# Blank Bale



## aread

I'm stealing this post from another thread so that archers looking for good information can find it a little easier.




ron w said:


> the area that seems to get ignored or mentioned the least, is the mechanism that all this blind baling and short yardage shooting works on, the most. .......
> that, "bridge", or "link", between sub conscious mental process and it's physical execution. that bridge or link, has to be an uncluttered and a smooth roadway, that contains no ambiguous messages or interpretations.
> the process of working the release in itself and the process of aiming your bow in itself, is pretty simple to establish, so either end of this bridge or link can be in good shape by itself, but when one end needs to progress to the other, that progression needs to be smooth and clearly understood, with a definite path of transportation.
> as you do your blind baling and 10 yard shooting, it needs to be done with all the seriousness of a tournament winning round to teach the shot process that the message to run or to abandon the shot, is to be clearly defined and clearly understood, with no, " maybes, or, "close enoughs",..... only ,..."yes, that's good, lets go with it",.... or....."no, that's not good, start over", any thing else just clutters the bridge with uncertainty, that allows the panic to only subside temporarily.
> it is exactly that small point of, "getting across that bridge in a clear and decisive manner", that will make the shot process strong and reliable. and it is only learned by serious execution of every shot and religiously abandoning every set up that isn't perfect, as you train it.
> a time consuming and extremely boring process, but proven time after time, to work and the root or meaning of the phrase, " practice perfect" .


Ron's statement that each practice arrow should be shot with "all the seriousness of a tournament winning round" is one of the important concepts for anyone who wants to get better at archery. I've heard several of top archers say it a little differently, "never let yourself shoot a bad shot". Either way, don't just fling arrows and call it practice.

Ron is also right that it's not an easy process, but it works and it's worth it.

Great post Ron!

Allen


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## ron w

thanks, allen!, 
the things I post regarding panic and it's remedies are all things that I learned here from guys like Griv, Jim Despart, Dave Cousins and the Raggsdales, 8 or 10 years ago, when they were regular posters to this site.
 this particular area of shooting has become a point of intense attention to me, because I have always been an excessive "floater" when shooting, so I have had to really learn to, "trust the float" and get the backend to work as good as it can, by baling and 10 yard shooting, to get decent shots.
i'm not saying I can run with the big dogs.....I most certainly cannot!.....but I do know that what I learned back then, has helped my shooting immensely. 
I think the biggest improvement is that when you learn this ," maintenance of your shooting", you don't ever have to deal with the pressures of shooting as good as you can,....every shot has the same importance, whether it's just out shooting with your buddies, or the last shot of a winning tournament score.....that pressure, to make that, "last perfect shot", is completely gone, because you know your release process is going to run the way it should..


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## EmersonL

This is all stuff I've heard before, but presented very eloquently. This is the stuff I'm on this site for! Once I hit the blank bale I think I do tend to "fling" just a bit more. I think maybe because I don't have the site picture as a visual input on the shot, there is less info telling you that you are making a bad shot. That is something I will be working on now though. Becoming more aware of what a strong shot FEELS like, not just what it looks like. I do this to some degree now but I think i tend to speed up the whole shot process on the bale. When there is no aiming I'm fine with just letting it go (which I know is part of the point, but I also want to ingrain the rhythm of the shot). Should I pretend I'm aiming while closing my eyes? or just hold longer with intension? Certainly something to explore for me. Thanks for the thought provoking post.


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## aread

EmersonL said:


> ... Should I pretend I'm aiming while closing my eyes? ....


Short version: no

The question really deserves a better response, but I'm at work and the boss actually expects me to get work done for him. I'll try to respond more thoroughly tonight.

Allen


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## EmersonL

Yeah I can see how that would sort of defeat the purpose...


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## [email protected]

No do not pretend to be aiming.You cant learn anything on a bow while aiming.The bale is meant to take a singular piece of your shot sequence and establish it into your subconscious.If your working on your release focus on that,if your grip focus on that.The bail at this point is just catching your arrows it has no significance.You are working on building a successful shot sequence that over time will hold up when you start your bridge program.Ten intensely focused arrows will be exhausting and only accept perfection.Ingraining half hearted shots into our mind and sequence is damaging and frankly an area i think we need to discuss more.Good luck.


