Target Panic...Extreme. Literally ruining my life lol

[KenLee]

3 double shot bottles of Fireball on the way in will cure what ails you

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Joel Turner's ShotIQ is THE system. I had target panic as bad as you, except with a trad bow. I am consistently competitive in 3D tournaments now with my longbows and recurves, and I can shoot animals without flipping shit. All thanks to Joel Turner.

 

[Venom One]

A lot of us have been there....

This worked for me:
1. Draw, keeping your thumb in FRONT of the trigger (DO NOT move that thumb - it'll be hard at first)
2. Do NOT aim
3. Do not look thru the peep
4. Hold for 10-20 secs and let down - Do NOT shoot
5. Repeat several times

6. Do steps 1-4, but look thru the peep now - DO NOT aim at anything
7. Repeat a few times

8. Do steps 1-4, but add in aiming using a HUGE target with no pressure to keep the sight anywhere specific
9. Repeat as needed

This might take 1-3 days, but the mental link should be broken and you can resume normal practice. A back tension release might be helpful, but from my experience just changing your release won't fix the issue. You have to draw and let down without shooting so your brain realizes it's ok.

 

[Beendare]

It's all about breaking that link in your unconscious....many ways to train yourself.....they all have the same element of drawing and not shooting for awhile.

Jim Casto on AT has a free program he gives out that works....

 

[Cedarsavage]

Went through the same thing. Back tension fixed it, I even hunt with it

 

[The big greasy]

I’m dealing with a little, try focusing on the target and let your pin go blurry. Seems to help.

 

[NYyotekiller]

My target panic was cured with the combination of practicing and hunting with a back tension release (Nock on Silverback), and slowly adding in a thumb activated release (Nock 2 it) until the target panic was gone. Took me almost 2 years to get over. It’s not an instant correction and takes time. Stick with whatever option you choose until you can shoot comfortably again.

 

[Pinewood]

Another vote for the Silverback. I was snapping off shots left right and center, never even able to aim. Switched to the Silverback and it takes it all away. There is no rush decision to release when the pin is over the target. You just accept it will break whenever it does. I'm hunting with it this year.

That being said, my goal is to be proficient and comfortable with any release. Id like to be able to have control over my brain.

 

[doc holiday13]

Silverback is a good trainer since your hand is already in tension mode so unless you let go of the thumb safety or let go of the release, your bow isn't going to shoot anything. I used a silverback most of the summer and it got me shooting tight groups simply by doing reps only focusing on the target.

 

[hereinaz]

Break the process your mind already has.

Draw back with no intention to shoot. Say it out loud. “I am drawing back and not shooting.” Don’t aim, just draw and let down.

Feel what your brain does, and keep repeating it until the feeling goes away.

Then add in the step of looking at the peep and pin without actually aiming it.

You have to break the automatic process created by your brain.

 

[dlee56]

Go shoot you bow just like you normally would, but then instead of punching the trigger just calmly aim and fire.

 

[WildBoose]

Go shoot you bow just like you normally would, but then instead of punching the trigger just calmly aim and fire.

Lmao…wow so simply. Why didn’t I think of that.

 

[Snowb1rd]

Joel Turner's ShotIQ is THE system. I had target panic as bad as you, except with a trad bow. I am consistently competitive in 3D tournaments now with my longbows and recurves, and I can shoot animals without flipping shit. All thanks to Joel Turner.

3rd? 4th? 5th? THIS. Give it a trial. Meditation/visualization exercises helped me

 

[hereinaz]

3rd? 4th? 5th? THIS. Give it a trial. Meditation/visualization exercises helped me

I like this suggestion. Panic is a literal loss of control over our brain. Shot IQ is genius because of the way he breaks the process down to a completely conscious decision. To get there, you have to train in the individual steps so we don't have the "think" about it. It needs to become more like driving a car, where our subconscious only processes on the basics become background and we can focus on accelerating, shifting, and merging.

Target panic happens when our brain takes complete control over the process.

Meditation helps us obtain conscious control over our brains. Visualization does more of the same with specific control over the process.

 

[dlee56]

Lmao…wow so simply. Why didn’t I think of that.

 

[Beendare]

I like this suggestion. Panic is a literal loss of control over our brain. Shot IQ is genius because of the way he breaks the process down to a completely conscious decision. To get there, you have to train in the individual steps so we don't have the "think" about it. It needs to become more like driving a car, where our subconscious only processes on the basics become background and we can focus on accelerating, shifting, and merging.

Target panic happens when our brain takes complete control over the process.

Meditation helps us obtain conscious control over our brains. Visualization does more of the same with specific control over the process.

@hereinaz nailed it in his posts.

You can pay one of the internet influencers hundreds of $$$ to tell you that...or do it on your own for free.

Either way ITS YOU that still has to do the work.

 

[bergie]

+1 more for ShotIQ

I wouldn't say my panic was as bad as you describe but I can vividly remember shooting at an elk a few years back and right after I drew my only thought was 'I have to get this arrow out of the bow NOW'. Rattlesnake punched that trigger and made a poor shot. This year was completely the opposite. I had a basketball sized hole to shoot through at 43 yards and I went through my whole process and ended with THUMMMMMMBBBBBBBB (he teaches PULLLLLL but as I shoot a thumb release and aim for single digit manipulation I want my mind to only be thinking about that thumb). That arrow flew right behind my pin and I watched the bull fall down 60 yards away.

I am a believer, but it doesn't come free. You have to practice his techniques, simply watching the course and expecting your panic to be cured is a fallacy.

 

[sierracharlie338]

A shock collar with someone else holding the remote will get your mind off wanting to snap shots until you are told to. . .

On a serious note. Try some command fire exercises, meaning go through your normal shot process until you get to full draw and a second person tells you when to fire the shot. You have to hold the shot until told to release.

 

[hereinaz]

Sometimes it takes a coach, but it is always hard individual work to fight your own brain.

 

[Beendare]

Sometimes it takes a coach, but it is always hard individual work to fight your own brain.

Yep.

But isn't there just a pill we can take?

grin