ASA & IBO to Start the Year Off

 

  I was lucky enough to attend a shoot from each of the majors organizations last weekend. It always makes it nice when there are different options to choose from in the same geographical region. Unfortunately, shooters in many regions are stuck doing just one thing because that is all that is available. 

  With so many archery games to play, it sometimes takes a bit to find the one that you enjoy the most. I just like shooting my bow, so I kind of enjoy doing anything that has to do with archery. When I looked at the forecast for the weekend, I decided I would head to Connecticut to participate in the ASA shoot, and on Sunday, I headed to western New York to participate in an IBO tournament. 

 

                                                             The ASA Tournament

  Since Dad wanted to shoot in the ASA tournament, we headed out at 5:00 a.m. We accidentally took a few wrong turns on the way, but we got to the site around 8:45. When we pulled in, it appeared that most people had already signed up and headed onto the course. We shot a few arrows and decided we were ready. Before heading out, we had to shoot through the chronograph to make sure our bows weren't going too fast. Over the years, I've always used a competition electronic chronograph because it's the same band of chronograph the officials use at the national tournaments. So when Dad and I both shot through the chronograph, the results that displayed on the screen surprised me. I had shot my bow through Aron's chronograph, Sean's chronograph and my own, and every one of them gave me the same speed. This one seemed to read a little bit higher than mine. I also heard other people saying their bows were going slower through that chronograph than their own chronographs. Those machines can make you pull your hair out at times, and they've always been that way. It seems like they could design all of them the same. 

  When we headed onto the range, the wind was hammering, and the first shot was out in the open. I had a hard time settling down and the bow was really moving around when the shot fired. Shooting unmarked yardage, I was disappointed to see my arrow on the 8 line under the 10. I knew I had the yardage, but I executed a poor shot. The next two shots were not stellar, and it started getting in my head. I couldn't hold well due to the wind, and it was causing me to be non-committal on my release. After getting into the woods, things improved a little, and I executed a couple of great shots. When I got the place where the course turned and started coming up the other side of the road, I made an incredible shot and smoked a javelina. I had the perfect yardage, ant he arrow hit directly behind the pin. 

  A few targets later, I was standing high on a rock and shooting a chamois that was down a hill. The wind wouldn't let up and my pin went from the front to the back of the animal. When the release fired, the arrow hit directly right of the 10, where the arrow had drifted with the wind. When you're shooting light poundage and a 290 grain arrow that has a 90 grain point in it, it doesn't leave much for error while shooting in the wind. I let the shot bother me, and as I approached the next target, I was concerned about my stabilizer and cam touching the pile of rocks in front of the stake. I let it mentally distract me and paid more attention to that than shooting my arrow. Being distracted on a 44.5 yard coyote usually doesn't result in a happy ending -- and it didn't. 

  Still thinking about the last shot, which I never do, and paying attention to my stabilizer and cam amongst the rocks, I paid the price, and barely caught foam on the coyote. I had the right yardage but came unglued. Continuing down the trail, I let it bother me, and I knew my first shoot of the year wasn't going as I had expected or planned. Unlike my normal process, I got sidetracked and began becoming lost in outside thoughts about everything else going on in my life. I paid the price a few more times over the next few targets. 

  Going into the second half my goal was to stay afloat and not lose ground. With the long yardage, it made it difficult to stay on track, but I did the best I could. The wind got me on a few shots, but overall my arrows found their mark. I think I came off that half about 6 down, which I considered a success for shooting unmarked yardage and the difficulty level of the course. 

