# "target Fever"



## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

I've been in a pretty steep slump for awhile now and having a heck of a time with it. A few months ago I gave up( for awhile) using my Starships to concentrate on my old comfortable Ergo. Well since going back to the traditional I can't seem to hold on target long enough. I get close and then the shot is gone! I've spoken to a few Archers about this and they all said I have "Target Fever" or fear of target. For some people seeing the target and releasing immediately is a good thing. Well for me I'd rather make sure I'm zoned in for a second and then release. I can't seem to hold it of late-that is the fever! I've actually taken to aiming at a piece of my wife's Lennox China( very expensive ) with a steel ball in pouch. I better hold or else!







So far this method, counting to 5 and moving the target in closer (5 meters)is slowly helping. I will get out of it but it is frustrating! I just figured I'd share this little tid-bit of "Slingshooting Agony" with everyone. Anyone else ever have this happen to them?







Flatband


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

I think you're just getting old. It's soooo depressing.


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## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

I took a good break from shooting over the winter, Came back and shoot like crap now so I feel your pain bud.

its funny you mention "target fever" I have never heard of this and it totally makes sence to me now that you mention it, If I focus hard and actually try to aim and line everything up I shoot duds, If I just get in a rythm and just forget about focusing and just point and shoot I do MUCH better.

Cheers


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Boy ,I hear ya Bill and Mr. Gib! I was out there at recess today ( I work in an elementary school) throwing the football, around-well trying







. I remember when I could really zing that pigskin. Now it takes me as much time to warm up as the recess is long! Jeez-not fun getting up there in numbers Bud! ( Did you ever hear those noises your bones make when you get up from your chair? What are we turning into peanut brittle?







Flatband


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Shhh... we don't talk about that problem here. It might be contagious!









I know too well about "Target Panic". You should be able to find many online articles to help work it out. Sometimes archers will use a clicker to help with the problem. I had it bad when I shot traditional archery too much (too competitive). I could pull to full draw and aim at a wall in my hose and hold for 30 seconds. I couldn't get to full draw on a target. One trick is to change up your shooting style to distract your brain.

It's a psych thing. Change things up for a while and see what happens.
Try shooting a different frame.
Try larger or smaller ammo sizes. 
Try instinctive shooting for a while.
Try the "push-pull" method of drawing (like Fred Bear).
Try setting the frame and then drawing.
Try shooting with vertical forks for a while.
Try lighter bands for a while.
Try shooting just for form at a huge back stop.
Try thinking about something else during the shot... like the pinky of your drawing hand. 
Try shooting only one ball and then retrieving it.

I had a bit of target panic/fear yesterday when shooting. It better not stick with me! If so, then I might have to go back to instinctive shooting for a while.

Cheers,
Northerner


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Gary. I was once a really strong and muscular dude -- made mostly from hard work, not in the gym. Then when I was 57, I started going to the gym because I wasn't getting the exercise I was used to getting, like biking after a day's work in construction, or running and jogging and karate workouts. But in the gym I started pulling muscles and hurting my back. I was always in one kind of pain or another. So when I was about 63 I finally stopped all that sh!t and just went for long and vigorous walks every other day. And day hikes in the woods. (When you go into the woods around here, they figure you're a sexual pervert or something and you get onto the weirdo list which is another reason America is starting to really suck, but that's another story.) Anyways, now I'm about to turn 66. In my head and in my heart I'm still the same tough and strong guy that came out of the Marine Corps about 45 years ago and then worked construction for 32 years. But stuff in the real world keeps showing me "nope". I am changing. I have changed. Hence, I must adapt.

And maybe you have to, as well, Gary. All we can do is adjust. I'm doing pretty good. I've finally given up on Hunter-Band power and concentrated on accuracy and finding the right draw weight-to-power ratio to suit my needs. I think My needs are different from yours, though. That is, I want to hunt, and you want to shoot targets.

All of which leads to what I really want to say to you, Gary. Which is that, although you have half a lifetime's worth of experience over me in slingshooting and making, You are still the same victim of age as am. So as you have helped me in slingshooting, let me help you in aging. And this help is much simpler. Here it is: from here on out, it requires constant readjustment. You get old much faster than you get mature.


