# target panic( freezing offtarget)



## Eric Bolander (Dec 2, 2013)

If I were coaching you on this, I would take you back to the basics.
1) Going over the shot sequence, stance, nock etc. step by step with a stretch band. Repetition, re-ingrain the movements into your muscle memory.
2) Once you had that down, pull the sight from your bow and have you shoot slowly and deliberately, concentrating on performing each step of the shot sequence perfectly. Your point of aim would be nothing more than the center mass of the backstop. 
The goal of the exercise is to concentrate on perfect form and arrow groupings. When the groups are consistent, the sight goes back on the bow. Your sub conscious will have confidence in your muscle memory and keep you from overthinking the aiming portion of the shot sequence. Add a dash of back tension and you're back in the 10 ring.


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## da white shoe (Mar 10, 2009)

It sounds like you are still timing the shot to what you see in the site picture... punching when you hear "NOW" in your head... triggered by when you see the pin on the spot.
When you say you've been using back tension, are you getting a surprise release? A complete surprize?
You need to learn how to get that.
Blind bale works well for learning how to achieve the surprise, but it doesn't help you learn how to aim using a surprise release.
You have to actually shoot at a target for that.
The key is to first be very comfortable getting a true surprize release.
The kind where you have no way to feel it coming.
The easiest way to achieve that is to use a hinge or some other kind of trigger-less release. 
Then, start close... like 5 yards and use a big spot to aim at.
A 12 inch spot is a good start. Paper plates work well.
After it becomes very easy to center punch that spot, use an 8" spot. 
Then a 5" spot. 
Then 2".
When your killing the 2" spot... step off 7 yards and go back to the 12" spot. Work through the spot sizes carefully... only moving to a smaller spot-size when you're consistently hitting center.
Same for the distances. Move back 2 or 3 yards at a time, but only when you've completed all the spot sizes honestly. 
It does no good to rush.
Do all of this one arrow at a time. Shoot... go pull your arrow. Shoot.
In 4 or 5 weeks, when you get to 20 yards.... 
you are going to be aiming steady as a rock!


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## AJ the TP Guru (Jul 29, 2011)

I too, have shot the bow (both instinctive recurve & wheelie/sight) for 40++ years, and dealt with target panic on more than one occasion. Blank baling didn't help, and neither did all the other aiming and non-aiming techniques/methods/routines I tried. Much later on after I'd extricated my own target panic for good, I found that many others had experienced pretty much the same thing; even those who'd switched to a back tension release.

Some have told me they got to the point of robin-hooding arrows regularly without it translating to the field.

I feel your pain, but there is a better, faster, easier way out of it.


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## Pete53 (Dec 5, 2011)

target panic yep I have had it and do get some target panic yet,this is what helped me the most buy the book idiot proof archery by Bernie Pellerite ,this book will help you, yes it will take a while but it was worth it.you will need to learn to shoot a hinge too and get rid of a index release if you are shooting that for target archery,Pete53


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## subconsciously (Aug 22, 2009)

I gave a 12 year old the game plan to get rid of his TP. He shot his first 300 at 20 yards 3 weeks ago - BHFS. He won the Aggie invitational shoot for his age class this past weekend. 

Find your plan and stick to it. Like Da white shoe said - rushing it will not help.


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Good advice from Eric, Da White Shoe, Pete and Subconsciously. 

IMO, the first thing you should do is to write down your shot sequence. Then practice your shot sequence, not your shot. Subtle difference, but a significant one. Humans learn repetitive tasks by forming physical paths in the brain. The goal of the blank bale is to develop this brain path, not to be able to hit a tiny spot on the bale. The shot sequence in Idiot Proof Archery is a good place to start, but don't be afraid to change it to fit your shot.

Many people have reported that blank bale shooting did them no good. Their problem is that no one taught them how to do it right. The bale is a lot of hard mental work. Write down a detailed shot sequence and check after every arrow to be sure that you executed the sequence exactly like you wrote it. You will soon memorize it, but be sure to check back frequently to see if you let a change slip in. 

Know that YOU CAN do this, and you will be a better archer for it.

Good shooting,
Allen


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