# Caffeine and Holding Steady



## mdbowhunter (Oct 22, 2002)

Curious if some of you control your caffeine intake before or during a shoot... epsi:


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## south-paaw (Jul 3, 2006)

mdbowhunter said:


> Curious if some of you control your caffeine intake before or during a shoot... epsi:




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sure i do.. coffee and mntn dew for me.. i shake worse if i don't have a minimum " calming-caffeine " ...

wasnt the 3rd a significant day..??? ....:thumbs_up....ccasion1:

( missed ya at the Hill... i do believe there was only one other pin shooter!!!
and only one in the hinklmnstr shoot.. !!.. ... sad, very sad..)


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## kidnutso (Aug 29, 2004)

mdbowhunter said:


> Curious if some of you control your caffeine intake before or during a shoot... epsi:


Hey, sometimes a good ole jolt of caffeine helps steady me. Maybe it acts as a counter agent to the natural shakiness I have as get older.


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

mdbowhunter said:


> Curious if some of you control your caffeine intake before or during a shoot... epsi:


YES - I still have coffee, but not as much as on a normal day. Sat. morning I had a cup at the club house and then Joe and I headed to McD in town. There I had an orange juice - by the time I got back to the Hill I had heart burn really bad. A Rolaid took care of that, but man was I thirsty - couldn't wait to get to the half way point and consume a bottle of water.


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## mdbowhunter (Oct 22, 2002)

south-paaw said:


> ```
> 
> ```
> sure i do.. coffee and mntn dew for me.. i shake worse if i don't have a minimum " calming-caffeine " ...
> ...


Ha, ha, ha....I've heard that from other coffee drinkers. I guess withdrawal can be worse. 

Yeah, the the 3rd was a significant day. Thanks for remembering. Hmmmm, isn't yours coming up soon?

I missed being there worse than I thought. All the pictures don't help. 2009 has been a lost year for me...archery wise. 



kidnutso said:


> Hey, sometimes a good ole jolt of caffeine helps steady me. Maybe it acts as a counter agent to the natural shakiness I have as get older.


IMHO you may be onto something. In years past I would stop drinking coffee during the summer months. Now, I don't pay attention to the calendar......:wink:


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## whitetailboy (Nov 19, 2008)

i still drink mtn dew, but before a hunt, early in the morning, i definately wouldnt advise drinking anything too crazy, like a monster.


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## camoham (Nov 3, 2004)

Yep drink plenty of Monster

or more preferably Venom!

the new mango or fruit punch?

camoham


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

Those are two things that don't mix.... Period. 

I used to drink a lot of coffee and after a good cup or two ot would be a few hours before I could hold steady enough to shoot  I have had one cup in the past 2 years 

I don't even really drink coke or anything anymore with caffeine other then tea....and if I am going to shoot I won't even drink that. If I drink soda in the morning before a shoot it will be root beer or Sprite. 

But while shooting all I will drink is water or Gatorade :wink:

I have been around a lot of "top" shooters in the AM before shooting and I can probably count on one hand the number of them that I have seen with coffee in the morning :wink:

But I need a notebook full of paper to count the # of Joes I have seen flinging arrows all over the bale drinking coffee :wink:


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## Bert Colwell (Jun 25, 2005)

Shot some of the best scores I have shot after a couple of Red Bulls.


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

In the mornings, shooting or not, I really like to have a nice calming cup or two of tea. During the shoot, I drink only plain H2O and Gatorade. Afterwards, well, that depends on my mood, but even then it's with moderation. I have personally not found a little caffiene to negatively effect my shooting. Had the same routine when I competed with horses and won a couple of national titles; saw no viable reason to change up now that I'm playin the archery game....


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

montigre said:


> In the mornings, shooting or not, I really like to have a nice calming cup or two of tea. During the shoot, I drink only plain H2O and Gatorade. Afterwards, well, that depends on my mood, but even then it's with moderation. I have personally not found a little caffiene to negatively effect my shooting. Had the same routine when I competed with horses and won a couple of national titles; saw no viable reason to change up now that I'm playin the archery game....


She's ALIVE - hey Gail - really nice meeting you this weekend - hope we didn't "scare" you too badly.