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

I hear you, I'm turning 50 in June, and 30+ years of working in receiving departments, lifting things that no sane person would try, unloading trucks in all the worst weather, and being on my feet on concrete 10+ hours a day have taken its toll...I've trashed my lower back , my right arm, shoulder, hand and my neck. I pop, crack and generally ache all over. In my head I'm still 20, my body says I'm 90, by the time I'm warmed up I need to take some asprin and a nap.


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## Melchior (Dec 27, 2009)

All you guys make me afraiid of geting older! When I go to University, I always ask "what are all those children doing here?" Until I realize they are just as old as I was when I started studying








But Gary, your target fever doesn't necessarily have something to do with age! Check for the usual suspects: Same head position (do you nod forwad/backwards)?), same fork angle, and if you hold the bands in such a way that they form a single line towards the target. I also have, from time to time, periods where I just don't hit anything at all. Especially when trying a new type of slingshot, which you are just doing!


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## Peresh (May 3, 2010)

Gary,

Here is what is happenning. You are shooting conciously. When you do this, everything is magnified. Your hold, stance, release and follow through all become more important and magnified than neccesary to the brain. Allowing your brain to control the shot will allow it to control your body movements. When you meddle too much into the flow charts of how the brain the wants to handle it, you will basically hinder accuracy.

There is a solution to this. Your already have taught yourself (ur brain) how to shoot. Now let it work for you without medelling with it. Here is what helps me. Listen to your favorite music while praticing. You need to be relaxed when you shoot. You are not relaxed at all and creating issues with a learned muscle memory. Everything thus becomes concious and almost new instead of learned behavior. You already learned how to shoot conciously when you started this sport, refined it on a concious level. Now stop and let you subconcious brain shoot for you.

We have no clue how powerful the brain is. Use it as a tool. Unlease it my friend!

You are a master shot. And no one can take it away from you EXCEPT YOU!!! I have learned so much from you just by watching you. I've seen you shoot right next to me for 5 hours!!! You are not too old either. That is an excuse. Unless u are disabled completely, you have no excuses!!!!!

Git er done! See u this saturday!


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## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

peresh said:


> Gary,
> 
> Here is what is happenning. You are shooting conciously. When you do this, everything is magnified. Your hold, stance, release and follow through all become more important and magnified than neccesary to the brain. Allowing your brain to control the shot will allow it to control your body movements. When you meddle too much into the flow charts of how the brain the wants to handle it, you will basically hinder accuracy.
> 
> ...


There's a lot of insight and truth in that


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## Peresh (May 3, 2010)

I only spent a mere 16 years doing martial arts. I learned a few things but more importantly learned about inner martial arts. The battle within yourself.


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## whipcrackdeadbunny (May 22, 2010)

I went through a stage recently of shooting the tip of my aiming fork ... the ties kept on coming loose after only three or four shots; I found just shooting a few instinctively, and clearing my mind, did the job.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

peresh said:


> I only spent a mere 16 years doing martial arts. I learned a few things but more importantly learned about inner martial arts. The battle within yourself.


Yup. It isn't that you can't do it, it's just that you need to readjust and refocus as your body changes. I always think of George Forman when he got in the ring with that younger guy -- he fought a whole different fight than when he was in his prime, so he was able to stay in the ring with a young champion much to my surprise.


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## frogman (Nov 11, 2010)

Hey Flatband; If you could come to my house for just one day, I am certain I could help you get out of that syndrome. Explainations by verbage, and written instructions won't do it. You need to shoot with a couple of other shooters, in a different environment, and a totally different atmosphere. These are the prescriptions to combat Target Panic....Hang with it and go back to just having fun without an agenda...best regards Frogman


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

I believe Peresh hit on a huge thing too much thinking, enjoy the shot, each shot. Frogman has a good suggestion.

Something I made sure I did regularly before the ECST was my moderate weight lifting routine. I don't think I am more than average shot, but it did seem to help steady me.

My routine is bare bones but addresses muscles that aren't used in flooring work. I do push ups, sit up crunches, curls (not hair curls), military press (standing), rows, and perhaps additions and a change here and there. No extreme weight for my current muscle strength, just something to stress the muscles and hit some major muscle groups.

It is known, as we get older a light weight lifting routine is important and very good for us. Just something to stress the muscles a bit, get the blood flowing feel them pump up with blood.


