Hudson Falls 660 Round

  

  Amazingly, my shoulder has begun to feel a little better as I've exercised hit by doing the therapy program I was given after my surgery in 2012. I think between that and shooting my bow once or twice a week, it has allowed my shoulder to stretch a little bit. While the pain is still there and it is uncomfortable to shoot, it's not overbearing. It definitely affects my ability to hold the bow and execute, but for now, I'm just shooting because I love shooting my bow. Whenever I get optimistic about my doctor's visit on 1/22, I have to remember to stay in my lane and remember that I will probably need some work done on it. I'm praying that some scar tissue formed in the area, which is causing the issues. I guess I'll know more in a few weeks. It's a mystery that I want solved........quickly.......and sometimes it takes a while for things to circle around to solve the puzzle.

  During my two shooting sessions this week with the Wheelin Assassin, Chris Hall, I learned that on some days I can hold the bow pretty steady. I was able to shoot a 450 with 32 xs one night and continued through the round to finish with a 600 41X for a 641.




For everything I have going on, I felt excited about the end result. I also shot well, so that made things feel even better. It was a good day all around. I also changed my holding weight this year. One thing that I like about the PSE evolve cams is that you can change the letoff with a wrench. I moved it from 75 to 70%. Although I couldn't hold the bow very well, I was able to execute better shots. I figured I would get used to it as I shot more.

                                                   Hudson Falls 660 Shoot

  Whenever I shoot in a tournament, I never know how I'm going to feel. Sometimes I have uncontrollable nerves, and other times I don't feel much at all. There's not rhyme or reason as to when the nerves appear.

  Luckily, on the first scoring end, I drew my bow, settled into my anchor point, transferred my shot into my anchor point and started aiming. Before I knew it, the shot fired and the arrow landed in the 11. My next two shots on the first end broke in the same fashion, and I was off to a good start. I figured I would ride the wave on the surfboard as long as I could. If I got washed off the board, I would let the waves carry me to the shore. Then, I would search for another wave and try riding that one longer than the previous one. It's all about finding the feeling, avoiding any negative thoughts from anything that might happen, and staying focused for a few hours while you shoot your bow and have fun.

  I rode the save for the first 10 ends. I wasn't punching out the middle of the target, but I was holding my own, on pace to shot in the 640s. I was shooting as well as the bow was holding, and I couldn't ask for that. While my shot timing slowed down a little, I was holding well and executing good shots. I felt really good considering all of the things I'm facing right now. I got through the first 10 ends and shot 21 11s and three 9s. It wasn't great by any standards, but I was satisfied with it. Two nines were less than a paper width out of the 10, and those arrows hit directly behind the pin. I also shot one 9 that landed at 6 o'clock due to a weak shot.

   As we began shooting the second game, a number of people began showing up and a lot of distractions made it difficult for me to focus. Usually, when I'm shooting well, I can block out almost anything around me. Today I couldn't do that. With everything going on around me, I knew that something had changed from the first 30 arrows. Nothing felt the same at the line, but I couldn't get a handle on the root of the problem.

  I continued shooting but began thinking about everything required to make a good shot. I started consciously focusing on all of the steps of the shot and lost my mind. My focus was no longer on aiming. I could feel the pain in my shoulder and gave it more attention that I should have. The pace was a little quicker than what I'm used to, and I couldn't take a break and sit out a few rounds while everyone else shot their arrows. I've been doing that the few times I've shot my bow, and it has worked well. We all know that when the mind is wandering, it makes it tough to shoot good shots. This is what was going on for the first seven ends of the second game.



  When I got into the eight end, I had an "Ah-ha" moment. Instantly, I realized what caused me to fall off the surfboard when I was just cruising along on the wave in the first half. It was because I had stopped focusing on aiming. When I aim, the shot happens by itself because I've trained my body what to do over the years, and it automatically does it. If my mind is preoccupied with the steps of shooting, I get overwhelmed. This is what people and coaches are talking about when they tell you to trust your shot. If you just aim, your shot will happen automatically. That's where all of the blind-baling comes together and shows its value.

