Once the basics are mastered, reaching your potential in any sport requires that you learn to use your mind properly. Archery is no different. In fact, archery requires even more mental control than most sports. When shooting a bow you can’t hustle more or push the ball up faster or bull your way in from the five. The only way you can “try harder” in archery is to focus harder.

I recently read a study about concentration that stated that even trained individuals have a very hard time holding their focus on one thing for more than 7 seconds. Beyond that you are talking genius status. This tells me two things. First, you have to execute the shot roughly within this time frame once you’ve started aiming (or you need to break your concentration, regroup and then start over). Second, most people that think they are fully concentrating really aren’t. I say this because people often feel they can concentrate for long periods of time. This tells me they don’t know what real concentration actually feels like. It should be incredibly intense to the point of being almost exhausting.

In archery, this kind of concentration is required at only one point: when you are actually aiming and executing the shot. If you approach the actual shot with the same air of objective detachment as the preceding steps of your pre-shot routine, you probably aren’t concentrating hard enough. The actual shot should feel different. You really need to burrow in.

Why is it that good athletes never hear the crowd during the moment of execution? It’s impossible to notice one thing when you are fully concentrating on another. In other words, when aiming, if any thought or mental picture flashes through your mind other than a clear focus on the spot you want to hit, you aren’t concentrating hard enough. Such breaks will have a decidedly negative affect on your shooting performance.

Proper concentration doesn’t stop when the arrow leaves the bow. Watch the eyes of a great quarterback; they stay locked on the receiver long after the ball is gone, even as the quarterback is getting slammed to the ground by an onrushing defender. Remember this: the mind controls the arrow . Once you truly understand this, your shooting ability will immediately reach the next level.

To be accurate with a bow you need to do the same thing on every shot you take. That includes anchoring in the same place every time you reach full draw. Your body position will be consistent and the bow will react identically on every shot. The goal of this month’s column is to help you find an anchor point that will help you to shoot your best.

HOW ANCHOR POINT EFFECTS FORM

One of the fundamentals of good shooting form is a string arm that is perfectly in line with the arrow at full draw. Where you anchor on your face has much to do with where your elbow points. It is a common flaw among bowhunters to anchor too far back, forcing their elbow to point too far to the left (for a right-handed archer) and too low.

A good anchor point for bowhunters that are shooting an index-trigger release aid is found by positioning the thumb under the jaw with the corner of the jawbone cupped between the thumb and the index finger. When shooting a thumb-triggered release aid, invert your hand - palm outward - and press the knuckles of your fist into the back of your jawbone.

As you search for the proper anchor point, maintain a relaxed upper body. In other words, don’t stretch your shoulders to artificially increase your draw length. Adjust your bow’s draw length to fit your new anchor point rather than vice versa.

WHY YOUR ANCHOR POINT MUST MOVE

If you use a peep sight, and every bowhunter should, your anchor point will move slightly as you change from one sight pin to another. For example, your anchor point will be higher on your face when aiming with your 20-yard pin than when using your 50-yard pin. This can be uncomfortable for archers who become accustomed to shooting most of their arrows from one distance. To avoid this problem, mix up your practice sessions to include shots from every distance for which you have a sight pin.

Set your peep sight so that your anchor point is most comfortable position for shots of average distance. This will likely be approximately 25 yards for a whitetail hunter and closer to 40 yards for those who hunt western game in open settings. You can also open or close your jaw to adjust your anchor point for various shot distances rather than moving your hand up or down your face.

Choose your anchor point carefully because it may ultimately determine whether or not you are able to reach your potential as an archer and bowhunter.

Caption:

Your anchor point determines the position of your arm and shoulder. The proper anchor point is one that assures that your release arm is in line with your arrow.

There are dozens of ways to connect an arrow and a release aid to the bowstring. Each of the methods have both strengths and weaknesses. Of all the methods I’ve tried, the string nocking loop is the best. Here’s why I think every bowhunter should consider a loop.

NOCK CONTROL

Because of the string angle and the fact that your arrow is nocked above the string’s center your arrow nock will always have a tendency to slide down the string on release. The nocking loop totally contains the nock and completely eliminates this variable.

