# How much practice is needed to maintain scores?



## Joe Schnur (Mar 22, 2012)

Nope I got there for the first time that way but you need to get the kit tuned properly. Completely forgiving setup. A lot of practice can make up for poor tuning but little or no practice just won't cut it with a poorly fitted bow. Draw length and tuning .


----------



## Joe Schnur (Mar 22, 2012)

Last year I shot Vegas round 600 once a week every week and that got me pretty close


----------



## Lazarus (Sep 19, 2005)

sublauxation said:


> Is it unrealistic to shoot a 300 with a decent x count when shooting only once per week?


I'm assuming you mean a 300 on a five spot. Shooting a 300 once a week? Very doable. But what is a decent x count? 57-58? No. Not a chance.



sublauxation said:


> What would you consider to be the minimum practice time for a formerly pretty good shot to achieve and maintain consistent high scores?


Answer; If you work/worked at a job that's success depended on high levels of mental and certain parts of physical performance, how often would you have to show up in order to produce at a high level?

If you want to "achieve and maintain consistent high scores" you are already asking the wrong question. It sounds like you are asking "how little work do I have to do to compete." Truly, if you don't love the "work" part of the game and aggressively pursue that aspect you're never gonna maintain consistent high scores.

Not trying to be a richard head. Just being straight up.


----------



## subconsciously (Aug 22, 2009)

"I fear not the man that practices 10,000 kicks, but the man who practices 1 kick 10,000 times."
Bruce Lee.

Its quality time - not quantity time.


----------



## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

the thing you have to understand, is that once you shoot a 300 with good x count, the problem is not repeating the score, it's repeating the 60 excellent shots in arrow. "practice" changes from , learning to produce score, to learning to repeat shot execution. the saying goes, 10 perfectly practiced shots, are worth 100 average practice shots. so, in a way, yes... practice changes, but in a good way. less shots, but more emphasis on perfect shots.
once you're there, ...shooting those good scores.... the mission becomes repeating the shot quality, not the shot quantity. it takes much less "reminders" to maintain quality, than it does to maintain score.


----------



## sharkred7 (Jul 19, 2005)

You need to practice with a purpose and a goal, not just go shoot a bunch of arrows. Pick out one part of your game that needs work and work on that until that's repeatable, then the next part until you have your entire shot process down. Then when you are confident in your Process, that's when the mental preparation comes in. Which is really learning to trust your process under pressure!

Lots of other good tips.

I would say no to practicing just once a week but that depends on the person to. I shoot league with a guy who shoots once a week at league and that's it and he shoots consistant 300 50+ games:noidea:


----------



## Azzurri (Mar 10, 2014)

I think if you take off more than 3 days in a row you are dealing with technical, mental, and physical rust next time out. I think never being off too long is key because it makes the practice process building rather than up down up down. 3 days a week spaced out give or take a league or tournament day.


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

I R not a spot shooter.... Fell on shoulder a while back, was sore, but then got worse and to the point shooting 3 shots was painful. Next morning I found my bicep had blew (Doc gave it a name). Now mending, but slowly. 20 practice shoot maybe per week. 30 and 40 shots per 3D. Last four 3Ds, 3rd in ASA State Championship, two 1st and one 2nd in club 3Ds.
Sunday, at the shop, practicing a bit while waiting on friend to show up. Little bit of stretching first. 4 shots from 20 yards, 4 Xs. Moved to 30 yards, 2 Xs and 2 just low of the X ring. Quit.

This ain't from weight training and it ain't from flexing my muscle. 65 years old.


----------



## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

I suspect everyone is different. However, at my age, 64, I find that my shooting skills are much more perishable than they were when I was younger. I have to shoot 6 days a week to keep what I have and perhaps improve a little. When I was younger, I could lay off for 3 or 4 days and still shoot the same scores.

Fortunately, I enjoy practicing. It's a great refuge from the real world.

Have any of you other older shooters noticed this?

Allen


----------



## dua lam pa (May 29, 2014)

"Practice with your fingers and you need all day. Practice with your mind and you will do as much in 1 1/2 hours."

Archery is a skill that need be " maintained " to remain at the level you are shooting , How much maitaince would depend on how high your expetations are. I would assume Top Shooters could take a year off and be back on track in X amount of time. 10,000 hours seems to be the magic number for mastering complex skills such as archery. If you have mastered the skill it is most likeley you can walk away for a year , and pick the bow up pretty much exactly where you left off. MAking the best of you time with Mindful Practice is key - I doubt you will grow very much from shooting a single day a week.

