Mental cues

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

I was curious to everyone's mental cues prior to releasing their arrow. A valuable one I've recently learned is from a podcast where Remi Warren was saying "be the arrow" to help with follow through and also visualizing the arrow hitting your target prior to the release. "Elbow high" has also been a helpful one for me.

 

[Irrelevant]

nope, but I need one. I picked up a back tension to practice with. It's definitely helped with my target panic.

 

[teej89]

I had target panic about 5yrs ago, so bad I couldn't hit a 10" circle at 10yds.

Completely rewrote my entire shooting sequence and shot without sights and less than 5yds for months. Took me almost a year to get to 40yds and now I'm back to 100% and 10x better than I was pre-target panic.

Long story short I engraved muscle memory during that time and after I note my knocking points and a level sight nothing goes through my brain other than looking at where I want to hit.

It's easier to keep it simple.

 

[JEL]

Pick a spot. follow-through, take your time

Shoot! Shoot now! Hurry up before it runs! Shoooot!

 

[p_ham]

Pick a spot. Pull through.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

I remind myself constantly to "focus on the pin" and not necessarily watch the arrow. It helps me not to move and just focus on lining things up on the target. For me, watching the arrow causes me to worry that I'm going to miss for some reason.

I also remind myself to "keep my bow arm up", I always had a bad habit of dropping my arm.
Keeping it simple definitely helps. Its interesting to see what everyone else does though.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

My cue? Telling my self to "Pick-a-Spot" and then keeping that spot focused throughout the shot process.

My miss-cue! Visualizing the critter already loaded up on the pack before I actually release the arrow......never seems to workout well!

 

[2rocky]

My mental shot sequence
Pick the spot and the pin will go there.
Center peep and level
Watch it settle and stare through it
Bone on bone shooting form
Squeeze the shoulder blades.

 

[jeffraines]

My cue? Telling my self to "Pick-a-Spot" and then keeping that spot focused throughout the shot process.

My miss-cue! Visualizing the critter already loaded up on the pack before I actually release the arrow......never seems to workout well!

Never ends well when you're already imagining how those steaks are going to taste before your projectile of choice is on its way to the target.

Save the celebrating and planning for after the animal is down!

 

[406LIFE]

I have this on my bow.
Anchor reminds me of my three touch points.
Bubble is for.my level and hand placement.
Clam is to squeeze the trigger and pick a spot.

 

[Pucky Freak]

For whitetails - aim at the bottom of the kill zone on the far side of the animal, and squeeze

 

[RG_Adult_Onset_Hunter]

I have target sequences that I run through for shotguns, rifles, and of course bows. One tip I remember from a competitive pistol shooter was something to the effect of "if you do it the same way every time, all you have to remember is the first step, and your training will take over from there".

So mine is, "breath in". My full firing sequence takes 3 breaths, but breathing in as I draw sets everything up so I do it the same way every time.

 

[dgc1963]

I dont have a target sequence never thought about one, I was a tournament shooter for abt 10 to 15 yrs inside and out when I was younger maybe due to that shooting a bow is very mechanical and I dont think much about the shot execpt picking a spot I focus more on that than anything else

 

[LuketheDog]

I let my pin float through my target spot once, then the second time it settles, and I keep watching the pin on the spot until the arrow hits...

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

I had to think about this a bit since mine is largely autonomous of my thinking. It goes: float, push/pull, open grip, pull elbow straight back, follow through.

 

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

I've focused on this a lot over this last week, shooting almost everyday, and noticed my accuracy is much higher when I go through my pre-shot mental cues, "Light left hand grip, extend, nose, mouth, ear." Very insightful seeing everyone's process they go through!

Three days ago I got myself a QAD Drop away sight. I'm pretty green when it comes to shooting a bow and was taking my first shots at 60 yds yesterday. The cues have been crucial to my consistency and accuracy shooting through a window in the trees. Gotta make a range wherever you can!

 

[GlockZ]

Pick a spot, and follow thru, calm yourself, don't rush the shot but make it quick. Honestly, the last 2 bucks I harvested, all I had time to do was, pick my spot, made sure all the pins were on the body and release the arrow! Both bucks when recovered had good hits in the engine room and went down in less than 20 yards. I believe shooting a couple of 3-D tournaments throughout the year helps make it easier for me during hunting season.

 

[blueridge]

Anchor, anchor, anchor,
elbow up, elbow back,
float, settle, soft pull, follow it through