I am heading back to the basics (again), and I am wondering which archery drills you utilize to get better. As an avid firearm shooter, I have a series of diagnostic targets that I use to ensure I have the most perfect shot possible.

As an archer, I unfortunately do not have such drills set in stone. However, I use the following usually building one upon the other:

1. Form work without bow in front of a mirror. Lately, I have been making sure the draw arm elbow stays down making one line from bow hand to draw elbow and that the bow arm to draw elbow is parallel to floor. Also, I remain aware of pulling my shoulders down.

2. Use of the astra trainer or rigid formaster to pull the drawing elbow back to feel the back muscles at work. Then, I'll anchor and release to ensure there is no collapse.

3. Clicker use. Building on the astra trainer or rigid formaster and keeping in mind the aspects of form from step 1, I try to establish a consistent draw length. What I tend to do is predraw to a point where I can anchor the web of my draw hand on my jaw and my index behind my canine tooth. Then, I feel the string against my chest and push out with my bow arm until I can push no more. All that coincides with the "click."

4. Holding at draw and gradually increasing the time limit

5. I'll do blind bale shooting focusing on the release.

6. Blank bale shooting to focus on the bow arm.

7. Wand shooting to ensure the release is straight.

If you have exercises that you utilize to drill the mechanics of shooting into your subconscious to make it second nature, please share so that I may possibly can be able to add them. Please also state which aspect of shooting the exercise troubleshoots.

Thanks in advance!

I get really close...say 10 yards and shoot 1 arrow and retrieve. I stay there until I am comfortable nd take 1 step back and continue until I get tired. Jawge

Sounds like work to me. When archery starts to feel like another job to me I will switch to some other hobby.

DDave

"subconscious mind" is typically some sort of alibi.

Psychologists don't always agree that there's any such thing in reality. They're usually (I think) more concerned with habit.

In The Push 1.3 a half dozen top archers talk about what they do for practice. None of them (I think) are into blind/blank bale.

What works for some won't necessarily work for all...

I don't have a big enough backstop to do blank bale as usually described, but occasionally I'll settle in at anchor, close my eyes and finish the shot "blind".

Here's the thinking.... A lot of guys talk about burning a hole or some other way of becoming completely attentive to the target. Shooting blind makes me focus on completing the shot by feel.

But I think Legato's break-it-down approach has a lot to recommend it; sometimes as I'm prepping the shot and getting to anchor I run a quick mental checklist - hook, grip, bow arm, draw arm, anchor (visual and kinesthetic checks), expansion, and THEN my focus can go entirely to the mark for those final milliseconds. If the target pops into crystal clear focus, I'll drill it :)

What I need to get more discipline about is letting down when, at the final instant, I don't see the target as clearly as I need to.

That's why it's so important to me to use a draw weight that is a pleasure to shoot. If you're struggling (at all!) with the weight, you're not going to want to draw that sucker any more times than necessary... which leads to shooting when you're not properly set... which leads to slop accuracy.... which lowers your expectations for yourself... which leads to even worse shooting.

For most, anyway.

Those 35 yard shots on the 3D course seem pretty long if you don't expect to hit anything past the Leatherwall Approved 17.34 yards, but for guys who learned to shoot Field at 70 (80?) yards...

Funny thing... you get used to missing at 20 yards, and you start thinking of it as Normal and you begin to wonder how anyone could do much better. You get used to HITTING - and hitting well, at that - at 70 yards, and you start to wonder how anyone could ever miss wide at 50...

Anyway, I do know that Wand shooting has made me a much better shot. Now that I find myself frustrated when I can't hit a bamboo garden stake at least 1 outta 3 at 45-50 feet....

Only trouble is, I may have to give up on deer & Elk and stick to Zebra, because without a skinny vertical line to focus on, I have a helluva time picking a spot!

JK, thank you for mentioning "The Push." I spent the last 3 hours watching "The Push" and "The Push 1.3." I found both to be high quality and extremely informative.

Regarding the "subconscious mind" [and I can't be 100% whether it was from Brian Enos' Practical Shooting or a variety of other shooting books I have and read] is essentially a collection of raw data and the conscious mind filters through that raw data to find what it needs. Kind of how trauma victims or police officers [involved in shootings] have a vague recollection of everything that occurred around them, but can descriptively recollect the trauma putting them at danger. Then later, being able to sift through different details to create the whole picture.

Now, regarding "The Push 1.3" 2 of the archers (Mark Lynde and John Demmer III) specifically mention bale shooting except they use actual targets in order to aim. Mike Wilson discussed form shooting and that arrow impact didn't really matter. Bobby Worthington stated on his last five shots he will focus on back tension. Dewayne Martin stated he would shoot 10 perfect shots as training. Finally, there is a general consensus amongst the archers of utilizing a shot sequence.

Between "The Push" and "The Push 1.3", I did pick up on some things to implement, which are to shoot bare shafts to pick up on form issues, shooting a few shots in the beginning to simulate a hunting condition (and build on from there), and [from Joella Bates] walking back on shoots.

Again thanks for mentioning said videos.

Have used stretch bands for a long time. I don't use them constantly, but for several weeks at a time, such as this time of year and late summer when I think of getting out the door with some bows. The bands are inexpensive and work great. A trainer some of us had for several years in a weight class at a university I worked at got me on them. His son shot a bow. Whenever I told him I might shoot a 3-D shoot, for two weeks before the event, he would have me end my workout with several simple band exercises. Still find them helpful. Bought mine at a discount store for less than taking my wife and I to the golden arches. They travel well too.

Pretty hard to beat a Bridge Program for what your asking.

KSL has you lock down your bow shoulder and then it's done moving. You make the clicker go off with your bow arm. There's reasons for it.

To get your arrow in line, this is hard to believe, but you need to straighten your spine. Not in good posture but straight. Good Posture has your spine curved above your tailbone.

Bowmania

Bowmania, thanks for the info. I googled it and found your thread from 2012 in regards. It sounds interesting and I will review the thread and info.

One shot from close range and move on to one shot from unknown distances and angles. Deno

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