# A "serious" practice schedule



## rudeman (Jan 25, 2006)

Backyard shooting - just be safe! One stray arrow could be *very *costly.


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

rudeman said:


> Backyard shooting - just be safe! One stray arrow could be *very *costly.


Oh yea, realize that, but I live in a rural area and am surrounded by wood land on 3 sides. Stray arrows end up in the "deep dark forest" never to be found again - at least that is the case with several of my arrows. :wink:

BTW: I own the "posted" wood land around me and there is no excuse for anyone to be out there without my permission. I did have to stop practice one day to let a couple of curious does move on. There were directly behind my practice butt and seemed to not have a care in the world.


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## WrongdayJ (May 22, 2008)

Lee- 

You are fortunate to live in such a nice area.

To be able to practice shoot out to 80 in your own yard. . .and to see doe's just meandering by. . .sounds like a dream.


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

WrongdayJ said:


> Lee-
> 
> You are fortunate to live in such a nice area.
> 
> To be able to practice shoot out to 80 in your own yard. . .and to see doe's just meandering by. . .sounds like a dream.


I'm at least the 6th generation to be on this land. Farm has been split so many times over the decades/centuries that my part amounted to about 15 acres. Gave some of it to my daughter several years ago to build her house on. So that makes my grandson the 8th generation to live here. And I do consider myself blessed - except when property tax payment time comes. :wink:

The doe must have moved on, but bucks have replaced them. There's a group of 2 I see nearly every day and a group of 4 that I see about once a week. The 4 group has 2 very nice "specimens".


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## X Hunter (Jan 11, 2007)

Looks good lee.... Only pointer I can add is at this early stage in your game is to make sure and be 100% honest with yourself on why your misses missed...


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## TCR1 (Dec 22, 2004)

pragmatic_lee said:


> OK, I've fallen into the deathly grasp of Field archery head first and I want to make a serious effort at improving my game.
> 
> After a few words of warning to the wife and friends that may come to visit concerning walking into the back yard unannounced, I can now shoot out to 80 yards. (Scared the bejubies out of the guy that cuts my grass last week )
> 
> ...


Surely you can score 20 points in less than 12 arrows on any of these distances...:tongue:

Sounds like a good plan. As for goals, I like to set mine for consistency, e.g. Consistently shoot 3 out of 4 5s at 80 or something like that.


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

X Hunter said:


> Looks good lee.... Only pointer I can add is at this early stage in your game is to make sure and be 100% honest with yourself on why your misses missed...


Understand what you're saying. Last Thu. no one but Jarlicker & I showed up at DCWC, so we took our time around the course and he was very eager to offer some coaching that he otherwise may not have had others been around. I'm far past blaming my misses on equipment - I usually know immediately upon release what, if anything, caused me to miss.

One aspect of this practice schedule that I didn't mention, but am definitely doing is "practicing let-down" - each distance has a goal - that in itself makes it easier to make myself let down if something just isn't right.



TCR1 said:


> Surely you can score 20 points in less than 12 arrows on any of these distances...:tongue:
> 
> Sounds like a good plan. As for goals, I like to set mine for consistency, e.g. Consistently shoot 3 out of 4 5s at 80 or something like that.


What the idea is is to set a "reasonable primary goal" (for me) for each distance. The secondary goal is to reach the primary goal on the first group of 4 arrows. If I don't, I repeat that distance up to 3 ends or I match or top the primary goal. 

It would not be realistic (for me) to set a primary goal of 20 for every target and a secondary goal of making it in the first end. If I could do that, I'd be trying to make a living in archery. :wink:

Today, my primary goal for 80-55 yards was to score an 18 in 3 or less ends. As it turned out I scored a 19 on both the 80 & 70 in the first end, but failed badly at 65. Scored 16,17,18 - so if that "pattern" continues, I know that is a distance I need to focus on, a little extra. 

Once I get to the point that I reach the primary goal for a distance (in the FIRST end) 3 practice sessions in a row, I'll up that primary goal - even to the point of counting Xs.

This may turn out to be nothing, but at least for me, it "makes" me organize my practice. :wink:


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## X Hunter (Jan 11, 2007)

pragmatic_lee said:


> Understand what you're saying. Last Thu. no one but Jarlicker & I showed up at DCWC, so we took our time around the course and he was very eager to offer some coaching that he otherwise may not have had others been around. I'm far past blaming my misses on equipment - I usually know immediately upon release what, if anything, caused me to miss.
> 
> One aspect of this practice schedule that I didn't mention, but am definitely doing is "practicing let-down" - each distance has a goal - that in itself makes it easier to make myself let down if something just isn't right.
> 
> ...



If you can do that then you will be ahead of me cause I still struggle with letting down as i only let down about 25% of the ones that need it.... And the 75% I force 90%of the time miss... Imagine that..

You deffinatly have the drive keep at it and your scores will skyrocket by this time next year!!!

Good luck and see ya around

Brad


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

X Hunter said:


> If you can do that then you will be ahead of me cause I still struggle with letting down as i only let down about 25% of the ones that need it.... And the 75% I force 90%of the time miss... Imagine that..
> 
> You deffinatly have the drive keep at it and your scores will skyrocket by this time next year!!!
> 
> ...


I sure hope we see each other again - I WANT MY CRISPY BACK. :wink:

I know I've only been at this a little over 6 months, but of all the things I've tried over my many years, archer has to be one of the most enjoyable and satisfying - excluding sex - and doesn't require near the clean up afterwards. :tongue:


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## X Hunter (Jan 11, 2007)

pragmatic_lee said:


> I sure hope we see each other again - I WANT MY CRISPY BACK. :wink:
> 
> I know I've only been at this a little over 6 months, but of all the things I've tried over my many years, archer has to be one of the most enjoyable and satisfying - excluding sex - and doesn't require near the clean up afterwards. :tongue:




I hear ya loud and clear!!!!:wink:


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## C Doyle 88 (Sep 1, 2007)

*serious practice*

I would suggest not shooting score every session.
The basic spot has too much room for slop in it so scoring lets you get lazy if you are hitting well, and scores soon fall off.

I am as serious as a field archer gets, when I practice I use a 40 yd hunter target, but I shoot from 65-80 yds for group, not score.

I empty my quiver at each end/say 8-10 arrows so you are seeing your form strong/and weak in each end. Count your hits on that smaller spot, and know why the're are not more than last time, because if your form is correct, there will be more hits as you get stronger, use'g form work this intense.

When you can put 6 out of 8 in a 40 yd dot from 80 yds and know why the 2 missed, you'll be counting your misses from 560 instead of counting up from 0.

In all archery score comes from FORM.
Score only tells you what you can't do.

Group will be proof of good form, and good groups after 100 arrows is proof of good focus on that good form.

There's a goal --try it--tell your self what you can't do ----ask why until you understand what form strengths will allow you to do it.

Until you can group like this you won't be able to understand the needs of the field and terrain completely, because of lack of confidence to be able to read the shot and terrain.

The ability to group is all that matters--group is proof of FORM. The sight just directs that group to the X

But this only applies to you if you are SERIOUS


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## NEVADAPRO (Jul 5, 2007)

This is almost exactly how I practice!! On our range, I will find the worst side-hill lie I can find and shoot that target!! I do the same on the windiest targets I can find. I agree, grouping will tell you a lot about your form and how you are truly shooting!! :wink:



C Doyle 88 said:


> I would suggest not shooting score every session.
> The basic spot has too much room for slop in it so scoring lets you get lazy if you are hitting well, and scores soon fall off.
> 
> I am as serious as a field archer gets, when I practice I use a 40 yd hunter target, but I shoot from 65-80 yds for group, not score.
> ...


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## sharkred7 (Jul 19, 2005)

Good advice DOYLE. I also like to practice grouping, especially early in the year or if I find myself struggling. It helps focus on form. Then as the season progresses I like to walk back shoot. I have 2 4x4 blocks with all the target faces on them and I start at 15 and work my way back until I miss, then start over. That puts some pressure on you to make good shots all the time otherwise you have to start over:tongue:

I don't like to use a smaller dot though. I like to maintain my actual sight picture for all distances (I shoot pins) I am honest with myself and track my X's though. I know the difference between a 20 1x and a 20 4x:wink: I use the right size target and use the X count to gauge how I am REALLY shooting.

John


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## WrongdayJ (May 22, 2008)

Lee-

That looks like a sound routine. (hope you don't mind. . .I ripped your worksheet and now use it myself. . .:heh

Question though. . .how often do you practice?

I've been practice shooting twice during the week. . .and then doing Field rounds on the weekends. My scores are creeping up- which is good, but I wonder if this is too much (or too little) compared to how you or others for that matter practice.


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

WrongdayJ said:


> Lee-
> 
> That looks like a sound routine. (hope you don't mind. . .I ripped your worksheet and now use it myself. . .:heh
> 
> ...


Weather permitting, I shoot this "schedule" on Mon, Tue, & Wed. Thursday evenings I got to the club to shoot a half-round of Field. My Friday evenings are spent working at an auction so no practice then. If I'm not at a shoot on Sat. then I got through the schedule at least once and sometime twice. Sundays afternoons I spend with the grandson.

BTW: you are more than welcomed to the worksheet - hope it proves useful.


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## WV Has Been (Aug 9, 2002)

May I make a suggestion? 

I'm sure you have heard this before but I would like the opportunity to reinforce the words. 

Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

All the practice in the world will not help if you are not learning what a good shot feels like and how to execute that perfect shot again and again. If you can make a perfect shot a majority of the time the scores will reflect your efforts. 

Work on the archer not the archers groups.:wink:


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## BOWGOD (Aug 11, 2004)

WV Has Been said:


> May I make a suggestion?
> 
> I'm sure you have heard this before but I would like the opportunity to reinforce the words.
> 
> ...




i agree with Brian on this one.
I'll tell you like he told me last winter. know what a "good" shot feels like then strive to make 4 out of 5 shots good shots, then 5 out of 5, then 9 out of 10 ect...
i find when i'm aiming good, and i execute a good shot my arrow always finds the spot. but if for some reason my aiming is distracted or my shot doesn't feel great i ussually miss the spot.
most of the time no matter what distance i'm shooting i can tell you exactly where my arrow hit just by how the shot felt, and my bows reaction after the shot. up until i got the chance to work with brian on these things didn't even know how to aim right let alone judge my performance based on my bows reaction.
if you can master the art of aiming and learn yourself to execute great shots most of the time your scores will come up in a hurry.
when i practice i don't judge myself on how well i group i judge myself on how well i aim, how well i get through the shot, and how disaplined i am when i let down because i know when i have all these cylinders fireing in time i'm shooting the best game of my life.

now if i could just keep all these cylinders in time through out the whole day i would be in good shape. i know for me i tend to let some of this knowledge slip as i near the end of the day (but i'm working on that:wink


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## WrongdayJ (May 22, 2008)

WV Has Been said:


> . . .Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.
> 
> All the practice in the world will not help if you are not learning what a good shot feels like and how to execute that perfect shot again and again. If you can make a perfect shot a majority of the time the scores will reflect your efforts.
> 
> Work on the archer not the archers groups. . .


I hadn't heard that before, but it does make really good sense. Thank you for posting it.

I have been shooting Field for 7 months now. My mindset has been to build the strength and endurance and try to stabilize and develop my shot rather than iron out every tiny form wrinkle. . .although I am finding that with every week that goes by I get more and more strong and stable. So getting back to your point, maybe I should be working those form issues now _while_ I'm developing my shot. Looks like I have some work to do.


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## C Doyle 88 (Sep 1, 2007)

WV Has Been said:


> May I make a suggestion?
> 
> I'm sure you have heard this before but I would like the opportunity to reinforce the words.
> 
> ...


So tell him how----We're all listening---Thanks


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## WV Has Been (Aug 9, 2002)

C Doyle 88 said:


> So tell him how----We're all listening---Thanks


Its like snow sliding from a tin roof.:tongue:


Figure that out and you could be the next Jesse Broadwater.:wink:


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## Hinkelmonster (Oct 25, 2004)

WV Has Been said:


> Its like snow sliding from a tin roof.:tongue:
> 
> 
> Figure that out and you could be the next Jesse Broadwater.:wink:


You're such a *******....................it's like honey falling off a honey comb!!!!


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## WV Has Been (Aug 9, 2002)

Hinkelmonster said:


> You're such a *******....................it's like honey falling off a honey comb!!!!


Actually it is snow sliding from a bamboo leaf but who in this forum could understand such poetic wording.


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## Hinkelmonster (Oct 25, 2004)

WV Has Been said:


> Actually it is snow sliding from a bamboo leaf but who in this forum could understand such poetic wording.


Does it have anything to do with leveling a trailor in WV????


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

Hinkelmonster said:


> Does it have anything to do with leveling a trailor in WV????


Or keeping the water in a swimming pool in Cumberland?


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## Hinkelmonster (Oct 25, 2004)

pragmatic_lee said:


> Or keeping the water in a swimming pool in Cumberland?


Nope.............not exactly!!!


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## WrongdayJ (May 22, 2008)

WV Has Been said:


> . . .Actually it is snow sliding from a bamboo leaf but who in this forum could understand such poetic wording. . .


There are many such individuals on this forum who not only would _understand_, but would in fact _appreciate_ such comments.

I have always believed that Archery is an art, not a science. It is only fitting that other forms of art get interwoven from time to time. 

I'd also like to see someone mix the art of beer making with Archery. That would be appreciated, too.:darkbeer:


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