Progress?

  I've been doing a lot of cleaning over the past few days. Along the way, I've found targets from a lot of different events and league nights. Sometimes I have a tendency to beat myself up and feel like I should perform better than I do.

  After looking at the targets, I've come to realize that I do shoot well and have shot well for a long time. Although my indoor tournament consistency has fallen short of where it used to be, I still have the ability to post a good score now and then. I've also realized that averages are averages for a reason. For a long time, I averaged mid to upper 50x count on a 300 round, and I averaged 448.5 on a Vegas target.

  Well, as I head into my 50th year, my averages on those targets are still very similar to what they always have been. I definitely haven't gained much, but I haven't lost much. I can see the difference, but my good days still find me shooting in the high 440s or high 50X count, and I'm happy with that.

  I did some soul searching this week and realized I needed to change things up to see if I could get away from a few things I've been working to improve. Halfway through the week, I decided to use a Carter Lok-jaw caliper release. It's the original Lok-Jaw from the late '90s early 2000s. I've always shot the release well, and it has a trigger that is better than all other index style releases I've shot up to this point.
 
  I wanted to try the release because I don't have to wrap all of my fingers around it like I do with a handheld release. Having small hands, it has always been difficult for me to find a handheld release that fits well and also allows my to naturally get my thumb around the ball without having to reach for it. Although I've been able to do it with a few releases, it tends to be difficult to get the trigger in the perfect position.

  After blind-baling with the caliper for a few days, I decided to give it a whirl in my Friday night league. I got some googly eyes when people saw it wrapped around my wrist. It was like everyone in the building became panic-stricken. "What the hell is Todd doing with that in his hands?" That's the feeling I got as people realized what I was doing.

  I'm confident with any release I use, so I just wanted a change of pace. I know that my aiming pattern is slightly larger with a caliper, but I also know that I can relax much easier while shooting one. My night started off awesome. I got through the first game without dropping an X, and the shots were breaking cleaner than they have all year.

  When I finally dropped one, the arrow landed a fingernail width to the right of the X. I'd imagine it just hit where the pin was when the release fired. As the round continued, my shots seemed effortless. It did take me a little longer than normal, but I think it's because it takes me longer to set up a shot with a caliper. My anchor is still somewhat foreign to me.

  When the night came to an end, I had dropped five Xs for a 300 55X. The best part about this round was that I didn't have to work that hard at it and the arrows that missed barely missed. Only one arrow was out more than a smidgeon, and that one arrow hit exactly where the pin was when the bow fired.

  I also decided this week that I would attend the Winter Can-Am Classic in Syracuse, N.Y., in March.  I'm going to have to scramble to get a bow ready for the event, so I don't expect any miracles at it. I'm just going so I can show my support for one of the bigger indoor events in my region. I've never been a fan of indoor 3D because I have a hard time seeing 3D targets in indoor venues. I'll just go wing arrows with whatever bow I choose to bring. When it's all done, I'll just see where I land and call it a success just for doing something without equipment that is up to speed for the event.

  I'm still undecided about shooting the NFAA Mid-Atlantic sectionals. When I was younger, this event was huge across my region. As I've gotten older, the interest has waned and it doesn't seem like it holds the prestige that it used to hold. It's still one of the only yearly tournaments that I've shot that I haven't been able to win, and I've shot some killer rounds on it when they used to score it as a double 300 round. I've put up some big numbers in the X count and still come out on the short end of the stick. I haven't renewed my NFAA membership, and I'm trying to decide what to do. If I renew, I can shoot the indoor state shoot and this shoot. If I don't renew, I'll probably start getting ready for 3D season. I feel like my progress in a few areas will definitely help my 3D game this year. Only time will tell.

  So we will see what happens in the coming weeks as I continue using the caliper release. I'm not sure if I will stick with it, but that's what will be in my ends for at least the next week. Stay tuned to see what happens. I'll keep grinding and try to figure it out. Every day that I see a little light in the tunnel, I think that today might be my day.