# 5 spot shooting



## Lazarus (Sep 19, 2005)

Spur chaser said:


> This is for tips and advice, anything to improve.
> 
> I'm sure I will improve over time but what are some tips that will make it come sooner.


Practice more. 100% serious, non-smartass answer.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

If you have a place where you can do it try some 5yd games. Shoot the same target, just at 5yds (with the appropriate sight setting).
Don't be afraid to move your feet to align yourself with each spot either.

-Grant


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Don't "try" to shoot better scores. Work to build your form and consistency, scores will come in time.

Trying harder creates muscle tension which may improve scores briefly, but will soon lead to bad habits and form flaws.

In archery competition, consistent form produces good scores, not big efforts.

Allen


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## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

Identify your weaknesses.
Does your shot fire easily (assuming your looking for a surprise release vs. Command shooting)? If not look at your firing engine... Maybe some blank bale time.
Are you steady? A very fast/nervous float often is a draw length too short issue. Big but slow float? Maybe too long of a draw length.
Evaluate (or have a coach evaluate) your form.
Video yourself drawing the bow. This might show if you have too much draw weight.
If 60 arrows (plus warm up) seems too much, drop the draw weight. You only need enough KE to keep the arrow in the target (don't go too low on your holding weight though).
Don't pay attention to the score, probably the #1 cause of 299 games (vs 300).
And as said, practice more. 
When you practice, practice with a reason... Just to fling arrows doesn't count.
Work on your form, or release, or whatever.
Work on one thing at a time.

Have FUN!!!!


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## cbrunson (Oct 25, 2010)

I'm gonna break the mold here but still agree with Laz.

Short game gives you false confidence that you can't take back to 20 with you. Not keeping track of score just makes you good at practicing because you leave out the element of stress, which will always be there in competition.

Shoot one spot at a time. Slow down...... a lot. Work hard to get it in the middle and hold it as still as you can but don't expect it to be perfectly still. Smooth controlled release. Don't expect anything to happen soon. Like Lazurus said above, shoot thousands of arrows. Then try to identify when things are working good and when they are not. It will come, but you have to put in the time.


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## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

To clarify, don't pay attention to score DURING league.
Shoot each arrow as if it is the ONLY arrow that matters (and that is true).


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## cbrunson (Oct 25, 2010)

Mahly said:


> Identify your weaknesses.
> Does your shot fire easily (assuming your looking for a surprise release vs. Command shooting)? If not look at your firing engine... Maybe some blank bale time.
> Are you steady? A very fast/nervous float often is a draw length too short issue. Big but slow float? Maybe too long of a draw length.
> Evaluate (or have a coach evaluate) your form.
> ...


I guarantee you the guy shooting 299 knows his score without keeping track.


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## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

Knowing and paying attention (caring) can be 2 different things.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

it's pretty hard to retrieve your own arrows and not keep score in your head.


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## Spur chaser (Jan 6, 2014)

I'm for sure taking my poundage down closer to 60 rather than leaving it on 72. Lol. My form isn't bad but I'm sure there is something that I can improve on. Hi know alot of it is lack of getting fatigued, my 1st 2 shots is when I got the most x's. Had a few rushed shots and even a premature shot from having my thumb on the trigger while drawing. When shooting in my back yard I can shoot1-2" groups at 40 yards but I'm also shooting at a 1" orange sticker on a black block target. I can't see the "x" on the paper target and the white area is hard to concentrate on the very center. What exercise or drill will help take some of the circling out of the pin while trying to hold on target?


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## D-Bak (Jan 17, 2005)

The best tip I can give (as I just started shooting indoors as well) is DO NOT focus on accuracy or score. Focus on execution. I learned that on day one from a coach from this site and although it is difficult, I really believe it is the answer to good scores. Focus on having the perfect execution, and the arrow will go where it is supposed to.

One thing I do to help me with this, is adjust the windage of my sight off to the right 5 clicks, so I know I will not hit the center x, even with a perfect shot. That way I am not even concerned with where the arrow is going, because I know it wont hit the x. The only thing I do is focus on execution. My groups are much smaller (albeit hovered over the 4 ring) when I do this compared to when I haven't moved the sight. Just proves how mental this game really is.


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## rohpenguins (Dec 2, 2012)

When I practice I don't keep score per say. I shoot and make tick marks on the target for good, marginal and bad shots. Over time my groups have shrank as my good shots increased and bad shot decreased. Doing it this way has helped me focus on the process rather than the result. We all have made shots that were horrible and somehow the arrow found the "X".