Deliberate, or mindful practice is a systematic and highly structured activity, that is, for lack of a better word, more scientific. 

1. Focus is everything:  Keep practice sessions limited to a duration that allows you to stay focused. This may be as short as 10-20 minutes, and as long as 45-60+ minutes.

2. Timing is everything, too: Keep track of times during the day when you tend to have the most energy. This may be first thing in the morning, or right before lunch. Try to do your practicing during these naturally productive periods, when you are able to focus and think most clearly. What to do in your naturally unproductive times? I say take a guilt-free nap.

3. Don't trust your memory: Use a practice notebook. Plan out your practice, and keep track of your practice goals and what you discover during your practice sessions. The key to getting into "flow" when practicing is to constantly strive for clarity of intention. Have a crystal clear idea of what you want (e.g. the sound you want to produce, or particular phrasing you'd like to try, or specific articulation, intonation, etc. that you'd like to be able to execute consistently), and be relentless in your search for ever better solutions.

When you stumble onto a new insight or discover a solution to a problem, write it down! As you practice more mindfully, you'll began making so many micro-discoveries that you will need written reminders to remember them all.

4. Smarter, not harder: When things aren't working, sometimes we simply have to practice more. And then there are times when it means we have to go in a different direction.

I remember struggling with the left-hand pizzicato variation in Paganini's 24th Caprice when I was studying at Juilliard. I kept trying harder and harder to make the notes speak, but all I got was sore fingers, a couple of which actually started to bleed (well, just a tiny bit).

Instead of stubbornly persisting with a strategy that clearly wasn't working, I forced myself to stop. I brainstormed solutions to the problem for a day or two, and wrote down ideas as they occurred to me. When I had a list of some promising solutions, I started experimenting.


5. Stay on target with a problem-solving model:  It's extraordinarily easy to drift into mindless practice mode. Keep yourself on task using the 6-step problem solving model below.

Define the problem. (What result did I just get? What do I want this note/phrase to sound like instead?)
Analyze the problem. (What is causing it to sound like this?)
Identify potential solutions. (What can I tweak to make it sound more like I want?)
Test the potential solutions and select the most effective one. (What tweaks seem to work best?)
Implement the best solution. (Reinforce these tweaks to make the changes permanent.)
Monitor implementation. (Do these changes continue to produce the results I'm looking for?
Make Your Time Count


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

aread said:


> I suspect everyone is different. However, at my age, 64, I find that my shooting skills are much more perishable than they were when I was younger. I have to shoot 6 days a week to keep what I have and perhaps improve a little. When I was younger, I could lay off for 3 or 4 days and still shoot the same scores.
> 
> Fortunately, I enjoy practicing. It's a great refuge from the real world.
> 
> ...


Correction above. 20 shots per week..... not 20 shoot per week. I may not shoot until this coming Sunday at a local 3D. Keep my head together and I'll do well.... Terry Wunderle once penned a article about "seeing the shot" or something like that. Student said he didn't get to practice much, but envisioned his shot routine... I'll try to find the article.....


----------



## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

Maintaining depends on skill level, and how much effort it took to get there.

I am in the horrible position of being able to shoot maybe every other week at best.

I still maintain a 300 45-50x average. But I have been shooting a long time.
In this situation, progressing is tough, but I can maintain pretty well.


----------



## Azzurri (Mar 10, 2014)

If you're recurve you can do the formmaster type stuff.


----------



## Praeger (Jan 7, 2011)

dua lam pa said:


> "Practice with your fingers and you need all day. Practice with your mind and you will do as much in 1 1/2 hours."
> 
> Archery is a skill that need be " maintained " to remain at the level you are shooting , How much maitaince would depend on how high your expetations are. I would assume Top Shooters could take a year off and be back on track in X amount of time. 10,000 hours seems to be the magic number for mastering complex skills such as archery. If you have mastered the skill it is most likeley you can walk away for a year , and pick the bow up pretty much exactly where you left off. MAking the best of you time with Mindful Practice is key - I doubt you will grow very much from shooting a single day a week.
> 
> ...


Wow - nailed it. Well said.


