I always settle low when aiming

[5MilesBack]

Get a shorter target, then when you draw straight back and settle in......you'll be settled above the short target.

 

[Sled]

I have had this problem with certain bows. I think mine started with having my target up slope from me where I normally shoot and became habit. At one point I found myself settling the pin and last minute lifting up and shooting similar to a shotgun pull through. It works surprisingly well for quite some time but I could certainly do better. After doing some research on the internet I arrived at the idea to tiller tune. It may have helped some but also could have been the placebo effect. Eventually I found myself wanting to see the target so bad that I just held under. It was a consistent hold under at all distances so I moved my inside tape pin and just held right there. I did that for a couple years and it was surprisingly accurate. Again, wanting to do better I forced myself to hold on target and expedite my shot sequence. In order to do that I had to work on each individual piece of the shot sequence for several weeks without concern for the target. That's where being close and having a larger target comes in handy as was mentioned. That seemed to help the most for me though a balanced or slightly back weighted bow can certainly help allow the drift to naturally be in a direction of your favor.

If you do get this fixed I'd highly suggest shooting all winter if possible. By the end of my season I have a good handle on this but if I take the winner off I seem to confront the same problem at the start of every season. Maybe I would have an easier time if I broke up with my index release but we've been together a long time and she hasn't let me down in a hunting situation and for me that's where it counts.

 

[Btaylor]

Stop freaking aiming and start shooting. Seriously, Get the pin to the dot or spot and stop thinking about aiming, let the pin float and get your brain on to executing your shot.

 

[sndmn11]

Target panic, release side too high, or focusing on the pin and not the target.

 

[Jimbob]

1. target panic (probably caused because of poor form in the first place)

2. form issue

If you are leaning back when shooting level then your bow arm is going to lock slightly below level. It will be very hard to lift your shoulder and since you are already leaning back at the waist it hard to get that bow up.

Here is what has worked for me. Lean forward and put more weight on your front forward when you draw. DO NOT transfer that weight to the back foot when you reach full draw. You will almost feel like you are leaning forward but your weight will probably be even;y distributed between your feet. No find your anchor, line everything up and check level while above the target or at the very top of it. With everything lined up come down to the spot from above by bending at the waist, do not lower that front should/bow arm.

I never thought I had target panic until I listened to Levi Morgan talk about it. Based on his definition of target panic yup I had it. I got a hinge release and that changed everything. A heavy trigger index release also helped at first but I figured out how to punch that as well. I won a local 3d archery tournament when struggling with this you can still shoot good but not great.

Disclaimer: I have no idea what exactly is causing your issue, just sharing what worked for me.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

Had the same problem a few years back. Got rid of the index finger release, took a month away from the bow to shoot with a “trainer”, and was better when I got back to it.
All you need is a piece of paracord with a d loop on it at the same length as your draw length. Pick out whichever style of release you want to shoot, and start putting in quality reps with “surprise” shots. I’ve been shooting a thumb button and tension release for a few years, and just bought a B3 ranger because the idea of a hinge release just seems to be more of a seamless transition between compound and trad.

 

[Billy Goat]

The idea of a surprise shot is a misnomer. You want an unforced shot. An index makes it easy for someone to just punch the release and force a shot, so it gets a lot of blame. The whole purpose of practicing with a release is to learn it. I use a loop of nylon like suggested above. It works to practice your release, you can sit and watch TV and practice, but all you are doing is learning the muscle memory of it. Your body is still going to know when that shot is going to break, that's why they say to practice with one for months.

You want a surprise release carry 3 in your pocket all set different, pull them out at random and you never know when they will go off, that's a surprise release. I know some who do that as well, it ain't for me.

 

[WCB]

Are you able to hold the pin or float the pin and hit where you aim or are you finding yourself always wanting to see the spot above the pin?

IMO if you draw the bow get in the peep, align the peep and sight find the target and you are low. But bring the pin up settle in and execute the shot....who cares? No body draws and the spot is automatically lined up you have to move to the spot no matter what. Now if you are constantly dropping below to see the spot and not allowing your pin to cover it that is a problem.

I also agree with Billy Goat on the time of release no body that shoots enough is surprised by their release. In fact that would be the worse thing hunting. Controlled and not forced.

