Another USA Archery Outdoor Championship has been concluded. As in any competition there are many things to reflect upon and action steps to take to my next competition.

My biggest reflection is how much fun I had and how good the camaraderie was between competitors. We are fierce competitors, but even better friends. We want nothing more than to beat all comers, but revel in our competition’s success. That is special. It doesn’t happen in all classes of archery competition, but in the Masters class, we really do value the people and the opportunity to compete. Win, lose, or draw, we relish the experience.

As I said, the competition was keen and I shot very poorly to start. I couldn’t find my shot. BUT and this is a very large point, I did not stray from my fundamentals and my shooting keys. In time, the feel of the shot returned and I competed quite effectively. By the end of the qualification round I moved from an also ran 4th to almost edging out the 2nd place finisher. One must be steadfast in what makes their shot tick. It hasn’t changed just because things are not going well. On the start of the second day of qualifications I knew my shot was in good shape and I shot well for the balance of the tournament.

Day three was the start of the so called Olympic Round. These are head to head matches, in a single elimination, bracket type arrangement. Anything can happen and often times better archers are eliminated. It is a challenge and lots of fun. It’s all or nothing and you need to bring it……..right now!! I was very fortunate and won my matches to capture the crown. The confidence I acquired in day two carried over and I shot very capably. Other very talented shooters got knocked out, but it was the top 4 seeds in the medal matches.

Off the shooting field, we really had a good time. All though there were numerous weather delays, everyone maintained a positive attitude. There were dinners filled with great conversation and pretty good BBQ as well.

Tournament shooting is so much more than winning or losing. Embrace the experience. Make new friends. Laugh a lot. Compete hard. Learn about your shot and get excited for the next opportunity!

Have you ever wondered why archer A is better than archer B? What distinguishes someone who shoots well from someone who does not? I’ve thought about this as well and I believe there are some foundations which allow some to get better, while others seem mired.

1) Good archers love to shoot. That seems simple enough, but it is not universal in the archery world. If you enjoy what you do, you’ll do it more often. Chasing a goal with no love of the activity will leave you on the short end of the stick. You will end up dropping the sport in due course.

2) Good archers are curious. If a good shot is made, why was it made? If a poor shot was executed, why? Can I become better by trying something different? Good shooters are always asking questions of themselves. They are always seeking to improve. How can one improve if you are not curious and seeking solutions?

3) Good archers are disciplined. They make shots they have practiced and do not compromise their technique because it is expedient. They have structured practice time. They do what they say they will do. It includes physical training, mental management, nutrition and adequate tournament preparation.

4) Good archers are tough nuts. Nothing detracts them from what they want. They are easy on themselves when times are tough and tough on themselves when things are going well. Have you seen a good archer in the heat of a tournament when he struggles? What do you see? I see determination and grit. They will endure. They know it. All setbacks are temporary.

Come to think of it, these traits describe most people who are successful. Successful people make no excuses, work hard, have fun and keep a proper perspective about what it is they are doing and how best to achieve what they seek.

Much has been discussed about NTS, the Korean method, the Ukrainian method and all other manner of shooting forms. Nothing has supplanted proper T form as the foundation for good shooting……..in my mind.

Let me explain. Every archery coach would prefer their shooters to get in repeatable ‘neutral’ positions. The T form advocates for a simple position which is easily replicated, shot after shot. It is built from the ground up asking a shooter to 1) Stand with their feet pointing forward and shoulder width apart. 2) knees, waist and shoulders stack up on the foundation the feet create. 3) Arms extend straight out from the shoulders. 4) The bow is gripped with the middle of the grip in the lifeline of the bow hand. 5) The string hand grips the string with the string elbow slightly above the arrow line. That is T form.

Yes there are many nuances which good archers employ. But the foundation of the shot is in the T which is formed by the archer when at full draw.

There are cases to be made for other shooting forms and they can be quite successful for some archers. The T form is still the gold standard. If you see an archer well grounded in this method of shooting, you will see clean lines and simple, repeatable positions. Something every form should embody.

Ok, so for the majority of us, every once in a while life gets in the way of archery. Regular training cycles get interrupted. Fitness is lost and you don’t quite know how to start again.

Just like everything else in life, take one step. Your attitude is the key factor. Understand your peak performance will not be available to you in the immediate future. Put yourself in positions to succeed. Do things like cut your arrow count per training session. Cut your arrow count per end. Push the target in from your normal training distance. See yourself hitting the yellow. Does that feel good? It should. Everyone likes to hit the middle and it is important for our self esteem to visualize positive things.

Put a time frame for a return to form. That time frame must be realistic and take into account your normal daily activities. Hey, you can’t skip work and anniversaries!!! Now put the archery training schedule together. Slow and steady! Rushing back could lead to injury. Be patient with yourself. We all know progress is not linear. Have fun. Archery is more than standing at one distance and shooting. Go try some field rounds. Have you never shot a 3-D? Try it. Clout? Why not?

