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.
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