well, I need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. I will do that because it felt good to get through 60 targets without shooting a 5. It felt even better to shoot a 30-target course without shooting a bad shot. I will do that again, because now I know that I can do it again.
Shooter profile of the week: Jason Kennedy
I met Jason a few years ago at the Rhode Island state championship. Jason was with Don Doherty, and I got assigned to their group, and Mike Speed was the fourth guy. When Donny introduced us, Jason missed my name, so when we got to the first stake, I said, "My name is Donny, Donny Dumbo."
Of course, Donny burst out laughing, and Jason extended his hand and said, "I'm Jason. It's nice to meet you, Donny." I laughed and busted on him about it. Then, I told him my real name and we began shooting. That's the first day I ever shot with Jason, but since that day, I have watched him from afar and wished I could shoot like him. Besides Jon Purdy, he probably has the shot I like to watch the most. I enjoy watching both of those guys shoot their bows. They look smooth and they make it look effortless. I often think that if I could look like them, then maybe I would shoot better. Guys like Jason drive me to become better. I want people to look at me when I shoot and say, "Man, I'd like to shoot like that guy."
It may sound funny, but when I shoot, I usually think to myself, "I wonder what the hell people think when they watch me shoot. Do I look as good as some of these other guys?" As I think about it, I often don't want the answer. I hope I look that good, but I never get the chance to watch myself, except in my visualization process right before I execute shoots, and that usually looks pretty good.
When that day ended, I had won the state championship in my class, and Jason had won in his class. It was a true pleasure to watch him shoot. Since then, I have watched him from near and far. He has won quite a few events, and he is always in the hunt. Jason reminds me of myself. He's always looking for something to put him over the top. He also likes to try a lot of new things, whether it's new releases, sights, bows, or arrows.
When we shot together on Saturday, I watched him put on a shooting clinic. He looked flawless -- as usual -- and he appeared to be mentally strong. He let out quite a bit of emotion after he got the last target of the day. He was excited because he shot his highest score at a state shoot. I was really happy for him. He was solid all day.
Jason is a good person. If we had more people like him on the range, we would all be better off. He has graciously let me borrow a bow, and he has let me have a string and cable set that he was't using. He also sold a stabilizer to me for a very reasonable price. I'm thankful because he has gone out of his way to help me.
If any of you see Jason at the target butt make sure you watch him shoot. It's a pleasure to watch. If you model yourself after him, you will definitely be headed down the right path.
I'll leave you with a few thoughts until next week. Good luck to all of you who are going to the second leg of the IBO National Triple Crown. I've had some of my best memories and finishes at that leg. It's a good leg to maintain and gain. If you maintain while others put pressure on themselves, then you will gain. I have faith in you guys. Just go there, do your thing and have fun.
I had a good time this weekend. I've realized that my confidence has been waning, but my confidence has been at a very high level at home. I finally understood that I needed to pack that confidence in my shooting stool with my snacks and bring it with my this weekend. When I opened the stool to eat my first snack on the weekend at the target butt before starting my round, the confidence jumped out of depths of the bag and smothered itself on my back. It stayed there throughout the weekend and thinks it would like to keep riding on my shoulders. Be confident and shoot strong -------------------->> you're only as good as you think you are. Believe you can do it, and you will achieve it. Imagine it, and it will happen. Visualize it, then see it happen for real. You might be battling Bigfoot, but if you can shoot groups like this on him at 74 yards, you can do anything. Two 10s and an 8...................judging the yardage and readjusting after the first shot. My dad shot the green-fletched arrows, and I shot the orange ones. Maybe we should make the IBO max 80 yards. :-)
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