----------



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

sublauxation said:


> So here's the real question: am I expecting to much?
> 
> In my younger days I shot just about every day of the year, from leagues to 5 spot tournaments. As life got in the way and over the next 15+ years I probably shot no more than a couple thousand arrows total and haven't shot in a tournament since the mid 90's. The kids are older now and have gotten into archery so last winter we shot once a week until summer came around. As the weather gets crappy outside we'll start shooting weekly again. I feel more mentally prepared to shoot high scores and have better equipment than I ever did back in the day but despite shooting a bunch of 100 games on a blue face I didn't shoot a 300 all winter. I've been teaching the kids so every time I shot there were lots of distractions to say the least but I'm not sure how much that is to blame.
> 
> ...


Can you shoot a 300 60X at 2 yards?
If so,
do it.

Then,
wash
rinse
repeat.


----------



## dua lam pa (May 29, 2014)

nuts&bolts said:


> Can you shoot a 300 60X at 2 yards?
> If so,
> do it.
> 
> ...



Alan , 
With all do respect , this only holds true for X amount of time and distance from the bail..
We are not Zombies , Zombie training will not work for a normal man who has a life to fulfill. The " zombie mind set " can work , if your a North Korean or a Cop , but we all see hows thats working out for the masses. 
The wash rinse repet , zombie training works untill X amout of yards away from th target - Ill vote 11 - 12 yards . If you have ingrained a perfect shot sequance it will help at longer distances without a doubt -

Smart training will work best in the long run - I think America has proved this point in the olympics for many , many , many years. 
mindful , delebrate practice is the way to go - 

We must have a goal , ever time we train - ( I am assuming we are talking to above average skill level competative shooters who wish to better themselfs ) 
Its easy to see anyone can bang a single hole at 5 yards - yes it builds confidence , perhaps a false confidence ? 

between 12- 18 yards flaws will start to rear their head. Grip , anchor follow thru etc .. If you have built up nasty habbits up close ...
This ( 12 -18 ) is also where most will give in and start to ask seriouse questions about them selfs - inner self talk , negative self talk ..
This is where a great coach comes into play - No diagram , no flo chart or photo will help the shooter get thru this - just a solid coach who knows his " students " potential and pure honesty can further the shooter. Here is the time where the teacher makes a solid descession as per weather the student can represent the coaches true abalities - 
here is where the coach must make a desicision ( Grive and Lee have excelled in this deartment , chosing to deal with and mold young talent to fit a specific form. Culling the herd. Its almost easy to be honest - 
Im not 100% certain where I am taking my opinions on this one , but 100% certain it need be said.
Great shooters need be developed ,not culled.


----------



## sublauxation (Nov 21, 2013)

Thanks for posting...and keep it coming. 

I was never elite back in the day. I lacked the mental maturity to break that barrier where shooting a 300 was expected, as an example my best blue face x count (52) was on a 295 where I somehow rotated my hinge release while raising my bow and dribbled my 2nd or 3rd arrow 10 feet down the lane. As soon as that pressure was off I went on a role. Most of my lost 300's happened around the 40th arrow or after and it wasn't fatigue related. 

@Lazarus, no Richard Headedness was noted in your post. I can see where it looks like I'm trying to cheat they system but that's not the case. I don't expect to shoot high 50X 300's practicing once a week. I'm just hoping/wondering if it's realistic to at least return to where I was despite not having the time to put in right now. Mentally I'm closer than ever to being there and after almost a year on AT I've made some minor tweaks to my form that would have been very helpful 20 years ago. I considered joining a league to get more shooting time but I feel guilty not taking the kids along. Then again one of my mentors back in the day had me shooting next to cub scout groups at the range because as he said, "learn to tune it out and make your shot!"

I've also considered finally replacing the 1916's with something a bit bigger to catch a couple more lines:wink:


----------



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

dua lam pa said:


> Alan ,
> With all do respect , this only holds true for X amount of time and distance from the bail..
> We are not Zombies , Zombie training will not work for a normal man who has a life to fulfill. The " zombie mind set " can work , if your a North Korean or a Cop , but we all see hows thats working out for the masses.
> The wash rinse repet , zombie training works untill X amout of yards away from th target - Ill vote 11 - 12 yards . If you have ingrained a perfect shot sequance it will help at longer distances without a doubt -
> ...


ALL of my students are normal folks, with kids,
with a job, with a "life to fulfill".

Just take little steps,
get a little bit better,
train positive...hit a goal, no matter how small
then, set your next goal and blast through it.

