Target Panic

[Geno C]

Believe it or not i never heard of this which is pretty strange considering i believe i have the symptoms of this disorder at the moment... i have been shooting for almost 20 years now with out any problems in anchoring or having the urge for a premature arrow release until the past 2 years. i have had this problem for about 2 years now and i figured it to be a change in equipment rather a change in myself. at first look i did not want to admit it would or could be ME. But after researching this problem of when i come to full draw and have a VERY hard time with my pins floating comfortably on the target and i have the strange urge to release the arrow the second i pass over the target. the weirdest part is it doesn't really happen when i have a deer infront of me as subconsciously i must talk my self out of it? but i have it more on 3d targets and so on.

does anyone have or had this issue before?

Target panic is a psychological condition experienced by many archers, both competitive and recreational. It was originally called "gold panic" because an archer would experience symptoms (panic) when the arrow was brought onto the bullseye (gold circle). The name later evolved into target panic because it was discovered that the symptoms could be experienced when aiming at any target. There are three primary symptoms of target panic.^[1] An archer suffering from target panic may experience a premature anchor, where the bow appears to become very heavy and it is difficult for the shooter to come to a full anchor position. A second symptom is referred to as a premature hold, where an archer "locks up" or "hits a wall" that they are unable to move past as they try to align their arrow with the target. The third symptom is referred to as a premature release and is characterized by an inability to come to full anchor without releasing the arrow. While target panic was originally blamed on high levels of anxiety and a "fear of failure", it is now understood to be caused by the way in which the brain learns at a neurological level. Treatments based on this new paradigm have been very effective at treating target panic in archers up to the Olympic level.

[meatmuzzy]

I've never had this problem when shooting at a target, but I used to always get it when shooting at a deer. Up until 2 years ago I had to literally talk myself out of punching the trigger when I would see brown in the sight ring. It was a bad habit that cost me an animal. After I lost that deer I vowed to go through everything mentally as the shot unfolded.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I had it a few years ago. I was shooting all over the place all of a sudden, and couldnt get more than 2 arrows to group well. One of the guys at the pro shop I go to showed me a way to solve it. What I did to take care of it was to stand about 10 feet from a large target and get myself pointed at it. I then closed my eyes and drew my bow to my anchor point. I then took notice of how my body position felt at that point, and released the arrow. I did that several times, then the last time I drew, I opened my eyes and noticed that my peep was lined up very well with my sight, just off of the feel of the bow and my other anchor points. I then moved back to 20 yards and viola! back to a nice, consistent group.

[Geno C]

yeah i hear shooting at bales with your eyes closed is a good way... i will be doing that and backing my bow down in poundage. the scary thing is is comes and goes and it can happen to anyone at anytime. id figure id post it because i bet i am not the only one hear at the moment suffering form it and the ones that may, may not even know it like myself.

[burmjohn]

Geno, what happens when your at a regular range, by yourself, shooting at a target 20 yards away?

[Geno C]

Geno, what happens when your at a regular range, by yourself, shooting at a target 20 yards away?

same thing... it doesnt matter if im by myself or not, i still have the issue. i dont know where it came from tho. never had this issue before. It makes target shooting or practice not fun. the one shot in the woods on a deer im dead on but put targets in front of me to shoot and i notice it more. first step i have to do is back bow bow down in weight and start from there...

ill sort this out

[Early]

I suffered a similar problem way back in college: I'd walk into a bar, gaze around the room, checking out the chicks until I settled on the hottest blonde.....Then I would come unhinged: I drooled...couldn't talk straight...made a complete fool of myself.

[Geno C]

The funny part is ive been shooting like this for 2 years without knowing it was an actual issue. The past 2 years i thought it was the way i have my bow setup and thought it was something that could be tweaked. Never would have thought it would be me. I posted this because ive been shooting bow for 20 years now and never would have thought id fall into target panic and im sure im not the only one on here that is goin through this at the moment. They chances are high for majority or archers to fall victom to this atleast once in their life. So its not the worse thing and you can condition yourself out of it.

[Doc]

Lol ..... I've been waiting for someone to jump onto the "premature release" thing.