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## aread

Nearly all of what I know about learning to shoot a bow comes from Len Cardinale. Here is his method for shooting the blank bale:

Len teaches seven drills on the bale:
1.	Hand - your hand on the bow
2.	Fingers – your hand on the release
3.	Balance – stance, posture, distribution of weight, etc.
4.	Anchors - two anchors: one is your hand on your face & the other is your pin on the target
5.	Motor – how you go from anchors to conclusion
6.	Conclusion – how you end the shot
7.	Wall – a drill to improve control over the shot and patience at full draw. Draw, anchor and hold as long as your think you could have executed a good shot. Then let down.

A drill is simply a shot with your mind focused solely on the specific part of the shot covered by the drill. Len defines concentration as what your mind sees. So, on each drill concentrate only on that part of the shot. Try to shoot a good shot overall, but focus on only one thing at a time. He recommends that you practice run each drill during every practice session.

On every arrow, ask yourself, “How did I set it and what did I get for it?”

The only purpose of the bale is to catch your arrows. Where each arrow lands is not relevant. If you find yourself picking out holes or marks on the bale, get closer. I keep my stabilizer and scope on the bow, because taking them off changes the balance of the bow. Others like to take them off.

There are a couple of important things that you are accomplishing by shooting the bale this way.
One is that you are developing habits. If you set up and consciously execute your shot sequence the exact same way each time, eventually you will be able to do it subconsciously. You are also beginning to develop a trust that the back end of the shot will operate subconsciously without switching your conscious attention to it. This trust will be fully developed on the bridge. When you trust the back end of your shot to operate correctly and subconsciously, you are free to immerse in aiming.

The bale becomes your friend and refuge. It’s a place to keep your shot tuned up and correct problems that come up. You can also test changes to your form and equipment without penalty since there is no target.

This is obviously a highly disciplined method, that takes time & determination to get results, but you will get results if you follow up the bale with a disciplined bridge. The bridge is where the real work is done. But that’s another long post. 

Allen


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## EmersonL

Wow what a lot of great info here! I will definitely be putting more focus in my blind bales. What do you mean by the bridge is where the real work is done? I want another long post!  Sorry I know posts like these take time, but I can't get enough of this stuff!


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## aread

Fortunately, I've already posted that one:



aread said:


> Indoor archery is a game of perfect. To compete at the higher levels, you have to perfectly execute every arrow of the entire round. One arrow that's not perfect, & you don't make the shoot off.
> 
> So where does that consistency come from? First you have to have a shot sequence that you can trust to run without conscious guidance. Many fail because they don't write down their shot sequence and follow it on every arrow. Nothing says that you can't change the sequence if you find a better way to do something. But if you don't have it or don't trust it, you won't get to where you want to go.
> 
> How do you develop a trusted shot sequence? One step at a time. Get on a blank bale and concentrate on one part of your shot at a time. Remember that concentration is what the mind sees, not what the eyes see. Try to shoot a good shot, but focus your mind on one thing at a time. On each arrow, ask yourself, "how did I set it and what did I get for it?"
> 
> The idea is to get each step of your shot to run without conscious supervision. You can focus your conscious mind on only one thing at a time and the goal is to get to the point where that one thing is aiming. The bad news it that this takes a lot of time. Most who fail at this are simply not willing to stay on the bale long enough.
> 
> Once you shoot the blank bale until you are sick of it, then comes the real work of developing your shot. That it the bridge. The bridge begins with a large target at close range. Paper plates work well for compound archers. Also, this is when you begin to immerse in aiming. The goal of the bridge is to find the things about your shot that you don't trust. Remember that at this point the entire plate is the X ring. An arrow that lands anywhere on the target (plate) is an X. As you add a target and distance, you are putting pressure on your shot. At some point the added pressure will reveal what part of your shot is not as trusted as it should be. You will know it because that part of your form was "less than" it was on the blank bale. As soon as you shoot a less than shot, stop shooting. This is really important. Don't shoot another arrow until your next practice session. At that next practice session, go back to the bale and shoot at least 100 arrows focused on that part of your form that was less than. You should drill all of the parts of your form at each practice session, so this 100 shot "punishment" will take several days. Then start over with the paper plate at close range.
> 
> Note, the worst "less than" that you can do is to let your conscious mind wander away from immersion in aiming. Most bad arrows in competition result from loss of focus on the X. For most this is the hardest thing in archery to master.
> 
> Keep shooting the paper plate until you get back to 30 yards. At 30 yards, additional distance doesn't add much pressure so at this distance you have a shot sequence that trust to run unsupervised by your conscious mind and you can immerse in aiming.
> 
> Then it's time to begin your accuracy bridge. It's really important that you don't do this until you have run your bridge out to 30 yards with no "less thans". If you don't trust your shot sequence completely, you are wasting your time. Start at about 10 yards with a paper desert plate. These are smaller than the plates you have been shooting. Shoot a perfect score each day for three days. Again, the entire plate is the X ring. After 3 days, go back to 15 yards. Continue stepping back every three days until you get to 50 yards. Then come back and put up a regulation target at 10 yards. As long as you can shoot a perfect score for 3 days in a row, keep stepping back. Pretty soon, if you refuse to shoot a bad shot, you'll find yourself in the shoot off at Vegas.
> 
> What I've left out above is the specifics of what to practice. For that I refer you to the following:
> Larry Wise's book "Core Archery"
> Bernie Pellerite's book "Idiot Proof Archery"
> George Ryal's posts on Archery Talk. His username is GRIV. Oxford put the best of them in the Information forum'
> George's videos - there are two of them, one dealing with tuning and the other with form. Both are worth having.
> "Straight Talk from the Pros" video. A huge amount of good information.
> Larry Skinner's video and book - Mostly about Olympic recurve shooting, but great information on the most stable form.
> 
> There is a lot more to it than this but this will get you started.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> Allen


