I am considering giving up and selling all my gear. I have shot at least 5 days a week for 3 1/2 months. Some days I shoot well and other days I shoot terrible. Some days I start off bad and get better just as I'm too tired to shoot anymore.
My middle finger on my left hand has been partially numb for a month. I have tried a bigshot glove, a black widow tab and am now using a glove with double leather on that finger. My right shoulder hurts as well.
I have Bi-polar and when I shoot bad it just depresses me more. I hate to give up before reaching my goal of taking a whitetail with a recurve but I can't afford to spend any money on lessons either.
I will admit I don't have the heart and determination I see in a lot of the great people on this board. I started this journey with the intention of getting accurate enough to kill a whitetail. Once I had taken one I figured I would go back to a compound for the extended range that I can be accurate.
Is there shame in admitting defeat?
No shame in admitting defeat, but I encourage you not to give up yet. What's your draw weight? Sometimes going down in draw weight can improve your accuracy dramaticaly, not to mention making it easier on your shoulder. On days I shoot bad, or my concentration is not good, I either just put it up or shoot short distances(8 yards or less) and work on form and making sure I am getting to full draw. Also I come to relize shooting more arrows is not always better. Shooting 10 or 12 arrows with good form and under control, for me, is alot more productive, not only for my form but for my mental confidance as well. This is just stuff that works for me and may not help you any, hopefully it does. There are alot of guys here that can give better advice, just my 2 cents. There is light at the end of the tunnel, I promise.
Your not defeated, just come back to it when you have your heart is in it.
My advice would be to stop shooting so much. Go to a lower weight bow when you do shoot. And find a new way to get accurate. Make it fun. Shoot at different stuff. Concentrate on finding new things to shoot (within reason) and quit focusing on accuracy.
Don't sell your goodies right away, speaking from experience you will regret it. No shame in admitting defeat, just don't admit it too soon.
Nothing that is worth having comes easy. But if there is no "zen" in it, it might not be for you. If there is "zen" in wheelies for you, then this should be an easy decision.
It's not defeat bro...
My wife has bp--clinical level--so I can relate and sympathize.
You're shooting too much.
It shouldn't just be about becoming "proficient", at least not for some of us.
It's about "me time", relaxation, enjoyment, and overall personal "wellness".
If things are really "bad" for me, I can't shoot worth a darn either...and with bp, you know what a downward spiral is!
So don't give it up! But do back off a bit...grab that bow maybe twice a week and shoot three or four arrows at about 15 yards, two or three times, and then STOP!
Good bad or decent shooting, don't get overly frustrated with it, don't dwell on it, and don't let it get ya down!
Or you can even try and make it fun...throw an old ball around the yard and poke a judo or two at it...or a piece of fruit, etc....
That should also give your finger time to heal; if not, it will only get worse from the repeated shooting stress...
So slow down, or take a break, but don't give up...
PM me if need be...
Take Care,
Marc
It would be a SHAME to see you quit. We all have bad days, don't let anyone fool you.
Have you tried to just keep it fun, to enjoy, no pressure to shoot the so called paper plate 10 times out of 10, or 9, or 8.
You say your finger and shoulder bothers you, maybe a lighter bow for a while would help, just to enjoy.
Hope you reconcider and stay with it, but what ever you decide no one will think you a quitter and don't ever feel a shamed. Good luck. Alan
I dropped down to 40# and it literally transformed my shooting.If you are snapshooting,get a lighter weight bow and work on holding at anchor before release.I always had a target panic problem and just overall bad form but I finally swallowed my pride,dropped to 40# and now I'm shooting better than ever.Hang in there.I've been there.I tried everything imagineable to help my shooting and I shot alot,almost every day.I sent Viper a pic of my form and he said it was terrible.He said there was no way to prevent collapse with the way I had a hunched up draw shoulder.He was right.I always collapsed,unless I snapshot.His honest words were the best thing that ever happened for my shooting.I immediately dropped down in weight and began the transformation.I started over really and in short order,I'm now on the right track.Send a pic to someone who knows how to help and describe your shooting style,draw weight etc... and see if they can help.There is alot of help to be found on these forums.
