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.
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