  If I had to evaluate my ASA tournament, I would give myself a 6 out of 10. I struggled with commitment to the shot, but I executed great shots. I did a phenomenal job of concentrating when I had to bear down on the second half. I did the best I could to shoot in the wind and accept the results. I didn't expect he course to be set with so many long-yardage targets, so the judging was a little tougher, as yardage definitely gets harder to estimate after it gets beyond 40 yards. I did learn that my yardage judging was stellar, and that made me happy. My work in that area passed the test. The long distances made it difficult to actually aim directly at 12s. Although I aimed at a few, I only hit one the entire day and I called the upper because I could see it well. At the end of the day, I learned that I should have just announced at the beginning of the day, that I was shooting all uppers. I judged a hair hot, causing me to hit high. If I had called all uppers, I would have ended at nine down. It just goes to show you that a lot of people luck into the 12, no matter where it might be. Many people never think about it, but the 12s are the size of a 5-spot X and not many people can repeatedly shoot 5 Xs on a 5-spot regularly at 20 yards, let alone 30, 40 or 50. Although I can't prove it, in classes other than pro classes, I think that's why people are so up and down in ASA shoots and the same person doesn't  usually win consecutive shoots at the national events. 

  My take on the day: I shot well. I struggled getting my shot to go off. I got distracted. I barely missed when I missed. My sub-par shots go left with this bow. My concentration was at an elite level on the second half. My aiming was phenomenal. The club always does a great job with their events, and it's a pleasure to shoot there. 

                                                                 The IBO Shoot

  After checking the weather, Wade, George and I decided to head to western New York to shoot on Sunday. The forecast called for a few showers early, but that was about it. George met me at 4:45 after driving an hour from his house to my house, and we headed out to meet Wade. We got to the shoot at about 9:35, warmed up and headed out on the course. We were grouped with Ike and Mike, and I haven't shot with them in probably 15 years. I still remember the first time I ever met Mike, and we have remained friends over the years. Although he lives west of Buffalo, and we don't see each other much, it's always good to see him. Unfortunately, having five people in the group, I knew it was going to be a long day, but I also knew there would be good arrows in the target every time I didn't have to lead off because every shooter shoots well. 

  I started off well, barely missing an 11 on a Corsican ram. Stepping up to the stake on target 2, I knew it was going to be a tough shot. It was a long cheetah that was set up a creek bed and the black spots blended in so it made it really hard to aim. When it was my turn there were a few good arrows just a hair to the left of the 11. I held just off from them and the release fired. The arrow instantly appeared in the 11. I made a great shot, guessed the distance perfectly and ended up being rewarded. I executed another great shot on the next target and found myself in the 11 agin. Through the rest of the course, I held my own and shot good shots. I judged well and felt good about the loop when we finished. I sat at 4 down and knew I should have been a little higher. Also, of the three 8s I shot, one was on a long Jake turkey, which isn't an official IBO target, so I basically wrote that one off. 

  Heading onto the second loop, I felt good about my start. I executed a great shot on a long alert buck and barely missed the 11. I followed up that great shot with a great shot on a long coyote and smoked the 11. I love coyotes because the black stripe ends directly in the 10-ring. That target is the closest to dot shooting that you will get on a 3D course. As we picked our way through the rest of the course, we got hammered with an intense downpour for about 5-10 minutes, and we got soaked. It drenched our bows and made a mess out of things After it past, the wind began howling, and the day seemed to become somewhat miserable. I executed a great shot on the lynx and hit it over the 11. Although I was disappointed, I was happy to get a 10 because that target is tough no matter where it is set. 

  The first shot after the rainstorm, was a very long hogzilla, another target that will never be seen on a national range, and I was unsure where the arrow would hit. I wanted to add yardage due to the amount of water that the strings had soaked up, but I chose to dial the sight into the yardage I guessed. I hit dead low after making a good shot. It irritated me for a second, but I moved on and realized it's all a part of the game. The middle 10 treated me well, and I ended up 3 up on that loop. Going into the last 10, I just wanted to finish off the day on a positive note. I had good yardage estimations all day, and wanted to keep building on that. 

  A couple targets after hogzilla, I came upon another target that won't be seen at a national event, which was a gobbling turkey. I missed it about an inch to the left of the 10. It was a good shot, but barely missed the 10. Although I was disappointed, I moved on and let it go. Although I shot one more 8 on a long medium deer, I stayed in the 10 the rest of the way. When all was said and done, I had finished at 3 down on a course similar to many courses I've shot at national events. It had a mixture of all yardages and made you use the sight tape. Although there were a couple close ones, the vast majority of them were in the 38-48 range, and that is what can be expected. Once again, I had good yardage, and I shot three 8s on the only there targets that weren't official targets. I can take that any day of the week. 

