Practice Regimen

[Mainer207]

Hey guys,

I just picked up my first compound this weekend and got a couple hours at the range for instructions. I did smoke my forearm (rocking a beautiful bruise this week) which may have me a little gun shy.

I shot well at the range and was hitting vitals on a 3D deer consistently. The next day my shooting really fell apart though. I would shoot a solid group at 20 and then fling a wild one after 6-10 shots.

How do you guys recommend I approach my practice to become proficient by deer season in October? Should I limit myself as not to get fatigued and sloppy or should I shoot til I’m burnt out? My common sense tells me to shoot in brief sessions consistently until my bow muscles strengthen but maybe I’m wrong.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Mossy-Back]

I’m shooting a recurve, just got back into archery this spring. I typically practice until I can tell my form is getting sloppy. I quit before I reinforce bad habits. Luckily I can practice in my back yard, so if I have a few extra minutes I try to shoot at least 3-6 arrows a day with good form if I don’t have time for a longer session.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I shoot till I'm tired.Morning and evening.Normally 10 shots.My bow is cranked up.70 lbs.
Also have A HABIT OF DESTROYING ARROWS (Expensive)

 

[Mainer207]

I shoot till I'm tired.Morning and evening.Normally 10 shots.My bow is cranked up.70 lbs.
Also have A HABIT OF DESTROYING ARROWS (Expensive)

Destroying them can be a good thing if it’s from stacking them up! Now, if you’re me and sticking them in trees it’s not quite as good.

 

[JLS]

Hey guys,

I just picked up my first compound this weekend and got a couple hours at the range for instructions. I did smoke my forearm (rocking a beautiful bruise this week) which may have me a little gun shy.

I shot well at the range and was hitting vitals on a 3D deer consistently. The next day my shooting really fell apart though. I would shoot a solid group at 20 and then fling a wild one after 6-10 shots.

How do you guys recommend I approach my practice to become proficient by deer season in October? Should I limit myself as not to get fatigued and sloppy or should I shoot til I’m burnt out? My common sense tells me to shoot in brief sessions consistently until my bow muscles strengthen but maybe I’m wrong.

Any advice is appreciated!

Don’t shoot until you are worn out. That’s how you develop bad form and habits.

The wild shots can come from a myriad of things. Improper shot sequence, punching the trigger, peeking the watch the arrow, torquing the bow and or release.

It’s not just about building strength, it’s also about building proper form and muscle memory.

 

[Mossy-Back]

Yep. What JLS said.

Also, if you can only shoot 10 shots before being worn out, your poundage is probably too high. Especially shooting a compound bow.

 

[JLS]

Also, if you slapped your forearm, your bow may not fit you. Check your draw length.

 

[Mainer207]

Also, if you slapped your forearm, your bow may not fit you. Check your draw length.

I was fitted at a pretty well respected shop. I was shooting in his 3D range at a moving deer target. It was more of a messing around kind of shot and the rush led to the foreman slap. I did make a pretty good shot though

 

[Pucky Freak]

Hey guys,

I just picked up my first compound this weekend and got a couple hours at the range for instructions. I did smoke my forearm (rocking a beautiful bruise this week) which may have me a little gun shy.

I shot well at the range and was hitting vitals on a 3D deer consistently. The next day my shooting really fell apart though. I would shoot a solid group at 20 and then fling a wild one after 6-10 shots.

How do you guys recommend I approach my practice to become proficient by deer season in October? Should I limit myself as not to get fatigued and sloppy or should I shoot til I’m burnt out? My common sense tells me to shoot in brief sessions consistently until my bow muscles strengthen but maybe I’m wrong.

Any advice is appreciated!

It's easy to let the initial excitement let you kind of get carried away. October is right around the corner, and how you choose to spend the time between now and then is paramount.

Practice ingrains habits, both good and bad. Every day you spend practicing a bad habit is one more day you will have to spend later unlearning it. I have a 10-step pre-shot routine that I follow religiously for each shot. This helps me ingrain the good habits. If I find something is going wrong, I quit practicing until I can figure it out, no matter how long it takes.

I started shooting compound less than 3 months ago. I've learned about 100 new things since then. I am continuously reading forums on archery, watching archery youtube videos, and consulting with experts. It's easier to go to the range, get lessons, and have someone coach you through it, so that is another path to the same end if you'd prefer to do that instead.

Always quit before you get tired. If you shoot when tired your form suffers, then you develop muscle memory for bad form. I typically shoot every other day. Half of my shooting is blank bale, to focus solely on form. Don't start a shooting session if you are annoyed, irritable, sick, tired, hungry, sore, etc. Only start a session if you are rested and calm and feel fine. If you start making mistakes in a session, quit. You can't dig your way out of a hole during a session. If you become frustrated, fatigued, angry, disappointed, etc, quit and resume another day. In the beginning I would take two rest days between sessions, but after doing this a few weeks, I move it up to every other day.

You don't know what you don't know until you learn it, then you wish you could rewind the clock and do it the right way from the beginning. Initial success is deceiving. I did the exact same thing the first day I shot my bow. Driving tacks. Day 2 got worse, then day 3 even worse than that. It was about a month before I could climb back to my Day 1 success.

Your brain involuntarily slides your body into bad habits such as anticipating the shot, target panic, drive by shooting, peeking, over-aiming, gripping the riser, and other habits. I don't mean to be doom and gloom. It just helps to have an awareness of the normal progression of learning to shoot a bow, so you can focus on countering the slide into poor performance.

Don't hesitate to ask additional questions to the HT community. There is a ton of great information on here, and people are overwhelmingly generous to consider your questions.