RayJ
8up,
I know what you mean about bad shooting getting you down . You spend alot of money and time trying to shoot trad. gear and you dont feel like your good enough to be trying to hunt with it so lets take the approach I have am trying . I shoot Trad. because its fun and challening but I will not draw back on any animal unless I think Im able to take it cleanly. What I do is pratice up close 10 to 20 yards and that is the range I will hunt at . I like a Deer to be about 15 yards from me and I wait for the right shot then I take it . I have killed 2 deer and a fox all at around 10 to 15 yards so Im happy with that . When I feel as though I have 10 to 20 yards down I will take a Stept or two back . Git back up close 10 yards and pratice untill you have it then take a step or two back and so on. If you do not feel like you can take a deer at that range hunt with your compound but Im telling you from experance dont get rid of your recurve because you will want another. They are just to dang fun to put down. Wait till you try a longbow you will be in trouble !
Good luck,
Mike Britt
If it isn't fun, you need to change what your doing or how you are doing it. There is already plenty of stress in our lives with work, family, etc. Do not allow the stress to ruin your recreation.
Dan
Yep sounds like your beatin' yourself up too much over something I consider "my therapy".Shooting my longbow is something I enjoy doing and I too do it almost every day.Are you overbowed?Is your bow in fact too heavy for you? Like Raineman said try a lower weight bow and see what happens. I used to shoot an 85# compound and when I realized I didn't need the heavy poundage I dropped to a 75# compound.I now shoot around 50 to 55# longbows bows.Start at the beginning; is your bow tuned properly?Is your nock point correct? Are you shooting the correct arrows?When you are shooting do you concentrate on a spot, draw, anchor, [always to the SAME spot], and make a quick clean release? If you answered yes then are you in fact picking a spot on the target a small spot or shooting at the whole target?When I go out back to shoot there is nothing else on my mind except hitting that target where I want to hit.Get closer to the target start at 5 or 10 yards. Don't shoot 100 arrows start out with a dozen and stop.Quality shots not quantity. Make it fun! Keep it fun and if it still doesn't happen for you give it rest. We will always be here for you.
Good luck with the compound hunting.
above all keep it fun dont set your expectations on hitting the center of the bull every shot your not shooting a wheelie bow any more i gave up to then a now good friend took me out with blunts and golf balls and said shoot em after about five arrows i was in thwe zone i never hit one but had it been a squirell id have been cleaning for hours .. pounding a bale target for hours does nothing for you but piss you off trst me i still cant practice that way ill get more angry with every freaking shoot almost broke my bow over my knee on a couple of occasions give it one more month taking all of these guys advice and i bet you dont wanna quit any more
Why is your range better with your compound?Is it the sights or because you are holding less weight at full draw.Drop bow weight to help one and put a pin on your bow to help the other.No law against either and if they will help you get through the slump I would give it a try.My guess is you are over doing it and you need to learn an aiming method that works better than what you are trying now. jmo
I've got boxes of broken arrows from many bad days.I can also tell ya just as many boxes are from the wheel bows. Don't give up maybe take a break read and read again what these fellow freinds have to say they know what there talkin about! :archer:
Go hunting ... take only 5 yard shots... get in the woods.. watch the wild life... watch the chipmunks pack there jaws.. watch the squirrels chase each other in the trees, watch a doe teach her yearling how to play it safe, watch a coon waddle thru the swamp.... see how close you can get to a whitetail or turkey on the ground.. then take a well planned broadside shot at the vitals... If you miss.. oh well ..then try again next time..concentrate on a small spot... everyone has there good days and bad days of shooting... If it was all about killing something I take a tack driver with a scope and hunt from my kitchen window..... keep it simple and enjoy nature...
8up , The hardest judge we usually face is ourselves . life is too short to beat yourself up about things , as most here have said relax and shoot only for fun and relaxation , without the stress of being a great shot as most of us here are not , Fred
Sounds like your looking for an out, in my opinion. The good stuff in life requires more effort, always does. 3.5 months is kinda a short time to start guaging yourself. Numb fingers, tiring out and sore shoulder sound like you may have too much bow to be starting off with. Get yourself a good 45 lbs bow and see if your form starts to come together. If your shooting instintivly, it's going to take time for your form to gel, hoss. I have been shooting since I was a kid and I too have bad days, everyone does. Clear your mind of everything but the spot your going to drill. Pay attention to whats going on on release. Dropping bow hand? Hooking too deep with glove hand? Any other movement on release? Don't move until the arrow impacts the target. Pay attention to your follow thru.
