Updated March 2023
You’re at the archery range and draw back your bow. You notice that you are starting to anticipate the release of each shot and begin punching your release trigger. You observe that your arrow groups aren’t what they used to be. You’re having a hard time figuring out what is wrong.
You’re probably suffering to a degree from target panic. Target panic is a problem that can arise at any time in both new and experienced archers. Target panic can cause great frustration in many bowhunters as it significantly reduces accuracy without a real cause. Nobody knows why some archers develop target panic, but we do know there are ways to overcome it.
Related: 7 Tips for Increasing Accuracy with a Compound Bow
What is Target Panic?
Target panic is anything that prevents you from aiming in the center of a target and shooting a clean shot. Target panic stems from anticipating a shot before the actual release of an arrow. Symptoms of target panic include flinching, shaking, punching your release trigger or excessive anticipation of a shot. Target panic can also be diagnosed by the inability to hold your sight pin on the target as well as rushing shots. In most cases, target panic is mind over matter. It is the combination of both mental and physical panic in your subconscious. To overcome target panic, you need to practice shooting without aiming and aiming without shooting. Below are three techniques that many archers use to overcome target panic.
How to Overcome Target Panic
1. Aim Without Shooting – The first technique for overcoming target panic is to practice aiming without shooting. To get the most out of this practice technique, remove your sight from your bow and practice drawing back and aiming without pins. If you don’t want to entirely remove your sight, cover it entirely with tape so the pins and housing aren’t visible.
One of the main causes of target panic is concentrating too much on your pins where you forget about everything else. The idea is to aim at a target no more than 10 feet away and hold for as long as you can until your form breaks down. This retrains your brain to aim without the distraction of pins being involved and helps to focus on your form. You can also practice this technique with a piece of rope or string and your release.
2. Blind Bale Shooting – Blind bale shooting is a technique that is used to help cure target panic. Blind bale shooting is done by shooting at a target with your eyes closed. To safely do this, you want to be as close to your target as possible, usually within five yards. The purpose of blind bale shooting is to build muscle memory and focus on your form without the anxiety of aiming. Blind bale shooting won’t solve target panic alone but it is an effective tool for form practice.
To properly execute blind bale shooting, you should get close enough to a target where it will be impossible to miss. Next, draw your bow back with an arrow nocked and close your eyes, while pointed at the target. Drawing back and closing your eyes allows you to concentrate on your form and shot sequence, and to think about everything leading up to the shot. This takes out the anxiety of anticipating the shot and lets you focus on the process of the shot. When you draw back and close your eyes, you should concentrate on a smooth draw, coming to your anchor point and proper back tension.
Finally, when you are relaxed, slowly execute the shot without focusing on aiming and just hitting the target right in front of you. By practicing this technique, you will eventually start to retrain your body and brain to work together and break your old shot cycle.
3. Unanticipated Release – Another technique that helps to cure target panic is practicing an unanticipated release. One of the major causes of target panic is punching the trigger on your release. This usually happens when you are having trouble holding your pin on the intended target. Instead, you “swing” your pin across the target and punch your trigger when you think the timing is right. This becomes a bad habit because it is not reliable. Instead, increase the tension on your trigger release, or even better, use a back tension release.
Next, draw back and aim at your target as you normally would. Make sure you are not holding your breath and focus on slow controlled breathing. Slowly add pressure to your release trigger while concentrating on your back tension. Your bow should surprise you when it goes off. What this does is retrains your brain to focus on aiming without knowing when an arrow will be fired. This in an important part of overcoming target panic. Practice doing this a handful of times and you will start to notice that you will be able to hold your pins on the target easier.
Summary
As you have read above, anyone can beat target panic. Target panic can be a challenging psychological and physical condition to overcome. By practicing the techniques described above, you will be able to train your mind to overcome it for good. Target panic isn’t cured overnight and may take months for you to overcome it entirely. For more articles and buyer’s guides, please check out other posts from Bowhunting Depot!