NOPE,
not many of us weekend shooters are ever going to make vegas.
But we can all die trying,
even if we shoot an arrow once a week, or even less.


----------



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

dua lam pa said:


> Alan ,
> 
> between 12- 18 yards flaws will start to rear their head. Grip , anchor follow thru etc .. If you have built up nasty habbits up close ...
> This ( 12 -18 ) is also where most will give in and start to ask seriouse questions about them selfs - inner self talk , negative self talk ..


YOu have not seen my ENTIRE program.
What I write barely skims the surface...for obvious reasons.

The "negative self talk".

Working on the postive mental imagery,
the self confidence, quieting the "VOICES" in the shooter's head,
this is where I spend a HUGE amount of my time with my more advanced students.

"negative" self talk
"inner talk"
self coaching
OVER THINKING will kill a shooter...as you well know.

I train my guys to KILL the inner talk, the thinking.

JUST shoot the shot. Soooo easy to say,
soooo HARD to do.

Shooting 5 yards,
slamming an arrow into the same hole.

Only skimming the surface.

Training a shooter on the mental side of the game
is the hardest part. THIS is where I spend a TREMENDOUS amount of time and effort.

Developing a shooter is HARDEST.
Culling shooters is more practical.

I give my shooters the TOOLS to take their skills as FAR as they are willing to go,
invest time, etc.


----------



## Praeger (Jan 7, 2011)

dua lam pa said:


> Alan ,
> The wash rinse repet , zombie training works untill X amout of yards away from th target - Ill vote 11 - 12 yards . If you have ingrained a perfect shot sequance it will help at longer distances without a doubt -
> 
> Smart training will work best in the long run - I think America has proved this point in the olympics for many , many , many years.
> ...


While I'm sure Alan's advise was phrased in a light hearted say, what dua lam pa said is spot on (except about Cops). Shooting drills under 10 yards, in all their variations, are very forgiving and it is easy to rapidly post impressive scores even with poor form. It is why so many novice archers learn to punch the trigger at 10 yards - it works!

What separates a serious archer from those who choose to simply shoot is the self awareness to diagnose flaws, and the discipline to train to correct them. It isn't easy. Some aspects of archery form are so subtle they can't been seen, only felt by the archer. Other aspects can only been seen by an observer. It can be immensely frustrating, even good corrective changes can take time to produce improved scores.


----------



## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

For me I am coming off of 3d season right now and I am going into the bow shop and shooting indoor almost daily, the freaking hunting crowd is in there right now trying to get their new hunting bow sighted in so I don't get a solid hour of shooting in without having to stop and help them move their sight. Why do I continue going, because it is awesome freaking practice starting and stopping for the hour and a half that I am in there. I go from shooting freaking awesome to standing there for 20 minutes helping a guy with his peep and then I have to continue banging x's and to me this is awesome training.

As the weeks go by the hunting crowd will vanish and I will have the range to myself to really start smoothing out my shooting and this year my goal is to be a everyday 60x guy just before the indoor leagues start so that when I go to the indoor leagues I can hopefully start cranking out 60x rounds at the league nights.


That last statement is a big one, it is really scary for me to put that in writing here on archery talk but it really is my goal and what I am going to train for. To me you have to have goals that are in reach and for me I think that it is a goal that if I do the work and have a solid mental approach this fall I can totally be that guy.

Days shooting during most weeks:

1. I lost my hunting lease so I will probably be able to shoot after school 3 to 4 days a week at the indoor range, since I won't be hunting every weekend at the lease land I will also get to go in on most saturday mornings to the indoor range.

2. During this training I will shoot old targets at 20 yards from 5-spot to vegas and I will shoot running totals of x's switcing from hinge to hinge and working on my smooth firing engines most days. One or two days a week I will shoot scoring rounds.

3. Once I start cranking out some 60x rounds I will then start shooting a scoring round right when I walk in each day with 2 ends of practice only and I will start writing down my experience each day in a journal describing which firing engine I used and what the misses felt like so that I can start putting a finger on a a issue that may be popping up on a regular basis and then eliminate it.

4. I am primarily a 3d shooter so I do plan on shooting my 3d bow all fall and having it running on all 8 cylinders when late january rolls around, this is the first year that I have a indoor bow and a 3d bow so I don't have to change it all the time.