  My thoughts on the day: I aimed unbelievably well. I stayed focused all day. I didn't let anything distract me to the point of throwing me off my game. My concentration was at another level. My yardage estimations were spot on. My bad shots go a hair left with this bow. 

  When I struggle with my game, I sometimes consult people I respect for opinions. After texting Jacob, I may try my old reliable Stan SX2 this week and see how that goes. If we can ever get a day where the wind isn't blowing Mach 9, I might be able to try it and see what happens. I'm going to use the IBO shoot this weekend in Massachusetts to experiment with a few things and see what happens. It might be a train wreck, but I could find something that is missing that could propel me to another place. That's what I'm hoping for this weekend. 

  If anyone didn't notice, I decided to shoot Senior Pro this year. I worked hard in the winter to be ready for it, and I'm working on yardages to give it my best shot. Sometimes insignificant conversations stick with people, and I had a talk with Ted and Sara Kay last year in West Virginia. I had just finished my round, and they were sitting on their tailgate when I approached them. After chatting for a bit and discussing the Senior Pro class, Ted said, "You've definitely earned your right to shoot in that class. You should just do it." 

  Well, I didn't put much into it last year due to all of the COVID stuff going on and wasn't feeling it. However, the more I thought about Ted's words, the more I decided the time is now. I'm not getting any younger and many of the guys in the class are the same guys I met in MBO and SPM back in the early days of my archery career. I've always been able to compete at the top of every class I've shot in, so I'll give it my best and see what happens. If I lay an egg, at least I know I tried. 

  Here's my card for Sunday's shoot and a few pictures of my deer head that just got finished. It's an Adirondack buck. I hope I see all of you out on the trail 

  

That's a Wrap for 2021 Indoors

 

  Going into the 2021 indoor season, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if we would be back to a somewhat normal tournament schedule or if the season would be one to forget due to the inability to travel and participate in different events. 

  As the year flipped and things began getting sorted out, I decided I wanted to set three goals that would combine to become one goal. I knew I would have to work hard in silence to accomplish the goals, but I felt like I was in a good frame of mind to succeed. 

  Although the NFAA Indoor National was canceled in Louisville last March, the NFAA decided to host a virtual event. NFAA-sanctioned clubs were allowed to act as host locations, providing there were also NFAA certified judges on hand. When this decision was made, I instantly decided I would participate in the event at the closest host site. I also made the decision that I would settle for nothing less than a winning performance. Even if I wasn't able to pull out a win, I would make sure I gave it everything I had to accomplish my goal. Although the Indoor National is usually the last indoor event of the year, it was going to be the first of the year for me. So going into it I set the goal of winning the NFAA National, the NFAA Mid-Atlantic Sectional and the NFAA New York State Championship. 

  As I've aged, I've learned that it's more difficult to be consistent from week to week, let alone from month to month in the game of archery. I knew I was taking on quite the task with my goal, but I also knew I would put the work in to accomplish it. 

                                                            The Indoor National

  Originally, I knew I wasn't going to get much practice before the event. It's no secret that hunting takes all of my time in the fall and I will not focus on anything else until the season closes. Well, the date for the Indoor National was scheduled for the weekend after the close of hunting season. Fortunately, a major storm clobbered the region and postponed the event for about a month. 

  Although I felt confident after a few practice sessions that week, shooting 57 and 58 Xs out of the gate, I was thankful for the extra time that the postponement gave me to mentally prepare. I used the extra time to shoot back-to-back rounds every few days and mentally prepare for the event. I rehearsed each end, and I saw myself finishing each day with a perfect final round. I stayed consistent with my shooting  and never scored below 55 Xs in my practice rounds. 

  In the first end of the first day, I unexpectedly dropped three of my first five Xs, putting me at three down with 55 shots left in the round. I refocused on my way back to the line and knew I was going to have to do what I've done a thousand times in the past. I would have to clean the rest of the round to reach my goal of beating the national record. Otherwise, I would be facing an uphill battle if I started letting the train run off the tracks. 

