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Target Panic... are you a sufferer?

9.1K views 62 replies 37 participants last post by  SteelEggTartlet  
#1 · (Edited)
Edit: Note that the updated 2025 Drills have been added thoughout this thread:

Target Panic is so prevalent among archers; especially traditional archers and since there is now enough anecdotal evidence of success, I figured it's time to offer this program and some help--hopefully, to anyone interested.

Like many, I suffered from this demon for years. I believe I have developed a program to offer help to many. Since the hunting seasons are mostly over this may be a good time for some you to give this a try. So far, EVERYONE that has followed these drills TO-THE-LETTER has been successful. Hopefully, like the others, you can experience the ability to make strong, controlled shots again.

If you’re interested, I have uploaded a PDF file below with the drills and spreadsheet to keep track of your progress.

If you’re as desperate and I was, in the words of President Trump, “What in the hell do you have to lose?”
 

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#5 ·
Hunter08,

Good for you. You absolutely MUST follow the drills TO-THE-LETTER.


GEE WHIZ! I knew there were a bunch of us out there, but had no idea there were so many. I've sent the file to everyone that has PM'd so far. If I miss anyone, just get hold of me again. I'm getting old and forgetful. :)

For anyone else interested, you need to know these drills are designed to cover 63 days worth of following strict discipline. It'll take you about 20 to 30 minutes a day. No you don't have to do it everyday, but you have to follow the drills TO-THE-LETTER. Anything less will void the warranty. :) By the end of the drills, you'll have the tools to kick the demons butt.
 
#6 ·
Hell no, I have a shot sequence! On a serious note, I don't think so. I have a guy that helps me out and answers my dumb questions with honesty. I do believe a solid shot sequence, with a level head can really help. Some folks probably do have to, and others probably misdiagnose their trouble. Years ago I worked on cars, and the customer always told me it's the carburetor, or it's outta time, lol!!!! I think it's great if you have a system to beat the, and someday I may be following every step of it. Mark
 
#7 ·
Mark,

I don't even know what you're talking about. A shot sequence is essentional to these drills. These drills are for the desperate folks who have developed a short-circuit in their sequence. I don't think you can imagine how lucky you are to have a coach to work with you along the way. Most of us sufferers weren't that foturnate, so here we are.

I hope you never find out what this is all about.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the info Jim. Aiming is one of the last things I do in my shot sequence. I have always been at full draw and anchored quite awhile before the actual aiming portion of the shot. Do you think this is a mentally healthy thing to do to help avoid tp? Course it normally takes me awhile to complete the shot... Mark
 
#11 ·
Yes indeed I do think it's a mentally healthy thing to do. I think most of us sufferers of this demon tried to aim too soon in the shot sequence and that aided in the short-circuit and being consumed by it. I believe aiming should come after anchor and as you begin to set back tension. As stated in my drills, "... draw your bow to anchor following your normal shot sequence ... , set your back tension and (then) aim...."

I think you have touched on one of the most important aspects of the shot to avoid this damnable stuff.

Again, you are extremely fortunate to have a good coach.
 
#14 ·
A clicker is good medicine and when used correctly makes the target panic a non-issue. Unless of course, one doesn't want to shoot with a clicker. I shot one for years and then, began to anticipate it. I hope that doesn't happen to you. The clicker doesn't cure the panic, it transfers the stimulus to break the shot.
 
#16 ·
That's certainly a big part of these drills, but then you have to actually shoot at some point. That's when the "shock" of the panic comes into play. These drills takes you thru the shot process slowly while maintaining CONTROL. While they are great things and have helped a zillion archers, these drills eliminate the need for a non-anticipatory aid like the clicker or feather to the nose, etc. etc.
 