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

pragmatic_lee said:


> She's ALIVE - hey Gail - really nice meeting you this weekend - hope we didn't "scare" you too badly.


Nope, very much alive and kickin. I don’t get skeered (_I get even...._). :ninja: I just wanted to hit the sack before making the drive back to my lair and with my release not working properly, didn't feel like stressing over it for another go round. When I pulled it out of my quiver the next day at the range, the bloody thing was working again--go figure, still can't figure out what was up with that. 

Anyways, I had a blast and am looking forward to next year’s fling so long as I don’t have to listen to banjo music…I may also be ready then to take a few of you up on a crispy challenge or two. :shade:


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

montigre said:


> with my release not working properly, didn't feel like stressing over it for another go round. When I pulled it out of my quiver the next day at the range, the bloody thing was working again--go figure, still can't figure out what was up with that.


Jarlicker and I told you it was nothing wrong with it....maybe that it needed to be polished a touch. 

You shooting at MOB Sat? If so and I go I will bring my cleaning tools and hook ya up :wink:

But that release is as simple as they come..... There is nothing there to "not work".... you just have to set it up right :wink:


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## Young Jedi (Feb 16, 2005)

I have heard from a few of our shooter here in maryland that if you drink soda everyday. Drink it the days you shoot. If you dont drink soda alot. you prolly shouldnt drink it before a shoot. Me Personaly. i drink Mt. Dew or anythink i can get my hands on before and while shooting.


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## VA Vince (Aug 30, 2005)

Water during daylight hours and either beer or a good red during night time hours. You will be shooting in the 40's in no time!


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## jarlicker (Jul 29, 2002)

I strongly feel that sugar has more of a reaction in me than caffine.
I would just drink my normal cup of Joe in the morning and not over do the caffine. Doughnuts, candy and regular type soda will wire me out.


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

*Pleeeease release me....*



Brown Hornet said:


> Jarlicker and I told you it was nothing wrong with it....maybe that it needed to be polished a touch.
> 
> You shooting at MOB Sat? If so and I go I will bring my cleaning tools and hook ya up :wink:
> 
> But that release is as simple as they come..... There is nothing there to "not work".... you just have to set it up right :wink:


Yep, something is definitely up with it. Shot a half with it fine on Monday and today after about 50 arrows it started seizing up again. It popped of my loop and I had to duck fast--even though I draw away from the face, that's still a lot of brass to have temporarily out of control...:mg:

I know the concept of a hinge is very simple, I just have not been taught about it yet--been working on many other things as a newbie, ya know...I'm still on that very steep initial learning curve.

I have not decided if I'm shooting on Saturday at MOB or Sunday at TPA, but if I do shoot MOB and I have not totally dismantled the thing into its tinyest parts between now and then, you're more than welcome to have a go at it. Sometimes it's the simple things that really throw a wrench into the works :set1_chores030:....Thanks much for the offer, I really appreciate it. :thumbs_up


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

montigre said:


> Nope, very much alive and kickin. I don’t get skeered (_I get even...._). :ninja: I just wanted to hit the sack before making the drive back to my lair and with my release not working properly, didn't feel like stressing over it for another go round. When I pulled it out of my quiver the next day at the range, the bloody thing was working again--go figure, still can't figure out what was up with that.
> 
> Anyways, I had a blast and am looking forward to next year’s fling so long as I don’t have to listen to banjo music…I may also be ready then to take a few of you up on a crispy challenge or two. :shade:


I think yer pullin on it so hard, it's overheating.. 

Jerry, I've tried cuttin back on coffee in the morning, but this weekend I was in serious withdrawals and my shooting sucked, so... Sunday it's a pot of coffee with my normal Sunday Bailey's touch before the TPA Shoot.. we'll see, cause my shootin sucked without it..  :noidea:


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

Young Jedi said:


> I have heard from a few of our shooter here in maryland that if you drink soda everyday. Drink it the days you shoot. If you dont drink soda alot. you prolly shouldnt drink it before a shoot. Me Personaly. i drink Mt. Dew or anythink i can get my hands on before and while shooting.


