Well, I took the annual pilgrimage to London, Ky., last weekend to shoot in the ASA Pro-Am. Unlike last year, I went to this tournament with things in mind to work on and figure out. Although I can't predict the future, it is my intention to go to Metropolis and to the Classic, so I wanted to use this tournament to get my feet wet and figure out the best approach for me to use as a shooter. I believe every shooter must approach ASAs differently and set the rounds up according to his or her own personality. I think every person must reach within to figure out what part of his personality will help him excel during an ASA round. I'm not an overly aggressive person, so I know I need to find a strategy that will help me stay steady and strong from start to finish. I also don't plan ahead, and I try to adjust from target to target.
Practice Day
We made good time getting to the tournament, which allowed us to have ample time on the practice range. After tossing about 15 arrows downrange at the target butts, we made our way to the practice range. With the team round going on, the practice range was easy to navigate and not get backed up after the first target.
Dad decided to shoot with Jacob and I on the 50-yard range, and he would move closer for his shots. He didn't last long on the range, as he drew on the first target, couldn't see it due to his cataract issues, and launched an arrow into the thick forest. We didn't bother looking for it, and he packed up and headed back to the car to get some rest. The eye issues have been beating him down. Hopefully things will get better for him after he has the surgery in the next couple of weeks.
As Jacob and I made our way through the range, I remained slow and steady. I decided to area aim at some, shoot directly at some, and shoot for safe 10s on others. My tactics worked well, as I got off the practice range with no 8s and a few 12s. I felt confident about the practice and looked forward to getting after it the next day.
Last year at the event, the chronograph that was set up next to the practice butts revealed an ugly surprise to me when it recorded all my arrows at 298 and 299 fps, but my chronograph at home was nowhere near the same. I had to take a turn out of my limb bolts to get the speed down, and it resulted in an all-out disaster. However, this year, I knew I would not have the same problem because I bought a new chronograph and spent a lot of time getting my bow ready for ASA. When I finally decided on a setup, I chronographed it at 293 on three different chronographs, including two of mine and George Connors' graph. Every one of them gave me the same results.
On our way back to the car to call it a day, I figured I might just as well shoot it through the chronograph to make sure it matched all the ones at home. With a few people standing next to the machine, I drew back and shot the arrow through it. My jaw dropped when the graph read 300. I was beside myself and didn't know what to do, so I shot three more arrows, with two of them saying 300 and one saying 297.
In a panic, I walked to the Lancaster trailer and bought a back of brass knocks. I clipped one below my loop and one above it and marched back over to the chronograph to shoot the bow. Well, it did the trick. All of the arrows went through at 292 and one at 293. After making sure the arrows were now within acceptable speeds, I decided to shoot my bow at 40 and 45 yards to ensure the sight marks stayed the same.
Unfortunately, after three arrows at 45 yards, I knew I was in trouble, as all three arrows hit considerably lower than my 45-yard mark. I had to move it to 47.5 to get it to hit okay again, and I gang adjusted the sight. Although all of the marks seemed to hit alright afterward, my confidence was balancing on the edge of a cliff, and I was watching small pebbles tumbling to their disintegration at the bottom of the canyon. Teetering back and forth, holding on for all I was worth, I walked back to the car to call it a day. Time was running out, and game day was the next morning at 9. I was hanging in midair as night fell.
Day 1
After shooting my warm-up arrows, Jacob and I got our cards and began walking toward our target assignments. I left all thoughts of anything at the target butt and focused on getting the job done. When we got to our ranges, we talked a few minutes before heading to our starting positions. When I got near the stake, I saw that I would be starting on a blesbok. I felt good about it because the target was big. Although it was dark in the woods, I didn't think I'd have any issues seeing the target.
After a few minutes, the other guys began arriving at the stake, and I saw that I would be shooting with Scott Price again. I shot with him a few weeks ago on the second day at the IBO shoot. Then Jeff Borg arrived and Chad Tate. I sat back in my chair and remained quiet until it was time to go. As arrows began being launched, I was confident with the number I had chosen. Finally, I drew my bow and got ready to launch the first arrow of my round.