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## [email protected]

Great posts from aread & ron w.this info is your blueprint for a successful shot sequence!


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## ron w

at the blind bale, your objective is to concentrate on every little part of making your release work properly and nothing else. that attention trains the release process to run the right muscles to get the release to fire all by itself. it is how the bridge or link I spoke of above, is built and kept clear of ambiguous messages. it takes lots of repetition and intense concentration dedicated to the operation of the release. pretending you're aiming will actually distract the objective of training the shot process to run by itself. it doesn't matter where the arrows land, only that the shot process learns to run the release properly.


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## Rick!

If it's ok, I'd like to add some of my experiences through a 'student's' point of view. I started this process about a year ago in order to overcome TP and to become a competent archer.
String bow, blank baling without a sight and blind baling are all about the release at first. The feeling of a pure release is the goal and blind baling really exposes the struggle between conscious and subconscious in the shot. Eyes closed, my shot breaks so easy compared to eyes open (at first). I still start every session with blind baling just to get the feel of the release. 

Don't be afraid to purposely change your grip on the release to understand what its effect will be. Also, figure what happens with a sweaty, sticky release, or one that is gripped "deeper", and any other variables. Sometimes a second identical release will keep you shooting well. I started with a cold release, warmed it up after a while, and now am moving back to colder as it helps my float and scores. I can't speak for anyone else, but a cold or colder release works much better on a Vegas face for me.

The numbered list above is absolutely essential. For me, I really didn't work on balance until I got a reminder from the Larry Wise video. Now I work on balance as another checkpoint in my process.

The paper plate concept is good as the target is so large. I shot at at five yards at a five spot and considered the white an "X". 

What most texts and advice here don't explain very well is why you keep banging on short range targets. What I understand now is that short range spots teach you what "float" is and aiming is all about managing float. At this stage, I learned how to micro tune my draw length, how to apply stabs and weight them and started to learn about managing my bow shoulder. 

When I moved back to 10 yards, another light bulb lit and it was about trust - concentrating on the X and hitting it without getting all OCD about having a perfect sight picture. Like in Caddyshack where Chevy Chase says "See the ball, be the ball", See the X, hit the X really works if you trust it. I have to remind myself every round to do this as I follow my sight ring sometimes. 

GRIV has been mentioned earlier - I go back to shooting 10 yard games when I struggle hitting X's at 20yds. This is where shooting 60 one arrow tournaments comes into play. If I lose focus a little I miss an X and I don't accept that anymore. Losing focus, for me, comes from taking something for granted in the shot process and not recognizing it before release. Through everything I've done above, I have learned how to let down. And let down, and let down. I've learned how to recognize when something isn't right and I don't care if I have to let down 4 times on the same spot. When I get it right and hit an X it reinforces to me that sending an arrow downrange without the sole purpose of hitting and X is not acceptable anymore.

This is getting too long - when you start this process, take into account when hunting season will interrupt your shooting regimen. The same things all apply - substitute a 3D target for a spot, the heart for an X and keep shooting. You'll be surprised when you practice from a longer range and you hit the spot you are concentrating on even when the pin isn't in perfect position. 

I'm just a regular guy shooter and the whole regimen discussed in this thread, along with internet coaching by all of the gents in this thread, have helped me shoot not only my first 300 in league play but 2 more on top of that. That's 3 more than the last 5 years combined.  Good luck.