Seriously though, I have in the past experienced a different kind of target panic. This is a case where I really don't punch the release, but instead, just as I am about to start squeezing on the trigger I would get this involuntary, super exaggerated flinch. And I'm talking about a very wild uncontrollable release hand movement. It has not been related to the trigger finger, but the whole hand. There is some real wacky things that can occur in archery..... Things I have never experienced with a gun. I theorize that it has something to do with not being as steady on the bull as I really want, and there is some kind of signal for the trigger hand to react, or just plain do something. It used to happen particularly when I was having a hard time settling down the pin and the shot was taking way too long to get off. It has appeared and then disappeared over the years but always when a bullseye is involved ...... never when shooting a deer. I think the increased demand of tight precision causes some sort of anxiety or something.

Anyway, I never know when it will reappear. It is not something that lasts a long time or happens all that frequently but when it does, it is one frustrating thing. I know some guys that were good tournament archers who actually quit because they could not shake some of these wacky physical reactions to aiming. In fact that was the first time it showed up with me was when I was deep into tournament shooting.

[Geno C]

hey Doc i read that it is very common in competitive shooters. i think the more i pushed myself for tighter groups and became competitive with myself i developed a level or target panic... the pre mature release or Flinch/freeze comes in when the bow site or gun site "passes" through the target or bullseye calling for a release even tho the target is not fully acquired yet. Some guys have a pre mature release or some guys flinch or freeze up completely. the end result is due to this crap i am unable to comfortably acquire the target and settle in on it like others due with ease. Thats the part that is very unsettling with me right now. My bow sight rests very low to the target and i find myself having to muscle up the bow to bring it back on target and it takes alot out of me to do that. Not only that when i come to full draw and the bow starts to settle, it passes over the target and my mind calls for me to release the arrow, i hold back ofcoarse but as the bow settles and i have to bring it up i do so the whole time itching to release the arrow. Happens on both my bows but when i first bought my other Mathews i never had the problem shot perfect out to 45 yards every time comfortably.

ill keep you guys posted on what to do to correct this as some may want to know fore their own reference.

[NFA-ADK]

SInce I put a knife through my finger last year I have noticed my form is not as good, go figure... With that I have developed the bad habit of getting "Stuck" at times when aiming and have noticed a premature release when trying to get onto the target and hitting that wall... I though it was just bad form or over exertion or my back locking up... (back issues past month) These syptoms seem to match my issues, I have no problems with getting to full draw or pre full draw release yet those other syptoms match... I am going to try the no look shots and try to improve my form, i purchased a kisser for extra alignment points, hope it helps. I notice It happens more after shooting a lot or if I am tired...

Thanks for the info Geno, I though it was just me and my bad form acting up... I see I am not the only one that has this. So easy to get a bad habbit and break good form especialy when not physically fit like a bad back or arm. Getting old SUCKS!!! lol

[Geno C]

SInce I put a knife through my finger last year I have noticed my form is not as good, go figure... With that I have developed the bad habit of getting "Stuck" at times when aiming and have noticed a premature release when trying to get onto the target and hitting that wall... I though it was just bad form or over exertion or my back locking up... (back issues past month) These syptoms seem to match my issues, I have no problems with getting to full draw or pre full draw release yet those other syptoms match... I am going to try the no look shots and try to improve my form, i purchased a kisser for extra alignment points, hope it helps. I notice It happens more after shooting a lot or if I am tired...

Thanks for the info Geno, I though it was just me and my bad form acting up... I see I am not the only one that has this. So easy to get a bad habbit and break good form especialy when not physically fit like a bad back or arm. Getting old SUCKS!!! lol

i know what you mean jeff... its not un common to develop this habit, the important thing is to realize you have the issue and correct it. Guys like myself are quick to dismiss that it could be them and more or less their gear. But since i fit the criteria i know i have some work ahead of me to get back on track.

keep me posted on how you make out, i know from the shoot you shot very well right?

[NFA-ADK]

I started off OK and my form seemed to go down hill after the 2nd station. I atribute this to my back. Walking up to the "tree stand" station did not help my back, this was our 3 station(yellow). I did shoot ok yet I usually shoot better when my form is more consistant. That consistancy was lost after the 2nd station, I was able to get onto the target yet I would pre release when I could not get past my blocking point causing poor shots at times... It did not happen every shot yet when it did my shots were off...