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## 1tiger (Jan 24, 2005)

I have found that the only times I miss the x is when my eye drifts either back to my crosshairs too early or comes off the x right at the shot.i had about 3 times that I came out of the shot way too early and was already dropping my bow,but because my eye stayed on the x and that's what I hit.my problem is my focus on the x is not very good as a hunter I am much better at 3d.


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

D-Bak said:


> One thing I do to help me with this, is adjust the windage of my sight off to the right 5 clicks, so I know I will not hit the center x, even with a perfect shot. That way I am not even concerned with where the arrow is going, because I know it wont hit the x. The only thing I do is focus on execution. My groups are much smaller (albeit hovered over the 4 ring) when I do this compared to when I haven't moved the sight. Just proves how mental this game really is.


I would not encourage any shooter to aim off the middle--that is only implanting the idea into their subconcious that is okay to miss the target. You can learn to aim for and hit the center without focusing on the score aspect just as you can learn any other aspect of archery.


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## Carbofastdirect (Nov 25, 2013)

Work on getting your foundations right- good form, 100% draw length etc, we can all shoot good scores but to do it consistently and not have that 1 or 2 brain farts per round. This usually this comes down to the guy with the better form who almost shoots sub consciously, trusting form and letting it flow.

Oh Yeah lots of practice too!!


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## kc hay seed (Jul 12, 2007)

years ago when i started archery we shot indoors with 38 to 42 lb bows with the skinny Easton gold target arrows.being 76 now i would still shoot 45 lbs indoors sure would be easy on old arms and muscles. the object is to hit the x with the least effort possible, not how fast the arrow travels at 20 yards.yea i know old people are hard to deal with!!! ha ha!!


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## Lungbustah (Oct 4, 2010)

If i can give any one tip to improve accuracy on a 5spot face is just burn a hole in that x. I know you said you can't see it but you know it's there in the center. Just look past/ thru your pin and concentrate on the center. Aim small miss small!


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## scott the shot (May 18, 2004)

Your mind can only concentrate on one thing at a time and that has to be staring at the "X". All the other stuff has to be done subconciously with good technique/form.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Spur chaser said:


> This is for tips and advice, anything to improve.
> Just got into 5 spot shoots at my local archery shop. Shot my first one last weekend. Had a blast but 60 shots was a little tiring. Shot a 294 33x's. I'm sure I will improve over time but what are some tips that will make it come sooner. I'm shooting an xpedition xr6s with a single pin sight and a trophy ridge revolution rest, my hunting setup.


I see you look into draw weight. Yeah, well, paper doesn't take a whole lot of killing 

First timers usually shoot pretty quick back to back shots. So like cbrunson said, slow down, cool it some. Give at 15 seconds between shots. 15 to 17 seconds is said to allow the bow arm to recover to 100%. Shoot a bunch and let the bow arm relax, shake it a bit, and more than likely you will feel something, blood circulating where tension squeezed the blood off a bit...

Shooting one shot at a time and pull will do some good. This will learn your stance and form. You may see shot place change. Once you find good, remember it.

R-e-l-a-x. Yes, at full draw you should be able to relax and maintain full draw. You can get on target easier when you're relaxed. Relaxed, getting on target and tensing just the back may slow your float down and then it's just a matter of letting the shot happen, a no force thing.

294 and 33 Xs ain't bad. So what you're doing and just keep practice and trying a few things all have put forth here and you'll do well.

Normally, you're going to have good days and bad days. Don't go off the deep end when a bad day hits you, it happens...


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## ThunderEagle (May 11, 2011)

SonnyThomas said:


> First timers usually shoot pretty quick back to back shots. So like cbrunson said, slow down, cool it some. Give at 15 seconds between shots. 15 to 17 seconds is said to allow the bow arm to recover to 100%.


I don't think this is advice is given enough. I just recently started counting to 10 before knocking my next arrow, perhaps I should be counting longer. I do feel it has improved my game, and much more so in the final ends.


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## Rick! (Aug 10, 2008)

SonnyThomas said:


> First timers usually shoot pretty quick back to back shots. So like cbrunson said, slow down, cool it some. Give at 15 seconds between shots. 15 to 17 seconds is said to allow the bow arm to recover to 100%. Shoot a bunch and let the bow arm relax, shake it a bit, and more than likely you will feel something, blood circulating where tension squeezed the blood off
> 
> R-e-l-a-x. Yes, at full draw you should be able to relax and maintain full draw. ...


