# Target panic



## xforceLD32

So I hear this all the time that back tensions are the best for target panic. Now is this true or not? Another thing is what the heck is target panic and how do you know when you get it? I dont think I have it but when ever I am shooting spots when i draw back instead of bringing my bow up I bring it down on the target that is how you are normally sappose to do it right? but sometimes i bring it to low and find it very hard getting it back up to the center of the target what could be causing me to do that?


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## BoneDriven

xforceLD32 said:


> So I hear this all the time that back tensions are the best for target panic. Now is this true or not? Another thing is what the heck is target panic and how do you know when you get it? I dont think I have it but when ever I am shooting spots when i draw back instead of bringing my bow up I bring it down on the target that is how you are normally sappose to do it right? but sometimes i bring it to low and find it very hard getting it back up to the center of the target what could be causing me to do that?


Yea man, that's what I got.. target panic SUCKS!! I have the problem of holding low at 6 O'clock on the target and not being able to get the pin up and hold it on the spot... A lot of guys recommend back tension and claim it cured them.. I'm in the process of trying to get my hands on a BT to try it out... Also, I've been doing a ton of blind bale shooting at no more than 5 yards, just focusing on form and release... anyway, hope you don't catch it too bad :thumbs_do 'cus it's a pain in the butt to beat!


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## HoytPA

xforceLD32 said:


> So I hear this all the time that back tensions are the best for target panic. Now is this true or not? Another thing is what the heck is target panic and how do you know when you get it? I dont think I have it but when ever I am shooting spots when i draw back instead of bringing my bow up I bring it down on the target that is how you are normally sappose to do it right? but sometimes i bring it to low and find it very hard getting it back up to the center of the target what could be causing me to do that?


i suffered 2 years of this crap. holding low and not being able to bring that pin up to the center of bulls eye is target panic. a back tension release aid will help overcome this. the effect of a "surprise" release will cure that urge to "punch" that trigger. I would go with a true back tension hinge style release like a truball bt gold.


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## ebonarcher

Target panic is nothing more than a problem with your mind.
Retrain your mind... problem is that is not very easy.
Who wants to say they have a mental problem, period.
Changing release's help, for awhile. Long as you can not predict when the release will go off. Soon as your able to anticipate it it will come back. That's why the real fix is to retrain your brain and work on setting your shot cycle correctly.


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## xforceLD32

I would try a back tension the only problem is that i have used one and I hated it. I was scared the whole time i was pulling the bow back. I have since changed to a T-handle with a thumb release. Feels much more comfortable for me. Why would you want a suprise release, does that go with a oops shot?


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## jarlickin12

The more you talk and read about it the worse you will have it. Ask me how I know. I shouldn't even be reading this now.


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## ebonarcher

Don't think of it as a "suprise" release. Point is your only conscious thought should be aim, aim,aim.

If your thinking on when to release you will be splitting your attention!


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## dalton4

xforceLD32 said:


> So I hear this all the time that back tensions are the best for target panic. Now is this true or not? Another thing is what the heck is target panic and how do you know when you get it? I dont think I have it but when ever I am shooting spots when i draw back instead of bringing my bow up I bring it down on the target that is how you are normally sappose to do it right? but sometimes i bring it to low and find it very hard getting it back up to the center of the target what could be causing me to do that?


Try to get your hands on a disc set called "Mastering the Mental Game of Archery" by Troy Basham. It's a very useful set for helping overcome target panic and setting up a mental shot sequence to go along with the physical shot sequence. Really helpful for calming the mind and keeping it busy so you don't over think the shot.


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## SpotShy

Target panic is basically the failure to develop a trusted shot sequence. Which in turn results in doubt which then results in a fear of missing. That fear of missing soon triggers an anxiety that may result in either not being able to get the shoot to go or forcing the shot to go as soon as the sight gets close to the target. Most cases develop from not acquiring the target immediately and also not knowing what to do when you do acquire it immediately. Typically the archer either raises or lowers the sight pin on to the target waisting valuable time. Then they have a tendancy to time their release as the pin comes up to or down to the target. As soon as the pin crosses the target center, "BANG"! This will work superbly for a while, that is until you reach a point where the pin gets epoxied at 12 O'clock or 6 O'Clock above or below the target. Then the timing is disrupted. The result will be hitting low or hitting high. Soon the archer gets frustrated and forces the pin on to the target and forces the release to fire at the instant he thinks the pin is where it needs to be. Finally everything gets so disconnected and the axiety of aiming and timing the release cause the archer to completely discombobulate.

There are a few keys to getting past TP. First you have to face the fact that you have it and that no release, bow, sight, or internet gadget will fix you. Second, you have to be willing to re-train yourself no matter how long it takes and fore-go cutting corners in the process. Second, you have to break the game down to simple pieces that you can isolate and train on in order to develope a trusted shot sequence. Then practice those individual pieces individually until you master each one. Once done the individual pieces will make up a complete shot sequence that if trusted will make up a complete game.


