# I wanted to throw my bow through the window last night....Advice needed!



## 3D Pinwheeler (Jan 29, 2007)

Cables and string may have stretched a touch...makes a bow feel off..doesn't take much


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## 1/2 Bubble Off (Dec 29, 2016)

3D Pinwheeler said:


> Cables and string may have stretched a touch...makes a bow feel off..doesn't take much


Thanks for the reply.... I really think it was ALL me. But I will take some measurements when I get home tonight...


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## lees (Feb 10, 2017)

That's happened to me more than once, sometimes you're just not as spry as you normally are. If I overpractice the day before, for example, that can make me weak the next day even though I start off feeling pretty good.

The way I approach it is, there's always a reason for when I'm shooting bad so a little online detective work to try to see where I'm breaking down and how can be worth it. I just go back to my shot sequence and monitor it more closely instead of letting it run by itself like normal for a few arrows. Usually I find the cause, something like dropping the draw elbow and pulling with the lats instead of the back, or just being too tired and breaking down in general as I pull through the shot.

If it's a competition situation, I just try to accept that for whatever reason, I'm breaking down on step W and X and I'm just going to have to limp a little bit to finish out the round. 

I find I get more discouraged and have less fun if I don't try to find out why I'm breaking down and the bad shots are all just mysterious DubbleYouTeeEff arrows. When it's a mystery that causes me more stress. So I take shooting bad as an opportunity to learn about another way that I'm breaking down and how to recognize it. That way it's a learning experience and not just a total meltdown and a meaningless disaster in front of all my friends and competitors .

lee.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

This kind of stuff can suck really bad, to me it hurts worse when you have competed long enough to know your ability level and you shoot way under that level. It makes for a long ride home for sure.


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## Macdoc18 (Dec 28, 2012)

you may just be a victim of the inner child throwing a temper tantrum while you are fighting to keep your composure. Find place to practince alone, shoot at 5 yatdd at a piece of string and keep doing it till your confidence returns . Also check to see if you have aloose module screw or your rear stabilizer has slipped etc


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

I shot all winter indoor and felt really strong going into the early local 3d shoots in my area and I have not shot one decent score yet, nothing has went my way and I mean nothing. I am shooting at least 20 points lower if not more than normal and I am shooting as strong as I ever have. So, yeah it sucks.

I think you have to be very honest with yourself and not lie to yourself, for me choosing to trust my shooting was tough because some doubt crept in. But I am going to trust that I am shooting strong and focus on my yardage guessing and decision making and get myself back to normal.

Indoor is different because you don't have wind and poor footing and guessing distance and 12 rings you can't see, you have a nice little 20 yard shot that anybody can totally hit. Problem is you have to do it 60 times in a row. or 30 times in a row etc. My suggestion is to accept that you have done a good job of training this winter and it is time to focus on nothing but executing the same shot over and over. To do this you have to let go of the final score you think you have to get, in fact I am going to give you a different way of looking at your shooting. in the next post.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

Hitting Behind the Pin:

We are going to allow there to be 2 different qualifications for a shot to be considered a "Good Shot". First the shot has to feel exactly the way you have defined your shot from start to finish, I call them Perfect Shots. From the time you hit the wall and settle in and then execute and follow though if the shot feels exactly the way it should then this qualification has been met. 

Second it hitting behind the pin, this has nothing to do with hitting the x on a 5-spot or the baby x on vegas or the 10 ring. This has everything to do with the arrow hitting directly behind the pin where ever it is when the release fires. So if you hit dead on in the x great but if you hit a 1/8 inch outside the x then great also. The arrow hit behind the pin and that is all we need to meet this qualification. 

It is not ok for your sight pin to be outside the x and for your arrow to hit inside the x, We are not going to reward ourselves for getting lucky and jerking into a x by accident. 

So now your evening spent at the league night has purpose, to send as many shots to the target that were perfectly executed and they also hit behind the pin and what ever score you get at the end of the night is cool. When you accept this kind of approach to training and competitions you can really learn something about yourself and progress on to new stuff.


