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90% of Archery is Mental - a column by Archery Pro

From the time I was 16 until well after high school, I worked in an archery pro shop. I learned a great many things during my time there, from how to fletch arrows to how to properly use back tension. Of all these lessons, not one has been as useful to me as the fact that (after you learn how to shoot properly) 90% of the game is mental.

I cannot count how many times guys came in and told me "My bow just won't shoot a good group!"

I would tell them "Let me look at it." and after I looked at the bow and saw there was nothing wrong with it, I would take it in the back room. While back there I would set it on the table and look at it for about three minutes. I would occasionally even hit a hammer on the table for the noise effect. I would then take it back out to them and say "Boy I am suprised you could even hit the wall!" I used a wide range of non existing problems from "the tiller was way off" to "the rest was loose". No matter what I said, it almost always had the same effect: the person shot better, a lot better.

Why was this? Once a person gets it in his or her head that there is a problem with their bow, their subconscious will not let them shoot well. And by thinking that there was a major problem with his or her bow and that I corrected it, they were then again able to shoot well.

When I used to train for FITA, my coach would get very upset if I ever used the words "can't" or "impossible". The reason for this is that our subconscious plays a huge part in archery. By telling ourself that we cannot do something we inadvertently program ourselves to fail.

Try this before each shot: close your eyes and picture the entire shot, from drawing the bow, to aiming, the shot, and the most important part: picture your arrow hitting its mark. Always think positive about your shooting. Spend time each week just envisioning yourself making perfect shoot after perfect shoot. This will reprogram your subconcious to make good shoots.

And remember no negative thoughts!!!!!

-Archery Pro


E-Newsletter Would you like to receive archery information via email from our website? Just enter your email and press Join! We will never give, sell, or exchange your information with a third party without your express consent. To unsubscribe, click here What is Archery? Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. Archery has historically been used in hunting and combat and has become a precision sport. A person practicing archery is called an archer, and one who is fond of or an expert at archery is sometimes called a toxophilite. Read More...	90% of Archery is Mental - a column by Archery Pro From the time I was 16 until well after high school, I worked in an archery pro shop. I learned a great many things during my time there, from how to fletch arrows to how to properly use back tension. Of all these lessons, not one has been as useful to me as the fact that (after you learn how to shoot properly) 90% of the game is mental. I cannot count how many times guys came in and told me "My bow just won't shoot a good group!" I would tell them "Let me look at it." and after I looked at the bow and saw there was nothing wrong with it, I would take it in the back room. While back there I would set it on the table and look at it for about three minutes. I would occasionally even hit a hammer on the table for the noise effect. I would then take it back out to them and say "Boy I am suprised you could even hit the wall!" I used a wide range of non existing problems from "the tiller was way off" to "the rest was loose". No matter what I said, it almost always had the same effect: the person shot better, a lot better. Why was this? Once a person gets it in his or her head that there is a problem with their bow, their subconscious will not let them shoot well. And by thinking that there was a major problem with his or her bow and that I corrected it, they were then again able to shoot well. When I used to train for FITA, my coach would get very upset if I ever used the words "can't" or "impossible". The reason for this is that our subconscious plays a huge part in archery. By telling ourself that we cannot do something we inadvertently program ourselves to fail. Try this before each shot: close your eyes and picture the entire shot, from drawing the bow, to aiming, the shot, and the most important part: picture your arrow hitting its mark. Always think positive about your shooting. Spend time each week just envisioning yourself making perfect shoot after perfect shoot. This will reprogram your subconcious to make good shoots. And remember no negative thoughts!!!!! -Archery Pro	Featured: Aftershock Archery AfterShock Archery, LLC is a premier broadhead company, specializing in the most advanced broadheads - fixed or mechanical - in the archery industry. Our broadheads are available in weights from 80 to 125 grains and in cutting diameters from 1 1/8 to 2 3/4 inches. No matter what your bowhunting needs may be, AfterShock Archery has a broadhead that is more accurate, more durable, and more devastating than anything else you could buy. For more information, click on the link to www.aftershockarchery.com. If you are interested in advertising on The Archery Channel, please contact us via email.
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