#17 ·
Here are a few reports from folks as they progressed through the drills:

“Cecil has been keeping me posted all along with his progress. I was very eagar to hear how everyone did on day 22 (the first day to shoot arrows). I was thrilled to learn cecil shot his day 22 arrows in complete control. I was thrilled for him.... and me. lol lol"

"So, closing in on my drill to actually shoot an arrow, I shot day 19's regimen on the Field course today. My bud was shooting close range cause he is still chasing deer, it is a lot more enjoyable to me to walk the wooded course and do the drills than in the garage.
I am so comfortable with my shot sequence this week, trying to really pay attention to some of the finer points of the expansion movement. Thinking about direction of elbow movement and engaging scapula. There is so much to be said about this process and how it has brought me back on track to just that, the process, and not the outcome of any shot. When all you do is try to perform the steps in your shot sequence as perfectly as possible then that indeed becomes the focus...which is the purpose after all. lol
Seems very logical. Absolutely no urges anymore even as I practice the expansion and imagine setting off the clicker. Very confident is how I feel. Also curious how, or if , adding the loose is going to change things. I'm guessing not much. So..about a third of the way through and feeling good."
"This is my day 30. I had a late start cause we got married.. and yadda, yadda, yadda.....anyway this is working great. I think the real reinforcement is drawing 9 times and shooting once, it teaches you to let down for sure. I even had a couple instances where on the 10th arrow it didn’t feel right. And I was able to say... NO. And just let down. And then shoot the 11th. Working well man. I’ll keep you posted! Thanks for a great system"

"For the first time in over 10 years I can anchor, aim and shoot in control. Sometimes I still get antsy but I can let down and start over. When I feel insecure I just move closer and do a few let down drills…"

"I've been following your formula to the tee EXCEPT I stayed with my same weight bow(44lbs). Today I ran down to Lancaster archery and bought 30 lb limbs for my Satori. Today was day 43 and I shot from 5-30 with the lighter limbs with complete control. Shoulda bought them to start. I'll finish these last 20 days with them. Thanks for your help"

"Jim, day 18 is under my belt and doing great to this point. I have utterly no urge to release. I have settled into a comfortable 31” draw. I am following the program to a “T”."

"Day 23 and all is well. I am enjoying drawing and shooting without that hellish urge to SHOOT IT!! "

"Jim, I just completed day 50. I'm in complete control and it feels sooooo good. Thanks so much..."

"Up-date. I just finished the day 27 exercises and boy am I pleased. Now shooting at 15 yards with utterly no urge to blow up. LOL Jim emphasizes "immersing" yourself in aiming. That needs to be emphasized because one of the big issues with TP is the urge to release the moment you get even close to the target. To retrain your brain not to have that "idea" it is crucial to do the shot sequence steps and then FOCUS, FOCUS, Focus on the spot you intend to shoot...when you are ready. Thus far I am extremely pleased with the results. It requires discipline to follow the regimen as laid out. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It is so pleasant to shoot an arrow at 15 yards now in control. "

"Today is day 61 I have 3 days to make up. my shots are controlled shots now. I plan to keep right on with the 4 let downs and shoot one arrow."

"Performed day 32 drills earlier today, really amazing how this works. I was at the range and had some folks show up, had to explain why I was letting down so much. ha ha They were familiar with TP though and also amazed at how these brain exercises are working.
Of course they wanted to see how the actual shots went too and I was glad to have the pressure myself, the real deal. Executed the shots just like executing the "let downs" , great stuff...."

"Jim, day 54 is under my belt. I had a hiccup the other day. My very first draw at 5 yds I let loose. I have no idea why except my mind was somewhere else. I got right back on track though and am doing well. I've been mixing my excersizes up between 30 lb and 39 lb bows.... There is no doubt in my mind that this is working and I can feel confidence growing and doubt lessening."
"Day 31 checked off this afternoon--half way through nearly. I got to shoot at 20 yards! No yips, jerks, no little demon in my head screaming SHOOT. This is so cool and I am actually having fun doing it--look forward to my daily sessions. Feeling calm and in control feels so good, AAAAH."
"Just finished day 8. Anxiety is way down as can be expected at this point. Having been relegated to snap shooting I've never been able to concentrate on a point of aim for more than a flash but now doing it 30 times a day before let down. Tomorrow I need to go out to 20yd so need to be at the club range at sunrise to make it to work on time. Guess you can say I've committed to make this happen. Thanks for the opportunity, Jim."
"Merry Christmas Jim. I’m in Michigan for Christmas and took my bow. I just have 2 days left and this is a great Christmas present to be shooting in control..."

