HELP....I've got the yips.

[Dave]

I have recently been spending more time in front of the practice target, fine tuning a few things. All was progressing well, I had the Hoyt grouping under 2" at thirty yards :D ...THEN IT HAPPENED...now I couldnt hit water if I fell out of a boat :oops:

How do you guys get passed the yips when they set in. I have been told it can take up to 6 months to get my form back

[Russell]

I take it you are talking about target panic as in your pin is on target and your brain says HIT the release and you end up punching the release throwing your shots off.

This is what I do at the start of every practice session.

I take 20 to 30 shots with my eyes closed so I can get the feel of the release and build up memory, I have found this the best way to take your brain out of the shot sequence.

Dont try and hold the pin dead on where you want to hit but let it float in a small circle the arrow will hit in the center of the circle.
A clockwise circle for a right hander and an anti clockwise circle for a leftie.

If you start out with your pin below the target and then raise the bow you are fighting gravity so I have found it best to start above the target and let gravity help get on target.

If all that fails then draw your bow and aim but dont fire hold at full draw for 20 seconds then let down this is another way to take your brain out of the shot sequence.

Now if all this fails then put the bow up for a few weeks and go fishing then come back and start off your practice sessions with the blind bailing (eyes closed) take 20 shots this way then end the session do this for a couple of weeks.

Then start with 10 blind bale shots and progress with open eye shots.

If target panic starts to creep back in end the session and take a few more days off and start the process over.

Oh and when you are practicing make sure you do quality practice and not just fling arra's this is what I call practice with a purpose pick something that needs working on ie your grip or stance and just concentrate on that and make sure no bad habits start creeping in.

[Dave]

Thanks Russell for such a detailed reply...

I take it you are talking about target panic as in your pin is on target and your brain says HIT the release and you end up punching the release throwing your shots off.

You got it in one, as the pin comes anywhere near the bullseye my brain shuts down and starts screaming now.....NOW......NOOOOWWW...at my trigger finger and I slam the release. What makes it worse is if I try to block it out it I seem to focus TOO MUCH on just that and it compounds the problem. Like a golfer on the tee saying to himself...don't slice...don't slice... and guess what he does. If he stood there thinking... hit straight...hit straight...he probably would, at least they are positive thoughts.

I use a Scott Mongoose with the small straight trigger, which I absolutely love. I tried a new Tru Ball release with rope adjustment between the wrist and head, but with the bigger trigger this seems to make it worse.

If you start out with your pin below the target and then raise the bow you are fighting gravity so I have found it best to start above the target and let gravity help get on target.

This is something I have always done so I will try it differently. I will also try the little circles approach, as I have always come up from under the target...hold...hold...POW.

Oh and when you are practicing make sure you do quality practice and not just fling arra's

Can tend to do that at times too, especially if tired and concentration levels are down

Cheers, Dave

[Russell]

Can tend to do that at times too, especially if tired and concentration levels are down

Dave.

One of the worst things you can is practice when you are tired and your concentration level is low because thats when the bad habbits kick in.

As we all know it is easy to pick up a smoke and bloody near impossible to stop it is the same in archery when you pick up a bad habbit it takes a very long time to get rid of it.

Thats why I say practice with a purpose and not just fling 50 arrows some times I will go and only shoot from 1 to 6 arrows if everything is on then I put the bow up till the next day and I never practice if I am tired :wink: