you’re inconsistent in your shooting form, the computer in your brain can’t make the necessary adjustments between shots to become very accurate.

So what causes target panic? Archery is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over again. It is also an immediate results sport. You know right away whether you made a good shot or poor one. The repetitive nature of archery— bringing your bow hand on target an

A friend of mine loaned me a video that included a segment on the shooting ability of a well-known figure in traditional archery. As I was watching the video, I quickly became impressed with this person’s consistent shooting. His accuracy was excellent from short range and his release was lightning fast. I imagined him to be a very good bowhunter. His shooting style, however, was quite unusual.

Before drawing his bow, he would pause in a “pre aim” position as he focused on his target. When he was ready, he would draw very quickly and release with virtually no pause about 2-3 inches before reaching full draw. He shot the exact same way time after time with similar results. He had taught himself an unorthodox, yet consistent method of shooting a bow.

Watching him shoot begs the question: How and why did he come up with such a strange way of shooting his bow? To me it looked like he was compensating for a bad case of target panic. Three of the several common symptoms of target panic include an inability to hold, snap shooting, and a short draw. Clearly, he had all three, but how was he able to shoot with accuracy? The difference between him and most people—including myself when I struggled with target panic—is that he is able to shoot the same way each time, which is rare in someone with target panic.

Most people with target panic have a continuing deterioration of their shooting form. You may get a handle on it for a while, but it’s very difficult to be consistent if you are suffering from target panic. When I had target panic, I was constantly fighting my form. My symptoms of target panic were varied and my shooting was inconsistent from shot to shot. When you’re inconsistent in your shooting form, the computer in your brain can’t make the necessary adjustments between shots to become very accurate.

So what causes target panic? Archery is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over again. It is also an immediate results sport. You know right away whether you made a good shot or poor one. The repetitive nature of archery— bringing your bow hand on target and

, he would pause in a “pre aim” position as he focused on his target. When he was ready, he would draw very quickly and release with virtually no pause about 2-3 inches before reaching full draw. He shot the exact same way time after time with similar results. He had taught himself an unorthodox, yet consistent method of shooting a bow.

Watching him shoot begs the question: How and why did he come up with such a strange way of shooting his bow? To me it looked like he was compensating for a bad case of target panic. Three of the several common symptoms of target panic include an inability to hold, snap shooting, and a short draw. Clearly, he had all three, but how was he able to shoot with accuracy? The difference between him and most people—including myself when I struggled with target panic—is that he is able to shoot the same way each time, which is rare in someone with target panic.

Most people with target panic have a continuing deterioration of their shooting form. You may get a handle on it for a while, but it’s very difficult to be consistent if you are suffering from target panic. When I had target panic, I was constantly fighting my form. My symptoms of target panic were varied and my shooting was inconsistent from shot to shot. When you’re inconsistent in your shooting form, the computer in your brain can’t make the necessary adjustments between shots to become very accurate.

So what causes target panic? Archery is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over again. It is also an immediate results sport. You know right away whether you made a good shot or poor one. The repetitive nature of archery— bringing your bow hand on target an

ange way of shooting his bow? To me it looked like he was compensating for a bad case of target panic. Three of the several common symptoms of target panic include an inability to hold, snap shooting, and a short draw. Clearly, he had all three, but how was he able to shoot with accuracy? The difference between him and most people—including myself when I struggled with target panic—is that he is able to shoot the same way each time, which is rare in someone with target panic.

Most people with target panic have a continuing deterioration of their shooting form. You may get a handle on it for a while, but it’s very difficult to be consistent if you are suffering from target panic. When I had target panic, I was constantly fighting my form. My symptoms of target panic were varied and my shooting was inconsistent from shot to shot. When you’re inconsistent in your shooting form, the computer in your brain can’t make the necessary adjustments between shots to become very accurate.

So what causes target panic? Archery is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over again. It is also an immediate results sport. You know right away whether you made a good shot or poor one. The repetitive nature of archery— bringing your bow hand on target an

y each time, which is rare in someone with target panic.

Most people with target panic have a continuing deterioration of their shooting form. You may get a handle on it for a while, but it’s very difficult to be consistent if you are suffering from target panic. When I had target panic, I was constantly fighting my form. My symptoms of target panic were varied and my shooting was inconsistent from shot to shot. When you’re inconsistent in your shooting form, the computer in your brain can’t make the necessary adjustments between shots to become very accurate.

So what causes target panic? Archery is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over again. It is also an immediate results sport. You know right away whether you made a good shot or poor one. The repetitive nature of archery— bringing your bow hand on target an

you’re inconsistent in your shooting form, the computer in your brain can’t make the necessary adjustments between shots to become very accurate.

So what causes target panic? Archery is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over again. It is also an immediate results sport. You know right away whether you made a good shot or poor one. The repetitive nature of archery— bringing your bow hand on target and releasing the arrow—teaches you on a subconscious level to release sooner and sooner. Your expectation of the results of each shot adds pressure. This pressure intensifies when shooting in front of others or in hunting situations. The combination of repetition and a concern with results causes target panic.

Repetition seems to be an unlikely cause. It’s logical to think that if you did the same thing over and over again in a given sport you would get better. In most cases this is probably true, but with traditional archery this is not the case. In Part III of this series on target panic, I will go into greater detail how repetition causes target panic and offer a hint at a possible solution. For more information about target panic visit PushRelease.com.