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## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

I recently noticed that I shot more accurately after a couple of beers in the evening ( only at cans and indoors ) than I did during the day. After a bit of thought on the matter and some experimentation, I concluded that I released the pouch more smoothly after a drink. For personal reasons I am a bit stressed atm, and seemed to be gripping the pouch far too tightly, causing a jerky release and poor accuracy.


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## Peresh (May 3, 2010)

Guys try this excercise for a month and let me know how you do: 
I have found that training your brain to remember each good shot that you take works. Accept in memory the good shots and allow brain to grab memory of it. It will save things that you will need for the next shot. It will save more than you think. The brain will automatically know how to get you there. It's a great excercise to do. Many of us after hitting the bulleye immediately move on to next shot or if we miss get stressed and disapointed. The misses affects the brain and it affects how you do physically on the next shot. AND if you hit the bulleye, your mind gets distracted by the next shot. WHY ???? You are already thinking and have started to count how many more you can hit without concentrating on how you hit it the first time. Most great shooters here don't even know that they have mastered brain techniques. LOL!

Just before a shot, gear your brain to remember muscle memory ONLY if it hits the bulleye. After you hit the bulls eye a few times relax your mind. Take a deep breath. ABSORB the shot and recall it. Just before you shoot, allow your brain to take over and allow it to remember the bulls eye hit. If done correctly, the brain will automatically adjust your bodys muscles, stance, release and all. It will go wrong only if you interfere with it. As in the case of many here, like Gary and even me. We all make this mistake.

I keep realizing that this slingshooting is nothing but a memory game. I'm still working on the various techniques but as I said the brian is amazing.


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## Melchior (Dec 27, 2009)

Yes, the brain is an amzing thing. If you throw a ball, the brain calculates a complicated firing solution that includes weight of the ball, parallax (the curve is offset to your eye), the ballistic curve of the ball. A battleship needs a big computer for this task.


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## John McKean (Dec 24, 2010)

Gary , I think the guys have good suggestions here - mainly don't try to think, it's not your strong suit!! (couldn't resist!!). Seriously, Jay told me that he originally went through all sorts of grief, training to get the aiming thing down; he tried more & more complicated things, then said the heck with it, and concentrated on ENJOYING instinctive shooting! Others warned him that if he stuck with instinctive that he'd never be competitive in shooting against others!! Well, you know how that story went!!

As to getting older, my weightlifting training partner is 84 and still setting records -his most famous statement is, "I LOVE those aches and pains every morning ;they remind me that I didn't die in my sleep!! Yeah, my training & more extensive warmups for lifting cause some pain, but there's always exercises to work around those trouble spots, and eventually correct some problems (remind me to show you some of the late Dr Len Schwartz, a very good friend, "Longstrentgh" exercises which are simple & can be done anywhere! By the way Doc Schwartz, who wrote the best selling "Heavyhands" exercise books, could still do 35- 50 perfect chin-ups past 80 years of age!

And some of the guys are right about various martial arts relaxation & breathing ; I'll show you a neat Indonesian Silat stance that leads to really good slingshooting technique! Be good! JOHN


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Hi Gary,

I thought of a couple more tricks.

Try drawing your bands 3 times for every shot. Draw and anchor and hold then let down, draw and anchor and hold then let down, draw and anchor and hold and then shoot. This will help program the feeling again. The goal is to eventually get back to one draw per shot. It's just a mental game that's going on. Get away from paper targets and shoot at something different like a piece of sponge. Target Panic comes from putting too much pressure on ourselves. Relax and shoot like you don't care. No pressure allowed. Yah, it's easier said than done









I once helped out a compound bow shooter who had exactly the same problem that you have. He couldn't put his index finger on the trigger of his mechanical release without instantly firing. He would snap/jerk the trigger the instant he touched it. I had him rest the finger on the trigger while at full draw. It was difficult for him. Sometimes shooters will go into jerks and spasms trying to relax (like a psych panic). With the guy who I know, he eventually started shooting better again and was able to hold off with the shot.

Cheers,
Northerner


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

ah grasshoper...........

..........

...


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## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

I don't believe age has anything to do with it, Slingshot shooting is not a physically demanding sport. I will be 70 this November and I don't think my age effects my shooting at all. It's' all mental as everyone is saying, I have shot with you enough times to know you are just in a slump. Hang in there Bud, it will come back. See you Saturday.
Philly


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

Asimple method for eleminating the fever is to Pan. If you hold your slingshot in the left hand as I do, get your target in front of you fairly close say 15 or 20 feet and draw and hold with live ammo then move your upper torso slowly and as soon as your targeted let it go to your target. You will be a spontanious shooter and right on target in short order. Pan it, on target, release.


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Man, guys ,I don't know what to say but THANKS!!!! A lot of very useful information which I will put to use tomorrow in Long Island at Peresh's shoot. It is really nice having friends especially -slingshooters. I'm glad you guys know what it's about. Too much thinking on my part ( Thanks John!) - Just shoot the **** thing! Thanks too Todd-you know all too well. I'll be with some good friends tomorrow ( I wish all of you could come!)-with their help we'll get her figured out! I STILL LOVE SLINGSHOTS!!!!!!!







Flatband


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## Nico (Sep 10, 2010)

Its true.. The less you think about the shot the better your accuracy

My pop is an instinctive shooter, rarely practices and will take his slingshot out when he sees a likely meal and hit the thing on the first shot; its all automatic.. In fact he cant even explain it, he just goes for it and will make the shot.. We're genetically hard wired that way and we just have to learn to work with what nature gave us..


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## smitty (Dec 17, 2009)

Well, Flatband, I am only 54 years young and I have the solution for you...crap !, I forgot! Never mind ! If I remember, I will explain it.


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## dhansen (Aug 31, 2010)

frogman said:


> go back to just having fun without an agenda...best regards Frogman












Great advice.


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

smitty said:


> Well, Flatband, I am only 54 years young and I have the solution for you...crap !, I forgot! Never mind ! If I remember, I will explain it.


Lol

I'm 52 years young and if I remember to come read this thread later...**** I forgot what I was coming back for hmmm!.......... oh yeah to read what you can remember that you forgot in the first place


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## SlingMan (Jul 4, 2010)

Stay with it Gary!


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## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

Shot with Flatband and the LI gang for a few hours today. Both Gary and I tried something new. I, after 12 months shooting with the forks straight up vertical, pure instinctive, shot sideways for the whole time. Gary shot butterfly and was really feeling good, his accuracy was great. I on the other hand have a lot of work to do to change. I think it is worth the effort as I can really see the advantage of aiming. Relearning something in a totaly different way takes time and patience, you have to unlearn everything that has become instinct to you but the brain will adjust,.No " TARGET PANIC" for Gary today he was knocking them down Buitterfly. Well done Bud.
Philly


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

Glad to hear Gary had a good days shooting and the fever is subsiding,well done guys


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## Performance Catapults (Feb 3, 2010)

Northern, Frogman and Peresh hit all good points. Glad you were having fun and hitting the target today Gary. If I ever slide into a slump, I think back as to what fueled my initial interest about Slingshots.


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## ArjunD (Apr 4, 2011)

Gary is back on track!

He did great today. He's amazing at butterfly. Keep it up bro.


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Wow!, What a difference a few days make and a ton of friends too! I just took everyone's advice and just went to shoot today for some real fun-no thinking ,no pressure,nothing but shoot. After shooting a few hours and missing a lot,I began to get a little frustrated(even though I said I wasn't). Philly and the others saw it and also saw the problem I was having. One of them ( i think it was Corrado a former big time Archer) told me why not change to instinctive or another style and just take a rest from your regular style. Well,I chose Butterfly. Using that style I was able to maintain anchor point-no problem. I can't figure it and cannot explain it but it was nice to hit something for a change! Four of us were doing some changes-it wasn't just me. Everyone was helping everyone else out-real class group. Arjun was learning to brace his fingers against the forks for stability, Philly was adjusting to a "Gangsta" style of frame hold, Peresh was changing his finger grip on the pouch,and I was trying hard with Butterfly. It is really nice to have a nice group of shooters and friends that can have fun and help each other. So much fun and you are always learning with these simple forked sticks( Did I say simple-don't think so!







Flatband


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

I stumbled upon an interesting article on *Target Panic* by Dr. Jay Kidwell (psychologist and archer). The information can easily be adapted to slingshot shooting.

Target Panic (from Jay's book) http://www.n-sights.net/iai/target_panic.html

Jay Kidwell's book http://www.n-sights.net/iai/home.html

Cheers,
Northerner


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