  As the round progressed, I stayed steady and stuck to my shot process on every shot. I knew I had to win the one-arrow shoottoff for the next 55 arrows. I needed every arrow to be a winning arrow. Moving into the last end of the day, I had become lost in the process and didn't know it was the last end until my fellow competitors told me that was the last end. I survived!! I had only dropped those first three Xs in the first end and had a solid scored: 300 57 Xs and 37 were inside out. 

  Going into the second day, I felt much calmer than the first day. I stayed on the path throughout the day. My hold wasn't as good as it was the first day until we got near the end. That's when the pin decided it just wanted to sit in the X and not move, causing me to battle to get going. Instead, I just wanted to look at my pin. Finally, I released the last arrow and it found its way inside the X on the top left  spot. My round was done, and all I could do was wait for the results. I had tied the national record for Senior Bowhunter Freestyle with a 600 113. I shot 57 Xs the first day and 56 the second day. I'll be the first to tell you that it's definitely pretty difficult to shoot with a pin that accurately as you begin aging and get into your 50s. 

  When all host locations were done shooting, I learned that I had won the tournament by a considerable margin. Of all of the tournaments I've been fortunate enough to win over the years, this one seemed to go along according to the script. Almost every part of it played out as it had in my visualizations over the last month except the first end of the first round. My first goal of the year had been completed. On to the next one. 

                                                    The NFAA Mid-Atlantic Sectional

  Once again, I prepared for the sectional just as I had prepared for the national. I visualized the rounds in my head and shot them over and over before I actually shot in the event. I struggled through the first day and was disappointed when I ended with a 300 53xs. While it's not a great round, it's also not too terribly bad for the class I was shooting in.  I knew that score probably wouldn't stand up and I would have to get back to my average the next day. I didn't shoot poorly that first day, but I just couldn't catch a break and score well. 

  On the second day, my shots broke cleanly and the arrows found there way into the X. Unfortunately, I shot the bottom out of every X on the 5-spot target. I have a hard time aiming anywhere other than the middle of the target, and I couldn't make myself aim higher as the round progressed. I knew I was hitting low, and archers aren't allowed to move their sights in my class once the round begins. Fortunately, I was breaking good enough shots and felt confident that I could keep pounding the bottom of the X if I held it in the middle. I decided at that point that I would focus on staying in the X and ignoring the inside out X count that is used for tie-breakers. 

 

  When the round concluded, I had shot 57 Xs with only 19 inside/out Xs. Although I was highly disappointed with the inside/out count, I knew exactly why the number was extremely low. I accepted that for the overall X count, and I'm glad I didn't try aiming high to rectify the problem during the round. In the end, it all worked out. I walked away with the Mid-Atlantic Sectional win. 

  At the end of the weekend I stood at 600 110 Xs. So between the national and the sectional the difference wasn't much. Both tournaments produced solid rounds. While most people don't like shooting the 5-spot target, I enjoy it. I put in most of my time this year on that target to prepare for these two events, and I'm glad I spent the time doing that. I feel like it helped me stay focused throughout the five shots every end. Shooting back-to-back rounds two days in a row while practicing definitely helped me when I had to do the same thing in the actual tournaments. I feel like my plan worked well. A man without a plan is a man hoping for something to happen. A man with a plan has direction and knows where his path will lead him. 

  Now, I was 2/3 of the way toward my ultimate goal. I would have a only a few weeks to practice on a Vegas target for the state championship. The Vegas target has never treated me that well, but I've also been able to put up a few stellar numbers on that target in the last 30 years. 

                                                               The State Championship

  Although I shot almost every Tuesday night with the guys who were shooting in the Vegas league, I never committed to the league because I didn't know what my schedule was going to look like across the winter. This made it difficult to get into any type of rhythm on that target. Without practicing on it, I didn't expect too much. My sight picture is much different on a Vegas target than it is on a 5-spot. I have a hard time shooting a fiber optic pin on the Vegas target, but it shows up really well on the 5-spot. I decided to stick with it and see what would happen. 

