I decided I would set a bow up that I haven't used and shoot it at this event. I wanted to see if lighter poundage and less holding weight would work better for me. Looking back on my past history, I tend to shoot better scores when I'm shooting higher let-off, even though I also tend to struggle with my shot. I figured it would be worth a try to see what it would bring.
It didn't take me long to get the bow ready to roll, and I was amazed at how well it held and shot. I started shooting consistent groups at 40-50 and knew the bow would do its job if I did mine. After a little bit of practice, I was getting the best groups I've gotten all year, and their was minimal effort on my part to shoot the bow well.
That's when I decided to head to Matt Draxler's range one afternoon. He has a great set-up, and the range is as close as you can get to a real ASA range. However, he has official Rinehart targets in every lane, and official ASA targets in every other lane. It's great practice for both IBO and ASA. I appreciate all of Matt's work and his offer to use his range whenever I want to use it.
I wanted to shoot at Matt's alone because that's how I do my best work. It allows me to analyze and work on things without being distracted. As I began marching through his course, my bow was shooting extremely well. I was enjoying the less holding weight, and I was aiming the bow better than I've aimed it all year.
Then, I pulled the bow back and sent an arrow into who knows where. The knot on the loop pulled through, and I had shot a lot of arrows out of the bow. I can't believe I never saw any sign it was going to happen, but I'm really glad it happened there and not at a big shoot. Finally, I avoided a little bad luck when it came to the forefront in a place where there were no consequences. I'm not sure why, but I think there's a big reason behind the screen as to why it happened. My bad luck for the year is behind me, and a new chapter is opening for these last two acts.
When I left Matt's I felt really good about the bow. I knew I had to make a few small changes, so I went home and took care of them and waited for the weekend.
Game Day
Unfortunately, there was no easy way to get to the shoot. We had to take winding roads through New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. Jacob met us at the house at 5 a.m., and we were on our way. I was exhausted, as I got about three hours of sleep. I quickly fell asleep in the back seat and woke up a few minutes before arriving at the tournament.
After firing a few rounds of warmup arrows, I felt good about the last group. The bow sat relatively still, and I shot a decent group, especially for being stiff and tired. Within minutes, we were on the course and ready to start our day. Our group comprised Jacob, Dad, and Rob LeLacheur. Jacob and I were shooting unknown and Dad and Rob were shooting known. I would have two bows going in the 290s to listen to for the day. This would definitely help me, as I tend to listen to bows to help with my numbers.
The first target was a standing bear, which isn't an official ASA target. When I drew the bow, I noticed a different hold than I had experienced while shooting at dots. The bow wanted to bounce up and down and drop out near the end of my shot. I felt really loose in the shot. I figured it would get better as we progressed through the course. I never make snap judgments in the beginning. I let things ride out before doing anything drastic, but it definitely didn't feel like it did at home -- or at the bag a few minutes earlier.
After hitting the bear low and right for an 8, I wasn't too happy as I walked down the trail. As we progressed through the first half, my hold and shot weren't cooperating, and I was battling with everything I had to stay afloat. I was trying the best I could to limit the damage while trying to find my shot and figure out why the bow wouldn't hold.
A few targets in, I took an ounce of the front of the bow and went from 5 1/3 ounces to 4 1/3. This seemed to help with the bouncing, but the hold didn't improve much in any other aspect. Finally, as we neared the end, I had all I could take. The hold and the feeling of the shots were getting under my skin to the point I was becoming irritated.
I reached into my release pouch and changed releases to one that had a strap that was hair shorter than the one I was using. Not knowing how the release would feel, I aimed center 10 at the last two targets of the first half and shot 11s on both of them. Both shots felt good, and I gained some confidence as we made our way toward our second half.
I felt good about my yardage estimations for most of the day, but the antelope to start our second half had me a little stumped. Unsure what to do, I made a piss poor shot because I didn't fully commit to it. I made sure to mentally note that and reminded myself to stay strong and steady after picking my number. The most important part of success to shooting well in unknown yardage is to shoot your shots like you're shooting marked yardage. It definitely makes life easier when you approach it that way.
We cruised through the second half, and I picked up confidence at every target along the way. As we came down the homestretch, I felt like I could hit everything, but I also knew I had to be smart and not get overly aggressive while thinking I was Superman. That can come back to bite you pretty hard when you're playing the ASA game. I made sure I gave every target more than enough number to get there and aimed at most of them. If I didn't get them, I came pretty close to them.
When the dust settled, I was sitting at +4 for the day, after dropping 8 points in the first 12 targets of the day, so once I changed releases and took the ounce off the front bar, I shot +12 on the last 18 targets of the day. I'd call that a successful day for may reasons but not so much because of the score. It was more successful because I figured a few things out in the middle of the round and made the corrections I thought I needed to make to right the ship before it began taking on too much water to stay afloat.
My Final Thoughts
I'm incredibly thankful to have an IBO Triple Crown as well as an ASA series in my region. I love having the ability to participate in both of these series of shoots. It sharpens my skills and helps me be more competitive when I go to national events. I don't think people truly know how difficult it is to run any type of shoot, let alone running a series of shoots. I'd encourage all of you to take a look behind the curtain and realize that nonstop complaints and petty BS don't help anyone. Instead, it makes people feel unappreciated and sometimes dismisses their efforts for bringing us a lot of choices. Next time you go to a shoot make sure you thank the people who are allowing you to follow your passion. We should all try to support each other. There are strength in numbers and one hand washes the other. As the old saying goes, "If you build it, they will come."