 

[mtnlomo]

I had this problem. It was an issue of trying to aim too much and level my bow simultaneously. For me what helped was having a cadence I say with each shot, which is “1-U-C-L-A”. On “C” I begin to squeeze and by “A” the arrow has impacted. My problem wasn’t my form as much as it was about getting out of my head. I learned this cadnece when I played baseball to time each pitcher for stealing bases. So now once I have settled into my anchor point and level I say the same cadence in my head, which takes my mind off aiming. Don’t over analyze, just shoot.

 

[fatlander]

I struggled with this for years. It took a fall of missing low under a handful of record book animals to finally accept that I had target panic. Bought a hinge, committed to it and saved archery for me. I came so close to quitting archery all together. Tried to go back to a thumb button and fell right back into the same habits. Hinge all the way for me.


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[Florida Bow Hunter]

Try drawing the bow with the intent of coming down into the Bull.

I had the same issue for years upon years until I changed pin set up coming down from going up. Yeah, I would lock in below the bull then jump it into the bull while hammering the release,,, TP all day long.


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[Samdemarais]

Ok- it seems when I come to full draw (straight back, no sky aim to draw bow) that my sight picture settles below the target and I have to raise UP to get on the target…..thoughts to help on this or is this something I have to deal with? Thanks!

Lots of good suggestions here. Gravity wants to bring your bow down, so trying drawing and anchoring with the pin slightly above the target a few inches and then settling in on the target. For me if I draw and anchor and settle and my pin is level or below the target, it’s hard to get it back up.

 

[Fatcamp]

Try drawing the bow with the intent of coming down into the Bull.

I had the same issue for years upon years until I changed pin set up coming down from going up. Yeah, I would lock in below the bull then jump it into the bull while hammering the release,,, TP all day long.


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Ahhh, I always come up. Maybe I should try easing down instead.

 

[3forks]

I saw someone else post a video George Ryals did, but to the OP - in this video, George talks about your problem specifically at 6:15 into it.

If any newer shooter would watch this video before they ever drew their bow, they would be a much better shooter faster, with waaaay less aggravation.

 

[Marble]

I would also be curious to know if the OP had the same problem at all yardage.

Probably a combination of form and shot process issues.

If a friend was having this problem, I would watch dudley's school of nock, switch a hingeand start from scratch.

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[Sled]

I saw someone else post a video George Ryals did, but to the OP - in this video, George talks about your problem specifically at 6:15 into it.

If any newer shooter would watch this video before they ever drew their bow, they would be a much better shooter faster, with waaaay less aggravation.

I watched the whole video. Thanks for that. It certainly reaffirms what a lot of people are saying here and helps me understand which piece I was able to overcome and why and where I still need work

 

[Billy Goat]

I saw someone else post a video George Ryals did, but to the OP - in this video, George talks about your problem specifically at 6:15 into it.

If any newer shooter would watch this video before they ever drew their bow, they would be a much better shooter faster, with waaaay less aggravation.

I always like how he explains stuff....


"The hard work part SUCKS"

 

[N2TRKYS]

What difference does it make how you get on target(from the top, bottom, left side, or right side), as long as you’re hitting the target?

 

[Slim Jim]

A lot of good advice here. I had target panic for a couple of years and my pin would settle below target. For me, it was anticipating the shot. The further my pin would drop, the more anxiety would start to build and force a bad shot. When it first started I would heel the bow and then small punches. It got so bad that I would get a ton of anxiety and shake. What I did to start getting rid of it was to have a big target. Then once I’m on target or below it, have your thumb or finger on the trigger and tell yourself that you don’t have to get the shot off just because my thumb or finger is on the release. Then just relax and start pulling through the shot because when you anticipate the shot usually your arrow will creep forward on the rest. Have someone watch to see if this happens. If it does then you are not pulling through the shot using your scapula muscles. Make sure that you aren’t flexing any muscles in the release arm either because you will creep forward, which causes the pin to drop and you will punch the shot. Once you learn to relax mentally and physically it will help. After you learn to relax, make sure to pull through the shot and your shot process won’t creep forward causing you to use the wrong muscles. Hopefully this helps. It took me a couple of years to figure it out.


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[3forks]

I always like how he explains stuff....


"The hard work part SUCKS"

Agreed.

There are a lot of great resources online these days, but I think George Ryals and John Dudley are two of the best at explaining proper technique.

Also, in that video George states that target panic is a rite of passage and I agree with him. Some forms of target panic are worse than others, but at a certain point I think most of us have experienced it.