Seconds later, I was disgusted. The arrow had barely caught foam, hitting the leg. I was thankful that the blesbok 10-ring lines up with the leg. If it had been most other targets, I probably would've missed it. I quickly learned that 43 yards doesn't work too well on a 47-48 yard target. Once again, like last year, I began the tournament at 5 down. It''s never easy climbing out of a hole, and I started digging the hole early. Although all thoughts about the changes I had to make on my bow had disappeared, the quickly came roaring back into my head.
When I got to the next target and almost shot out the top of the 10, I knew I was most likely in for a long day. I realized, I wasn't seeing numbers well, and there was no consistency with my estimations. I needed to do something, and I needed to do it quickly. After we scored arrows on the third target, I was not happy. I was three targets in and already down seven points. What the heck was I going to do?
I knew things would come around, and I knew I had to make the adjustments for the McKenzie targets that I don't normally see. I would have to pick away the rest of the day and attempt to chip away at the seven points to see if I could make them disappear. If anything was going well, it was my shot. I was executing good, strong shots, and I was holding a great line. I was happy about that and decided I would try to focus on that area and begin putting blocks down to build a structure.
When I got target 12, I had made up all the points and stood at +1. Feeling good about my shooting and the comeback, I knew I could quickly gain ground. However, I found myself veering from my plan and I lined up and shot for the next one. I called the upper 12 and missed it by and inch or two out the top. When I got to the next target, I knew I was still in good shape, as I only fell to -1 and the leaderboard was staying still at +1. That's when I decided to go after the next one and missed it out the bottom. Quickly, the points I had gotten back disappeared. After shooting two 8s in a row, I got rattled and began to think a little bit about the unwinding. This is something I can't remember doing in a very long time.
Going into the next shot, I overarmed and my focus was too strong. I got lost in the moment and felt the bow creep forward while aiming. I tired to save it and pull it back. When I did that, the shot fired, and the arrow sailed out the top of the 10-ring. Walking back from the target, I had a talk with myself and realized I needed to reel things in and finish strong. I got out of the day at 7 down. I wasn't happy about it, especially after making the comeback I made, but I accepted it and realized what had happened. I figured I could make a run the next day if things fell into place.
Day 2
When I glanced at the scoreboard after Day 1, I wasn't happy to see that I was directly in the middle of the field. I knew I would have my work cut out for me to advance, but I set a goal of cutting number of my current position in half. When you're competing against the best the sport has to offer, it's pretty hard to cut into a deficit.
When I got to the stake the second day, I realized I would be shooting with Joe Pitt, Brian Luallen and Chad Dellinger. I would have my work cut out for me because all these guys have been proven performers in ASA. I would just go about my business and do my thing. Unlike the first day, I had an incredible time seeing anything. Although the first day was dark, I could see all of the targets. On this day, there were multiple targets I could not see.
I stayed slow and steady and remained around even for quite some time. When we got near the turn-around spot on the range, we saw a deer target that was a sure-bet chance at a 12. We were all happy to see it until we pulled our bows back. The target was less than 30 yards and we got a combined score of 26 on it out of the four shooters. We shot two five and two 8s. None of us could see the target when we drew our bows. It was merely impossible to tell where I was holding on the target when I executed the shot. I guess you can't help it when you don't know where you're aiming. I was lucky to escape with an 8.
I made some fantastic shots the rest of the way and missed a bunch of 12s by a hair. When the day was done, I ended up at 4 down for the day, which was in the top five scores in the class for Day 2. Considering I didn't shoot many 12s and I shot two 8s because I couldn't tell where I was aiming, I considered that a success.
When all was said and done, I ended the weekend at 11 down and seven of this points came in the first three shots. I learned I had cut the gap in half from where I stood the first day and finished in 13th. Although it's not great, most of the guys in the class shoot ASAs all the time. Without any practice on McKenzies or shooting ASAs, I think I did well. I'll never be satisfied with the finish, and I know I can do better, so I will try to work on a few little things to help me at the next one. I hope to continue making progress as the ASA game.