If we can build the numbers across the board in all venues, whether it's NFAA, NAA, IBO or ASA, you just never know what might find its way to our region. There's nothing saying we might be able to get another national event like the NFAA event that took place in Hartford, Ct., about 20 years ago. Let's make a concentrated effort to show support across all organizations.
I really enjoyed the last two ASA events of the year. Both of them were set up somewhat similar to national ASAs, with basically all flat ground and easy walking. However, it still would be really cool if one of the events could eventually be set up to replicate a national pro-am, with tight lanes and all of the targets in a small area off a road. I think it would encourage more participation than we already have, and it would allow people to interact throughout the day.
I know most states are currently holding their ASA State Championships, including New York this weekend at Deerslayer. All of these events have shotgun starts on both days, and they are run like national events with shooters grouped with their peers. This makes the shooter of the year titles and the state championship titles fair. When this is done, you're shooting with your peers, and you have no choice who your'e shooting with. The shotgun starts allow everyone to start at the same time and finish at the same time. It allows the kitchen to have everything ready, and it allows all volunteers to arrive and leave at the same time. The rounds don't take long to shoot, and the pressure of shooting with your peers simply cannot be replicated. I'm lucky enough to always shoot with my peers in the class I shoot in, and I can tell you firsthand that some people can handle the pressure and some people can't withstand everything that goes along with it. It helps shooters improve, and it gives them an advantage when they go to national events because they've already been there and done that. It also eliminates any funny business on scorecards and the leniency that sometimes goes hand in hand with shooting with your friends. After all, if you're going to win a state championship or a shooter of the year, earning it against your peers in a head to head format will mean more than most other things you will accomplish because you are on an even playing field where you cannot hide from you direct competitors.
When I started this sport, it was always my goal to make it into a peer group. I always performed better in peer groups than I did when I shot with my friends or family. I think it forced me to buckle down, concentrate and focus on the task at hand. I'll be forever thankful for the peer grouping in the IBO Northeast Triple Crown 30 years ago. Looking back on it, I can tell you with 100% confidence that those peer groups gave me the necessary skills I would need throughout my career to succeed in high-pressure situations. I'd love to see this happen for others, so they can get a taste of it and then use those skills at a national level. There's nothing better than having strong shooters come out of one region, and I think that's the reason why our region produced some great ones over the years. The best shooters under pressure truly won, and others learned they were not mentally up to the task.
I know most people enjoyed the peer grouping when we started it a few years ago for the IBO Triple Crown. Many people told me they felt pressure they had never imagined. Some of them loved it, and some of theme loved to hate it. It definitely helped a handful of people when they got to national events, and they excelled when the time came for them to be in peer groups with the big dogs. Anything we can do to build great shooters and expose others who might be more comfortable out of their small groups is a bonus in my opinion. Everyone improves in the end.
I've had many people tell me I look calm in shoot-offs and in peer groups when they walk the pro range and watch people shoot. If we give these people the same opportunity at a regional level, it allows them to see and feel what I feel. It's no different whether it's a peer group for a state title or a shooter of the year title on a regional level. The pressure is the same. It also gives some people a feeling they will never experience at a national event because they don't go to national events. It definitely shows who has game and who does not. I want to beat people head to head, and I want to beat them at their best. This would allow us to see the best shooters in our region battling it out. It also shushes all the nonbelievers of some of our great shooters who aren't as well known as others. Up and comers must start somewhere, and this gives them a chance to build upon their reputations. It's how I made my way when I was much younger. The shotgun starts are no different than indoor shoots in the winter. Everyone knows what time the line starts and what time they have to be there. It seems much more organized, and it gives all attendees a chance to visit with each other because they're all on the same schedule.
I probably ranted too long about that topic, but I know that kind of stuff was essential to my growth as an archer. I also met people I probably never would have known otherwise, and it allowed me to learn how I could improve and what I needed to work on to shoot under pressure against the best my region (then the country) had to offer. Those victories are some of my most cherished prizes I've ever won in archery... the ones when I beat people who were talking sh*t about me when they didn't know me and before I had built a resume.
I'll be headed to the Classic next week. I've decided not to shoot the bow I shot last weekend. I'm going to shoot the trusty dusty green Veracity 35. That bow just seems to be more comfortable in my hand, and I think I prefer more holding weight than what the black bow offered. I can get my shots off better, and I have it aiming well. I also changed my stabilizer setup on it, and it seemed to steady it out a little. I'll test it this weekend at a shoot.
I feel the most confident I have felt in a long time. I believe things will fall into place over the course of the next few weeks. My mind is clear, and my shot is good. I'm ready for what's on the road ahead, and I'll embrace whatever I encounter. If I have to make little changes along the way, I learned this past weekend that I can figure it out on the fly and get good results. Don't ever be afraid to make changes during the round. It doesn't do much good if you wait until you get home.
Keep at it and never give up. We are all on the same road together. From Joe to pro, it's a journey most of us start when we fire our first arrow. What are you willing to do and how far are you willing to go? You are the only one who has the answer.
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