----------



## dua lam pa (May 29, 2014)

nuts&bolts said:


> YOu have not seen my ENTIRE program.
> What I write barely skims the surface...for obvious reasons.
> 
> The "negative self talk".
> ...


 I was in no way trying to attack or nullify your means of teaching -
I openly apoligize if it came across that way.
I was mearly expressing my train of thoughts on how we need to think about how we are training -


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

subconsciously said:


> "I fear not the man that practices 10,000 kicks, but the man who practices 1 kick 10,000 times."
> Bruce Lee.
> 
> Its quality time - not quantity time.
> ...



So why did you ask the question?


----------



## subconsciously (Aug 22, 2009)

SonnyThomas said:


> So why did you ask the question?


What question?
Not sure I follow.


----------



## dua lam pa (May 29, 2014)

Praeger said:


> While I'm sure Alan's advise was phrased in a light hearted say, what dua lam pa said is spot on (except about Cops). Shooting drills under 10 yards, in all their variations, are very forgiving and it is easy to rapidly post impressive scores even with poor form. It is why so many novice archers learn to punch the trigger at 10 yards - it works!
> 
> What separates a serious archer from those who choose to simply shoot is the self awareness to diagnose flaws, and the discipline to train to correct them. It isn't easy. Some aspects of archery form are so subtle they can't been seen, only felt by the archer. Other aspects can only been seen by an observer. It can be immensely frustrating, even good corrective changes can take time to produce improved scores.



You cought that :wink:


----------



## Blue X (Dec 22, 2007)

Oh dua lam pa I think u got it.

I teach my people a form and shot sequence that will stand the test of time. After a full season the need to practice all the time is gone. I am never surprised when my people take time off and then start right back at the top instantly. 99% of all the practice that goes on is trying to get a unusable platform to perform at high levels. That will not hold up under pressure. When u learn what it actually takes to shoot, it's no different than anything else. People put value on the outcome and practice the process without knowing what they are practicing. Just sometimes between end 2 and 8 it works great but on end 1& 9,10 it drops out like a rock. 

When u cut out all the crap u read that get ingrained in ur mind, archery is easy. 99% of the available information is unusable or counter productive. The things that are used as band aids will help short term but the same stupid things will keep people from reaching the top. There is no voodoo in involved and the fairytale mental plans to cover things that won't produce are useless. 

A good form and shot sequence and bow set up will lessen the need for the fairytale mental plans. You have to free your mind up to be successful. Then with confidence you can have a simple easy real mental plan. 


Blue X


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

subconsciously...sublauxation..... Gotcha you two mixed up......


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Blue X said:


> Oh dua lam pa I think u got it.
> 
> I teach my people a form and shot sequence that will stand the test of time. After a full season the need to practice all the time is gone. I am never surprised when my people take time off and then start right back at the top instantly. 99% of all the practice that goes on is trying to get a unusable platform to perform at high levels. That will not hold up under pressure. When u learn what it actually takes to shoot, it's no different than anything else. People put value on the outcome and practice the process without knowing what they are practicing. Just sometimes between end 2 and 8 it works great but on end 1& 9,10 it drops out like a rock.
> 
> ...


Nice reply, Blue...I like it.....


----------



## N7709K (Dec 17, 2008)

if the foundation is set correctly it is very easy to keep up a high average with very limited practice; but the foundation needs to be there... other factors sway how much practice time is required to keep the physical stamina up, but shooting a 300 blue face avg is very doable with once a week practice. 

work the release in the hands until they know it inside and out; know the feel of the release, build the calluses from holding and working it on a string, develop the feel for how the fingers fit and slide into the release, how the shot breaks with a relaxed hand, etc... all of this can be done without the bow and a portion of it should be done away from the bow and integrated into the shot process with the bow slowly. 

Visualize what a good shot feels like- where do the hands end up, how does the bow react/feel, did you have to work to make the arrow go in the middle? 

if you have your shot mastered you can set the bow down and not see the scores drop... i shot my first score since the beginning of aug yesterday and i was only a couple inners below the average I had then, and i tuned the bow as i shot the score....


----------



## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

What a week, I shot everyday this week inside at the indoor range. I had to sight in my bow three times because I changed pins in my scope three times and finally I found one that I really like. each day I spent a good portion of my time moving the arrow to the spot and then finishing up with some sweet shooting for 15 minutes or so.

