# young and in need of help



## bowtech_guy17 (Jan 25, 2009)

im 17 and love to shoot indoor 5 spot but have been having some trouble. my scores in the past 3 weeks have been between 54-57x's. i need some help on my mental game. when the 10th round comes im getting pretty worked up and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to calm myself down. it just seems as if i can shoot good until it counts. anyhelp would be appreciated.

second thing is help with my sight. im shooting a 1x clarifier and an 8x lens. my sight picture is decent but not perfect. iv been told you dont want it perfectly clear with your lens because then you may spend to much time aiming and not focusing on the x. just wondering what my sight picture should look like. if i should be striving to get a clear perfect sight picture or let it stay as it is and be a little bit blurry but still being able to pick out the x. thanks for any help on either topic

very apprieciated,
zach


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## ScottJM (Jun 19, 2007)

If I'm understanding you correctly you're having trouble on the last couple of ends or so? If that's the case maybe your just getting physically tired at that point or you're starting to think about 60X's. If you're shooting clean until the end of the round and start missing X's on the last end or two, try to focus on execution rather than thinking about how many X's you need to shoot perfect. What I mean is, think about perfectly executing each shot. Maybe your thinking more about what you want the outcome to be rather than executing. Putting "The cart before the horse" so to speak. 

As far as the scope goes, Seeing the X more clearly should help you focus on it. You need to be locked on what you want to hit while aiming. A #2 or #3 (probably a #3)clarifier should clear up an 8x lens.


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## 2fingers (Feb 2, 2006)

Move up 2 o say 15 yards and shoot the 60x then "its no big deal" to shoot a 60x. Also make an effort to shoot more than a score and tell yourself im going to shoot 80 good arrows today and score all 80. I try to shoot between 100-175 arrows each day weither its 10yards in my basement or at the range. Have FUN dont put pressure on yourself. Last week i shot this 
http://badgerlandarcheryshop.com/Events.html
The next day I couldnt keep the arrow in the 10 ring. I put pressure on myself and had to walk away. Shoot relaxed without pressue and everything will be fine. Hope this helps


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## shaftgiver09 (Nov 12, 2007)

*deep breaths*

man you have to remember too how to smile and enjoy it. You are 17 this isn't the Nationals and you are shooting for big money. Aim small, miss small, and frustration leads to failure to accomplish so smile do something goofy in your routine to make your mind come of those last rounds without breaking your concentration.


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## Lien2 (Aug 4, 2005)

ScottJM said:


> If I'm understanding you correctly you're having trouble on the last couple of ends or so? If that's the case maybe your just getting physically tired at that point or you're starting to think about 60X's. If you're shooting clean until the end of the round and start missing X's on the last end or two, try to focus on execution rather than thinking about how many X's you need to shoot perfect. What I mean is, think about perfectly executing each shot. Maybe your thinking more about what you want the outcome to be rather than executing. Putting "The cart before the horse" so to speak.
> 
> As far as the scope goes, Seeing the X more clearly should help you focus on it. You need to be locked on what you want to hit while aiming. A #2 or #3 (probably a #3)clarifier should clear up an 8x lens.



Good post!
Trust your shot and execute it. Tell yourself you've hit the X a thousand times, this is no different.

Lien2


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## bowtech_guy17 (Jan 25, 2009)

thanks guys...
that is whats happening is that im just thinking i can get that perfect score and then i mess up. i dont think i get physically tired because i shoot atleast 2 scores a day and then some practice in between and after. well thanks again and now im off to the range.


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## promod1385 (Oct 3, 2007)

I have learned I need to shoot 1 shot at a time. Not 60 shots in a row. Think about 1 shot at a time and shoot it as such.


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## The Rev (Jun 9, 2006)

promod1385 said:


> I have learned I need to shoot 1 shot at a time. Not 60 shots in a row. Think about 1 shot at a time and shoot it as such.



I agree 100%. I shot my first tournament in 1966. My dad an Olympic gold medal winner told me to blank out my mind. Concentrate on one shot at a time; put the last shot out of your mind, the next one out of your mind. It’s only that one shot that counts. I’ve never forgotten that tidbit and it’s helped me regardless of what level I was competing at.


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## Mulcade (Aug 31, 2007)

These guys are completely correct! You can only shoot one arrow at a time, so only concentrate on that one arrow! The arrows that are gone are just that: GONE! The arrows that you still need to shoot will get their focus when it's time to shoot them. The 'aim small, miss small' mantra has two parts. First, how much of that target you're aiming at. Second, how much you're focused on at once. If you're focused on the result of 60 arrows instead of the result of one, you stand a good chance of missing big.

As for the scope, I too shoot an 8x scope and currently use a #2 clarifier. With the #3 I can see a fire ant at 20yrds with perfect clarity! However, I can't see the dot on the scope at all. When I say at all, I mean it doesn't exist to my eye. So, the #2 gives me some small fuzziness with both the dot and the target, but I can still see each clearly, just not with absolute clarity. The size of the apeture is going to depend on your scope diameter and personal preference.


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