Archery Tips to Prevent In-Field Misses

It was a cool crisp morning, and I had only been in stand for about an hour. Noticing some movement to my right, I was shocked to see a pretty nice buck standing on the same trail that I had come in on that morning. He was cautiously checking the field from the safety of the woods edge, scoping for any danger that might be present. The three bucks, that were already in the field, eased his fears and he headed on out to rendezvous with them.

I was smiling from my perch, already imagining how this glorious beast would look in the back of my pickup truck as I showed him off to my brother who had choose to sleep in on this absolutely perfect morning. I had been watching the three bucks feeding in the bean field in front of me for quite some time and this particular gentleman was exactly what I was looking for. He did catch me a little by surprise, but I knew he would be my one and only chance this morning and I wasn't going to let it pass by.

After he glassed the bean field for quite some time, and watched the three antlered specimens already inhabiting the field, he was finally assured that the coast was clear and started making his way cautiously into the field. Little did he know that only 30yds away a quick death was waiting for him.... or so I thought.
I slowly relaxed and came to full draw, waiting for the perfect broadside shot, and when he finally cleared a tree limb in front of me, I hit the release and painfully watched the arrow hit the dirt directly in front of him and harmlessly bury itself into the earth.

How could this be? I had been practicing for months and I had made this shot a hundred times, but now here at crunch time on this absolutely perfect morning I whiffed. I was heart broken and mad at myself. What did I do wrong?

Unfortunately this happens to the best of us and I have learned a few tips, in the years since, to prevent me from being a bumbling archer when the moment of truth arrives. Having a shot regiment, and sticking to it no matter what the situation, will pay off when the moment you've been waiting for arrives. I try to stick to a few simple rules to make every shot count.

Pick a spot - Whenever you shoot a bow always have a particular spot in mind that you are aiming for. You should never aim in a general area. I normally try to pick a spot on an animal and focus my sight pin on that spot-a dark tuft of fur, a line behind the shoulder, anything that will allow you to focus on one particular area. This also holds true when shooting at a target as well.

Breathe - I always try to take in one big breath and let it out just before releasing the string. This helps to calm the nerves and also helps to prevent target panic and the undesirable trigger punch that tends to happen if you're using a mechanical release. Breathing is an excellent way to help focus on a particular spot as well, and will go along way to making every shot count.

Follow Through - Shooting a bow, just like shooting a basketball, requires that you follow through. After hitting the release you should always make sure to follow through the shot. You should consciously make an effort, after releasing the string, to keep your sight pin on the target. This will help to make sure that you follow through and thus prevent you from "dropping" the bow once the string has been released. This is what I did not do in the story above and you read about the results.

Anchor Point - Your anchor point should always be the same, and should be very familiar to you, so once the pressure is on you don't have to consciously think about where that anchor point is. I actually use 3 different anchor points, but you have to use whatever you are comfortable with. Some guys only use two anchor points-such as a nose on the string and a kisser button to the corner of their mouth. To each is own, but whatever method you use make sure you anchor the same way every shot.

Be the Arrow - I know this sounds cliché, but it directly relates to following through on your shot. I always try to "direct" my arrow into the target by willfully placing it there in my mind. By "being the arrow", and imagining its flight path, you will help to follow through on your shot and allow the arrow to head into the spot that you intended. It sounds silly but it truly works.

There are many aspects of archery that come into play when the "moment of truth" arrives. I think that these particular tips will go along way to help increase your chances of success in the field this year.

Unfortunately, all of us will miss sometimes, it even happens to me. The fact of matter is that the more you put yourself in the situation, the more you will learn to control the adrenaline rush and be able to more effectively use the tips I have outlined.

Always remember this: Relax, pick a spot, follow-through. It will go along way to helping your chances of success next time the opportunity arises!