SERVING LIFE

Even the very best center serving applied tightly will eventually weaken, flatten and separate if you attach your release aid directly to the string. Also, the string fibers underneath will take the punishment more directly. However, when you use a string loop, the loop takes all the abuse and can be easily replaced when it shows signs of wear.

TUNING EASE

When using a nocking loop, little or no downward force is applied to the shaft during the draw and shot. At the shot the arrow begins its flight at the apex of the string’s angle eliminating the whipping effect on the nock that occurs when the release is attached below the nock. This is especially important with short bows that would otherwise produce a very sharp string angle and a great deal of down pressure and nock whip. The result is greater consistency and improved arrow flight. If you feel that a little downward pressure is desirable to keep the arrow on the rest while drawing the string, you can lower the loop’s center point by tying a 1/8-inch spacer of serving thread between the arrow’s nock and the loop’s lower knot.

With today’s short-nosed, open-jawed release aids that are geared specifically to string loops, loading is fast and you don’t have to give up any precious speed-producing draw length. With the loop there is only upside.

The question of where to put your arrows when hunting is an old one debated in every bowhunting camp. It was a question I asked myself more than two decades ago. Bow-mounted quivers are convenient - my choice especially when stalking and crawling in heavy brush. I’d tried the other styles and they were more cumbersome for me. Guys who hunt differently were using hip or back quivers, and from a pure accuracy standpoint I was always told that I should be joining them.

To find out for sure, I got together with a few friends for some informal testing. The group was made up of very good competitive shooters who were also bowhunters. We shot at 40 yards with our bow-mounted quivers full of arrows. Then we each removed one arrow at a time until our 8-arrow quivers were empty. We found that the point of impact moved less than two inches at 40 yards. From a bow balance standpoint, I find it hard to make a case against bow quivers.

There is a second, more significant, way that bow quivers can affect your accuracy. When shooting in the wind a bow quiver filled with arrows makes the bow harder to hold steady than one without a quiver attached. On windy days I’ll consider removing my quiver for the shot even when I’m hunting on foot. Tree stand hunters have the opportunity to get rid of the quiver altogether, and that’s my advice. Attach it to the tree (or the stand) in a handy location so you don’t give up any second shot capability.

If you plan to hunt with a bow quiver you will improve your accuracy by sighting-in your bow with the quiver attached and filled with arrows. Experiment by shooting with and without the quiver just to see how much your impact point changes.

I’m now satisfied that on anything but windy days, a bow quiver filled with arrows isn’t going to adversely affect my success when bowhunting.

Caption: The author prefers to use a bow mounted quiver especially on spot and stalk hunts.

The first five arrows and the last five arrows I shoot everyday I shoot from a distance of

five feet with my eyes closed. I don’t do this because I think I can sneak that close to a buck,

but because I want to get in touch with my feelings. I want to explore the relationship I have

with my bow. Sounds like I’m a few arrows short of a dozen? Well, read on.

Shooting a bow is an athletic event similar to if not as spectacular as a gymnastic

maneuver. Many small muscles in our forearms and larger muscles in our upper arms

and back must act harmoniously to make the perfect shot.

During a normal shot, aiming and concern over where the arrow is going to hit,

completely occupies the conscious mind while the subconscious mind controls the shot

process. In order to become more aware of what you are doing before, during and after

the shot, you must remove the aiming process and the concern over where the arrow will

hit from the conscious mind. Closing your eyes and standing a few feet away from the

target will allow you to “feel” the shot. You will soon discover things you may have

never known you were doing wrong.

Eventually you will discover what the “perfect” shot feels like.

Once you’ve experienced this “perfect” shot with your eyes closed, you can try to repeat

it with your eyes open. If you can maintain this feeling, your shooting will rapidly

improve. If you hit a slump, go back to shooting with your eyes closed until the feeling comes back.

Remember the old adage, practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

There is no such thing as a “normal” shot while hunting. You have to play the cards you’re dealt. Often that means assessing the opportunities on the fly. We all know the importance of taking the first good shot that comes along, but typically we don’t have much time to decide if what we’re looking at is a good shot. Any tricks that can be used to hasten the process are extremely valuable during the moment of truth. This month’s tip reveals methods for knowing when you can sneak an arrow above or below a mid-range obstacle.

