Belexes
01-31-2008, 10:03 PM
This is the third and final article in the Mental Game series as written by my mentor, The Swami.
Focus (Concentration)
Usually when an archer thinks of Focus, they think of putting themselves in a trance like state during the entire time they are shooting a game or tournament. This is not what focus should be. This leaves the archer mentally wore out before they are done shooting or susceptible to making mistakes on the line like shooting the wrong target etc.
What Focus should be is more of an awareness of what you are trying to accomplish at that present moment, not some hypnotic trance where you trust that your mind will do everything correctly subconsciously. I like to think of Focus as concentration. I think that is a better descriptive word for what this article is about.
I will be talking about some of the things I do to help me with my concentration on the execution of the present shot I am making. I shall continue to use the word Focus for the sake of consistency and because it is a term most often use for this subject.
I like to think of Focus as being a flashlight. What I mean by that is that to me Focus is something that helps you see the routine or process you are trying to execute more clearly. Focus is allowing you to perform the execution of your shot or shot process when many things around you can be a distraction. You can point your Focus anywhere you need to in order to see what it is you must do. You can also turn it off and on in order to keep your mind fresh and strong. If you leave your Focus on all the time, your mental batteries will run low. This is why I think of Focus as a flashlight and use the flashlight as an analogy here. To me it just makes common sense to utilize your focus in this fashion. I hope this analogy helps you understand how to focus.
The best way to be able to utilize your focus is to have a clear plan of execution. Write it down so you have something to refer to and then you can revise it with any change that improves your performance in that area. A written record ensures you use the latest plan of execution.
One thing that is talked about often is the pre-shot routine and the actual shot sequence. This is a very important aspect of focusing on and executing a great shot. Once you have determined what your pre-shot routine is, write it down. Once you have your routine figured out and written down, always, always follow it! If you are winging your shot haphazardly every time you shoot, you will have trouble focusing on what you are trying to accomplish in your shot.
I will give you my pre-shot routine as an example. You may come up with a different routine. There is no right or wrong way provided it enables you to be ready for the shot you are about to take without making mistakes. This can be done fairly quickly and I always try to do it exactly the same each time I get ready to shoot an arrow. Try to keep your routine as simple as possible so it is easier to repeat by memory. Soon it will become a habit just like any other routine you do during the day like getting dressed, showering, bathing or any other routine you do the same way everyday.
I turn on my flashlight (focus).
3D
If I am shooting 3D, I am trying to come up with a yardage to shoot while waiting for my turn so I have a rough yardage number when I step up to the stake. I also figure out my cut if I am shooting uphill or downhill. I adjust my sight for the actual yardage I am going to shoot the target for. I check it 3 times. I glass the target as well to learn all I can about the target and where I want to place my arrow.
When it is my turn to shoot, I step up to the stake and align my back foot directly in line of the target I am facing. I then place my front foot, in my case the left one, so my stance is slightly open, if possible. I quickly estimate my yardage again and make the changes if needed to my sight. I check it 3 times. I glass the target quickly to reinforce where I want to place the arrow. This takes very little time.
If it is field, FITA or indoor shooting, I do this instead:
If shooting outside where I need to change my sight for different targets, I look at the yardage the target is set at. I adjust my sight to that yardage and check my sight and the yardage the target is marked as 3 times. If it is an uphill or downhill shot, I figure out what my cut is and set my sight for the actual yardage I have come up with to shoot the target for. I check my sight 3 times.
I step up to the shooting line and/or to the lane I am assigned to and align my back foot directly in line of the target I am facing. I then place my front foot, in my case the left one, so my stance is slightly open.
I look at the target and say to myself which target I am shooting at, top or bottom, left or right. It depends on what kind of archery game I am shooting.
This is where both pre-shot routines come together.
I pull an arrow from my quiver, give it a quick inspection and nock the arrow on to the bow string. I tell myself again which target I am shooting.
I retrieve my release and make it ready to draw back the bow and then place it on the D loop.
I draw the bow back to my anchor point and then shine my flashlight (focus) on to the target that I supposed to be shooting at.
That is my pre-shot routine.
For the actual shot, I keep my flashlight (focus) on the target at the spot I want the arrow to hit. I let my mind perform a subconscious routine during this time. The only thing I am consciously doing is looking intently at the spot I want to hit with my arrow. By doing this, my sight pin or dot or similar reticle on the scope will naturally want to center over the spot I want to hit with the arrow. My shot sequence starts as soon as I release the safety on my release. This is not a conscious thing like my pre-shot routine, but something my mind has learned to do by countless repetition in practice. Basically I switch off the safety, relax my hand and wrist that is holding the release while maintaining the tension with my back muscles. The bow releases the arrow. I keep my focus on the spot where I want the arrow to hit until it actually hits the target.
If I am shooting an end of more than one arrow, I start back at the point where I pull the arrow from the quiver. Once I am done with the shot or the end, I turn off the flashlight (focus).
It is important to remember to turn off your flashlight (focus) when you don’t need it. If you leave it on, you risk mentally wearing yourself out before you are done shooting. This could manifest itself in many ways such as lazy shots, nocking arrows upside down, forgetting steps in your pre-shot routine etc. You also can forget where you should be pointing your focus at that present time and start hearing things like people’s conversations going on behind you or around you. You could also shoot the wrong target too. I have done all of these things at some point in the past while shooting a bow. I have significantly reduced them, however, by having and adhering to a pre-shot routine while maintaining my focus on the present task and then turning it off or redirecting it when I am done with my present task, process or routine.
At first, it may seem difficult to be able to direct your focus where you want it or turn your focus off and on like a flashlight, but there are many drills I use to help learn how to do this. Golfers in the PGA are pretty good at doing this kind of thing.
A drill I have used a lot is to shoot with a television on. The range I shoot at has a television and it really does help with learning how to turn my focus on and off like a switch or flashlight. Most people shooting next to me probably don’t even realize what I am doing.
What I do is turn on the TV to a program that I wouldn’t mind sitting down and watching. This is sometimes hard for me to do because I don’t watch much TV. But most sporting events are good programs for me to use in this drill. Most people watch some TV every day, so it might be easier for them to pick a TV program to use for the drill.
TV has a kind of hypnotic effect on people and they typically stop what they are doing and pay attention to what is on the TV, making it a great tool for practicing your focus skills.
The drill consists of shooting a game like a 5 spot or Vegas while a chosen program is playing on the TV. Make sure the volume is loud enough that you can clearly hear what is being said. Also, make sure you can see the TV from your shooting position on the line.
The drill goes like this:
Perform your pre-shot routine, perform your shot and then watch and listen to the TV for 20 seconds. Then begin your pre-shot routine for the next shot and shoot it. Keep doing this until you have shot a full game. This will teach you how to turn off your focus in between shots and then having to turn it back on and direct it towards the next pre-shot routine and the following shot. The TV works because most people really don’t focus that hard on the TV while watching it so you are basically turning your focus off while watching it for the 20 seconds.
This may seem difficult to do at first and you may not shoot great scores, but if you keep at it, you will get much better.
Another drill you can use to keep your focus directed on the task at hand if you don’t have a TV in your practice area is to use a book.
Get a book you are interested in reading and take it to the range with you. Shoot a game and in between each shot of each end, read a page of the book and then go back to the line and perform the next shot using your established pre-shot routine.
You can also use a radio for this drill. Turn the station to a talk radio station and perform the drill. This may also give you the added of benefit of becoming angry and having to calm down before you shoot your next shot.
Some other drills can be done outside.
I will shoot in different types of weather to get used to blocking the outside distractions and to practice maintaining my focus and its direction on my routines instead of what is happening outside.
When you are cold, you will find it hard to focus on your present task. You will some day have to shoot in cold weather during a tournament, so you must practice in the cold. It is the same with the rain or the heat. Practice in all types of weather so you get used to keeping your focus where it should be… on your shot routines or on your target.
