beating my own self doubt

[Outlaw442]

can anyone offer any advice to beating my self doubt. I drew on a doe yesterday and held it for awhile even though she was in a good position the whole time. I kept thinking what if I miss, what if I gut her, what if I screw this up and hesitated. My hesitation cause a basket 6 to come in and when he made me everyone left. I drill my arrows while on the target block and I haven't missed the block all together in 2 years. Anything like this happen to yall? and an tips or tricks to tell your self doubt "SHUT UP"?

I liken it to the movie Tin Cup where he gets the shanks. He's a great golfer but can't get his head in it.

[Snacks]

I used to have that problem, what I do is find any kind of marking in the kill zone and just aim at that and treat it like it is a spot on my target. Also I go through all of the steps I go through when I am shooting at a target and try and think solely on that.

[Speedgoat]

Pick a spot, center the pin, and squeeze the release. That is about it. Aim small and miss small. Don't rush the shot and take a breath before you release. I wrote PCS in bold black letters on the inside of the top limb of my bow, so that everytime I draw I can see it and it reminds me. Pick a spot, center the pin, and squeeze the release. Good luck!!

[dcw]

Stop being a baby.
Just kidding. I have done it too. This is what I do.

Also I go through all of the steps I go through when I am shooting at a target and try and think solely on that.

[Pistol]

Make the shot

No matter how it goes, you will silence those thoughts and be able to learn from any mistake. Being a competitve archer, those thoughts can ruin a shot. What I do also is focus on the point I want to hit so hard that there is no room for any other thought. When I am hunting, I think about the shot sequence- breath, draw, aim on shoulder point, elbow, anchor, aim low, squeeze trigger or squeeze shoulders together. You force your brain to fill up with those thoughts there won't be any room for other negative thoughts.
"Be mindful of the Force Luke" and "There is no try- do or do not"

Good luck

[TxSuperDad]

Have you not killed anything with your bow? or just Deer?


For me the first time I shot at a deer, I was over thinking it too much... So much that I ended up using my wrong pin and shot over her. Then got a second shot and was even more worried that I used wrong pin again and shot under her.

Your gonna have to get all that kinda stuff out of your head. If you have not taken anything with your bow. See if you can find somewhere to go shoot a couple of pigs if you dont have any. This will help boost your confidence some.

I deer target will help you with your confidence alot too over just a bag target. For me it does anyhow. There is a big difference for me shooting bag vs shooting live target. Makes me feel alot more confident when drawing back on a animal.

There is so much to take into account when shoot a deer.. I will tell you this too and idc what anyone else says. If you are shooting from a elevated platform, no matter the height 4ft plus it is going to effect your shot placement even a little bit.

I have not been able to connect with a animal shooting from elevation. But I can hit them everytime from the ground or a pop up. It is good practice to shoot from your stand in the positions you will most likely be shooting from.

But again the biggest thing is to clear your mind, pick your spot and release. Dont over think it. Just let it happen... If you miss, you miss. It happens thats life.. Shake it off and learn from it.

[Deb]

Make the shot

No matter how it goes, you will silence those thoughts and be able to learn from any mistake. Being a competitve archer, those thoughts can ruin a shot. What I do also is focus on the point I want to hit so hard that there is no room for any other thought. When I am hunting, I think about the shot sequence- breath, draw, aim on shoulder point, elbow, anchor, aim low, squeeze trigger or squeeze shoulders together. You force your brain to fill up with those thoughts there won't be any room for other negative thoughts.
"Be mindful of the Force Luke" and "There is no try- do or do not"

Good luck

This

[Moonstalker]

All good advice above...but I also can't help but think the possibility of her running off and dying in your neighbors driveway isn't a contributing thought too...just saying since it looks like you hunt in your yard.

If we're neighbors, I'm good with it...just leave me the backstraps!

[leasecommander]

Quit worrying about it, we have all missed and we all have learned from it. The thing I concentrate on is the spot I want to hit and to HOLD the pin on that spot after I release, it makes you concentrate and not worry about the results.
Good Luck

[Outlaw442]

All good advice above...but I also can't help but think the possibility of her running off and dying in your neighbors driveway isn't a contributing thought too...just saying since it looks like you hunt in your yard.

If we're neighbors, I'm good with it...just leave me the backstraps!

this is part of it. well that's the overbearing though on screwing up my shot. I've gotten the neighbor's yard taken care of, leave the yard and head down the street is a different story

[Outlaw442]

My wife keeps naggin me about no good meat to cook and I just can't explain to her I got the shanks. So I will get the target out today and have that fresh on my mind for this evening and stock the freezer tonight hopefully. perhaps having target fresh on my mind I'll be able to focus on that little 2" white square and not 3' of brown hair.

I'll let yall know how it goes and thank yall all. I can see this helping greatly.

never know until you try right?

[Rcole1310]

If you know that you ate going to make the perfect shot every time you draw, that takes a little of the excitement out of it I think. However, after you spine a deer or two, that really does kinda make you think twice about releasing that arrow.