# How to stay in it after a bad shot



## twelve-ring (Mar 3, 2015)

What is the best way to keep a good confident mindset after a bad shot that affects your score. after shooting an 8 or even a 5, I have immense trouble regaining the confidence and trust in my ability that I need to begin aiming hard at the 12 and making good shots again. Often, this creates a vicious trend that keeps me down for an entire round before I can cool down and go back at it with the right mindset.


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## bows_-_arrows (Oct 19, 2010)

I get angry at myself for a mistake and then I get mad so my next shot I buckle down and keep moving forward one shot at a time because we are human, even the best I've seen not set their sight or shoot a lazy shot.


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## Huntinsker (Feb 9, 2012)

Get over it. It's in the past. You can't change it. Focus on what you have control over and that's the next shot.


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## yeroc (Jan 11, 2007)

just like a quarter back throwing a pick.shake it off and forget about it.i no much easier said than done.keep working at it.dont let the mental game defeat you


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## Cbfastcar (May 19, 2015)

Focus on the arrow that is in the bow the previous arrow is in the target there is no changing that the future arrow you do not know but you do have control over the arrow that is in the bow so make the shot count 1at a time


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## loveha (Mar 11, 2014)

Don't dwell on it. I just watched Reo shoot two 9's in a row after three ends of straight 10's at Antalya. He knew it probably cost him the match and the medal. You couldn't tell by looking at him though.


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## N7709K (Dec 17, 2008)

you need to approach shooting as each arrow is its own game; you win or lose that single arrow game. Regardless of outcome the next arrow is a new game with the slate wiped clean. Once there arrow is shot there is nothing you can do to get it back, that's what brings about splitting of the game into individual arrow matches. .


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## twelve-ring (Mar 3, 2015)

Thank you all. I've began to focus even more on the mental aspect recently. Everyone has a bow that shoots great, the winners keep a good mindset.


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## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

Cbfastcar said:


> Focus on the arrow that is in the bow the previous arrow is in the target there is no changing that the future arrow you do not know but you do have control over the arrow that is in the bow so make the shot count 1at a time


This^^^

start doing single arrow drills... One arrow in your quiver. single arrow drills force you to focus on the single shot not the group of shots


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

twelve-ring said:


> What is the best way to keep a good confident mindset after a bad shot that affects your score. after shooting an 8 or even a 5, I have immense trouble regaining the confidence and trust in my ability that I need to begin aiming hard at the 12 and making good shots again. Often, this creates a vicious trend that keeps me down for an entire round before I can cool down and go back at it with the right mindset.


All shots effect your score and we humans do produce bad shots. Get over it. A bad shot is history, not a dang thing you can do about it. If you knew what you did, fine, "store" it so you won't do it again. One and two shot drills can work for you. Having to "re-set" time and time again you find what is correct. You mentioned 8 and 5, so 3D. Use different terrain.


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## cbrunson (Oct 25, 2010)

It's easier said than done, but everyone here is correct. The better you get, the worse it gets too because you raise the stakes.


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## Garceau (Sep 3, 2010)

Much easier said than done - 

this weekend at ASA - sunday I shot an 8, and noticed my fletch was loose which resulted in an errant shot. Everything felt great on the shot and the distance no way I should have blown one like that. So I swapped arrows. For some reason the next arrow was just not cooperating, I don't know if it got banged on the bags or what not but it took me 2-3 targets before I trusted it was the arrow and not me. Then I was 9 down.....I was almost in panic mode.

I sat on the stool and calmed down a bit, wasn't very interactive and just tried to center myself and forget about it.

I shot the next 5 targets all 12s. I have never shot 5 straight 12s before at an ASA event. I got myself on the plus side of the card for the day and was able to remain there. I was bummed an arrow cost me 9 points but nothing I could do about it.


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## bseltzer (Nov 20, 2014)

I also have to agree with what's been said so far. Cultivating a short memory helps, and at my age, it sorta comes "natural"  That said, the ones that do bother me are the shots for which I have no idea why they ended up where they did (even if it's in the bulls-eye).


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Short memory.