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## da white shoe

Rick! said:


> If it's ok, I'd like to add some of my experiences through a 'student's' point of view. I started this process about a year ago in order to overcome TP and to become a competent archer.
> String bow, blank baling without a sight and blind baling are all about the release at first. The feeling of a pure release is the goal and blind baling really exposes the struggle between conscious and subconscious in the shot. Eyes closed, my shot breaks so easy compared to eyes open (at first). I still start every session with blind baling just to get the feel of the release.
> 
> Don't be afraid to purposely change your grip on the release to understand what its effect will be. Also, figure what happens with a sweaty, sticky release, or one that is gripped "deeper", and any other variables. Sometimes a second identical release will keep you shooting well. I started with a cold release, warmed it up after a while, and now am moving back to colder as it helps my float and scores. I can't speak for anyone else, but a cold or colder release works much better on a Vegas face for me.
> 
> The numbered list above is absolutely essential. For me, I really didn't work on balance until I got a reminder from the Larry Wise video. Now I work on balance as another checkpoint in my process.
> 
> The paper plate concept is good as the target is so large. I shot at at five yards at a five spot and considered the white an "X".
> 
> What most texts and advice here don't explain very well is why you keep banging on short range targets. What I understand now is that short range spots teach you what "float" is and aiming is all about managing float. At this stage, I learned how to micro tune my draw length, how to apply stabs and weight them and started to learn about managing my bow shoulder.
> 
> When I moved back to 10 yards, another light bulb lit and it was about trust - concentrating on the X and hitting it without getting all OCD about having a perfect sight picture. Like in Caddyshack where Chevy Chase says "See the ball, be the ball", See the X, hit the X really works if you trust it. I have to remind myself every round to do this as I follow my sight ring sometimes.
> 
> GRIV has been mentioned earlier - I go back to shooting 10 yard games when I struggle hitting X's at 20yds. This is where shooting 60 one arrow tournaments comes into play. If I lose focus a little I miss an X and I don't accept that anymore. Losing focus, for me, comes from taking something for granted in the shot process and not recognizing it before release. Through everything I've done above, I have learned how to let down. And let down, and let down. I've learned how to recognize when something isn't right and I don't care if I have to let down 4 times on the same spot. When I get it right and hit an X it reinforces to me that sending an arrow downrange without the sole purpose of hitting and X is not acceptable anymore.
> 
> This is getting too long - when you start this process, take into account when hunting season will interrupt your shooting regimen. The same things all apply - substitute a 3D target for a spot, the heart for an X and keep shooting. You'll be surprised when you practice from a longer range and you hit the spot you are concentrating on even when the pin isn't in perfect position.
> 
> I'm just a regular guy shooter and the whole regimen discussed in this thread, along with internet coaching by all of the gents in this thread, have helped me shoot not only my first 300 in league play but 2 more on top of that. That's 3 more than the last 5 years combined.  Good luck.



Brilliant post!


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## mike 66

very nice RICK glad to see your shooting is back on track. and your now free to aim...... i love the students point of view.. the hard work has paid off...the caddyshack quote is cool i liked that... great thread...


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## ron w

excellent rick!....
it should be known in connection to all of this that the top pros spend more time at the 10 yard bale than any other activity in practicing. it is the "shot perfection instrument", that does the ost for attaining a good reliable shot sequence,...If done correctly, by abandoning any shot set up that is not absolutey perfect. it is this area, that teaches the concept of your shot set up being rewarded by the abandonmet of a poor shot set up, with a let down, just as much as the good running of your release process by a good set up. it is exactly that training at the 10 yard bale that teaches that, "cold hearted attitude", your release process has to learn about running or not running....., that," I don't care if I run and I don't care I if don't run.....the shot set up has to be right. is learned by simply refusing to accept any shot set up, by letting down, that is not right in the least little way. it reinforces the bridge to stay clear, so that the release process can run with absolutely no question about message it receives, regarding whether it should, or should not run. that exact point of confusion is what manifests itself as target panic.


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## [email protected]

I would just like to emphasize that the bale is for building every part of your form not just your release.Every part of your form should be worked out on the bale until it is ingrained.When all these parts become one and run in sync you are FREE TO AIM which is the ultimate goal of all this work.


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## ron w

[email protected], 
well said!


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## aread

Rick! Excellent post! The only part I disagreed with was when you wrote that it was getting too long.  I love reading about people who have actually done it.

