# Help Shaking like a leaf



## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

this sounds like a bad case of the tournament jitters.....the more you attend the better it should get. few things you can try to help settle you down, bring a book read while your waiting,seems to help some... music seems to work quite well a head set and your favorite sounds.you can also try facing the wall if you can. if you let on to your buddy he might poke some fun at you. that wont help much. but the more you shoot under pressure the better it should get..im taking it for granted that its the same bow, and poundage. same set -up..that you shoot at home....mike


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## Wardlow warrior (Jan 14, 2013)

Same bow same set up.... 
I was thinking of having my boy stand right close to me while I practice.....


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

I have that a little too and sometimes it gets worse than others. 

Conscious relaxation, especially in my bow hand, neck and shoulders is the only way I can control it. Don't hesitate to let down if it gets bad enough. One recent night at league, I let down 30 times, but I shot my second best score ever. 

The joke that night was that I let down so much that I got too tired to shake. 

Good luck,
Allen


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## SpotShy (Mar 14, 2005)

More people get tournament nerves or performance anxiety than want to admit. I normally have to use a few mental tools that I have developed to get calm for the first shot of a tournament. Usually after that I'm good. That is until I find myself shooting a score that has potential, then I have to focus on what got me there, my tried, true, shot process. The root cause is the fear of failure or fear of missing to be precise. It is part of our mental make up, especially those of us from an American culture. We place so much emphasis on the end result. To us all is lost unless the arrow strikes the X or the 12 ring. Therefore we often train in a way that sets us up for failure. If we could change our mindset and place our focus on perfecting each step in the process then we wouldn't have any worries over the result because the arrow would hit its mark every time. All the advice provided above is good stuff. I would just add that if you do not have one already, consider developing a step by step shot sequence and practice each part individually until it is inherently repetitive. Then believe in it, trust it, and when you get rattled, consciously focus on your shot process step by step. It will be the rock that the house was built on.


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## AJ the TP Guru (Jul 29, 2011)

It happens. I choose to classify almost 20 different symptoms as target panic (all of them listed on my site). Some folks may view some of those symptoms as just tournament nervousness, but when it goes to the extreme, I don't see how it cannot be considered target panic.

Even pros get nervous, but I do not consider their kind of nervousness as TP. Even so, I've had good success getting those top tier shooters to calm down on the firing line when that 300 score comes within sight. Not TP, but it's still a function of control by one's subconscious mind, and confidence goes out the window if you can't steady those nerves.
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## Wardlow warrior (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks guys


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## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

its not TP


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## Wardlow warrior (Jan 14, 2013)

mike 66 said:


> its not TP


Omg it is dt's lol


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## SpotShy (Mar 14, 2005)

I just want to say for the record, I never associated the issue with t.p. Simply nerves. The guy don't need an exorcism, he just needs to be able to calm the jitters. By focusing on his proven process it may assist him to not focus on the "what if's". Usually it is the axnxiousness of not knowing the outcome or worrying about goofing up that rattles us. If he said he pulls back and fires the release before he can get on spot or did a drive by and hammered the release then he might need to exercise the demon. Target panic has become the automatic response form many folks around here. I might add that the cure to t.p. doesn't come in a bottle, a shot, a subliminal message, a release or from a religious experience. It is only cured through a systematic and disciplined retraining of the shot process. I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, and work daily to keep it in remission. wardlow, I wish you the best . Tournament experience and believing in your proven process will allow you to get over the jitters or at least learn to contol them to a point where they won't be a major issue.


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

SpotShy said:


> I just want to say for the record, I never associated the issue with t.p. Simply nerves. The guy don't need an exorcism, he just needs to be able to calm the jitters. By focusing on his proven process it may assist him to not focus on the "what if's". Usually it is the axnxiousness of not knowing the outcome or worrying about goofing up that rattles us. If he said he pulls back and fires the release before he can get on spot or did a drive by and hammered the release then he might need to exercise the demon. Target panic has become the automatic response form many folks around here. I might add that the cure to t.p. doesn't come in a bottle, a shot, a subliminal message, a release or from a religious experience. It is only cured through a systematic and disciplined retraining of the shot process. I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, and work daily to keep it in remission. wardlow, I wish you the best . Tournament experience and believing in your proven process will allow you to get over the jitters or at least learn to contol them to a point where they won't be a major issue.