I am hoping as my back improves my form will stay more consistant. I will keep you posted.

[WNYBuckHunter]

NFA, I added a kisser to my setup right around the time I had the issue with target panic, and it helped me to feel things a bit better, just a better anchor point. It also helped me with getting my form back when I take time off of shooting through the winter.

[Chromeslayer]

take your sight off and do ALOT of blank bale shooting and learn back tension

[wooffer]

I have found most people add a site and a peep, then adjust there form to those two items. You should close your eyes, raise your bow and with proper poster and head angle draw and align. Then open your eyes and see if you are lining up with your peep and site. Very often I have found people are not and they are trying to align with the bow. The bow should align to you and your correct posture.

[Doc]

hey Doc i read that it is very common in competitive shooters. i think the more i pushed myself for tighter groups and became competitive with myself i developed a level or target panic... the pre mature release or Flinch/freeze comes in when the bow site or gun site "passes" through the target or bullseye calling for a release even tho the target is not fully acquired yet. Some guys have a pre mature release or some guys flinch or freeze up completely. the end result is due to this crap i am unable to comfortably acquire the target and settle in on it like others due with ease. Thats the part that is very unsettling with me right now. My bow sight rests very low to the target and i find myself having to muscle up the bow to bring it back on target and it takes alot out of me to do that. Not only that when i come to full draw and the bow starts to settle, it passes over the target and my mind calls for me to release the arrow, i hold back ofcoarse but as the bow settles and i have to bring it up i do so the whole time itching to release the arrow. Happens on both my bows but when i first bought my other Mathews i never had the problem shot perfect out to 45 yards every time comfortably.

ill keep you guys posted on what to do to correct this as some may want to know fore their own reference.

Archery is a mental sport. You not only have to train your conscious execution of your shots but you have to train your sub-conscious not to interfere with perfect execution. I know there are mental difficulties that can crop up with gun shooting, but no where near in the same category as with the bow and arrow. These little anomalies can absolutely frustrate you.

Sometimes a temporary fix is to go to a more sensitive release. A new equipment set-up will also help ..... temporarily. Sometimes it can help to simply enlarge the size of the bullseye that you are shooting at. Other times just shooting at an animal silhouette instead of a circular bullseye can calm that anxiety of missing tiny circular targets. I have also had some success with moving way back to a longer distance. The idea being that at long distances your mind does not demand the super-tight groups and your involuntary mental blocks relax along with your expectations. There are a lot of little tricks that can help including the "eyes-closed" shooting at a large backstop that has been mentioned. All these tricks are simply training your subconscious to behave. Most of these solutions are temporary and the problem can come back. However, once you have beaten these mental ticks a single time, you have the confidence and knowledge of how to do it again.

I keep mentioning the temporary nature of all these fixes, but what I have found is that some pretty long time spans can occur between when you have beaten your way through one of these cures and the time when the problem re-surfaces. I generally have to work through these weird brain-farts about once per season. occasionally I can get a couple of seasons without target panic.

[Forest Hunter]

THANK YOU!

I thought i was just a shakey shooter, it was so discouraging that I could not hold a steady pin. I have to really focus and concentrate hard on my pins to keep them steady. I always end up shooting when my pin "passes" over the bullseye pf my target. It FEELS like a good shot but it is always way off.

[Doc]

THANK YOU!

I thought i was just a shakey shooter, it was so discouraging that I could not hold a steady pin. I have to really focus and concentrate hard on my pins to keep them steady. I always end up shooting when my pin "passes" over the bullseye pf my target. It FEELS like a good shot but it is always way off.

Here's the problem for anyone who shoots a "triggered" weapon. The rule generally is that you begin a slow deliberate squeeze so that you get what is called a "surprise triggering". In the case of a bow that would be a "surprise release". The problem comes into play in that that rule is pretty hard to accomplish when you are working against something held out at arms length, that is not rested, and is being aimed while holding back pressure applied in a very awkward fashion (and even bows with very high let-offs and supposedly light holding weights still have a threshold time limit when that shot has to go off). So if you use the surprise release technique, it is not really very likely that your pin will be over the bullseye when the release lets go.