If your getting burnt out, take a break and go play some pool (also good for eye/hand cordination) and relax. You need to honestly pick your shooting apart to find out what's happening.
JL
If you know someone who has a Video camera, have them take photos of you while shooting, any errors will be evident very quickly to you. Have them take side shots, from both sides, and from behind you off too your shoulder so as to be able to see the arrow ,your grip and position of your elbow and bow hand. The position of your head in relation to your anchor point.
Take note of when you make a good shot and also when you make bad shots, and practice on repeating what you had done on the good shots. Post and let Me know if the suggestions helped....ONE SHOT... :) :) :D :D
No expert here but as others have said make sure your bow/arrow combo is tuned well. I finally got the right spine arrows for my bow after a year of frustration and it shot much better. Then went to an elevated rest and shot even better still and felt much more confident. I still don't shoot like a lot of folks on here but I sure shoot a lot better than I did. Keep trying. One arrow at a time. Tennis balls and judo points when you get tired of shooting targets. Make it fun and take 1 shot at a time. Did I mention 1 shot at a time!
I think you forgot the first rule. Just have fun the rest will come with time.
Maybe you're just shooting too darn much..If each session is intense, maybe every other day would be better. Just let your body heal between days.Do something else..tinker with your bow, read a good book, something besides the physical act of shooting. Make sure you're not overbowed and tuning is good..and most of all--have fun.
If it isn't fun you need a break..either temporary or permanent.
If your heart isn't in it than you should put it aside for now. But if you are just a little discouraged, you should hang in there. 3 1/2 months is not nearly enough time. That is a problem in the world we live in today. We always want instant gratification. For me archery is a journey that will last a life time. A couple years of training to really start to become good and a life time trying to master. Doesn't mean you can't hunt along the way, just know you limitations at the time and stay within them, allowing them to grow as your skill and experience grows. Enjoy the journey and stop putting so much pressure on yourself to be an instant archer and remember it is suppose to be fun!
Stick with it!Get a lighter bow for sure.You may want to take a deeper hook on the string to help alleviate that numb finger.3 months is definatly not a very long time to master a trad bow.Its a long journey taken 1 step at a time.Shoot less arrows and concentrate more on each 1 you shoot.As far as some good coaching you might try a quality video for around 20$s or so.This is suppossed to be fun.Dont let it bum you out to much.practice at short range and someday you can definatly get a deer at short range to fullfil your original goal.Its a worthy goal and you will be better off for achieving it.Whether its sooner or later.best of luck to ya.
Thank you all for your words of encouragement and advice. I am not giving up just yet today was just a bad day in the midst of a lot going on. Youngest daughter to be married in 11 days. Oldest daughter is getting married in August and she hasn't learned to drive yet which has me driving 100 miles a day getting her to work.
Now as for my shooting. I maybe overbowed but I don't think so. 53@26 I also have a 46@26. My finger hasn't gotten worse since I doubled the leather. Only the bottom half of the first segment is effected and I think I may have found the reason for it. Seems while shooting 3 under I had unknowingly started shooting just 2 under not really using the ring finger causing the string tension to come across the bottom of the middle finger. The shoulder pain only happens when I shoot alot. Most days its 30 shots now but some days its more if I'm trying to work something out.
I have never shot with anyone and have never had anyone that knew what they were doing watch me. But that will change as we have a 3 day traditional archery shoot in 10 days and I will be there as much as possible. I do have a shooting question I will ask in a seperate post.
Thanks again everyone
I believe your shooting has decreased your stress whether you know it or not,,try to quit, bet you find yourself out there shooting for the reasons you never knew you were...there are these things attached to your boots called straps I sometimes also forget to grab them and pull but you just found yours.now pull. good luck and best wishes...
8UP, you'll learn more about shooting in one day shooting with other people than you can realize. Try to get with some experienced "old timers" at the shoot, the best thing you can do.
And a 53 lb bow is very stout for someone trying to learn proper form.
Dan
Good Luck Bro.