With your bow at full draw, aim at the target with the appropriate sight pin. Quickly guess the distance to any mid-range obstacles. If the pin that corresponds with that distance is clear of the obstacle, fire away. Your arrow will fly over or under the obstacle and make it cleanly to the target.

Here’s an example that might bring this tip to life. Assume a bull elk is standing 40 yards away. He’s broadside, ripping up a small pine tree. Unfortunately, a limb between you and the bull cuts right across his vitals and threatens to deflect your arrow. The wind begins to swirl and you get the uneasy feeling that this is going to unravel fast. Should you shoot or wait and hope the wind straightens out? Here’s how you can answer that question. Use your rangefinder or make an eyeball estimate to the limb. Let’s assume it’s 25 yards away. Draw your bow and put your 40-yard pin on the bull’s chest. If the gap between your 20 and 30 yard pins is above the limb, your arrow will clear it. If 40 yards is within your effective range you have the green light.

You should never have to guess whether or not you will clear a mid-range obstacle. Let your sight pins tell you whether or not you are looking at a good shot.

We naturally like practice sessions that reinforce our strengths. It just feels good to shoot well, but this false sense of confidence is a house of cards that will quickly topple when the winds of pressure start to blow. Having warm fuzzies about your skills won’t make you a better archer or bowhunter. Being brutally honest in identifying your weaknesses is the only way to improve.

Many tournament archers perform great when they stand all by themselves at the range, but they shoot poorly when the pressure builds and people start watching. Rather than shooting to their potential, they subconsciously find ways to stay out of contention – to avoid these pressure-packed situations. The cure is simple; they must identify their weaknesses so they can step out of their comfort zones and fix them.

Self-examination should also include the physical aspects of the shot. The best way to identify flaws in shooting form is to have a very accomplished archer or professional coach watch you shoot. A critical eye is always scary, and leaving your comfort zone behind is always tough, but without these steps you will never improve.

Weaknesses also affect success rates in the field. No doubt, you have a preferred way to hunt. It is your signature. You’ve had some success with it, so you naturally assume it is the best way. In all honesty, it probably isn’t. I know because I’ve been there myself. You can’t get comfortable after a certain level of success and expect to keep improving. The hunters I admire most have wide-open minds and have made a lifelong study of all facets of the game. Look at your technique a little more critically. You will find areas where you get sloppy. Ask accomplished hunters for help. Sure it’s humbling, but that’s how you improve.

Faults and weaknesses are like roaches. They are gritty, dirty little buggers that flourish when left alone in the dark. But shine a light on them and they quickly scurry away. Pointing that light is your first step toward permanent improvement as an archer and bowhunter.

A few seasons back I missed a nice mule deer buck because my peep sight had moved up the string. I can only guess that it snagged in some brush while I was stalking. I knew something was wrong when I hit full draw, but it was too late by then. I shot right over his back. Now, I mark my peep sight so that problem will never again cost me an animal. This is but one of several important steps that should be taken during the final week of preparation.

GETTING THE GEAR READY

Tighten and Loc-Tite: Before your last sight-in, take the time to remove every screw and retainer on your bow and accessories that could vibrate loose during a long season. Loc-Tite everything in place. If your cable guard rod is held in place by setscrews, lock those in place too.

Mark cams and peep: As mentioned, it is important to mark the position of your peep sight. It is just as important to use a little white paint to mark your cam, or cams, to assure that your timing doesn’t change and your string doesn’t stretch. Such a problem can dramatically affect accuracy with hunting arrows and should be monitored carefully.

Spin test your arrows: Attach your broadheads and spin the arrows with the tip resting in your palm. You’ll immediately feel any slight vibration if the head isn’t perfectly aligned. Sometimes heating and turning the inserts will eliminate the problem. If not, set the shafts aside.

Number your hunting arrows: Screw in your broadheads and number your arrows. I carry a notepad when I’m shooting and make a diagram of the target that I label with the number for each arrow and where it hit. Trends will quickly appear; some arrows will always fly wide of the mark. These should be removed from the quiver and adjusted. Keep only your best arrows for your hunting shots.