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## 1/2 Bubble Off (Dec 29, 2016)

Padgett said:


> I shot all winter indoor and felt really strong going into the early local 3d shoots in my area and I have not shot one decent score yet, nothing has went my way and I mean nothing. I am shooting at least 20 points lower if not more than normal and I am shooting as strong as I ever have. So, yeah it sucks.
> 
> I think you have to be very honest with yourself and not lie to yourself, for me choosing to trust my shooting was tough because some doubt crept in. But I am going to trust that I am shooting strong and focus on my yardage guessing and decision making and get myself back to normal.
> 
> Indoor is different because you don't have wind and poor footing and guessing distance and 12 rings you can't see, you have a nice little 20 yard shot that anybody can totally hit. Problem is you have to do it 60 times in a row. or 30 times in a row etc. My suggestion is to accept that you have done a good job of training this winter and it is time to focus on nothing but executing the same shot over and over. To do this you have to let go of the final score you think you have to get, in fact I am going to give you a different way of looking at your shooting. in the next post.


I completely agree with you. The problem is, that nothing I did last night changed how my shot felt. If I focused on one aspect of the shot, another would be jacked up... I just couldn't seem to get myself to do it right last night.


Padgett said:


> Hitting Behind the Pin:
> 
> We are going to allow there to be 2 different qualifications for a shot to be considered a "Good Shot". First the shot has to feel exactly the way you have defined your shot from start to finish, I call them Perfect Shots. From the time you hit the wall and settle in and then execute and follow though if the shot feels exactly the way it should then this qualification has been met.
> 
> ...


I had 42 arrows go into the white (26x) that I didn't deserve... which is what bothers me the most. When I have a bad day I can almost always call the shot... meaning I have a really good idea of where I will find the arrow in the target. I've never experienced what happened last night.... I thought about walking out to keep from developing a bad habit.... now I'm thinking I'm gonna go shoot a little tonight and work on finding my shot again...

Thanks to everyone who offered some advice!


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Padgett said:


> It is not ok for your sight pin to be outside the x and for your arrow to hit inside the x, We are not going to reward ourselves for getting lucky and jerking into a x by accident.


There may be exceptions. Some have seen the X and thought sure they would miss it, but drilled it. Some call it the mind/eye game. Yeah, one or the other wants to know the X is there and the mind or eye peeks for a split second. I've heard of this forever. Seen myself. Two weeks ago or when ever, I was watching DC practicing for the upcoming IAA Indoor Championship. He eventually knocked out 58 Xs, but as I watched a few times his stab waivered a tiny bit and came back to hit another X. I asked DC and he told much like I've got here, saw the X and still hit it.

Granted, the pin covering the X or 12 ring and hitting there brings satisfaction/pleasure...like you did everything right....
..
..
For the Poster...sometimes you get "lost." All is okay, but something is on your mind. Explained to me was anything can set you back. Exampled was; Kicking your dog and it didn't deserve it. Family spat that didn't amount to a hill of beans, but festers in you. Best thing to do is get it out of your mind. Pet the dog and give it a bone, buy your wife a new diamond ring


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## remyrw (Jun 7, 2017)

I've had those days. Just gotta double check all the hardware to make sure nothing is loose or out of whack, then get back to basics. I keep the target up close and just shoot a blank bale focused on the shot execution. Then when that feels good I put a regular sized target up but still way close and shoot. Make sure it's a multi-spot and don't be tempted to shoot more than once per spot. Don't bother adjusting the sight, you're just looking for left right and consistent up down displacement. When that's consistent and still feels good go back to a normal distance and blank bale again for a few shots to settle in so your mind doesn't go "ok, now it's for real" and start messing with you.
When I'm shooting rifles and get that situation I'll switch and shoot lefty if it isn't competition. The forced attention to fundamentals does wonders for breaking any bad habits that snuck in unnoticed.


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## cbrunson (Oct 25, 2010)

remyrw said:


> I've had those days. Just gotta double check all the hardware to make sure nothing is loose or out of whack, then get back to basics. I keep the target up close and just shoot a blank bale focused on the shot execution. Then when that feels good I put a regular sized target up but still way close and shoot. Make sure it's a multi-spot and don't be tempted to shoot more than once per spot. Don't bother adjusting the sight, you're just looking for left right and consistent up down displacement. When that's consistent and still feels good go back to a normal distance and blank bale again for a few shots to settle in so your mind doesn't go "ok, now it's for real" and start messing with you.
> When I'm shooting rifles and get that situation I'll switch and shoot lefty if it isn't competition. The forced attention to fundamentals does wonders for breaking any bad habits that snuck in unnoticed.


This^^^

It happens. Focus on the fundamentals and it’ll come back.