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## pabuckslayer08

Tru Bal makes the push thumb release that works well. Just is like a natural feeling and you cant exactly punch it. Instead of pulling with the thumb you push down and thats what sets it off.


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## Harleyman

xforceld32, Idon't think you have target panic, try shortening your draw length by 1/2" and see if that helps!


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## prairierat

i have found by taking a target and putting orange pricing dots the small ones around the target start at 12 'oclock 3, 6, 9, and middle, and stand back 5 yards, and aim at the 12 and hold for 10 sec. and let down move to 3 doing same thing and 6 and 9 then middle. this has help me and other i have instructed.


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## Leopard1

u might b concentrating 2 much on the pinn and not enough on the target


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## XSPOT60

*had it*

I had t/p. It about got the best of me. I switched releases. Got a Loesch true bt. and with in days it helped. Now i settle on dot, dont punch trigger, and i have picked my scores up from mid 450s up to 516:shade: on field. I started shooting bows the middle of last september. And ive only been to 5 field shoots. So answer is yes, back tension sure does help.


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## subconsciously

prairierat said:


> i have found by taking a target and putting orange pricing dots the small ones around the target start at 12 'oclock 3, 6, 9, and middle, and stand back 5 yards, and aim at the 12 and hold for 10 sec. and let down move to 3 doing same thing and 6 and 9 then middle. this has help me and other i have instructed.



That is called "target aquisitioning". A very important part of breaking TP.


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## dalton4

prairierat said:


> i have found by taking a target and putting orange pricing dots the small ones around the target start at 12 'oclock 3, 6, 9, and middle, and stand back 5 yards, and aim at the 12 and hold for 10 sec. and let down move to 3 doing same thing and 6 and 9 then middle. this has help me and other i have instructed.


That sounds almost exactly like the technique Coach Bernie shows in video 3 of his 6 part training series.


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## striker34

prairierat said:


> i have found by taking a target and putting orange pricing dots the small ones around the target start at 12 'oclock 3, 6, 9, and middle, and stand back 5 yards, and aim at the 12 and hold for 10 sec. and let down move to 3 doing same thing and 6 and 9 then middle. this has help me and other i have instructed.


I am in my second week of blind bale shooting, i'll try this orange dots next in my process.


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## prairierat

it is on coach bernie video's and it works thats why i uses it to help others.


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## mathewdbl_lung

YOU WILL LEARN TO PUNCH A BT OVER TIME....then your right back where you started. It is best to retrain your mind for a proper shot.


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## da white shoe

How to shoot with back tension and a surprise release 
If you're useing an index finger triggered release, you need to touch the trigger with the 2nd pad back from the tip of your finger. (Don't use the tip of your finger. It is too sensitive and easy to move.) To do this, you have to keep your release shortened up. With some releases you will have to keep the strap very tight and with others, not so much. For target panic, nothing beats a true back tension release, so get one.

Before you draw, position your hand on the grip and start pulling back to put pressure on the string. You are trying to find the exact spot for your bowhand to be in. On your bow hand, you want to feel all the pressure from the bow at full draw, at one point on your palm. Pretend there is a steel rod running parallel and exactly between the two bones in your forearm. Where that rod would exit your palm is where this point is. If you find this spot, it will help keep you from torqueing the bow handle. Once you start your draw, do not move your bow hand AT ALL.

At full draw, your release hand, as well as your bow hand, should be completely relaxed. That means that you don't want to be grasping or squeezeing the barrel of the release with that hand, or the grip of your bow handle with the other. Also, do not force either of your hands open. Your fingers should be hanging limp. I lightly touch my first finger and my thumb together around the handle, but some people use a wrist sling.

Use the bones in your arms and your back muscles to hold as much of the weight of the bow at full draw as you can. Relax every muscle in your arms that you don't need to use to stay at full draw. That goes for the muscles in your torso and legs, too. Remember; tension in your muscles is what causes your sights to wobble and jump around. If you can learn to relax everything that isn't needed to hold at full draw, your sights will barely even move. Your draw length must not be too long. If it is, you will have a hard time relaxing fully. 

Next thing to work on is getting a surprise release. After you have learned to relax at full draw and your sight pins are fairly still, teach yourself to aim while slowly squeezeing the trigger until the bow goes off. Better yet, learn to do it by squeezeing the muscles of your back so that your shoulder blades are trying to touch. Put as much pressure on the trigger as you can without making it fire and then squeeze just your back muscles until it goes off. 