Here is a post from one of the greats who gives us an idea of what we are working towards:



GRIV said:


> Stash jokingly mentioned that most pros don't remember what it is like to have real sight movement.
> 
> That is true. Most pros at the top of their game have a *"range of motion"* that encompasses the ten or 95% or more of the Inner X. Therefore they shot 95%+ X's and all tens.
> 
> Do we agree that we can only shoot as good as we can hold?
> 
> With perfect shot execution and a iron clad mental approach, you can only shoot as tight as your range of motion. That is where the rubber meets the road and the gap between Pro level shooters and the others is made. Physical ability, tuning know how, and hard work is what makes improvements in your score. I am not saying that because of the physical ability factor some may never meet their goal. It will just take some people a little longer or they may have to work harder at developing the power and the inner stillness to reduce their range of motion and improve their scores.
> 
> For me I have learned to accept that sight movement is what produces my average, so most all of my tuning efforts concentrate less on arrow flight and more on bow balance and stability. I am getting slightly off topic here but I try to keep my bow tuned to the sweet spot of forgiveness rather than speed or even “arrow flight”. Tuning know how is a small but important part the overall picture when it comes to stability and higher scores.
> 
> If you take anything away from my post, I want you to understand this….
> 
> The one thing that tipped the scale for me when I was rebuilding my swing after a scorching case of target panic was… Learning the fact that I couldn’t force higher scores through shot execution or goofing with my release aid. I had to finally let go of the idea that I actually had punch control over my groups. I learned that I had to accept that I was only as good as I could hold and work on holding better by studying bow mechanics and developing the strength to stand still.
> 
> I feel that many shooters out there with aiming problems and release problems are trying to (mentally) force their game into levels beyond their current ability. That is why so many people tank in Vegas after shooting so well in practice. That is also why outside pressures and perceived peer pressures cause choking. Shooters let others’ unrealistic expectations put pressure on their game.
> 
> When people describe a release or shot problem to me and ask me to recommend a new release to them...
> 
> I try to make them understand…
> 
> “its not the release... its you. Your release aid is a mechanical object without a brain. It can’t tell what you are seeing or wishing… it only does what you tell it to do.” "So… Let’s learn how to tell it the right thing."


Here is the thread: http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=206008&highlight=sequence

Allen


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## fanio

What a great post by GRIV. thanks for posting Allen!


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## onyx48166

Wow thanks all of you. Great read


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## ArcherXXX300

Good thread. What I find funny is when I'm blank bailing, people ask what I'm doing and why. Also a good note I was told by a level 3 archery coach if you leave your site on "you have to close your eyes, because your brain will automatically look to find some small spot or difference in bail color, where its more shot up etc." I spent 15 days straight over 100 arrows a day blank bailing learning a back tension release and I need to do 60 arrows a day EYES closed up close for 30 days. I'm still learning but sometimes when a target is up and I've been pulling a long time I shake and rip the release off after the click. Blank bail no problem, click hold pull and bang.


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## aread

ArcherXXX300 said:


> ... I'm still learning but sometimes when a target is up and I've been pulling a long time I shake and rip the release off after the click. Blank bail no problem, click hold pull and bang.


This is the purpose of the bridge. It's where you learn to keep it together under pressure. Any time this happens, stop shooting. Your shot sequence that you developed on the bale has gone off course and you need a break to settle your mind and get back on track. Len's drill that helps this problem the most is the wall drill.

Eyes open or eyes closed - whatever works for you. I find that eyes open is more difficult to concentrate on the drill, but is more effective for me.

Hope this helps,
Allen


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## WhitBri

What cues are you looking for to abandon a shot and let down. Right now I'm a low to mid 50 x shooter on a 5 spot face. I find a few of my missed x's each round are the ones that I get the mental cue to let down a fraction of a second too late and just about the time I'm going to let down the shot goes and its a 5 just out. I have been watching my sight picture for the cue, once the float gets bigger or worse then what I have deemed my approperaite float I let down, may happen right away when I set something up wrong that hurts my float, or may happen farther in the sequence when I am holding one too long due to something in my release not set up right or poor execution. The later are the ones that when I'm on that edge that a few go out, maybe 2 or 3 a game. Have thought about somehow working on my mental clock. Any good drills at the blank bale or 10 yards to work on this aspect. Like I said I feel I could pick up 3 x's just by cleaning up this one part of my game.


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## subconsciously

WhitBri said:


> What cues are you looking for to abandon a shot and let down. Right now I'm a low to mid 50 x shooter on a 5 spot face. I find a few of my missed x's each round are the ones that I get the mental cue to let down a fraction of a second too late and just about the time I'm going to let down the shot goes and its a 5 just out. I have been watching my sight picture for the cue, once the float gets bigger or worse then what I have deemed my approperaite float I let down, may happen right away when I set something up wrong that hurts my float, or may happen farther in the sequence when I am holding one too long due to something in my release not set up right or poor execution. The later are the ones that when I'm on that edge that a few go out, maybe 2 or 3 a game. Have thought about somehow working on my mental clock. Any good drills at the blank bale or 10 yards to work on this aspect. Like I said I feel I could pick up 3 x's just by cleaning up this one part of my game.