So, I have gone with the command triggering, trying not to be too violent as in "punching" the trigger, but making it a conscious act in a timed approach of the pin as it heads toward the bullseye. I'm not sure if this is what the coaches would be teaching their archery students, but I have found that it is the only way to get a good accurate shot. If I wait for the pin to stop and just lay on the bull, I never would get a shot off.

[NFA-ADK]

I usually try to lay my pin steady over the bull then shoot.

I try to follow steps to keep my form good. I keep them to a minimal to make it easyer.

1)Draw back, Anchor and hold slighty above target, trigger finger behind trigger concentrating on steady form!!!

2)Hold form steady and come down on target

3)As you are coming to target bull put finger on trigger

4)Shoot on steady bull center

5)Hold form after shot- I don't do this often enought...

I try to emmulate the pro's like this guy Braden Gellenthien his form is amazing. If you have never watched a pro match or tounament you can learn a lot by watching thier form. I even see some pro's draw down and flinch just before the shot just like us amatures do...

Here is a link to a couple of dif pro's in tournaments.

Good post Woofer and DOC... I usually do the quick trigger on targets when my form (or lead arm)breaks down yet I find I am less acurate as I feel I am rushing the shot, again due to bad form usually for me. Going from target to target on our 3D range I usually shoot 1-4 arrows per target (4 if 2 targets)with the moving target getting all 8 arrows due to the fun factor, sometime twice... That usually allows for enough time for rest walking between targets yet I find my form breaks down the more I shoot... By my 50th shot my form sucks even with a break... Probably due to lead arm stress from putting a knife throught my finger last year... And now I have back issues to make matters worse... So much for good form...

If I ever have to shoot more than 2 arrows when hunting, I think I would quite, yea right... Me quite hunting now thats funny... Funny I was on here new year eve and had to stop from posting(12:01) out of fear of persecution from my peers lol... Wow I need to get out more, lol. Some work to hunt, some live to hunt, some love to hunt then thiers me, wonder if I will ever shake my love of big buck hunting, hopefully NEVER!!!

[sits in trees]

i had it and it seems the harder you try and fight it or correct it the worse it gets. i stopped shooting for about 6 months and when i resumed it was like i never had it....its all in the head...

[MountainHunter]

I suggest you buy the book Idiot Proof Archery,read it and put in to practice what it suggests. There is no quick fix for Target Panic.I had it bad. There are multiple things that are key components to overcoming it.The most important of which are mental.

It is critical to relax, (some times reducing draw weight will help if someone is over bowed), it is critical to take your time while shooting and not feeling an urgent need to shoot again quickly to "fix" your last less than perfect shot. You need to have a step by step shot sequence and follow it with out deviation.If you can not relax at full draw you need to let down. It is critical to be constantly aware that you do not "have" to shoot. In a way you need to show the bow whose boss. A good practice is to let down often when you are not under complete control. All amped up when at full draw,let down. You don't have to shoot.

Lot's of other important things ie the use of a back tension release or at the very least using back tension to fire a trigger release instead of your index finger.

Good luck! Buy the book!

[ncountry]

Stop looking at your pin. Lol. I have struggled with target panic on and off for years. Sometimes, if it starts to creep up on me ,I will just shoot a bunch of shots real quick without taking time to aim. Some have recommended taking the pins out of the sight for a while. I think every ones TP may be a little different. For me it is when I am trying to force the pin on the target. Concentrating on the pin and then bringing it to the target, instead of lookng at the target and letting the pin go to it. It helps me greatly to concentrate 99% on the target just letting the pin float on the target.

[Geno C]

There are quite a few things that can be done to correct the problem, its mind over matter... This sport is so mental especially archery. i will post some sites to look at that i will put in the first post and i will also pin this thread for now and maybe it will help others become aware of this that may also be in the same boat. Sometime this week, lowering my bow down 5-10lbs will be my first step along with drawing the bow and breaking down without shooting.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

When I was shooting in an indoor league I had a friend that went through this. At the time I was using a 4x power site scope on my bow (bad eyes and was having a problem with the refraction out the side of my glasses). I got new glasses and suggested he try my scope. It actually did the trick right away and from what others otld us it could have been that the site picture using a magnified view was taking him out of what he "normally" looked at and removed that mental trigger.

Sounds like this is not that uncommon of an occurance. I am glad it was brought up