^^ Some good advice here.

Have someone time an end or two of yours. I wouldn't be surprised to see it around 2 minutes. (NFAA allows 4 minutes in competition, I think) Two to three deep breaths is close to 15 seconds, you want oxygen in your blood for the next shot. For spots 3, 4, and five I take an extra breath or two to help my "reset". If, I don't let down, I'm at the 3 minute mark. It takes me 20 seconds to reset from a let down so I have time for two of them in an end. 

Can't say enough about relaxing; before drawing, at full draw and the rest of the shot. It's one of the messages I repeat to myself every shot.


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## xhammer23 (Dec 25, 2014)

Work on a surprise release and get that built into subconscious. Then all you do is aim,aim,aim until the shot goes off without thinking about the release. Aim at the middle of x best you can and just let the shot happen. Don't rush it takes time and repetition. A lot of practice and patience. Good luck op!


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## EPLC (May 21, 2002)

Mahly said:


> To clarify, don't pay attention to score DURING league.
> Shoot each arrow as if it is the ONLY arrow that matters (and that is true).





cbrunson said:


> I guarantee you the guy shooting 299 knows his score without keeping track.


In my opinion you are both right but it's really not the real issue. The problem isn't really to score or not to score, the problem is process vs. result focus placement. If you focus on the result the result will suffer, but if you focus on process the process will improve and so will the result... eventually. It's easier to say "don't focus on the result" than it is to accomplish in a result based sport such as archery. Over the past few months I've been making an effort to change my very result based thinking to more of a process based mindset. It's not easy and is taking time but I am seeing some improvement. Like cbrunson pointed out, there are more ways to "score" than keeping score... the subtle ways are infinite. I haven't scored a practice round in a while now but I'm not so sure that it alone has done much as I can conjure up a whole bunch of other ways to feed my result oriented brain. I think it may just be a difference in the way we are wired. I've come to the conclusion that my brain just wants to think this way and to change it would be an insurmountable task at 69 years old (don't let the age fool you as I' probability in better shape than many reading this). 

That said, I may have stumbled onto a method that feeds my need to be result oriented "and" address the desire to focus more on process. I've dumbed down my practice to a simple goal oriented but process building routine. I'm not sure if I thought of it, read it here or it is a variation of several learning's, but here it is (again). Simply put, I shoot 1 arrow at 1 spot of a multi spot target, retrieve the arrow and repeat. I shoot 10 ends if I'm using a Vegas face and 12 on the NFAA 5 spot. My "goal" is to shoot it clean and in order to do this I'm forced to focus on my process. It seems to be working as my results are improving along with my ability to keep my thoughts on the arrow at hand. Just focus on hitting the X, the X that I'm shooting and not any other X. The end "result" I seek is hitting the X, the only X within reach. I'm beginning to think it's really Ok to be result based, so long as the result is simply hitting the X at hand. The result is manageable and doesn't interfere with the requirement to focus on the process to get there. 

In practice, and last night at my league I'm seeing my focus work begin to pay off. Last night I physically shot a 300 47X but only scored 295 due to a pre fire of the last arrow in the 7th end (new release). Even with the miss I was very happy with my shooting last night as I'm truly seeing a change in focus to the arrow at hand, rather than a focus on results that can not be attained... such as end score, etc. 

I know we are all wired differently but this little routine seems to be really working for me... and believe me I've tried them all.


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## Elk in CO (Jun 20, 2006)

Thank you for starting this post, and to everyone for their advice. I too have just begun shooting indoor target (although I've been shooting 30 years now) and reading this thread has given me some starting points for some true practice I need to start.

I finished a 5-spot 360 league and didn't think I did too bad considering I'm shooting my hunting bow at 72# as well. Now we are at the tail end of a "Vegas" league, and I've been very surprised at how different it is to aim at the yellow, red, and blue target.

I also shot my first Vegas 450 tournament, and was fairly happy with an 853-23x two day score. Then I turned around the following weekend and found out what it's like to have a "bad" day. I shot another 450 shoot and had a 387-11X day. It's amazing how having an off day plays against your psyche. I re-evaluated my release issues that evening and the following night at league tried my best to work through them.

I don't have any advice, just my experience so far. I'm guessing it's pretty close to yours.

EIC


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