"Day 38 done today and still amazed at the results I am experiencing. This is the best approach to treating the dreaded archer's affliction I have seen."
"I’ve had target panic for over 50 years in all forms imaginable shooting compounds with releases and fingers and also with my traditional bows. I took Joel Turners online course and though that helped me a LOT, I still had tp.
So when Jim graciously made his off for 12 volunteers to try what helped him, I signed up. I committed and gave up my archery season to try and once for all get this demon off me. So it began and I followed it to the Tee except I started it using my hunting bow and not going with a real light bow. I did eventually get new 30 pound limbs and kept going following Jim’s program as he spelled out.
His program WORKS. I am now shooting controlled shots.
I believe I will always have to fight it at times, but have learned how to combat it and only shoot controlled shots.
I want to thank Jim publicaly on here for his encouragement through out this program through emails and phone conversation. I love shooting and shooting in control is so much better...."
 
#19 · (Edited)
Absolutely. Here are the drills again. Doing these drills will help anyone gain a stronger and more controlled shot and help keep the demon at bay from sufferers too.
 

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#20 ·
I'm curious. From reading the posts in this thread it sounds like this program you have will help solidify form, and sequence . My question is whether, or not, this would be suitable for someone who doesn't have enough experience/confidence to have developed "target panic."

I'm at the point in my shooting that my groups at 20y are generally inside of 12". I have had better days, and worse. Still the 12" circle seems to be pretty consistent. I'm also really happy to be shooting this well.

Would it be something to try, or should I just keep shooting to gain experience (and maybe target panic) before considering something like this?
 
#21 ·
jtrops,

You need to know … I’m not a good shot, not a psychologist, not an archery coach or anything of the sort. I’m just a desperate archer who’s tried everything to rid myself of target panic. Nothing worked—until I did these drills.


You also need to know, that I have shared these drills with good shots, sports psychologists and coaches and all agree these drills would be beneficial for any archer to add to their practice routine to maintain strong, controlled shots and aid at keeping the demon away.
 
#24 ·
Some of you may be interested in a little background how these drills came about--or not. You might ask, what credentials/degree’s/medal’s does this knucklehead have ANYWAY. Well now, I can answer all those questions easily in one word—NONE. I'm simply a desperate archer who has suffered from the damnable stuff forever and tried everything I read and that was suggested to me. I shot with a clicker for years, and then, began to anticipate it and blew up. I even switched to shooting left-handed and that worked, but I have never been able to shoot as well as I did right-handed. Nothing did it—until I wrote and followed these drills TO-THE-LETTER.

I went to a Rod Jenkins clinic in 2010, and learned a shot sequence and his bale and bridge program (ala Len Cardinale). Long story short, the "blank" bale helped me with form, but I blew up bridging when I introduced aiming. I talked with Joel Turner and gave his non-anticipatory aids (feather to nose and grip sear) a whirl. That worked for a while, but the TP got the best of me and I (again) began to anticipate the non-anticipatory aid (darn it). I had read Dr. Kidwell’s book and thought of his figure eight drills and a thread I read here at ArcheryTalk by TJ the TP Guru's about let-down drills.

Then, the light came on! The problem with my particular Target Panic (and maybe many more folks) was that I needed to introduce the aiming on the front end. Drill it in; get comfortable aiming while holding before I ever shot an arrow. The rest is in the form of these drills.

The term, “admire the sight picture” in the drills came from what I've read of Rick Welch's shooting clinics. The “immerse in aiming” came from Len Cardinale. Those terms describe and drives home the point better than anything I could think of.

So far... this has worked for EVERYONE that has followed the drills TO-THE-LETTER. There is nothing scientific here to-date; only anecdotal reports from those that took the time and made the effort to give it a whirl. Some more time with some more results will make things a bit more definitive. So far... so good.

So there you have it; the choice is yours. I’m not making a dime here and not trying to sell anything. Just offering what has worked for several others and me. Perhaps, if you're as desperate as me, it would be worth the price of admission to give it a try. (Again) In the words of President Trump, "What in the hell do you have to lose?"
 
#26 ·
I do not claim to have more knowledge than anyone else but there is one thing I do know for sure, Brother Jim Casto is the real deal and having been up the road and back several times and known Him for years, you can put your faith in what he says! He has only one Goal in mind, to help others.