:archer:
8UP.. I am very sorry to here that. I agree with Dano. What you need is a break for a while, then come back later. Sounds to me like you've been trying to hard. Shooting every day 5 days a week. My guess is you've been shooting lot's of arrows each day too. That is physically not good. Your body needs to build muscle and also repair. Shooting every other day would be better. When you come back.. Stop trying so hard. You should not force things, when the form is right, the bow will take care of the shot. First rule of archery... IT HAS TO BE FUN!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/SteveMcD/ani_smiley_shooting.gif)
3 1/2 months might get you there if you are a particularly gifted archer. But if you are like the rest of us mortals then that's hardly anytime. It seems to me you need to reset your expectations if you are serious about your goal. Give yourself at least a year (or more) And pace yourself - you're not helping yourself by practicing to the point of injury.
8UP, I sent ya a PM. Hope it helps ya ! :)
8...trad archery is not for everyone. It is no crime or shame to jump in and find out or decide that it is not for you. The crime would have been in never trying it in the first place. Compound bows are legitimate, fine shooting pieces of equipment and you should not think that you are taking a step back. It is not back, just different, that's all. Grab your compound and go for it. Feel good about what you are spending your time with.
I suggest you keep your trad equipment, at least for a while, because you may want to try again. Its fun, but its not for everyone.
Good luck
ChuckC
I never can understand the drama of "I'm getting out, selling all my stuff..."
As said above, this game isn't for everyone, no problem there. As you go along you find out if this is something you can be accomplished at. Anyone can have fun shooting a stickbow, not everyone can hunt with one. If hunting with one is not in your future, going to trad shoots, etc... still can be. There are changes you can make to see if maybe this still can be for you; lighter poundage, a sight, etc...in the end, it still may not be.
Hunt with what you are proficient with, shoot what you have fun with...you can do both.
Isn't it supposed to be about being there, the animals, the woods...blah, blah...to some the equipment is the most important aspect...I lean heavily away from that.
Have fun shooting...good luck hunting...remember, realizing that you are not proficient enough is not a bad thing...it might be the best thing.
Never admit defeat!
Don't give up! Take the advice of all these guys on here that have been shooting for a long time... drop bow weight. I've been shooting sporadically for just over a year now and I could SLOWLY see myself getting a little better. Then, I switched from a 52" Mighty Mag drawing about 50lbs@26.5 to a 60" Zipper drawing about 43lbs@26.5. After just one outting, I could tell that I was 100% more comfortable shooting the lighter poundage. I was way more accurate. My form improved dramatically. And, my body didn't hurt the next day.
Just a little bit of a drop can make a huge difference. And everyone is right, you will have good days and bad days but when you have a bad day, just put it up early and take a break. Or, try some stump shooting at that point and attempt some crazy shots. That always cheers me up and gives me a good laugh.
Another tip... don't shoot alone all of the time. It's okay sometimes, but then again... it's good to have a friend with you to offer suggestions and laugh with you/at you when you do something goofy. Makes stump shooting much better too.
Just my two cents.
Greg
Ron, I sent you an email with an invitation.
get the video from www.pushrelaese.com (http://www.pushrelaese.com) and shoot the right draw weight and matching arrows. It seems that your bow is too heavy and that you`re shooting too much training in bad form. Been there,done that. Everything changed in one afternoon with the above little DVD. This is not my video and I don`t get any endorsement from the guy. It just worked for a lot of fresh shooters I am teaching,too.
Hang in there Buddy. I had the same problems that you are having to a tee. I made up my mind 2 years ago to shoot a recurve and harvest a whitetail with it. You no what, it's taken me the whole 2 years to get ready to hunt with it. I will hunt with it for the first time this archery season. The anticipation is killing me, I can't wait!!! So drop back and punt take a break and slow things up and it WILL come to you. It did for me and I feel it will for you! Goodluck and hang in there!!
Hatchet Jack
if you aren't having fun....why do it?
There are other things you can do with your time that could bring you joy...you shoot as much as an olympian practicing for world competition..that is wayyyy too much shooting for someone doing this to have a good time and take a deer.
Obsessing over poor shooting is sort of a self fulfilling prophecy(kind of like worrying about getting target panic)the more you get down on yourself...guess what?- the lousier you will shoot.
Positive thinking, knowing you are going to hit the target is the only thing you need in your head- especially when hunting.
I'm sorry you are having trouble...but I would slow down and consider your motivation before going further. It's not life or death to hunt with a recurve or longbow...its a choice. Make sure you decided to do it for the right reasons.There's no shame in deciding NOT to do it, is there?