  I felt a lot of nerves in the beginning of the round. The pin was dancing around like the Grateful Dead's singing bears. Although it had a steady vibration to it, it didn't wander out of the 10-ring. When I finished the first game, I had fallen into the Zone. I had one arrow hole in the bottom right target and all of my arrows had found their way into the 10-ring on the other two spots. My shot became effortless, and my mind was numb. I knew I would not miss on that day. Then, the person running the line decided we would take a 10-minute break at the halfway point. Although it distracted me a little bit, I began hammering the Xs again when we returned after the break. 

  Going into the 10th end, I bobbled a little bit on my first shot and the arrow found its way into the 9 ring, barely missing the 10. Being a questionable call, I let it bother me a little bit and allowed that one shot to get into my head. Although I finished the round with a good score, I had fallen out of the Zone, which usually doesn't happen when an athlete finds himself in it during a performance. 

  After all of the scores were tallied, I learned that I had won the state championship. I had accomplished the goal I set at the beginning of indoor season. I worked hard to accomplish the goals and have decided to try something new for this coming 3D season. I'm not sure where the road will lead me, but I'm going to give this challenge everything make every attempt to be prepared. 

  I've had pretty good luck with the PSE Supra Focus since I got the bow a few years ago in an attempt to find a bow that reminded me of a few of the ones I used to shoot really well. The deflexed riser caught my attention, and I knew I had to go back in time and give it a whirl. Heck, what did I have to lose? This year I used that bow with GAS high-octane strings, Black Eagle PS 26s, Axcel XP sight, and a Shrewd Optum scope with a .019 green fiber. Erig Griggs' strings have worked flawlessly on this bow, and nothing has moved since I put them on the bow. I'm thankful for that. Check out GAS strings if you're in need of new threads. 

                                                      Final Thoughts on the Indoor Season

  Although I was able to accomplish a few things with my bow that many people dream of, I was more proud of getting a message from my buddy Jeremy when he wanted to inform me that he had won the final monthly indoor shoot at Hall's Arrow. Not being much of an indoor shooter, he told me he was going to use some advice I gave him last summer and see what he could do. He made a choice to improve his mental game, and I offered him some help that I knew he could use. He put all of the tools I gave him into his pouch and pulled them out throughout the winter. If you're going to build a house, you need to have a solid foundation before you begin pounding nails. We set him up with a solid foundation and began leveling our boards to build the house. I'm proud of Jeremy, and I think I felt better about his win than he did. When I help others succeed, there is nothing that can compare to that feeling. Here are the results from that shoot. Awesome job, Jeremy. Keep working. 

  I also couldn't tell you how happy I was for Rob LeLacheur when I learned that he won both classes he shot in in the MFAA State Championship. Rob worked hard at his indoor game this season and stayed the course throughout the winter to accomplish his goal. This is no easy feat. You must shoot well and have a little luck along the way to get the job done. Sometimes you can do everything right and not win. 

  Jacob Slusarz knows that feeling all too well. Everyone in our region is routing for him to keep putting himself in positions to have a chance at winning. His performance at the Rushmore Rumble was nothing short of amazing. Watching him throw down with the best in the world was inspiring. He shot X after X after X in the shootoff. I'm pretty sure most of us were more nervous watching him than he was while shooting. Hopefully, Jacob will continue his great shooting as we go into the 3D season. Two top 5s at the only two indoor national events he attended for the year is beyond what most professionals can hope for. Great job, Jacob. Keep putting yourself in a position to win and hopefully you'll get a break one of these times. 

  I'd like to end by giving a shout-out to Chuck Weeden. Chuck changed bows this winter and put a lot of time into getting used to his new bow. He found out he can shoot it the same when he's under pressure as he can when he's practicing. Chuck shot a personal best on the Vegas target this year, and he got himself a 3rd place finish in the NYFAB NFAA State Championship. The road has been bumpy for Chuck, so this made me happy when I saw that the work he has put in finally showed up on the score card. 

  I'll see everyone on the 3D range. Good luck out there.