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

"I wanted to throw my bow through the window last night..."

A bad shot didn't start with that arrow. It's a breakdown that took lots of arrows with something getting just a little bit off until you can feel it. So remyrw & cbrunson are right about focusing on your process and fundamentals. Humans tend to be a little lazy, so we have to constantly monitor the little things to keep them in order.

And remember, window tuning may feel good at the time, it's not a long term solution. 

Allen


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## Ned250 (Aug 10, 2009)

I have been shooting more this year than I ever have in the 32 years I’ve been doing this sport. And I learned something valuable recently that is super simple and easily over looked....

Fatigue 

When my back is tired I start to over compensate with my shoulders and arms to “fake” the back tension. My release hand picks up subtle tension to help compensate for the lack of back tension. That is then compounded by the fact that those smaller muscle groups just can’t carry the weight that your back muscles do. 

It turns into a snowball effect and my shot deteriorates. When that happens, my bow suddenly feels like I am shooting someone else’s bow. So, I’ll take a day off and more times than not I’m back to my normal self the day after a rest day. Sometimes it takes two days. 

Latest example is this week. I’ve worked on my shot execution a lot and have really come up with a great shot. On Wednesday I shot a Vegas round and shot a 299/22x. Most of those Xs were so pure and crisp I felt invincible. So I kept shooting for 2 hours. I just couldn’t put the bow down!

Last night I shot league and shot a 593/29x. What was so different than just the day before? I couldn’t buy an X unless I really bared down. It was flat out fatigue. I’ve learned to recognize that feeling and know it’s not my bow or my shot that’s suddenly changed over night. It’s just my body screaming for a break. Had last night been a practice day I would’ve hung the bow up after 5 ends. It was obvious what was going on.


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## lees (Feb 10, 2017)

Ned250 said:


> I have been shooting more this year than I ever have in the 32 years I’ve been doing this sport. And I learned something valuable recently that is super simple and easily over looked....
> 
> Fatigue
> 
> ...


+1, definitely don't underestimate the power of fatigue. For example, for me when the back muscles are tiring or still recovering from an earlier hard time, it can feel like I'm just making mistake after mistake when in fact they just aren't strong enough to do their job that day. 

For me, that manifests in general as pulling kind of downwards on the back end with the lats and other small muscles, which makes me do the "dip-bang" right as I pull through the last part of the shot. My draw arm drops a little and pulls the whole shebang out of alignment; the bow arm loses the struggle to keep the pin up and the shot falls out the bottom ending in tears. But even trying consciously to pull straight back in the way I know how to do fails and it feels like I'm just messing up because I've forgotten how to pull properly with the back. 

If I rest a day or maybe two, all of a sudden I pick up the bow and it feels like I suddenly remembered how to pull through my shot correctly . 

So for me anyway, there can definitely be a fitness/training deficiency going on, on bad dip-bang day even if I feel pretty good at the time....

lee.


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## cbrunson (Oct 25, 2010)

Ned250 said:


> I have been shooting more this year than I ever have in the 32 years I’ve been doing this sport. And I learned something valuable recently that is super simple and easily over looked....
> 
> Fatigue
> 
> ...


I rarely shoot the day before a tournament for this exact reason. If I do, it’s only two or three ends. Same with practice before the shoot. Just enough to get the blood flowing.


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## Ned250 (Aug 10, 2009)

cbrunson said:


> I rarely shoot the day before a tournament for this exact reason. If I do, it’s only two or three ends. Same with practice before the shoot. Just enough to get the blood flowing.


Yup it’s been a tough lesson learned. I think one day off for every tournament day shot is a good rule of thumb. So a two-day tourney I’m taking two days off.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

It isn't just laying off a day before a tournament. And by the way, Jesse Morehead was one that advocated taking a day off and this back when Ginger, his wife, was at the top of her game. Ginger could shoot.

My computer is slower than a snail or I'd find the coach that gave of taking 15 to 17 seconds between shots. He also had a break down of how much one lost strength per shot, he gave percentage. Like 100% for the 1st shot, down to 90% for the 2nd shot and then if I remember correctly it dropped off more per shot after the 2nd shot.


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## safe cracker (Sep 28, 2009)

Happens to all of us but it’s not the equipment always sometimes it’s us.


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## EPLC (May 21, 2002)

For me confidence is a fragile thing. It take a lot to build it and very little to tear it down. You started out thinking something was wrong based on your first arrow. After that I assume the rest was self fulfilled proficy. It happens.