Today was the best day, today I didn't move the sight at all because it seemed to be hitting really well but I did a 20 minute hinge speed session and I went faster than my normal setting and a little slower than my normal section. Both directions caused problems that I have worked through in the past but when I put it back to the normal setting i then saw why I had it set there to begin with. I then finished up with another 20 minutes of sweet shooting where my good shots were dead freaking center in the vegas x and my poor shots were on the edge of the little vegas x. For me this is what I am going to do over the next few weeks is visualize what those good shots really feel like and then I am going to work on producing them every shot day after day after day.


----------



## Praeger (Jan 7, 2011)

dua lam pa said:


> You cought that :wink:


Unless you were referring to North Korean cops - and don't get me started on the Zombie apocalypse.


----------



## 2little2late (Dec 25, 2006)

Post #30 is all that needs to be said to answer the original question. Nice.


----------



## dua lam pa (May 29, 2014)

Praeger said:


> Unless you were referring to North Korean cops - and don't get me started on the Zombie apocalypse.


No , I was referring to the road Pirates who now want to play Army and some how can not not grasp the meaning of our constitution so they actually enjoy enforcing corporate laws and stripping citizens rights - those cops - 
But Ill keep my true thoughts on the matter to myself - ukey:


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

2little2late said:


> Post #30 is all that needs to be said to answer the original question. Nice.


I thought a couple more gave good insight also.

I don't know...Seems people worry a bunch. You have your shot down pat, you just shoot. I go to a few different clubs and there's people fling arrows for a half hour before tackling the 3D range. I don't. If I shoot a couple shots that's all and usually because I'm waiting on someone. And I really don't care for practicing on some other range. My range at home is flat, solid footing, no down hill or up hill, not off cambered, not slanted or sideways targets. If you have a problem you sure don't need it complicated by some goofy practice range making your arrows look stupid in the target.


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Found this. Duane isn't a chump shot. And Jeff, he's been to the top and still a reckoning force to deal with. 
Duane Price - Been Shooting for 44 years -I practice once a week, approximately 70-80 arrows.
Jeff Hopkins - no set practice routine, sometimes shooting, sometimes judging yardage, sometimes both.


----------



## MikeR (Apr 2, 2004)

I agree with this. The strength and stamina decline more rapidly after 60. The rebuilding takes noticeably longer. The practice is still enjoyable.


aread said:


> I suspect everyone is different. However, at my age, 64, I find that my shooting skills are much more perishable than they were when I was younger. I have to shoot 6 days a week to keep what I have and perhaps improve a little. When I was younger, I could lay off for 3 or 4 days and still shoot the same scores.
> 
> Fortunately, I enjoy practicing. It's a great refuge from the real world.
> 
> ...


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

MikeR said:


> I agree with this. The strength and stamina decline more rapidly after 60. The rebuilding takes noticeably longer. The practice is still enjoyable.


Factor, age, desire, health, knowing one's self. Okay, aging, there is dang little rebuilding of strength or stamina as "we are on the down hill slope." Only options; Engage brain, right mental attitude. Turn down bow weight. Enter the class for your age. Rarely do I compete in my age bracket. I like picking on the "kids," but come a ASA event I know what class to register in. 

Years back at our club we had two older gentlemen. One was the "old man," age 82. The other was the "kid," at 79. You never saw two people, old men, arguing and bantering like those two - two pups having a tug of war with a new rag. Hey, they shot together, having fun, but were dang serious about shooting, right to the point you thought one was going to cut the other's throat. ATTITUDE!


----------



## hdracer (Aug 8, 2007)

I find that 3 good practice sessions a week (for outdoor) are the minimum for me. Depending on the event we may shoot 72-144+ arrows in a day (I know, the OP asked about an indoor 300 round). Last weekend was a four distance FITA, a 900 round followed by a head-to-head elimination. Over 350 arrows in two days. Stamina and the ability to maintain form in a high arrow count competition go hand-in-hand. I wouldn't have made it thru by shooting only a few arrows every few days.

But indoor has its own issues. Shooting and coaching our JOAD club makes it difficult to get a good 60 arrow count in the 2 hours/2 times a week we shoot (at a National Guard Armory). The kids zip off 10 arrows to my 3. I am generally the last one on the line and much of the time it is "hurry up and shoot". So I shoot 5 yds in the basement or 20 yds outdoors if the weather permits when not at the Armory. 

Personally, I need to shoot 3 times a week to maintain my form and shooting skills.