My Take on the Weekend
Overall, I'm satisfied with the performance but not happy about it. It's hard to get excited about something when you know you could've done better. The conditions were not conducive to good shooting, and many guys found a way to make it work. I did alright in that area, too. I picked the course apart and tried to take advantage of it in the areas that were open to do so.
I executed some of the best shots I've made all year this weekend. I'm finally getting used to the letoff change that I made after going to Pennsylvania to shoot the IBO state shoot. The lower letoff has allowed me to shot a crisper shot. My aiming isn't quite as good, but I think it's been improving as time has moved forward. I'm feeling really good about my shots on 3D targets. I'll keep working on this.
I need to get back to judging the ground a little more. I've relied on target size too much, and I paid the price this weekend because I don't have the targets we shot. This caused a few issues, so I used depth-perception to get my numbers. While it worked nicely, it was different. I think I will get better at national ASAs if I actually spend any time preparing for them. They are a little easier to shoot and not so mentally draining. I look at IBO events as events that truly test an actual 3D shooter's ability. IBO events test every skill involved with 3D shooting. I look at ASA events as more of a target archery type of event. Each one of the organizations is fun to participate in, and I think one helps the other. I encourage everyone out there to try both. It will only make you better in the long run, and you might find that you are better at one or the other.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the chronograph dilemma. I forgot to mention that I went back to the chronograph the next day before we began our round, and my bow said 286. I had lost 6 fps from the day before, and the chronograph was in the same place out in the middle of a wide-open field. All of these chronographs should be in a controlled environment with a light kit. That is the only true way to get true speeds. I'm still not sure how so many people get the same speeds at both places. For some unknown reason, I'm one of the handful of people with whom I've spoken who have the same results.This caused all sorts of confidence issues for me, and the situation could've been easily avoided if the chronograph was inside with a light kit.
After I finished the second day, I walked down the ranges where my dad was shooting. It was great to see all the kids and women. I found it incredible concerning that there were NO pros on those ranges. Aren't pros supposed to promote archery and mingle amongst the competitors of the future? Wouldn't it be something to see one of your favorite pros watching your shoot an arrow or two? I think there is so much more to being a pro than shooting well. You have to be a people's person when there are no eyes on you and you mix in with everyone else. You need to show others that you are one of them. You are not elite just because you can shoot a bow well. Who really cares if you can shoot a bow well? There are plenty of backyard heroes out there who shoot bows better than some world-class archers. It's a pro's job to be a people's pro... a Joe's pro. Well, enough of that rant. I did actually see one pro on the range of hundreds of other shooters, and that was Digger Cogar, one of my favorite competitors. We both support our fathers, and we have been doing this a long time.
When I was down on those ranges, I saw Chuck Nease, the former owner of CSS Bows. I met Chuck in the mid '90s, and I knew his status in 3D archery. He was a legend, and it was my goal to be as good as him. I read about him in 3D Times magazine, and I wanted to shoot as good as he did. He set the bar high, and that is where I wanted to get. Well, in 1998, I got to shoot with him at White River Bowhunters at the First Leg of the National Triple Crown in Bedford, Ind. When we were done, he put his arm around me and said something that has stuck with me since that day. I pounded that day and came off the course with a stellar score. Later, I found out I had finished in 3rd place out of about 1,000 shooters in MBO. As the previous year's national triple crown winner, he said to me, "Let me tell you something. You don't learn anything on your good days. You will learn the most on your bad days, so pay attention on those days and learn what you can when you can." Those words have helped me become what I've become in archery, and I'l be forever thankful for it. Here's a picture I got with Chuck this weekend.
I also must apologize to anyone who went to Catamount Bowhunters for the IBO shoot. The unfortunate incident that you ran into with the target sets are my fault. I went down there to help the group understand some things about the IBO. I made the mistake of telling them to hide the yardage to make it difficult to judge. Since I took it for granted that "hide the yardage" was easy to understand, they did not understand what I was taking about and tried to "hide the targets." I sincerely apologize to them and to all of you who attended for not making sure they understood me.
Although I haven't had the best of luck so far this year, the last three events I've attended have been a learning experience. If we quit learning, we quit getting better. I'm waiting for the next opportunity. Shoot straight.
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