An extreme example of a drill I use is what I call the Mosquito Drill. I basically shoot outside with no insect repellent on and shoot in shorts and short sleeved shirts. While performing the pre-shot routine or the shot, I ignore the mosquitoes that are biting me until after the arrow hits the target. I then go crazy slapping them off and then calm down and start my next pre-shot routine and shot. I have mosquitoes pretty bad at my house as some can attest, so it can be an effective drill if you don’t mind getting bit. My face sometimes gets pretty lumpy. It is very hard to focus on your pre-shot routine or shot while getting bit. I don’t recommend using this drill with the dangers of contracting the West Nile virus these days. I don’t assume any liability for any of you using this drill. You have been warned.
Some other things you might try to improve how you use your focus is don’t always practice in one spot, even if it is convenient or your favorite place. Practice your shooting any place that allows archery. Spread it out and hit as many places as you can. You will find dark places, bright places. Some ranges will be hot, some will be cold. Some will have lots of other things going on other than shooting. Some ranges in archery pro shops will have people getting fitted, trying out bows etc. Practicing in different environments will improve your focus on what you are trying to do. Never get stuck in a rut practicing in one familiar place all the time. You will be ill prepared to shoot a tournament in conditions other than what you are used to and find it hard to maintain the proper focus.
I can recall one time in Vegas where the lights went out on the end of the room where our bale was. It was pretty dark there compared to the rest of the room. The official asked us if we wanted to wait until the rest of the shooting line was done shooting and then move to another bale to finish. Some were concerned about shooting in darkened conditions but the shooters on the bale voted to keep shooting on the present bale. I was prepared to shoot in dark conditions because of my practice and shot very well on the last 3 ends without the lights.
I have shot the wrong target on two occasions. The first time was when I was attending my first Redding tournament and once more at a marked yardage 3D shoot where you shot 2 different targets from the same stake. In both cases I can attribute these blunders to improper focus. I was way to intent on the shot I was making and never switched my focus on a pre-shot routine in between shots. I basically shot and reloaded quickly and shot again. I didn’t have an established pre-shot routine to focus on. I got lost in the moment and shot on automatic pilot. If I had a pre-shot routine and switched my focus from the last shot to it, I would have avoided shooting the wrong target. I haven’t shot the wrong target since and I hope I don’t do it anytime soon.
Focus works best when you avoid the highs and lows of emotions. If you are too excited and keyed up because things are going great, then you tend to forget to focus on the things that got you performing well. When you are at a low point emotionally, you feel discouraged and don’t maintain your discipline to your routines and don’t focus well at all. You tend to give up. Try to remain on an even keel when shooting no matter how well or how poor you are shooting. Stay disciplined and follow your routines and keep your focus on the present task only.
I did lose my focus one time last year due to a swing in emotion while competing at the NFAA Outdoor Nationals in Darrington, Washington. The target was the 80 yard walk up. The first shot was an 80 yard shot. I did everything the way I should have, made what I felt was a perfect shot, and scored a 4. I was so sure it was going to be a 5, that it kind of shocked me. I was dazed and couldn’t stop thinking why I shot high. I just kind of stumbled to the 70 yard stake and shot with barely a pause. Of course I didn’t even do my established pre-shot routine, so I never set my sight for the right yardage. I only remember moving my sight up without the yardage in mind. I moved it too high, never checked it at all against what the target was set at and shot the 70 yard shot way low in the target butt for a zero! I think I just moved my sight to 60 yard setting since it was a number I had memorized because I use 60 yards for getting sight marks. Again, I was on some kind of messed up auto pilot. My focus was not where it should have been because I was still thinking how I missed the 80 yard shot like that.
Examples like the one above show the importance of maintaining your emotion on an even keel or you run the risk of not using your Focus properly.
I hope this article describing how I use Focus helps you understand it better and how to use it when you are practicing and competing in archery. We are all human and will make mistakes from time to time, but we can do things to minimize them when we shoot.