GETTING YOURSELF READY

I missed the first shot I ever took at an elk; the arrow flew harmlessly into the dirt at the cow’s feet. I was using a 46-inch compound in those days and my bottom limb hit the ground. That should have been avoided by practicing this type of shot when preparing. Make a point of thoroughly practicing every shot you are likely to take while hunting. If you will be in a tree stand, put one up and get comfortable with every possible angle. If you’ll be on a spot and stalk hunt, learn to shoot well while sitting and kneeling.

How you prepare for the season will have a great impact on your ability to pull off the shot when the chips are down. You should practice all summer long, but the final week is when it all comes together.

At high elevation the air is thinner and gravity loses a small percentage of its pull. Every projectile slows more gradually and takes a flatter line. While baseball’s power hitters love the thin air of Denver’s Coors Field and professional golfers enjoy 10% more distance at Castle Pines just south of the city, this phenomenon is not a bowhunter’s friend. Sure, elevation flattens trajectory, reducing the effects of misjudged shot range, but all too often the knowledge comes as a surprise to the hunter at just the wrong time. If you hunt more than two thousand feet above the elevation where your bow was sighted in you will begin to notice that your arrows impact higher than normal. This can be a serious problem for bowhunters heading for the timberline from eastern states.

The difference can be fairly large, several inches for arrows fletched with vanes and even more for arrows decked with feathers. Left unchecked, such a built-in accuracy bias can produce an outright miss, or worse.

Of course the real key to remedying the problem is first understanding that it exists. After that, the physical solution is simple. Because the gap between the pins is affected, you can’t simply gang-adjust your entire sight head upward to account for the flatter trajectory. And, resetting every pin individually is too problematic in the constraints of most hunting camps. Instead, focus on one of your longest pin settings. Assuming it is 40 or 50 yards, set out a target at that distance and shoot until you are comfortable that you are executing good shots. Then simply turn your limb bolts out (reducing draw weight) in small increments until you are hitting dead-on at this range. Make sure to turn both bolts an equal amount in order to preserve the bow’s tiller setting.

After making these adjustments move up and check your shorter-range pins just to be sure everything is still tracking. Your 20-yard impact point may be slightly below the intended target, but the difference will be so small that it is insignificant.

Not only is elevation an important consideration when preparing yourself physically for the mountain hunt of a lifetime, it must also be considered when preparing your bow. Adjusting your draw weight is a
step that can make a big difference in the outcome of the hunt.

Caption: Hunting at altitude will affect your arrow’s point of impact. A small adjustment to your draw weight can quickly fix the problem.

Just because you can stand at the 20-yard stake and drill arrow after arrow into the center of the target doesn’t mean you’re ready for hunting season – not by a long shot. Shooting every day using perfect form under ideal conditions is a great way to improve your fundamental skills, but it is not the best way to get ready for hunting season. Perfect hunting practice must simulate the real thing – or better yet, go one step farther. Here’s how you can get more out of your final month of preparation.

VARY THE POSITIONS - WILDLY

As a schoolboy, basketball great Pete Marovich was known to dribble a basketball out the door of his family’s car as his father drove him up and down the block. Pete knew he’d never need these skills in a game, but he figured if he pushed himself beyond his known limits he would have an edge. The same goes for your preparation for the hunting season. Practice shots that are considerably more difficult than any you will face in the field. I don’t just mean long shots, I mean shots with awkward body angles and positions: stand on one leg, lean around a tree, sit flat on the ground, kneel behind a bush, get up in a stand and twist to your right – try everything can think to challenge your shooting form.

Make a game out of it. Grab a 3-D target or two and a couple of buddies. Take turns picking the shots. Mix in some crazy shots. I remember playing this game one time in hunting camp where one shot had us balancing on one leg trying to make a 35-yard shot. We had a few laughs that day. See what you can shoot under and over and through. See how your shooting responds to awkward body positions. Learn to compensate for everything conceivable. Five or six afternoons like this and you’ll be ready – or you’ll be out of arrows.

ELIMINATE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

The goal is to learn to shoot well under a wide range of conditions. Being able to hit the kill zone when you’re uncomfortable is the key to becoming a crack shot at game. Most shots you face while hunting will be from awkward angles, standard backyard practice won’t get you ready. Remember the old slogan, “You can pay me now or you can pay me later” Pay now; celebrate later.

Caption: Practice in all types of conditions and positions helps you become a more effective hunter.