  I struggled through the last 30 arrows, but I recovered nicely in the end. I found the issue that was holding me back in the middle and worked my way through it. I wish I had figured it out sooner, but in the end, it all worked out because I learned a lesson. I need to focus more on aiming, and everything will happen by itself.

  When the dust settled and the cards were added up, I was disappointed with my 628, which was a 594 34. Over half of my shots found their way into the 11 ring and only six landed in the 9, and I didn't shoot a big 9. All of the nines except one were no more than 1/4 of an inch out of the 10. Overall, it was a good round, even though the score didn't reflect it. My shooting form suffered a little bit in the middle of the round, but I executed really good shots in the beginning and end. I learned a lot today, and it will definitely help me in the future. Lancaster scoring can be humbling. The little Xs seem to be elusive on certain ends and impossible to miss on other ends. I think I need to shoot 27s. If I had 27s today, I surely would have had less nines and more 11s, but that's the way it works.

  I'm looking forward to my doctor visit. I only have a week and three days left before I go. I'm hoping for the best, but I'll deal with whatever happens when it comes. I wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out to support the shoot today. I really appreciate your presence, and I'm glad you came. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. I may shoot at Ti Yogi next weekend or at the first leg of the Grand Slam in Keene, N.H. I'll know more at the end of the week. That might be the end of my shooting for the indoor season, so I'll try to make the most of it and have fun.

Nimrod New Year's Day Shoot

  Over the years, I've had a few lapses in judgment that have caused me to look back on things and wonder why in the world I attempted doing things I shouldn't have been doing. Well, 2020 started off with me doing something that probably wasn't the smartest thing to attempt.

  Those of you who are close to me know that I've been battling a shoulder injury to my previously repaired shoulder. By late August, I thought I was on the right track. The orthopedic surgeon told me to take it easy and let it heal on its own. I took it easy and didn't do anything more than sight my bow in to hunt in Colorado. Unfortunately, I had the poundage set at 67 pounds, which is about 10 pounds more than I shoot all year. Although I didn't shoot many arrows to get the bow ready, it aggravated the injury, and the pain quickly worsened. After getting in Colorado, I rode a bike over some extremely rough terrain every day for about two weeks. The constant pounding of my shoulders while going over rocks and through some rough areas, made the pain worse.

  When I returned home, I could barely use my right arm/shoulder. I got in touch with my physical therapist to see what he had to say. He gave me his thoughts and recommended an orthopedic surgeon at the Albany Bone and Joint Center. The doctor is widely recognized across the country as being a premier surgeon, so getting an appointment with him isn't easy. Amazingly, I got an appointment for December 9. Well, the week before the appointment, I received a call and the office told me the appointment had to be moved back to January 22.

  That brings me to last week. I found out that Jeff Wagoner was going to the New Year's Day shoot at Nimrod, so I decided I would get my indoor bow off the rack to see if I could shoot it. I went to the club one day and shot about 20 arrows. My shoulder was in rough shape the next day, but it wasn't too terribly bad on my scale of 1 to 10.

  I gave it a few more days and decided to see if I could shoot 45 arrows. I went to the club and got through it. I didn't shoot any more arrows than I needed to shoot. I kept score so I would have a starting point. In the first 30 arrows, I shot a 300 with 20xs. I finished the round with a 446 26xs. The last 15 arrows did me in, but I was able to finish the round. I decided I would go to the shoot on New Year's Day since Jason VanHillo told me he had a cancellation. I felt good about my performance. I shot a Bowhunter Freestyle setup.

  I got to Nimrod about an hour before the shooting time. I was able to see a lot of my archery friends whom I haven't seen since last summer. I've always enjoyed shooting in New England because all of these people are like family members. I would invite all of them to my house. I never really thought about the shoot. I know that I don't have the ability to shoot right now like I'm capable of shooting with a good shoulder.