The Swami
Focus (Concentration)
Usually when an archer thinks of Focus, they think of putting themselves in a trance like state during the entire time they are shooting a game or tournament. This is not what focus should be. This leaves the archer mentally wore out before they are done shooting or susceptible to making mistakes on the line like shooting the wrong target etc.
What Focus should be is more of an awareness of what you are trying to accomplish at that present moment, not some hypnotic trance where you trust that your mind will do everything correctly subconsciously. I like to think of Focus as concentration. I think that is a better descriptive word for what this article is about.
I will be talking about some of the things I do to help me with my concentration on the execution of the present shot I am making. I shall continue to use the word Focus for the sake of consistency and because it is a term most often use for this subject.
I like to think of Focus as being a flashlight. What I mean by that is that to me Focus is something that helps you see the routine or process you are trying to execute more clearly. Focus is allowing you to perform the execution of your shot or shot process when many things around you can be a distraction. You can point your Focus anywhere you need to in order to see what it is you must do. You can also turn it off and on in order to keep your mind fresh and strong. If you leave your Focus on all the time, your mental batteries will run low. This is why I think of Focus as a flashlight and use the flashlight as an analogy here. To me it just makes common sense to utilize your focus in this fashion. I hope this analogy helps you understand how to focus.
The best way to be able to utilize your focus is to have a clear plan of execution. Write it down so you have something to refer to and then you can revise it with any change that improves your performance in that area. A written record ensures you use the latest plan of execution.
One thing that is talked about often is the pre-shot routine and the actual shot sequence. This is a very important aspect of focusing on and executing a great shot. Once you have determined what your pre-shot routine is, write it down. Once you have your routine figured out and written down, always, always follow it! If you are winging your shot haphazardly every time you shoot, you will have trouble focusing on what you are trying to accomplish in your shot.
I will give you my pre-shot routine as an example. You may come up with a different routine. There is no right or wrong way provided it enables you to be ready for the shot you are about to take without making mistakes. This can be done fairly quickly and I always try to do it exactly the same each time I get ready to shoot an arrow. Try to keep your routine as simple as possible so it is easier to repeat by memory. Soon it will become a habit just like any other routine you do during the day like getting dressed, showering, bathing or any other routine you do the same way everyday.
I turn on my flashlight (focus).
3D
If I am shooting 3D, I am trying to come up with a yardage to shoot while waiting for my turn so I have a rough yardage number when I step up to the stake. I also figure out my cut if I am shooting uphill or downhill. I adjust my sight for the actual yardage I am going to shoot the target for. I check it 3 times. I glass the target as well to learn all I can about the target and where I want to place my arrow.
When it is my turn to shoot, I step up to the stake and align my back foot directly in line of the target I am facing. I then place my front foot, in my case the left one, so my stance is slightly open, if possible. I quickly estimate my yardage again and make the changes if needed to my sight. I check it 3 times. I glass the target quickly to reinforce where I want to place the arrow. This takes very little time.
If it is field, FITA or indoor shooting, I do this instead:
If shooting outside where I need to change my sight for different targets, I look at the yardage the target is set at. I adjust my sight to that yardage and check my sight and the yardage the target is marked as 3 times. If it is an uphill or downhill shot, I figure out what my cut is and set my sight for the actual yardage I have come up with to shoot the target for. I check my sight 3 times.
I step up to the shooting line and/or to the lane I am assigned to and align my back foot directly in line of the target I am facing. I then place my front foot, in my case the left one, so my stance is slightly open.
I look at the target and say to myself which target I am shooting at, top or bottom, left or right. It depends on what kind of archery game I am shooting.
This is where both pre-shot routines come together.
I pull an arrow from my quiver, give it a quick inspection and nock the arrow on to the bow string. I tell myself again which target I am shooting.
I retrieve my release and make it ready to draw back the bow and then place it on the D loop.
I draw the bow back to my anchor point and then shine my flashlight (focus) on to the target that I supposed to be shooting at.