Archery is a sport for a lifetime. There will be interruptions along the way. Staying in peak physical form is a transient thing. A positive mindset and a realistic approach will hold you in good stead.

It’s the time of year we in the Midwest all look forward to seeing. The snow has melted and we are thawing out from winter. There are some milder days and more daylight. Ahhhh. It’s time to take our archery outside! What considerations should we have when moving from indoor shooting to outdoor shooting?

I’ll break down what I do in a few steps.

1) Check my outdoor rig to make sure everything is as I’ve left it last year. Has the clicker moved? Is the string in good condition? What about my nocking points? Have they moved? You have kept a log of these settings…….RIGHT???

2) Recheck the tune on my bow.

3) Get physically prepared to shoot six arrow ends. This means slowly building my arrow count.

4) Verify my sight marks for field. What, you don’t shoot field??? You should. As a competitor, shooting from different angles and terrain does nothing but educate you about your shot. Plus, it’s a heck of a lot of fun. Spending a few hours in the woods on a mild Spring day is a joy.

5) After a month, or so of shooting, assess progress and ascertain what changes, if any, need to be made. As an older shooter, I pay close attention to the poundage I shoot and if it is still appropriate. Younger shooters will assess if they need to move up in draw weight. If you are contemplating shooting a longer distance, what gear changes will you need to make?

6) Evaluate all accessories. Is my rain gear in good condition? What about my scope and tripod. Still appropriate and up to snuff? What about my footwear? Early season brings lots of sloppy turf. Is my footwear still waterproof and up to the task?

Yes, Spring is here, hallelujah! Let’s get ready and revel in our sport, outside.

Each year the USAA Indoor Nationals effectively completes my indoor season. Yes, of course it’s not quite time to gear up for outdoor season and our indoor league continues. One of these years I’ll go to Louisville for the NFAA Nationals, but with Vegas, State Championships and USAA Nationals so compressed, I’ve not made time for it. In fact, my family and I need the break.

In this part of the country, our indoor season starts in October and effectively lasts until April. By the time March rolls in, I’ve had to try to peak for the entire month of February and into early March. That takes quite a bit out of me and I am ready for a mental break. That break is healthy and keeps archery exciting and fresh.

While I will shoot during the break between the winding down of indoor season and the beginning of outdoor season, I am making preparations for outdoor season. I am considering which equipment to shoot and what changes need to be made, if any, to my form, mental game and equipment.

It is also a time to reflect on the indoor season. What went well? What needed work? What in my game needs to change for the next indoor campaign? Can I take the lessons learned from indoor competition and apply them to the upcoming outdoor season?

During this time I may pick up my compound and my barebow rigs and have fun with friends. It is a time of rejuvenation, reflection and rest. By the time outdoor season rolls in I hope to be champing at the bit.

Trying to push hard all year is a mistake for me. We all need periodic respites from what we love to do. This is my designated time for an archery break. In fact, it is part of my regular training cycle.

At some point in your archery experience, if you’re in the game long enough, you will have to confront target panic. Just what is target panic? In general, it is an external force (often times the bulls eye) controlling your shot. It is often manifested by an uncontrollable urge to release the arrow, or the inability to hold on the middle. It can be experienced by new shooters, as well as shooters who have been in the game for decades. The malady is fairly common and has been addressed by many, with varying degrees of success. It is a tough issue to overcome but can be aided by a few things.

For an archer who is experiencing target panic, the first thing to do is acknowledge there is an issue. Many have labored with their shots for long periods of time thinking it must be some form flaw which has caused them to shoot poorly, or perhaps some equipment issue. There is a tell tale sign. When shooting blank bail, often times these archers can shoot beautifully, with little stress and flowing shots. Then when the target is introduced, a seemingly different archer appears and the shot looks quite different. Why is this? There are a few reasons posited, but often it is the anxiety of wanting to hit the bulls eye.

What should you do when finding yourself in this position? There are a couple of things to try. if you an Olympic recurve archer and have yet to employ a clicker, do so. And do so under the eye of a coach. The clicker will distract you from focusing on the middle by asking the mind to focus on actuating the clicker. It has worked for many, many archers.

What about barebow archers and archers who are currently using a clicker, but still affected by target panic? The remedy is a bit slower, but can be effective. The idea is that you should become in control of your shot, not an external stimulus. So, start with a very large target at a very short distance. As you draw your bow, the mind will think it very easy to aim at the middle and the anxiety melts. Practice like this and begin to retrain your mind. After a period of success, take one step farther back and repeat the process. Do not be in a rush to move back. It could take quite some time (and I mean days, or perhaps weeks) to earn the right to take another step back and shoot without anxiety. Do this until you reach your preferred shooting distance. Now go back to a very short yardage and decrease the size of the target face and repeat the exercise. Yeah, there are no insta fixes here folks; just hard work and a desire to improve your game. Do this under the watchful eye of your coach. He can tell you if you are on the correct path or if you have accelerated the process incorrectly.

