arrow flight/suprise release
Equipment
In order to cure my target panic issue about two years ago, i did a lot of research and found that the first and foremost solution was to develop a surprise release. After working for a few months i was able to finally get a true surprise release. During shooting i have noticed that i no longer saw my arrow in flight and then later confirmed through research that an archer should not see his arrow in flight.
So now, i have noticed over the past few whitetails i have shot, i have no clue where my arrow is hitting the animal.. I'm not sure if its my eyes, if its just how its supposed to be, or if there is something else i am doing wrong..
I currently shoot a pretty fast arrow with bright pink fletching. I could probably go to lumenocks or something similar but i would rather not...
Any thoughts are appreciated..
Thanks
Not really a route I want to go if I don’t have to
Thanks though
Nothing is wrong. You've practiced not to watch your arrow flight, one of the reasons your able to shoot better. The beauty of not watching arrow flight is you build the confidence knowing where your arrow will hit. ..because you're concentration has been on the target, where it should be. Start watching for your arrow and bad things will happen.
Do u guys see your arrow impacting animals though??? I do feel confident it went where I was concentrating but frustrating sometimes without having that confirmation of impact.. Distance is what gets me now. I don’t use a rangefinder so, although left right is typically good, I can and will miss up or dn...
If I do...it's a secondary sighting. My suggestion is to forget about it or all the hard work you've put in to rid yourself of TP will be in vain. Don't have a relapse.
The better option is purchase a rangefinder
Lol actually have one, just don’t use it... I think ur advice is sound though
Thanks man
I'd 2nd that it seems like the best for you. When hunting I do punch the trigger a touch. As in I know when I am hitting the release. I've always been (at least to my knowledge of accurate) very accurate and haven't had any TP issues. When shooting at a walking buck/animal between trees I feel like I want to know when I am letting 'er buck as opposed to hoping I release in between the trees instead of on a tree :)
I rarely see my arrow impact. Occasionally, but not often. I judge hit based on sound and animal reaction. I’m not always right :)
I too have thought of bright fletchings and wraps, and such. But I don’t want to develop a habit of trying to see the arrow. I’d rather have a good follow through.
I have had as bad a case of TP as I think anyone could get. It got so bad I actually switched from shooting right handed to left handed, then 20 years later went back to right handed and eventually worked it out.
But to not see my arrow in flight has too many negatives for me. I don't look for it, but when I am holding my pin where I want to hit the arrow rises up and drops in right there. I really enjoy that. I can't imagine shooting and not seeing where you hit. I use bright yellow 4" feathers and yellow nocks, because I can see them better than any other color. I have used lighted nocks, and would like to use them more, but I don't mainly because of cost. I shot a doe this morning and it is really satisfying to have my pin right where I want to hit and watch the arrow disappear in that exact spot. There is no anxiety wondering where or what I hit.
“Do you guys see your arrow impacting animals though???”
Nope, however that nice bright red spot in the boiler room is a pretty good indication of where my arrow DID impact. ;-)
I don't see my arrow in flight when I shoot an animal but my partner sees his in slow motion. He can see the fletching slowly spinning.
Good thoughts... same deal when rifle hunting really
I just need to pay more attention to animal reaction
The other day I shot one, mule kicked with my arrow lodged in opposit shoulder.. very minimal blood and tough trail to follow but I found him about 150yds later.. only reason I kept tracking cause I knew it had to be a good hit
Thanks again
I see the arrow but your best bet is to stay the course that prevents the target panic. I would not walk in the woods without my range finder.
I rarely do. I might get a glimpse or indication at times but, the arrow when seen, always enters my vision at my POA. I never see it well though. God Bless
Funny thing - when I do see the arrow, I see it fishtailing or corkscrewing or otherwise just hitting in the wrong place. Never really seem to register the good shots - not even at 160-180 fps or so.
I worked hard at having a surprise release until I read an article by Randy Ulmer where he discouraged it. He said you have to be in control of the release so when the animal gives you the shot when it moves between obstacles, you control when. He sighted many other instances when you have to be in control I gave up trying to make a surprise release after reading his comments and perfected the control release. I find I agree totally.