That is my pre-shot routine.
For the actual shot, I keep my flashlight (focus) on the target at the spot I want the arrow to hit. I let my mind perform a subconscious routine during this time. The only thing I am consciously doing is looking intently at the spot I want to hit with my arrow. By doing this, my sight pin or dot or similar reticle on the scope will naturally want to center over the spot I want to hit with the arrow. My shot sequence starts as soon as I release the safety on my release. This is not a conscious thing like my pre-shot routine, but something my mind has learned to do by countless repetition in practice. Basically I switch off the safety, relax my hand and wrist that is holding the release while maintaining the tension with my back muscles. The bow releases the arrow. I keep my focus on the spot where I want the arrow to hit until it actually hits the target.
If I am shooting an end of more than one arrow, I start back at the point where I pull the arrow from the quiver. Once I am done with the shot or the end, I turn off the flashlight (focus).
It is important to remember to turn off your flashlight (focus) when you don’t need it. If you leave it on, you risk mentally wearing yourself out before you are done shooting. This could manifest itself in many ways such as lazy shots, nocking arrows upside down, forgetting steps in your pre-shot routine etc. You also can forget where you should be pointing your focus at that present time and start hearing things like people’s conversations going on behind you or around you. You could also shoot the wrong target too. I have done all of these things at some point in the past while shooting a bow. I have significantly reduced them, however, by having and adhering to a pre-shot routine while maintaining my focus on the present task and then turning it off or redirecting it when I am done with my present task, process or routine.
At first, it may seem difficult to be able to direct your focus where you want it or turn your focus off and on like a flashlight, but there are many drills I use to help learn how to do this. Golfers in the PGA are pretty good at doing this kind of thing.
A drill I have used a lot is to shoot with a television on. The range I shoot at has a television and it really does help with learning how to turn my focus on and off like a switch or flashlight. Most people shooting next to me probably don’t even realize what I am doing.
What I do is turn on the TV to a program that I wouldn’t mind sitting down and watching. This is sometimes hard for me to do because I don’t watch much TV. But most sporting events are good programs for me to use in this drill. Most people watch some TV every day, so it might be easier for them to pick a TV program to use for the drill.
TV has a kind of hypnotic effect on people and they typically stop what they are doing and pay attention to what is on the TV, making it a great tool for practicing your focus skills.
The drill consists of shooting a game like a 5 spot or Vegas while a chosen program is playing on the TV. Make sure the volume is loud enough that you can clearly hear what is being said. Also, make sure you can see the TV from your shooting position on the line.
The drill goes like this:
Perform your pre-shot routine, perform your shot and then watch and listen to the TV for 20 seconds. Then begin your pre-shot routine for the next shot and shoot it. Keep doing this until you have shot a full game. This will teach you how to turn off your focus in between shots and then having to turn it back on and direct it towards the next pre-shot routine and the following shot. The TV works because most people really don’t focus that hard on the TV while watching it so you are basically turning your focus off while watching it for the 20 seconds.
This may seem difficult to do at first and you may not shoot great scores, but if you keep at it, you will get much better.
Another drill you can use to keep your focus directed on the task at hand if you don’t have a TV in your practice area is to use a book.
Get a book you are interested in reading and take it to the range with you. Shoot a game and in between each shot of each end, read a page of the book and then go back to the line and perform the next shot using your established pre-shot routine.
You can also use a radio for this drill. Turn the station to a talk radio station and perform the drill. This may also give you the added of benefit of becoming angry and having to calm down before you shoot your next shot.
Some other drills can be done outside.
I will shoot in different types of weather to get used to blocking the outside distractions and to practice maintaining my focus and its direction on my routines instead of what is happening outside.
When you are cold, you will find it hard to focus on your present task. You will some day have to shoot in cold weather during a tournament, so you must practice in the cold. It is the same with the rain or the heat. Practice in all types of weather so you get used to keeping your focus where it should be… on your shot routines or on your target.
An extreme example of a drill I use is what I call the Mosquito Drill. I basically shoot outside with no insect repellent on and shoot in shorts and short sleeved shirts. While performing the pre-shot routine or the shot, I ignore the mosquitoes that are biting me until after the arrow hits the target. I then go crazy slapping them off and then calm down and start my next pre-shot routine and shot. I have mosquitoes pretty bad at my house as some can attest, so it can be an effective drill if you don’t mind getting bit. My face sometimes gets pretty lumpy. It is very hard to focus on your pre-shot routine or shot while getting bit. I don’t recommend using this drill with the dangers of contracting the West Nile virus these days. I don’t assume any liability for any of you using this drill. You have been warned.
Some other things you might try to improve how you use your focus is don’t always practice in one spot, even if it is convenient or your favorite place. Practice your shooting any place that allows archery. Spread it out and hit as many places as you can. You will find dark places, bright places. Some ranges will be hot, some will be cold. Some will have lots of other things going on other than shooting. Some ranges in archery pro shops will have people getting fitted, trying out bows etc. Practicing in different environments will improve your focus on what you are trying to do. Never get stuck in a rut practicing in one familiar place all the time. You will be ill prepared to shoot a tournament in conditions other than what you are used to and find it hard to maintain the proper focus.
I can recall one time in Vegas where the lights went out on the end of the room where our bale was. It was pretty dark there compared to the rest of the room. The official asked us if we wanted to wait until the rest of the shooting line was done shooting and then move to another bale to finish. Some were concerned about shooting in darkened conditions but the shooters on the bale voted to keep shooting on the present bale. I was prepared to shoot in dark conditions because of my practice and shot very well on the last 3 ends without the lights.
I have shot the wrong target on two occasions. The first time was when I was attending my first Redding tournament and once more at a marked yardage 3D shoot where you shot 2 different targets from the same stake. In both cases I can attribute these blunders to improper focus. I was way to intent on the shot I was making and never switched my focus on a pre-shot routine in between shots. I basically shot and reloaded quickly and shot again. I didn’t have an established pre-shot routine to focus on. I got lost in the moment and shot on automatic pilot. If I had a pre-shot routine and switched my focus from the last shot to it, I would have avoided shooting the wrong target. I haven’t shot the wrong target since and I hope I don’t do it anytime soon.
Focus works best when you avoid the highs and lows of emotions. If you are too excited and keyed up because things are going great, then you tend to forget to focus on the things that got you performing well. When you are at a low point emotionally, you feel discouraged and don’t maintain your discipline to your routines and don’t focus well at all. You tend to give up. Try to remain on an even keel when shooting no matter how well or how poor you are shooting. Stay disciplined and follow your routines and keep your focus on the present task only.
I did lose my focus one time last year due to a swing in emotion while competing at the NFAA Outdoor Nationals in Darrington, Washington. The target was the 80 yard walk up. The first shot was an 80 yard shot. I did everything the way I should have, made what I felt was a perfect shot, and scored a 4. I was so sure it was going to be a 5, that it kind of shocked me. I was dazed and couldn’t stop thinking why I shot high. I just kind of stumbled to the 70 yard stake and shot with barely a pause. Of course I didn’t even do my established pre-shot routine, so I never set my sight for the right yardage. I only remember moving my sight up without the yardage in mind. I moved it too high, never checked it at all against what the target was set at and shot the 70 yard shot way low in the target butt for a zero! I think I just moved my sight to 60 yard setting since it was a number I had memorized because I use 60 yards for getting sight marks. Again, I was on some kind of messed up auto pilot. My focus was not where it should have been because I was still thinking how I missed the 80 yard shot like that.
Examples like the one above show the importance of maintaining your emotion on an even keel or you run the risk of not using your Focus properly.
I hope this article describing how I use Focus helps you understand it better and how to use it when you are practicing and competing in archery. We are all human and will make mistakes from time to time, but we can do things to minimize them when we shoot.
The Swami