This is easier as you get older.


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## nochance (Nov 27, 2008)

on the otherside, I've seen many people shoot an 8 and then say oh here we go and then fall apart. They talk themselves into it. Or the shooting good and they say it won't last , then they fall apart. bad shots happen, just put it behind you and execute the next shot.


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## cbrunson (Oct 25, 2010)

aread said:


> Short memory.
> 
> This is easier as you get older.


Yes, but with it comes poor eyesight and lower endurance. :lol:


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## twelve-ring (Mar 3, 2015)

Thank you all. I'm going to work all this into my practice sessions


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## elkbow69 (May 7, 2010)

Once I see and hear that arrow pop the target, I dont care where it hits, I cant change it, no, re-do, re-wind or getting it back. On to the next arrow. I only care when I walk up to the target and see where it hit. 

Arrows are like a good steak, once its gone,, its gone!


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## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

I think it starts at the practice range.
Don't beat yourself up over bad shots, but praise yourself for great ones.
I try to never get mad at "that one arrow". I try to eliminate it from history.
I will only "replay" the good shots. Sometimes even a smile when I knew everything was perfect, and I killed the spider.
Yeah, I can remember the bad ones if I try (learn from mistakes, don't dwell on them), but I never replay them in my mind. ( why would I want to see my self shoot poorly twice?)


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

With indoor I think you need to have a realistic goal that is right along with your shooting average so that when you miss a x you don't freak out because you are only a 300 54x average guy anyway. Now once you are a 300 60x guy the mental game is different.

With 3d though I am starting to see it more like a nba game where you go along and then have a run of 12's to look forward to from time to time that change your score drastically, I am seeing this more and more with my shooting and to me it is making my tournaments much more enjoyable. I don't look at targets as "Must have 12's", I just play my 3d game all day long and try to make good decisions so that sooner or later I go on a 12 run. This way I don't freak out when I shoot a poor scoring shot because once I have a few 12 runs where I get a few of them those 12's will soak up the poor shot and I will be ahead of the game again.

Obviously the more good runs of 12's along with very few 8's or no 5's I am going to score really good but some of my best scores have been when I screwed around and shot a freaking 5 but I had multiple runs of 12's that totally erased it. 

So for me approaching a 3d tournament like this allows me to accept a occasional 8 even though I don't like them as just part of the day and I then continue making good shots and decisions and wait for a good run of 12's.


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## D.Short (Aug 5, 2010)

After being in this game awhile,I keep track of the winners in most all off the classes,and the thing that I noticed is that many times the winners,even top pro's,often have a bad arrow,sometimes even a zero and they come back from it......so I just tell myself I can do it also.
Now I don't always come back to the top ,but many times I do come back better than I ever thought I could. It gives you the opportunity to challenge yourself beyond what you thought you could do and overall ,in time it makes you better,tougher,and more competitive.


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## rohpenguins (Dec 2, 2012)

Read Terry Wunderle's book " Think and shoot like a champion " it is packed full of great insight into the mental game. It really helped me put things in perspective.


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## bseltzer (Nov 20, 2014)

cbrunson said:


> Yes, but with it comes poor eyesight and lower endurance. :lol:


I've always maintained that maturity was a much overrated commodity if it's price is advanced age.

The march of time not withstanding, for me a lot of how I respond to a bad shot has to do with expectations. I've reached a level with my shooting where I know what makes a good shot for me and believe that every good shot will land where I want it. I expect to do just that each time I nock up an arrow. Now reality dictates that I don't always meet my expectations, but so long as I don't abandon them, 99 times out of 100, the next shot will meet them. I guess it's a form of confidence. Whatever you chose t call it, so long as you can maintain it, the occasional "what the hey" shot won't throw you off.


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## Zach_Denton (Apr 10, 2015)

I can't say anything more than what has already been said, just wipe it off and shoot every shot as if your last was a 12


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## XForce Girl (Feb 14, 2008)

If you have a stubborn streak like I do, you won't let a bad shot bring you down. 

Shooting under pressure and coming from a bad shot makes me even more determined to not let that bad shot "beat me"


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