Well said Spotshy!! :thumbs_up


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## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

SpotShy said:


> I just want to say for the record, I never associated the issue with t.p. Simply nerves. The guy don't need an exorcism, he just needs to be able to calm the jitters. By focusing on his proven process it may assist him to not focus on the "what if's". Usually it is the axnxiousness of not knowing the outcome or worrying about goofing up that rattles us. If he said he pulls back and fires the release before he can get on spot or did a drive by and hammered the release then he might need to exercise the demon. Target panic has become the automatic response form many folks around here. I might add that the cure to t.p. doesn't come in a bottle, a shot, a subliminal message, a release or from a religious experience. It is only cured through a systematic and disciplined retraining of the shot process. I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, and work daily to keep it in remission. wardlow, I wish you the best . Tournament experience and believing in your proven process will allow you to get over the jitters or at least learn to contol them to a point where they won't be a major issue.


 AWESOME :bump: POST


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## Old Man Archer (Mar 31, 2009)

Just an observation while reading this thread which was a request for help with a problem ; None of you have actually offered any help besides it gets better the more you do it. That's real helpful advice. Some of you seem to have an agenda more designed to just slam AJ then to help the OP. Some helpful techniques that could have been offered are timing and breathing techniques which help to occupy the archers mind while on line and between shots, proper stance and target acquisition. I don't come on here and say anything very often because of the pettiness that is displayed on here. To the OP I sent you a PM offering actual help yesterday if you are interested if not that is OK too just thought I'd offer.


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## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

WELL I SEEN THIS POST BEFORE, if you were trained... you would know that it does get better the more you do it. and thats the truth.. it dont sound like much but its the best way. your agenda; proper stance, target acquisition, timing, breathing etc. etc.. you should not have to occupy the mind with these it should be automatic...you should not have to think about it. your pettiness over AJ has been seen here before...we use proven methods used by the best coaches in the world.. we get tired of hearing his to good to be true ....................nothing should occupy the mind except the X


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## Old Man Archer (Mar 31, 2009)

Mike I'm not being petty over AJ, heck I don't even know him , just pointing out that you insulting him wasn't helping the OP. A proper shot routine is not an agenda , the things I listed are all part of a shot routine which helps to control the nerves. Techniques have to be learned before they can become automatic through repetition but then the best coaches in the world know that.


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## Rugby (Feb 13, 2003)

Training is a glorious term. I am an electrician by trade and did 8000 hours of training to become one. Once completed I was trained and qualified. Like many coaches I had bits of paper to prove this. Of course most tradesman will tell you the learning really starts when you are out there doing it on your own, after you are trained and qualified.
As an archery coach I continue to learn because I am open to learning. I do not shout down someone who has an oppposing method and disregard it because I was "trained" in a particular way. I would investigate, try it before deciding it was not suitable. 

I don't have much time for those who say they are "trained".

I have noticed people get the shakes because they get hung up on the target/pin movement just a little and start to execute the shot at the front not the back. That is starting to push with the front before the back gets going properly. The brain picks up on the sight movement because that is where you have your conscious and doesn't start the release arm/back movement. This causes an increase in energy between bowhand and release hand greater than normal making them shake. One solution is to restart the shot again by relaxing the front arm, reacquiring the target then starting the back off first by a small hand movement. A small hand movement is easy to do and will allow you to get the back going while the front is still relaxed.
You shoot ok at home because you are not worried about the result.


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## SpotShy (Mar 14, 2005)

If it is any condolence, Mike & aread, you have my confidence in your direction & advice. Oh, and I don't recall the OP having any issue with the advice any of us offered. On this board advice is free. Given that, one should take away what they can use and leave what they don't want.


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## svernatter (Jun 13, 2013)

It may not apply 100 percent in this case because I am not a target archer, but when I shot collegiate trap and skeet I was able to improve my scores by mentally preparing myself for the shot in a way that was far different than what most people on my team did. Most would stare down every target coming out of the house trying to visualize breaking each target. I on the other hand stared at the ground and sang my abc's. By not thinking about the other targets or seeing my competition hit or miss I saw each target like it was the first one of the day. That helped me to not anticipate where the target might come from and actually let my instincts and training take over. 

So to the op maybe try some mental trick to get your mind off of what may be about to happen or what score you are at. That way you are just seeing the target for the first time and can drive it to the x. 

It sounds crazy but an old classic rock song or good old abc's made me focus harder and I shot more perfect scores that way.


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## Wardlow warrior (Jan 14, 2013)

Thank u all for the advice... I appreciate it...


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