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## nochance (Nov 27, 2008)

HalonShooter60X said:


> Question 2 - If this would've happened during a practice session, I would've just packed up and gone home for the day but... This was an "Official" league night so I felt like I had to shoot.
> QUOTE]
> 
> heard this a lot on here, if this is how you practice then you're screwed on league night or during a tourney if it happens. You've already heard lots of good info on diagnosing the problem. I have off days when I practice but I don't hang the bow up and just say "I don't want to reinforce bad habits". I try and diagnose where the shot is going wrong. By doing this in practice you'll be better ready to do it during league night or during a tourney.


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## TNMAN (Oct 6, 2009)

nochance said:


> HalonShooter60X said:
> 
> 
> > Question 2 - If this would've happened during a practice session, I would've just packed up and gone home for the day but... This was an "Official" league night so I felt like I had to shoot.
> ...


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## SARose (May 31, 2015)

Sounds like something we've all experienced. Its called Archery. Glad you didn't throw your bow out or through a window. Shrug it off and go back to shooting. Glad also that you stuck out the match. You are better off for having done so.


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## DClemenenmu (Mar 2, 2017)

lees said:


> That's happened to me more than once, sometimes you're just not as spry as you normally are. If I overpractice the day before, for example, that can make me weak the next day even though I start off feeling pretty good.
> 
> The way I approach it is, there's always a reason for when I'm shooting bad so a little online detective work to try to see where I'm breaking down and how can be worth it. I just go back to my shot sequence and monitor it more closely instead of letting it run by itself like normal for a few arrows. Usually I find the cause, something like dropping the draw elbow and pulling with the lats instead of the back, or just being too tired and breaking down in general as I pull through the shot.
> 
> ...


This happens to me also when I practise to much. It's a viscous cycle: practise more, shoot better, shoot better, practise more, practise more= shoot worse!!!!

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## sean91285 (Oct 4, 2010)

Dont throw your bow please.


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## whiz-Oz (Jul 19, 2007)

Just be aware that most windows are reasonably thick and if you choose a window that your bow is likely to be able to make it through, it will be large enough to make it require being of average thickness. You could be attempting to penetrate 5 mm and above of glass. Double glazing will require even more effort. Just one pane can still be pretty tough, so this may require a reasonable amount of force. The weakest part of the glass is near the edge and you'll want to maintain the smallest point of initial contact with the glass. Unfortunately, bow limbs absorb energy pretty well, so try to avoid hitting with a cam or limb tip first. 

My recommendation is to try and hit the window with the bow rotating sideways with the limbs in the horizontal plane. This lets you use the limbs to gain speed. Ideally you want the stabiliser to hit first, concentrating force at the tip, but ensure that the stabiliser is a close as perpendicular to the window glass as possible upon impact. Take off any dampeners first so that there's a solid surface hitting the glass first. 

This may require a bit of pre positioning to get right. 
Ensure that you're wearing safety glasses and googles if possible. Gloves are also recommended. 

The amount of effort required for a successful window break is such that most people end up going for the bridge hurl instead.


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## Butterscotch (Mar 3, 2016)

For recurve always checking to make sure brace height is always the same gives some peace of mind. If you haven't already maybe that could be one of the first items on your equipment check list.


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## Butterscotch (Mar 3, 2016)

For recurve always checking to make sure brace height is always the same gives some peace of mind. If you haven't already maybe that could be one of the first items on your equipment check list. Also, you got to just got to power through like you did. Sometimes it does get better. Other times not. But, whenever you feel like this during a practice, maybe don't be so quick to pack up the bow. Having a practice when your shot doesn't feel good might also turn out to be good practice. So next time if it ever happens again on league night you can tell yourself, I've gone through this before, let's through the steps to making it better.


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## wendeasy (Feb 27, 2016)

Track your scores every time you shoot. plot them on a calendar and you will see you will have peaks and valleys in your performance. what you do with that information is up to you, but it can help you get through those valley days.


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## GeorgiaArcher01 (Oct 7, 2018)

HalonShooter60X said:


> Thanks for the reply.... I really think it was ALL me. But I will take some measurements when I get home tonight...


Yeah I would measure the axel to axel on it to make sure the strings didn't stretch too much but I agree it sounds to me like it was just a bad night!


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