----------



## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

Some great tips here.:thumbs_up

Most here have Family and Jobs so training should be well thought out to make the best use of your limited time, always shoot with a plan and keep your goals small enough to be reachable. Assuming you have a well tuned bow, you're in good physical condition and you Form is strong you can shoot well above average standard with 1-2 practice sessions a week, I can get away with this but tend to practice more just because I love to shoot.

Summer months I try and shoot everyday, my sessions are normally short to 15 to 30 min (sometimes twice a day if I'm lucky) and at least once a week with my practice sessions I try to shoot a full practice Field/3D round and keep score. In June I won Euro 3D's in France (Barebow Rec) I shot once a day on a normal Field target for 15-20 min, I felt I didn't need anymore as I was happy with my Form, I was really just grooving my shot sequence leading up to the tourney, it was a good feeling to be in such a relaxed and confident position just before a major tourney. I wasn't thinking I would win, just that I was shooting strong and would be pleased with my performance regardless of the final position.

Winter months I try and shoot at least two scored Indoor rounds a week, I tend to do a lot of Blank Bale in the winter, Summer is easy to keep my shot sequence grooved but winter I find I need a little more work in this area.

Were hosting IFAA World indoors in March, I already have my training plan set out.


----------



## sublauxation (Nov 21, 2013)

Thanks for all the comments so far and not for turning this into a bashing thread about lack of commitment. It is a sad reality that life gets in the way of archery.


----------



## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

aloot of that formula for successfully maintaining score, is in the sight picture that you build for yourself, with the type of scope, it's power, size of peep and with clarifier or not, etc., the focus if your sight picture, sharp or slightly blurry and whether you use a ring or a dot, all play a part in this. 
the point is that the sight picture has to be comfortable for you to look at......it makes a huge difference in the level of relaxation, of your shot execution. the easier it is to look at your sight picture, the better you'll shoot and the less you'll have to think about what you're doing as you run your execution. 
the only way you'll know if you have what you really like, is to try different combinations. you'll know, almost instantly, when you find the right combination. your execution becomes almost "effortless". as an example, I discovered that I prefer to use a ring rather than a dot, on my lens. I was constantly moving the dot out of the way, to be able to focus on the "X". this caused allot of stress in my shooting. shot Ok, but it seemed like it was allot of work to shoot good. I tried a ring and almost immediately, my execution was smoother, more relaxed, and way more effortless.
all that resulted in a much easier time reproducing a good score and not feeling exhausted after a typical round. it became allot easier to just shoot, rather than constantly checking how many ends I had left before the round was over.


----------



## sublauxation (Nov 21, 2013)

ron w said:


> aloot of that formula for successfully maintaining score, is in the sight picture that you build for yourself, with the type of scope, it's power, size of peep and with clarifier or not, etc., the focus if your sight picture, sharp or slightly blurry and whether you use a ring or a dot, all play a part in this.
> the point is that the sight picture has to be comfortable for you to look at......it makes a huge difference in the level of relaxation, of your shot execution. the easier it is to look at your sight picture, the better you'll shoot and the less you'll have to think about what you're doing as you run your execution.
> the only way you'll know if you have what you really like, is to try different combinations. you'll know, almost instantly, when you find the right combination. your execution becomes almost "effortless". as an example, I discovered that I prefer to use a ring rather than a dot, on my lens. I was constantly moving the dot out of the way, to be able to focus on the "X". this caused allot of stress in my shooting. shot Ok, but it seemed like it was allot of work to shoot good. I tried a ring and almost immediately, my execution was smoother, more relaxed, and way more effortless.
> all that resulted in a much easier time reproducing a good score and not feeling exhausted after a typical round. it became allot easier to just shoot, rather than constantly checking how many ends I had left before the round was over.


Yeah, I agree on this one! I put a scope back on this spring and I'm on my 4th different reticle. I'm now using a tiny dot with a thick outer ring. Funny how the mind works on these. For a short time I used a dot that perfectly covered the white but my brain wanted to see some white. A dot that just covered the x ring drove me crazy. Some ring/ring and dot combo will be what I ultimately use. Right now I'm looking for one with a thicker outer ring and I may get rid of the tiny dot altogether.


----------



## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

yup, it is truly a legitimate place where, finding what, "works best for you", is the accepted rule.
many times this "phrase" is over-used. there are certain elements of archery that need to be adhered to, to shoot decently. but, this is a place where you seriously have to find what is best for you.


----------