As far as watching the arrow in flight... bad habit. You will shoot much more accurately if you release and concentrate on the target. Eventually you begin to see the flight of the arrow as it heads towards the target, but trying to see the arrow after release will cause you to put unwanted torque and other bad habits into the bow upon release because you are in a hurry to move it so you can watch the arrow flight. Not worth the effort to do so. Concentrate on the target, not the arrow flight. The arrow enters into the sight picture and you will see it, but it takes concentration on the target not flight to be truly accurate.
bow_dude, I understand what you said about Randy Ulmer, however, there’s a world of difference between a Randy Ulmer and someone fighting TP. For someone with TP, asking them to use a controlled release is like asking them to hold their breath for 5 minutes. They can try, but the ending’s going to be ugly.
Seeing where your arrow hits has more to do with focusing on the spot and followthrough.
Are you blinking? I think its =easiest to think of it this way; Top snipers of course have a surprise trigger pull...but they still can see the bullet contrails to help in doping.
Keep your bow arm solid and stay focused on the spot for a count of a couple seconds after the shot.
^^^
If I do a proper follow thru I can see the arrow after release as it travels down range to POI.
Randy Ulmer recommended you do the controlled release only while hunting. When practicing or competing to use a surprise release.
Wyobull... I have not had to fight target panic so I do not have an appreciation for that ailment. It sounds bad. I read a comment by another pro once who stated that a surprise release was not a desired thing for him, he just didn't care when the arrow was released. Thinking with that type of mentality puts things in a different perspective for me. I interpret what he was implying is that he shifts his shooting engine into auto mode and concentrates on the target until the arrow impacts the target, never thinking about the release. Sounds like a lot of patience and certainly a strong sense of concentration and mentality. Hopefully I will never encounter target panic in my lifetime. I have encountered the almost uncontrollable urge to hit the trigger, but I have been able to control it, I suppose that is a form of target panic.
Iron bow... we are talking about hunting, not target shooting. Not being a spot shooter, I don't have any clue what is needed for that aspect of archery, although I have done it a time or two... just find it boring. Hunting and 3-d are something I do understand and participate in However, I am just a recreational shooter, not a competitive shooter. I am very anal about accuracy and consider myself at the upper end of the shooting spectrum. I do keep score at the shoots so I know how I compare to others, but really don't care about turning in my scores, other than at the 3-d league I shoot in. I am far from being a new-be of this sport... been shooting for 40 years + or -.
It was never mentioned so I'll bring it up briefly. When shooting a traditional bow instinctively it is generally agreed that highly visible arrows are preferred so that the brain can learn from each shot and improve. This obviously benefits hunters to have a highly visible arrow. Also, note that I've never heard of TP occurring for instinctive shooters (but no doubt someone, somewhere got it). However, for a compound shooter the focus on the pin(s) and target have to be so intense that it is seeing the arrow in flight is considered bad form. Attempting to watch the arrow in flight results in a poor follow through.
Of course, it is easier for an instinctive traditional shooter to see the arrow in flight because it is traveling 100 fps slower, probably has more fletching, and the view isn't obstructed by pins, rest, peep, etc. Note that a good follow through is important for any type of bow shooter.
Elkstabber, I've seen target panic in a lot of instinctive/trad shooters.......guys that couldn't get to full draw or hit their anchor before the arrow was gone. One guy even would draw with his eyes closed so he could get to full draw on a 3-D course. Some controlled target panic with a clicker (Cricket or Clickity Click) while others switched hands to try to get beat it. Others just lived with it and shot way below average.
Target Panic is bad news when you have it.....I fought it with fingers and a compound with sights......the clicker fixed me up. Since going to a release, occasional practice with a back tension surprise release helps form (but agree that I don't want to hunt with it).
Pyrannah, One of the best the best things for me is to have my focus on the target rather than the sight pins....as a practice target is stationary and your pins always move a bit. Seems like the far focus decreases anxiety and helps me shoot better. But it is difficult to see the arrow in flight. Focus may have something to do with your lack of seeing the arrow in flight too?
Good luck with the target panic issues.
Do you shoot with both eyes open? If not then you won't see your arrow flight or impact. I shoot with both eyes open and have a surprise release every time. I see the impact. Even on whitetails I maintain my surprise release and see the impact. It's pretty important that you can identify where you hit the animal.
I used to always see the flight, I shoot with a controlled release. Now that my eyesight is worse i don't always see it. I have white fletch so that I can see it hit a hide.
If you can keep your focus on the spot on the spot, your arrow will hit said spot, and you will see the impact. ;)