Good luck. You can do it!

I suppose anyone who has read an archery book would be able to articulate what a shot sequence is. In fact, as we shoot, we all adopt a sequence of actions. What makes a shot sequence meaningful?

1) Are you able to define your sequence?

In teaching juniors, we take apart the shot and build it from the ground up, starting with stance. As shooters develop, we add building blocks to the shot and when we get to the end of the shot, we approach the target and evaluate the end. Between stance and shot evaluation there should be a series of actions each archer takes. What is your sequence?

2) Are you able to repeat the sequence?

It is imperative to good shooting that each step be done the same way each time. Simple to say, but tough to execute. I see this quite regularly in our JOAD classes. Something as elemental and important as the stance often gets changed every shot!! How is a shooter supposed to hit the middle? The short answer is, not frequently. And it is not just the physical positions. There should be a mental sequence which is repeated as well. The last shot is over. What needs to be done to prepare for the next shot???

3) Are you able to understand if the sequence has changed?

We often slowly creep into positions that are not part of our sequence. These niggling little things may mean nothing in the short run, but slowly they will begin to affect our consistency. All of a sudden, or so it seems all of a sudden, we are not shooting at our standard. Then the very hard work of breaking down your shot has to start anew. Things like taking video of yourself when shooting well will now pay handsomely, as we compare what our shot currently looks like to what it was when we were ‘on our game’.

Those archers with excellent fundamentals, who understand what their sequence is, have shallower troughs when things go awry. Oh yeah, just because you are good fundamentally does not mean your performance will stay at an elevated level. That is just part of being a participant in any sport.

As an afterthought, but no less important, I want to add that there is a position sequence, a mental sequence and muscle usage/motion sequence. So, can you hit your physical positions, with the correct muscle use and the correct mindset?

When we think of archery, such terms as precision, accuracy, aiming and exacting are used. After all it is a shooting sport. But and this is a big but, thinking in that manner hinders shooting well. I’ve thought about this for a long while and I have a few ideas.

How often have you seen a youngster execute a shot, or golf putt, for that matter and do so with accuracy, dispatch and ease? I’ve seen it plenty. I’m sure you have as well. What dynamics are in play to allow this to happen? I believe it is mental freedom. From this place of mental freedom, there is little physical tension. It is this combination of mental freedom and lack of physical stress which makes the shot, or putt, look effortless and quite accurate. Well we are treading on zen and perhaps perusing ‘Zen In The Art Of Archery’ may be useful here. But let’s get to the practical nut of the matter.

Mental tension (because we want to perform well) translates into physical tension, which destroys accurate shots. Focusing on being steady, or aiming well, impedes the fluid shot. Here’s an experiment so that you can prove this to yourself. Go into your shot routine and when you get to anchor, forgo the aim and focus on actuating the clicker with good timing. Then try your normal routine. I think you’ll be surprised at the results of the un aimed shot.

I worked with a shooter who had very nice form, yet couldn’t score a lick. His shots were all over the paper and his move through the clicker looked tortuous. When I mandated he shoot in rhythm, without aiming, the groups shrank almost immediately.

We all want to shoot well and the point of the sport is to score well, but you can’t score well without the mental freedom to execute your shot, which means a different focus for many of us. It’s definitely something to discuss with your archery coach.

While much has been written about back tension and the very real benefits of correctly using back tension in the shot, I’ve not seen much of anything written about the chest and what tension, if any, is proper for good shot execution. Let me elaborate.

Recurve archers can be broken down into 3 categories; pullers, pushers and equal balance shooters. Pullers primarily use their string side to pull through the clicker. Pushers use the front half of their body to push the bow through the clicker. The balanced shooter uses a combination of forces to push/pull through the clicker. Most of us think through these styles using the latissimus dorsi and scapulae as references. We should additionally consider the diaphragm, pectoral, intercostal muscles and their function in the shot.

I strive to feel a stretch through my chest, while employing the larger back muscles to provide the power to move through the clicker. This stretch is important so that there is a connection between the bow side and the string side of the shot. If my chest were to be flaccid, it would be quite natural to have the bow arm drop on the break of the clicker. I call the chest stretch the connector of my shot.

I had the opportunity to watch a video of Darrell Pace well after his Olympic glory days. What I saw was a shooter who pushed his chest into the shot. I had never seen that exaggerated a move in Pace’s Olympic period shot. Maybe he was trying to regain a feel that this exaggeration might help him remember?  I liken it to a runner exaggerating a leg movement to warm up and remind himself of the sprinting motion he wanted to employ in a race. Now I never asked Darrell about pushing his chest into the shot, but at some point I will.

Any way, thinking about the chest while developing your shot can be useful insofar as achieving the shot balance we all are seeking.