One good thing about being a mid 50X shooter is that your already a 60x shooter but dont know it. 

The biggest problem for a 58x shooter is the lack of confidence to shoot 60. He has the knowledge and the skill. This is why archery is 90% mental and 10% physical.


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## aread

subconsciously said:


> One good thing about being a mid 50X shooter is that your already a 60x shooter but dont know it.
> 
> The biggest problem for a 58x shooter is the lack of confidence to shoot 60. He has the knowledge and the skill. This is why archery is 90% mental and 10% physical.


Very true!!

I hesitate to advise shooters at your level because I'm not quite there yet. I know how to get there, but injuries and real life have interferred. So I refer you to someone who has been there and gone through what you have.

http://www.archerylive.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1328&view=&hl=question&fromsearch=1

One thing that Len told me that might help you is that accuracy comes from confidence. This is in line with GRIV's advice and his 10 yard game. 

For myself, I know that bad shots often come from lack of trust in one or more parts of my shot. The bale & bridge are specifically designed to build that trust. Len's bridge that I've described above is a more rigorouse version of GRIV's 10 yard game. It's up to you to decide which one works the best for you.

Hope this helps,

Allen


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## WhitBri

I guess my question that you may be able to answer is what cue do you use to abandon a shot. Is it visual like your sight picture floating too much, or a "feeling" or a physical thing you feel?


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## aread

One of the concepts that Len teaches is "maintainable state". The short definition is Two Anchors / No Softening. It is your full draw position that you can hold together through to conclusion WITHOUT CHANGE. If any change creeps into your shot, it is the cue to let down. The drill that does the most for maintainable state it the wall drill. This is where you come to full draw and focus on keeping your form together for as long as possible, then at the first hint of your form breaking down, let down. This is not an aiming drill, but a control drill.

BTW, no change doesn't mean no movement. It's just that any movement is smooth, even and unaffected by your sight picture.

This is where I should repeat GRIV's signature line: Don't over think it, you might outsmart yourself. This really is a simple concept. 

I hope this helps,
Allen


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## subconsciously

I let down (1) when my sight picture is not a small float like I'm used to. This tells me something is wrong in my set up. (2) If my shot has not fired within 5-7 seconds I will start to get more float - its time to let down. It becomes a probelm when you try to control the float and not let the subconscious do its job. The more consistant the timing the more consistant the shot. Timing is just as important between shots as the shot is itself. Practice must be deliberate. Focus on the process not the outcome.


One of the biggest problems is when an archer doesnt practice "letting down". This must be incorporated in ones practice. If it is not, it become part of the routine to -shoot it anyway.


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## ron w

yup, letting down has to learned as the same value of reward as the good completion of a shot process. it then becomes as easy to decide to let down on a poor set up, as it does to decide to continue the shot, with a good set up. the result of both actions, have to have equal value in the shot process in order for the release process to learn to run confidently and reliably. getting down on yourself for a letdown only causes that anxiety that makes you push through a shot that you know is not set up right. a let down should be thought of as a "smart move", from "good judgment". that way you learn to not accept a poor set up and the release process learns, it's no big deal to let down. the reward for a good shot is an x...the reward for a letdown is a saved missed x...same value...either end of the spectrum.

just recently there has been mention of Lanny Basham's book, " With Winning in Mind" . he spend quite a bit of time explaining this reward system in several chapters. well worth reading.


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## beanfts

*Motor??*



aread said:


> Nearly all of what I know about learning to shoot a bow comes from Len Cardinale. Here is his method for shooting the blank bale:
> 
> Len teaches seven drills on the bale:
> 1.	Hand - your hand on the bow
> 2.	Fingers – your hand on the release
> 3.	Balance – stance, posture, distribution of weight, etc.
> 4.	Anchors - two anchors: one is your hand on your face & the other is your pin on the target
> 5. Motor – how you go from anchors to conclusion
> 6.	Conclusion – how you end the shot
> 7.	Wall – a drill to improve control over the shot and patience at full draw. Draw, anchor and hold as long as your think you could have executed a good shot. Then let down.
> 
> A drill is simply a shot with your mind focused solely on the specific part of the shot covered by the drill. Len defines concentration as what your mind sees. So, on each drill concentrate only on that part of the shot. Try to shoot a good shot overall, but focus on only one thing at a time. He recommends that you practice run each drill during every practice session.
> 
> On every arrow, ask yourself, “How did I set it and what did I get for it?”
> 
> The only purpose of the bale is to catch your arrows. Where each arrow lands is not relevant. If you find yourself picking out holes or marks on the bale, get closer. I keep my stabilizer and scope on the bow, because taking them off changes the balance of the bow. Others like to take them off.
> 
> There are a couple of important things that you are accomplishing by shooting the bale this way.
> One is that you are developing habits. If you set up and consciously execute your shot sequence the exact same way each time, eventually you will be able to do it subconsciously. You are also beginning to develop a trust that the back end of the shot will operate subconsciously without switching your conscious attention to it. This trust will be fully developed on the bridge. When you trust the back end of your shot to operate correctly and subconsciously, you are free to immerse in aiming.
> 
> The bale becomes your friend and refuge. It’s a place to keep your shot tuned up and correct problems that come up. You can also test changes to your form and equipment without penalty since there is no target.
> 
> This is obviously a highly disciplined method, that takes time & determination to get results, but you will get results if you follow up the bale with a disciplined bridge. The bridge is where the real work is done. But that’s another long post.
> 
> Allen


I have competed in the pro division for several years now and really enjoy coaching. I really like how you have explained your post and how detailed you are about your focus. Can you further explain the "motor" section of your coaches plan and what is meant by that. Thank you.


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## aread

Motor is the muscles you use to get from full draw to conclusion. There are three general techniques: pull, push-pull, push. However, there are quite a few variations on these. From what I've seen, most archers use some variation of push-pull.

Len describes full draw as "Maintainable State". The short definition is "two anchors, no softening". He also said that "The tension of holding is achieved in the back and only in the back. All the rest, arms, shoulders, hands, are just hooks and levers." So getting to conclusion involves using the back muscles to get to conclusion. There is no "release" step. Release is just something that happens on the way from full draw to conclusion.

He also talks about traveling the line, meaning to keep everything aligned as you pull and/or push to get to conclusion. 

So, motor is the simple, aligned, push-pull that we use to execute a shot.

The motor drill is a blank bale shot with your mind concentrating on the muscles you are using to execute the shot. How did you set them and what did you get for it? Did you do it exactly the same as last time, or did you change something a little? The goal, of course, is to be 100% consistent.

I hope I haven't confused you on this. Please feel free to ask more questions.
Allen


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## straight2it

Tagged for later


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## subconsciously

aread said:


> Motor is the muscles you use to get from full draw to conclusion. There are three general techniques: pull, push-pull, push. However, there are quite a few variations on these. From what I've seen, most archers use some variation of push-pull.
> 
> Len describes full draw as "Maintainable State". The short definition is "two anchors, no softening". He also said that "The tension of holding is achieved in the back and only in the back. All the rest, arms, shoulders, hands, are just hooks and levers." So getting to conclusion involves using the back muscles to get to conclusion. There is no "release" step. Release is just something that happens on the way from full draw to conclusion.
> 
> He also talks about traveling the line, meaning to keep everything aligned as you pull and/or push to get to conclusion.
> 
> So, motor is the simple, aligned, push-pull that we use to execute a shot.
> 
> The motor drill is a blank bale shot with your mind concentrating on the muscles you are using to execute the shot. How did you set them and what did you get for it? Did you do it exactly the same as last time, or did you change something a little? The goal, of course, is to be 100% consistent.
> 
> I hope I haven't confused you on this. Please feel free to ask more questions.
> Allen


It's the "maintainable state" that i was having trouble with. Upon sighting my back tension would becom static or stop and holding would go back into the the draw arm. This was causing me not to be able to relax my draw arm and I was getting no rotation thru the back. Trying to restart my BT would result in tension not only in my back but also my draw shoulders. I was just pulling on the release. Wrong! You can't have "hooks and levers" without BT. 

Back tension must be ever increasing. Once the back tension stops- it is almost impossible to restart, at least correctly. If one is to execute the shot through expansion (which is what I'm working on right now) increasing back tension is a must have. 

The "release" not being a step and only a product of getting to conclusion (follow through) is excellent.

Was able to get a 59x (BHFS) in practice last week, but in the tourney I only shot 49. Just picked up Lanny Basshams book to help with that problem.