To aim, reach full draw, line up your bubble level, (yes, you need one!), pick the right pin and center it, (or the sight housing, which ever you do), in the peep. Next, move your whole upper body to get on target. You don't want to just move your arm up and down or side to side. At full draw, your upper body and arms should at all times form a perfect T shape. When the pin is on the spot, concentrate on relaxing and then start your squeeze. The pin will still seem to float around the spot, but you need to forget about the pin. You will naturally try to keep it on the spot without even thinking about it. You should be focusing on the spot and nothing else. It helps to shoot with both eyes open if you can do it without your off eye taking over. Keep your concentration while slowly squeezing off the shot, making sure to follow through after the release. The first few times the bow goes off, it will scare the heck out of you. Keep at it! You will get used to it and it is important to do. You will know you are doing it right when the arrow goes dead center even when you think the pin was not on the spot at the time your bow went off.

When you "follow through" after the bow goes off, people say you should try to keep the pin on the target or keep aiming until the arrow hits. I've always felt that that was a bad way to describe it. You can't keep aiming or even see the pin once you shoot. What I would say is... keep your T form until the arrow hits, do not drop your bow arm or move your head, stay relaxed and let the bow go where it wants to with out grabbing it. Good follow through takes practice.

When you start trying all of this for the first time, it will speed up the process if you do it with your eyes closed at first. Your target needs to be at the same height as your arrow. I hang my target from a rafter and stand close, so that the tip of my arrow is about 3 feet away from the target at full draw. After you reach full draw and have lined everything up, close your eyes and think through every step of the shot. 

When that feels comfortable, move to a blank target that is 3 yards away and start shooting with your eyes open, but use no spot and try not to aim for a spot on the target. When you have the hang of it, move to 5 yards with a spot and try it all while aiming. Work your way out to longer and longer distances, but if you feel yourself slipping back to doing something wrong, don't be afraid to get close again.

The philosophy you want, is to think of yourself as a bow shooting machine. You have to stay out of the way to allow the arrow to leave the bow with no outside influences working against it. Do everything listed here, do it the same everytime and you will not only cure your target panic, you will be looking for a sight that has 7 or 8 pins. Once you reach this point, if you had target panic and you're a hunter, you need to re-learn to do this with your hunting release. If you ever feel yourself slipping, go back to the BT release for a bit and it will go away.

I had TP very bad at one point and nearly gave up bowhunting. Now I use a BT release in the summer and switch to a caliper for hunting. "It" has never returned in 10 years.


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## Quantrill

jarlickin12 said:


> the more you talk and read about it the worse you will have it. Ask me how i know. I shouldn't even be reading this now.



+1 lmfao


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## wheelie

Don't know about target panic much but when I pull my bow back I am lined up on target through the process. If you have to sky it to pull it back or pull it back low, the draw weight is to much. Alot of bow shoots they won't let you shoot if you have to sky it to draw it back. This way if arrows let go on surprise or something breaks, arrow is on target or close to it.


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## archerlou

Da White Shoe which caliper release do you prefer for hunting? thanks


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## Orion1

ebonarcher said:


> Don't think of it as a "suprise" release. Point is your only conscious thought should be aim, aim,aim.
> 
> If your thinking on when to release you will be splitting your attention!


This is the answer, I have been seeking I try for a surprize release and can doe it very consistenly on the blank bale. It just came to me tonite, I still was focusing on my release instead of aiming because I judge if it a good release or not instead of aiming. I just started to only judge if I could start to release the arrow after that all I care about is focusing on the spot I want the arrow to hit. It seemed to work well tonite.


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## fatboyshooter

*Buy Coach Bernie's book, Idiot Proof Archery*



xforceLD32 said:


> So I hear this all the time that back tensions are the best for target panic. Now is this true or not? Another thing is what the heck is target panic and how do you know when you get it? I dont think I have it but when ever I am shooting spots when i draw back instead of bringing my bow up I bring it down on the target that is how you are normally sappose to do it right? but sometimes i bring it to low and find it very hard getting it back up to the center of the target what could be causing me to do that?


Jan And Bernie Pellerite together wrote a book along with their Video series that addresses the problem - freezing out of the center of the X, take Bernie's cure I promise you it works! Sounds like you are defensively trying not to shoot outside the X-ring rather than offensively trying to "hit the molecule in the center of the X". You need to allow the bow to fire while all you see in your mind is the center of the X-ring.


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## da white shoe

archerlou said:


> Da White Shoe which caliper release do you prefer for hunting? thanks


Scott Lil Goose, buckle, not velcro.


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## fatboyshooter

*Focus your mind to the center of the X*



xforceLD32 said:


> So I hear this all the time that back tensions are the best for target panic. Now is this true or not? Another thing is what the heck is target panic and how do you know when you get it? I dont think I have it but when ever I am shooting spots when i draw back instead of bringing my bow up I bring it down on the target that is how you are normally sappose to do it right? but sometimes i bring it to low and find it very hard getting it back up to the center of the target what could be causing me to do that?