  I brought my buddy Chris with me because he needs more tournament experience, and I knew everyone would welcome him. He started shooting bows last year and is doing well. He barely has use of his legs, and he can't stand or walk on his own, so he has to use a wheelchair. He's a baller when it comes to archery. He has some game for never shooting before last year. It was fun to watch him shoot today. He was beating me at the halfway point, and I wanted him to keep it rolling. Unfortunately, he didn't do the one thing I stress to everyone I try to help. When you are shooting, whether it's in practice or in a tournament, be ALL THERE. I usually put my phone on Airplane Mode and don't look at it until I'm done. Chris left his phone on and got a little rattled halfway through when he started paying attention to a few text messages he received. There's a lesson to be learned from this. When you are shooting, BE ALL THERE. You need all of your focus in one place, especially when you're trying to hit something the size of a quarter.

                                                             The Round

  I had no expectations for this shoot. However, I'm competitive and I can't stand it when I don't shoot up to the standards I have set for myself. I do know that my shoulder has caused all sorts of issues. I can't hold the bow steady right now, and I just haven't been able to put any time behind the string. This definitely causes issues. For indoor shooting, I'm one of those guys that has to shoot a lot to perform well.

  When the round started, I felt relatively calm. I got to shoot next to Brian Visco, and Brian and I haven't shot next to each other in many years. It brought me back to the days when we were both in our early 20s and traveling all over the place. Now, we are both 50 but still flinging arrows. I've always enjoyed Brian's company, and today was no different. It was a good time.

  I battled a bobbing sight picture in the beginning of the round. I couldn't quite place what was causing the issue, so I took an ounce off my front stabilizer. After taking the weight off, the sight picture became steadier and I got on a roll. The sight was sitting relatively still and the arrows were hitting behind the pin. I decided to roll with it.

  When I finished the 7th end, I could feel some pain in my shoulder. The pace was a little too fast for me to recover. I ignored it the best I could, but at full draw, I could feel the pain start in my upper arm, move to the top of my shoulder and rest in my entire arm and shoulder before the bow would fire. I tried holding as steady as possible, but not being able to shoot my bow lately, I couldn't find a solid hold. It takes a while to get back into shooting form when you haven't touched a bow for months. If I didn't have to battle the physical issues, I would know that this particular holding pattern was not acceptable. Since I have no choice about it right now, I know I just have to go with the flow and let the pin wobble, float and sometimes race all over the yellow. As long as I trust the process, the arrow should land somewhere near the middle of the yellow.

  As the round came to a close, I wasn't too happy about the results. Of course, we always expect more out of ourselves. Although I'm facing a serious injury that affects my shooting, I will not use it as an excuse. If I had held better and executed better shots, I shouldn't have missed. If I can shoot 40 of the 45 arrows in the middle of the bullseye, there's no reason the other five shouldn't have landed there, too. Always push to be better and never be satisfied. When you become satisfied is when your will stop climbing. If you stop climbing, you will never reach the summit. Who wants to climb Mt. Washington and turn around just as you crest the hill and can see the weather tower above? Well, I sure as hell don't want to do that. I want to run up to the tower and know I didn't quit. I want to reach the summit. Your knees might ache, your backpack might be too heavy, and you might be short of air, but you have to keep pushing. Archery is the same exact thing as climbing mountains. When you get to the top, there's nothing like it. So, when it was all said and done, I think I shot a 445 with 30xs. I'll take it. The X count was okay for my first round tournament of the year, but the five 9s could have been cleaned up a little.



  I believe three of the nines hit behind the pin, barely missing out the left and right. This was happening because I shot a bowhunter freestyle setup, and I don't think I could tell exactly where the pin was in the yellow. I just don't have enough time behind the bow right now, and it usually takes me a bit to get going when I start shooting indoors every winter.

                                                            Eliminations

  When I looked at the brackets, I saw that I had gotten Joe Santos. Joe is one of the toughest competitors in New England and to draw him in the first match was going to test my shooting. After the first end, he got a jump on me. Once again, I missed an arrow a hair low, but I think it hit behind the pin. I had a rough time all day determining exactly where the pin was sitting. I shoot a very large pin on the Vegas target and it's solid black. I'm thinking a fiber optic might have been better today.