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## ron w

sub, 
Lanny's book will help in that area, it's exactly the direction his book is intended to help with. attaining that mental attitude that allows improvement when you reach that plateau at the top of your own personal game. you know there's room to get better, but can't seem to find how. I think allot of shooters get to that point and eventually burn out trying.


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## aread

subconsciously said:


> Was able to get a 59x (BHFS) in practice last week, but in the tourney I only shot 49. Just picked up Lanny Basshams book to help with that problem.


Sub, you've probably seen this before, but here it is again:
http://www.archerylive.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1328&view=&hl=&fromsearch=1


Also, see post #78 on this thread:
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41433&page=4&highlight=average


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## Diggs223

love this thread. 
I do take exception with ron in the qoute in post 1 though, the part where blank bale is boring. In my opinion if it is boring your head is not in the game. You are training, trying to learn, focus on an issue. If it's boring quit, you'll only be reinforcing bad habits. 
I have 20 plus years in shooting state and national matches, more than half my practice was done dryfiring. Partly due to time and range access (600yd ranges). I would have to limit dryfiring time to prevent fatigue from causing bad training. After the fact I would not change how I trained, I believe it more than made up for the limited range time. 
Blank/dryfiring (not a bow) you focus on feel,hold,form so that you are one with the tool as soon as you draw,shoulder or hold what ever you are shooting. At the subconcious level you know its not right you let down, stop the shot, start over.
As for the mental part, two international level rifle/pistol coaches I worked with liked to say, competence makes confidence, confidence does not make competence. Practice as you intend to compete, compete as you practice. Don't score as you shoot, scoring is done at the end of the day. Shoot one shot at a time, fire and forget, once it's gone it is what it is. One shot at a time, you are not shooting 60 shots, you are shooting one shot 60 times.


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## ron w

diggs, I agree with you and will actually condemn myself for saying that....it is honestly the first time I fell to that weakness!..... you are correct, it is not boring if it has a purpose.....I am usually one that scorns the generally accepted idea that it is boring, same as you. I guess I used that term to appeal to the average shooter's mindset, that might read my post......shame on me....and I promise to never say that again !.
I am embarrassed by my moment of weakness!!!.
thank you for giving me a good slap!
you're also correct about scoring as you shoot. it took me not scoring my round to shoot my first 300 many years ago. I shot with a buddy and he did the scoring and arrow retrieving and never told me the score as the round progressed. I stayed back at the line and just shot that "single arrow 60 times" ....it worked.... I shot a 56-x round, as my first 300 as well!....wish we could do that in a tournament!


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## aread

There is one last point that I want to make about the blank bale and bridge:

The bale and bridge are techniques for learning and ingraining your shot sequence. They don't address WHAT to learn. That has to come from somewhere else. The best source is, of course a good coach. But books and videos can be a good source of information too. 

At the bale, you can ingrain bad archery as easily as you can good archery. When you go to the bale, know what you want to accomplish. Just flinging arrows at a bale with no purpose does no more good than flinging arrows any other time. 

The more you learn about good form, the more you can accomplish either on the bale or shooting at a target. 

JMHO,
Allen


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## Pete53

my small 2 cent`s : i always remove my sight for blind bale shooting and 95% of the time i shoot with my eyes closed seems to help my muscle memory better. when i am paper tuning my bow i leave the sight off and once i have bow pulled back and anchored and know it will hit the right place on paper, i then close my eyes and pull the hinge thru the shot,i can tell better if it was or was not a good shot better . when i sight a new bow in " i do own to many" i get the rest set right,put a rubber kisser on in right place,rope loop,stabilizer on and start paper tuning,anything else can be put on later,i have found its much easier to put peep and sight on later.Pete53


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## Dr. Perk

tagged


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## onyx48166

Needs to at the top


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## Paddyj

I have gone to blank bale to help with my TP, but when its dark or the weather is bad, I have an old bow grip with a shoe lace attatched at my correct draw that I use. Will this help, or hurt as I am not holding true letoff weight or bow weight?


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## aread

Paddyj said:


> I have gone to blank bale to help with my TP, but when its dark or the weather is bad, I have an old bow grip with a shoe lace attatched at my correct draw that I use. Will this help, or hurt as I am not holding true letoff weight or bow weight?


If you are working on your shot sequence and can transfer it to your bow, then yes, it will help. 

Since I started this thread, I've realized the importance of a shot sequence. Since archery is all about repeating the exact same shot every time, a shot sequence is a great way to build the ability to repeat. It is also the foundation to a good mental game. 

Allen


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## Paddyj

aread, thank you, I will keep after it !


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## 12ringz

Great thread!


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