Don't look at your pin or aiming dot, focus your mind onto that molecule in the center of the X, your mind will bring the bow up to where you are focusing, and yes I know that shooting back tension is for me the only way I can continue to keep the target panic out of my shot sequence.


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## 90 meter 120

a back tension release will cure it for sure but you need to learn the proper way to shoot one... there are allot of them on the market that are great but you get what you pay for.. for a true back tension a try a hooker ( my personal fav.) scott makes a pretty good one as well... if you want a thumb trigger go with a scott or a true ball... but take the time to properly learn how to shoot one....I shoot all year with one for target and even with my hunting bow, then switch to my wrist strap for hunting....


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## marbowNC

xforceLD32 said:


> So I hear this all the time that back tensions are the best for target panic. Now is this true or not? Another thing is what the heck is target panic and how do you know when you get it? I dont think I have it but when ever I am shooting spots when i draw back instead of bringing my bow up I bring it down on the target that is how you are normally sappose to do it right? but sometimes i bring it to low and find it very hard getting it back up to the center of the target what could be causing me to do that?


I know alot of guys that use back tension release , I personally don't like them ! I use to have the same problem I couldn't get my bow back up after I droped the pin low , what fixed this for me was to just slow down , draw the bow and hold it as long as I could at the dot then let off with out shooting , I would do this 2 or 3 times then shoot . It didn't take long and the target panic was gone . This might not work for you , but it's worth a try .


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## aread

xforceLD32 said:


> .... but when ever I am shooting spots when i draw back instead of bringing my bow up I bring it down on the target that is how you are normally sappose to do it right? ......



A better way is to get you pin on the target immediately so you aren't coming in from either direction. Then settle into your shot and work for smooth execution.

Failure to immediately and solidly aquire pin on target is one of the many causes of target panic.

A lot of archers successfully do it the other way, but most of us will do better to be on target as soon as we reach anchor.


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## [email protected]

pin on target is calibration,just another anchor.pin on target should never be a reason to committ to the shot.this is still the defensive portion on your sequence.if pin on target triggers your aim you will wind up snapshooting.only after calibration(anchors pin on target(front)nose on string(rear)and asking yourself if the shot is prepared should you committ to the shot.if not you let down and start again


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## aread

[email protected] said:


> .... pin on target should never be a reason to committ to the shot...


This is absolutely true! Or worse when pin on target or approaching the target is reason to hammer the trigger. A lot of bad shots come from the connection of the sight picture to the release.

The better an archer understands this, the less chance of developing target panic.


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## [email protected]

*starting wrong*

well said and the root of the problem is how myself and most archers start out.buy your 1st bow go in back to range try to hold as steady as possible(which causes distress) try to control the pin(leads to panic)and finally PUNCH THAT TRIGGER WHEN YOUR ON THE X.this was my recipe for target panic.couldnt hold on anything.took over a year to ingrain a shot sequence and back tension.thank god for good teachers and books.(len cardinale)


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## Runningbuck

I have had TP for a long time. I have read Bernie Pellerite's book and some of the stuff helped. I bought a Carter evolution release. This release works on back tension, you set the release to the holding weight of your bow. You hold the safety while drawing, come to anchor, release the safety and continue to pull through the shot. I can shoot golf ball sized groups at fifty yards with no problems holding the pin where I want it. When hunting season rolls around I go back to a caliper release( scott mongoose)and continue to shoot well. Carter also makes a strap version called the Back Strap that works just as well.


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## NockOn

Been there done that...

Don't buy books, release, videos or any other crap. The problem is between your 2 ears. Nothing you can buy to get over that. I can punch any kind of release out there including the Evolution. I spent $600 for a weekend with Frank Pearson hoping for a magic pill. When it came down to talk about TP he only had one thing to say:"you better get over that!" That's it you and only you have the power to stop this. Its mind over matter. Oh and Blank balling wont' do anything for you either, as soon as you put the target back up you will punch again.

Put up a big ass target like they use in FITA. The biggest one 122cm. Then go to 20 meters and shoot some arrows as long as the are in the gold that's all it matters don't even worry about putting them in the middle. Once you can fire 30 shots in a row with good shot execution, move back to 25 meters. Keep going like this until you hit the Max distance you'll ever shoot in a tourney. Once you're there, go back to the next size down, go back to 20 meters and start over. 

Yep its a lot of work but if you really want to get over it you have to be willing to put the work into it. If not, keep doing what you've always done and you'll keep getting what you always got!

p.s. This is only one variation of many that I've seen over the years. Also the use of a coach to show proper shot execution is strongly recommended.

Cheers,


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