You don't count your still young... sugar runs through your veins.

What you need is some Wasabi


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

Brown Hornet said:


> You don't count your still young... sugar runs through your veins.
> 
> What you need is some Wasabi


I love Wasabi, but it don't help me shootin either.. :noidea: Well, except maybe to get an archer to let down once in a while.. :killpain:  :zip:


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

montigre said:


> Yep, something is definitely up with it. Shot a half with it fine on Monday and today after about 50 arrows it started seizing up again. It popped of my loop and I had to duck fast--even though I draw away from the face, that's still a lot of brass to have temporarily out of control...:mg:
> 
> I know the concept of a hinge is very simple, I just have not been taught about it yet--been working on many other things as a newbie, ya know...I'm still on that very steep initial learning curve.
> 
> I have not decided if I'm shooting on Saturday at MOB or Sunday at TPA, but if I do shoot MOB and I have not totally dismantled the thing into its tinyest parts between now and then, you're more than welcome to have a go at it. Sometimes it's the simple things that really throw a wrench into the works :set1_chores030:....Thanks much for the offer, I really appreciate it. :thumbs_up



It ain't the release..... 

Like Jarlicker and I told you Sat....you need to slow that thing down. 

It's changing/seizing and going off because as you tire and shoot more you are getting more tense and changing the amount of pressure/tension on the release and in your hand.

Nothing more nothing less...promise :wink:


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

IGluIt4U said:


> I love Wasabi, but it don't help me shootin either.. :noidea: Well, except maybe to get an archer to let down once in a while.. :killpain:  :zip:


The Young one doesn't like spicy food....


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

Brown Hornet said:


> It ain't the release.....
> 
> Like Jarlicker and I told you Sat....you need to slow that thing down.
> 
> ...



I’ll take that into consideration--really I will. :wink: I do probably alter the amount of tension as I tire—I may even change my hand position a little to compensate for the fatigue. Something else I’ll pay closer attention to. 

However, I really was feeling very comfortable with the speed it’s currently set on—not even giving it a second thought until it seized on me—now it’s gotten in my head a little...Made shooting the hill a little more difficult not trusting my equipment (_for whatever reason_)…. 

I still want to learn how to take the thing apart, service it and put it back together again, so I’ll probably have it all torn apart in a day or two. Some little piece of brass is not gonna get the better of me....:laugh:


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## VtecBrad1180 (Jan 20, 2006)

*it helps*

I drink soda mt dew before I shoot or capachino and it helps me hold steady.


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## WrongdayJ (May 22, 2008)

Brown Hornet said:


> . . .Those are two things that don't mix.... Period.
> 
> I used to drink a lot of coffee and after a good cup or two ot would be a few hours before I could hold steady enough to shoot  I have had one cup in the past 2 years
> 
> ...



I totally agree. Caffeine is a definate no-no. So is sugar. Almost all the folks I see downing Monsters and Donuts in the parking lot before a shoot (or worse yet. . .during a shoot :no: ) are the exact same ones that are dropping the excuses when they add up their scorecards.

I believe that water is the best thing to drink before and during a shoot. As far as food. . .I normally eat after a shoot, but as long as it isn't a super greasy or sugary food. . .I guess one could eat just about anything, although things like trail mix would probably be ideal. It's easy to carry (and share!), and won't spoil on a hot day, has slow releasing carb's so you won't get jittery, natural ingredients, the list goes on.

Everyone has their pre-shoot routine, though. And what works for me probably is the exact opposite of what works for some others. But if you are having trouble holding on the X. . .try looking at what you are eating and drinking before and during a shoot.


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## bowaholic77 (Jul 27, 2006)

I think for those who have drank coffee, or another form of caffine, for many years.....they have no choice. If they didnt they would shake too much without it. Thus all the responses of caffine helping more than hurting. But for someone who doesnt drink much, it would do more harm than good.

Me....I am trying to kick the habit all together. Anything I can do trying to become as stable as possible. I havent had a coffee in a month and I'm trying to drop soda as well.

I tell you one thing that would work for me.........A cold beer or a Bloody Mary if its early:darkbeer: Calm those nerves!!!!!!!


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