  I cleaned things up the next two ends, and we ended up tied, but I advanced because I shot more Xs than Joe. I've known Joe a long time, and neither one of us was at our best. We both muddled through the round and the match, but it's always hard to beat an accomplished shooter. If you can beat good shooters head to head, you can take confidence away from that, even if they didn't shoot their best. It means you can shoot as good as them at any given time. That's what head to head matches can do for you. Instead of going into the matches and looking at a guy and thinking you can never beat him, you have to draw from other things. I knew we were only shooting nine arrow elimination matches, so I thought back to all of the times I've easily rolled off nine Xs in a row. Ive done it more times than I can possibly count. So, even thought I hadn't shot well most of the day, I knew that the next nine arrows could be when it all would come together and I'd roll off consecutive Xs for many ends.

  When I got to my next match, it was against Jay Krampitz, the highest qualifier. I felt good about my chances. My first shot found its way home without any problems at all. I executed a good shot, and the arrow punched the center of the yellow. As I got into the second shot, I battled a quick bobble and couldn't save it before it fired. It just missed a hair low. That was all it took for me to get the short end of the stick. I cleaned out the rest of the match and felt good about my shooting. Under the circumstances, I couldn't have shot much better today. In my mind I could've done much better, but in my physical world, I probably performed to a level that should have been expected going into the day.



                                                        What Did I Learn?

  I learned today that it's hard to compete against people with freestyle setups when you're shooting a bowhunter freestyle setup. I definitely shoot a scope and long bar better. It makes it easier to see exactly where the pin is sitting when you're executing, and I think it makes it easier to get the bow to hold steadier.

  So you might wonder why I'm shooting the setup I shot today. That's what I shot all last year, and the bow hasn't been touched since last March. I just took it off the rack and shot it. When I finished indoor season last year, I figured I would leave my bow set up and not touch it. I wanted to go to the indoor nationals this year because I know the scores I've been shooting on the 300 round with that setup are capable of taking hope a silver bowl. All of my focus was going to go toward that, but the shoulder issue got in the way of that.

  I also learned that you shouldn't expect too much of yourself if you have issues that affect how you shoot, whether the issues are mental or physical. I've always put a lot of pressure on myself to perform, and the pressure sometimes causes problems. Just go shoot your bow and let the arrows fall where they may. It makes shooting a lot more fun.

  My appointment with the surgeon is on 1/22. I don't know what to expect. I'm ready for the worst and hoping for the best. Maybe I'll somehow avoid another surgery. I'm not going to count on it. At least I can shoot my bow right now, even it it's not at the level I would like to be at.

                                                        Daily Awards

  Although it was busy and hard to watch everything going on around me, I did notice a few things that caught my eye. Joe Ricard did a great job in the eliminations today. That's the thing that makes head-to-head matches so much fun: anyone has a chance to win. Joe went into his matches as the lower seed and knocked off a couple of titans. Nicely done, Joe!

  Eric Taylor looked like a totally different shooter from the last time I saw him. He was in total control of his emotions and his shot through his round and in eliminations. His shot was effortless, and he found the center regularly. He's putting his time in, and the time is paying off. He setting an example for all of you other guys out there: put the time in and you'll see the results. Great job, Eric. It was good to see your hard work paying off.

  Jay Krampitz brought his A-game today, and he looked good doing it. In these matches, I never mind it when a podium finisher beats me. Jay sent me packing, and I was glad to see him advance through the rounds. Great shooting today, Jay.

  George Connors never ceases to amaze me. George is trying to get a few shoots in before he has shoulder surgery, too. He has a few issues in his shoulder right now that are going to put him on the sidelines for the year. We are both trying to shoot right now because we know we will be done until at least next year. He eliminated Sean Roberts, and that is no easy chore. He also gave Jeff Wagoner everything he could handle before finally being eliminated. Great job, George. You're a beast, and you never use anything for an excuse. I admire that. While I'm a cry baby and make sure everyone knows what I'm dealing with, you just pretend nothing is wrong. I'm here to tell everyone that I know what you've been going through, and it's impressive to watch, especially knowing you're only at about 75%.