PB.... not!

demig

New member
Well I braved the snow tonight to go and shoot. After a hard day shifting literally tones of snow and lots of sledging I expected to be terrible. Only a few of the usual suspects had got to the club so it was a quiet and pleasant evening.

Shooting on a Portsmouth started well despite me not concentrating greatly. After a couple of ends I decided to concentrate a little more as I felt like a PB was on the cards, not a good increase as I shot the first couple without too much concentration but nevertheless a PB was in the offing.

Shooting continued well but not many were hitting ten, lot's of nines and a few too many eights but still looking good when disaster struck.

I drew back, the click fell, the arrow flew.... straight past the edge of the boss and into the net :( I have no idea why, it felt good and the arrow was fine but still a potential ten thrown away.

At that point I shot a couple of bad ends, more eights than anything as the miss had got to me. On to the last end, a quick add up of the score and I realised that despite the miss I could still beat 517. I should not have added it up! An 8, a 7 and then the last arrow in the blue!

End result 515, 2 below PB and left knowing that I should have shot 222-225 :(

A nice evening shooting but very frustrating, still at least I know that the 517 pb is on borrowed time. Club comp next week is a Worcester so in a fortnight the PB goes :)
 

darthTer

Active member
Supporter
Ironman
American Shoot
Worst thing you can do is start telling yourself a PB is on the cards....screws everything up!!!!

However, there is still a mental plus point...you were 2 points short with a miss!!! Next time you'll get it sorted....:beer:
 

demig

New member
I will Al, I want to break 530 by the time of the Ironman which should be possible with a bit of effort :)
 

darthTer

Active member
Supporter
Ironman
American Shoot
You know within yourself you can do it....now just to prove it to everyone else!!!!
If you break the 530....there's a wee dram in it for you @ the Ironman!!!
 

Darkside Lady

New member
Ironman
I'm with darthTer on this one. Getting so close with a miss is a positive.

I'm trying to focus less on the numbers (bad habit of mine) and more on the process. I'm hoping that by doing this and not adding up my score as I go I'll focus on each shot at a time and be more consistent. Hopefully my performance will improve and results will speak for themselves. Easier said than done but that's the plan anyway!
 

darthTer

Active member
Supporter
Ironman
American Shoot
When you say your "with" me....is that with the positive comments.....or buying Demig whisky????
 

Darkside Lady

New member
Ironman
Ah well, I typed that before I saw your whisky comment, but I suppose I could make a contribution if it helps motivate Demig? Since I'll be there I hope to toast your success on the day!
 

babylon5

Top Meerkat!
Supporter
Ironman
Tones of snow? Was it all done to music? ;)

Seriously, I've seen this sort of thing happen to others...two arrows in the gold then one wild one that seems to leave the bow with a mind of its own. Without seeing you shoot it's impossible to say for sure but at a guess I'd suggest that the bow may have been canted slightly to the left (you're a RH archer, yes?) and when the clicker went off the arrow slipped off the rest. Or, the bow was straight but you had pinched the arrow just enough to torque it off the arrow rest when the clicker went off. Likely scenario given you were pushing yourself for a PB.

As for that point on, like so many of us you fell into the dark recess of thinking about those lost points, and it affected your mindset and concentration.

Teaching you to sook eggs but you know yourself the secret is to not try too hard. I find the harder I want something, the harder I try to get it, the worse my shooting becomes, because I get tense or I put myself under unnecessary pressure. Most of my PBs have come when I least expected them because I was relaxed and just got on with the business of shooting. And you're not alone, I've been there with the thought "I can still do this" then that very thought seems to condemn the remaining few arrows...

But take comfort from the fact that getting within a couple of points of your PB is always a good place to be, more so if you can consistently shoot to that level. You'll eventually exceed it and set a new PB, and on from there.

Good luck and happy shooting - and remember, just relax!
 

demig

New member
Thanks all, really useful comments, loving this blog thang! I've been thinking it over and I reckon I may have pinched the arrow a bit. My fingers rather annoyingly tip in together when I curl them and I used to do that back in beginner's course days. I think the really telling arrow was the last blue, clearly the pressure of knowing the importance of it. Without that it could have been a PB anyway so definitely a case of every arrow counts.

I am pleased that I didn't stop scoring when I got the miss, I was tempted to abandon the round but shooting on was beneficial I feel. I will try my best to hit 530 before the Ironman :)
 

darthTer

Active member
Supporter
Ironman
American Shoot
You do realise that if you don't hit the 530+...there will me an excessive amount of mocking!!!! :raspberry
 

demig

New member
Of course but I have to have a target and even if I dont get there I will have improved by trying. Come the Ironman though we'll be outside at a different distance and I'll have to decide whether to shoot my acc's so I have my Ironman excuses alreayd lined up ;)
 
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