 

[Ajax2744]

Personally if I was new to archery and had a reputable shop nearby I would go pay for an hour or two or instruction. If you learn the proper way to begin with you will be way ahead. It's hard to unlearn bad habits and form. I would also rather shoot 10 great shots than 50 bad ones.

 

[NYSKIER]

Hey Mainer 207,

I can't remember which well known archer said it but I read an article about building up shooting strength my just drawing a letting your bow down slow a number of times at the end of practice or just drawing and holding as long as you can before letting down. I try to incorporate this and I feel as though it builds my shooting muscles

 

[Goosebrooke]

I wouldn’t draw and let down in the name of exercise and building strength. That compound bow has a mechanical advantage that is unlike a recurve or even regular weights for lifting. You let down and your muscles and form are not ready for the let down, you can definitely find yourself sitting out bow season.

Don’t shoot till fatigued. Your muscles tendons ligaments need time to adapt to the new motion and the weight. Just be patient with the process of getting good.

 

[Mainer207]

It's easy to let the initial excitement let you kind of get carried away. October is right around the corner, and how you choose to spend the time between now and then is paramount.

Practice ingrains habits, both good and bad. Every day you spend practicing a bad habit is one more day you will have to spend later unlearning it. I have a 10-step pre-shot routine that I follow religiously for each shot. This helps me ingrain the good habits. If I find something is going wrong, I quit practicing until I can figure it out, no matter how long it takes.

I started shooting compound less than 3 months ago. I've learned about 100 new things since then. I am continuously reading forums on archery, watching archery youtube videos, and consulting with experts. It's easier to go to the range, get lessons, and have someone coach you through it, so that is another path to the same end if you'd prefer to do that instead.

Always quit before you get tired. If you shoot when tired your form suffers, then you develop muscle memory for bad form. I typically shoot every other day. Half of my shooting is blank bale, to focus solely on form. Don't start a shooting session if you are annoyed, irritable, sick, tired, hungry, sore, etc. Only start a session if you are rested and calm and feel fine. If you start making mistakes in a session, quit. You can't dig your way out of a hole during a session. If you become frustrated, fatigued, angry, disappointed, etc, quit and resume another day. In the beginning I would take two rest days between sessions, but after doing this a few weeks, I move it up to every other day.

You don't know what you don't know until you learn it, then you wish you could rewind the clock and do it the right way from the beginning. Initial success is deceiving. I did the exact same thing the first day I shot my bow. Driving tacks. Day 2 got worse, then day 3 even worse than that. It was about a month before I could climb back to my Day 1 success.

Your brain involuntarily slides your body into bad habits such as anticipating the shot, target panic, drive by shooting, peeking, over-aiming, gripping the riser, and other habits. I don't mean to be doom and gloom. It just helps to have an awareness of the normal progression of learning to shoot a bow, so you can focus on countering the slide into poor performance.

Don't hesitate to ask additional questions to the HT community. There is a ton of great information on here, and people are overwhelmingly generous to consider your questions.

This is really helpful. I was feeling a little discouraged from my decline in performance. I will take all these tips and keep at it. Hopefully I’ll be ready for the tree stand this season

 

[dgc1963]

I taught my fiance to shoot 6 arrows every nite and thats all I shoot, IMO its about building muscle memory while developing good habits slow and steady and with in a few weeks she was doing great 2 inch groups at 20 yrds then moved back

 

[WalkingBird]

I usually shoot until I can feel my support arm start to feel weak, like has been mentioned above, shooting after you are already tired just promotes bad habits. With my compound I usually shoot a couple dozen arrows at long range to keep my form in line, but don't push it.

With my recurve I usually tire more quickly, and take frequent breaks. I might shoot 2x in a row (3-6 arrows per set, depending on who else is on the shooting line) and then take a break for a couple sets, then keep going. Even doing this, I don't usually spend more than 45 mins or so at the range and remain competent with both disciplines

 

[bullbugle307]

30-40 arrows is the max I shoot in one session. I used to shoot a lot more than that, but as others have mentioned, it's about quality practice, not quantity practice. My shooting has improved significantly after I stopped shooting as many arrows, and really focused on form, grip, pre shot routine, and making a quality shot. If I don't feel everything is right, I let down. I know when I'm going to make a questionable shot at a target, and I've learned it's a lot better to not let that arrow go when things aren't feeling just right.

 

[RemingtonRules]

Practice is not just shooting arrows. You need a purpose for each practice. Starting out I would focus on anchor point and follow through. You need a shot routine. Where the arrow goes is not important at first. My best practice is standing feet from the target and focusing on fundamentals. The shooting is easy after that.

 

[p_ham]

Check out the Nockontv channel on YouTube. He has a phenomenal instructional series titled "School of nock."
I would also recommend setting your draw weight to where you can comfortably draw your bow while standing with your back against a wall. This forces you to use the correct muscles and limit injury. And will extend your practice time.

 

[Botch]

Create a shot routine, honor it always, don’t shoot past fatigue, practice with a purpose and try to mimic real world shots (elevated heart, on a knee, etc...) I know guys who shoot the lights out in foam, but add stress (heart rate, tired) tough angle) dudes can’t hit a barn.

I shoot twice a day <15-20 arrows. One session up close elevated heart, 1 session double my limit (70-80 yds).

I’m sure we could all keep going. Goodluck

 

[Northwoods Labs]

one mistake I made when I started was simply shooting and not practicing actual hunting scenarios. Ex: I practice a lot where I draw my bow and hold it for quite a length of time, as often happens when hunting, rather than just drawing and shooting