# Target Panic



## A Draper (Aug 14, 2007)

Fellows, I've been planning to post on this topic for a while. I have suffered from target panic for years. Bad, horrible, nasty target panic that made me basically hate myself. It started manifesting at least 15 years ago. I noticed my pin settling below the target. I had to raise my arm onto target and fire. It got progressivly worse until the pin would never stop moving. I would lock up below the target, fling my arm up and as the pin passed through the bullseye, punch the release. Attempt to regain control of the release only made it worse. When my target panic was at it's worst, I could not keep three arrows in a 4'x4' target. 

I decide that I was either going to fix target panic or completely 100% stop even trying to bowhunt. So, I bought a Carter Evolution back tension release. I honestly thought it would be gimmicky waste of $. I was wrong. 

The release took some setting up. You clip the release onto a loop. The thumb button that looks like a trigger is actually a safety. You hold the safety down as you draw. Once at full draw, you put the pin on the target, and release the safety. To fire the bow, you continue to flex your back muscles against the draw stops, when a certian tension is achieved, the release fires. For my first few shots, the release fired when I took the safety off. I had to adjust the holding tensions. Since then it's been great. I'm shooting as good as I ever have, even when I was in college and shooting dots 6 hrs a day. 

The release is different. It takes some getting used to. If I could shoot a normal release accuractly there is no way I would want to use a back tension. However, Carter has given archery back to me and I am thankful. Next time you shoot, after the shot, try to recall where on the bullseye your pin was when you fired. If you cant recall or if you know the pin was not on the bullseye and the arrow hit it anyway, could be you were still aiming when you the released the arrow. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of the back tension releases and fix the problem before it becomes severe and if you already have target panic, Carter's releases are worth the $.


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## A Draper (Aug 14, 2007)

WW, obviously you have never had target panic. It has nothing to do with deer or vallium. Lots of people equate it to buck fever. It's not. It's pure classic conditioning response. Just one of the wonderful things the human brain does to accomodate repetitive tasks. Lots of info on the web about it. There is just not much that talks about curing it. The article that convinced me to get the Carter release was written by a fellow on the US archery team about his hold low problem. It was the exact problem I had.

In fact, target panic is not difficult to hunt with. The added excitement of aiming at a deer and the fact that deer don't have dots on them tend to cancel out the airming problems. The difficulty comes before the hunt from trying to tune your bow, sight with broadheads, etc. Just cant aim consistently to get it set up correctly or have confidence in it. You never really know where your arrow will impact relative to the pin position.

So taunt me if you want. I don't care because I'm back from the hell of target panic and I'm going to ride this high all the way through archery season!


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## Enviroman (Jul 20, 2005)

A Draper said:


> WW, obviously you have never had target panic. It has nothing to do with deer or vallium. Lots of people equate it to buck fever. It's not. It's pure classic conditioning response. Just one of the wonderful things the human brain does to accomodate repetitive tasks. Lots of info on the web about it. There is just not much that talks about curing it. The article that convinced me to get the Carter release was written by a fellow on the US archery team about his hold low problem. It was the exact problem I had.
> 
> In fact, target panic is not difficult to hunt with. The added excitement of aiming at a deer and the fact that deer don't have dots on them tend to cancel out the airming problems. The difficulty comes before the hunt from trying to tune your bow, sight with broadheads, etc. Just cant aim consistently to get it set up correctly or have confidence in it. You never really know where your arrow will impact relative to the pin position.
> 
> So taunt me if you want. I don't care because I'm back from the hell of target panic and I'm going to ride this high all the way through archery season!


Interesting, don't think I ever heard about this. I guess I will have to do a little research to find out more. Thanks for the info Draper.


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## geezuphosdn (Jun 5, 2006)

This happens to me. I didn't realize what was happening until i read an article about it. I'm currently looking for a back tension release.


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## MackerelMan (Aug 16, 2005)

*Let the pin float*

I also had the same issues until I read an article in Bowhunter Magazine a couple years ago. The author stated that a bow is absolutely impossible for anyone to hold without any movement. Try and hold your finger out and point at something without moving AT ALL and you'll see. His comment was to not try and punch the trigger when the pin crossed the bullseye (target panic), but to let it float as your natural tendency will be to bring it back to center. Just come to full draw, hold for at least a second or two, and slowly squeeze.


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## A Draper (Aug 14, 2007)

Yea, your going to float with a back tension release. It forces the "slow squeeze". Right now, my pin is able to float on target and I'm shooting tight groups. What messed me up originally was when I developed the low hold lock. The pin always approached the bullseye from the bottom. It became an issue the speed I was raising the bow and timing of the trigger punch to get the arrow into the target. Over time it developed into punching the trigger anytime the pin approached the bullseye. No way to float on the target. The bow would fire whether I wanted it to or not.


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## 11andy11 (Aug 12, 2004)

never heard of it. I just use the same breathing techniques I use shooting a rifle. Of course your gonna float. If you didn't you would robinhood every shot. I think your making it too complicated.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

MackerelMan said:


> *...............not try and punch the trigger when the pin crossed the bullseye (target panic), but to let it float as your natural tendency will be to bring it back to center. Just come to full draw, hold for at least a second or two, and slowly squeeze.*


That is what I started doing when I shoot and it as improved my accuracy. I don't focus on the pin, I just the spot i want to hit and let the pin float.

There is a really good article in Peterson's* Bowhunting* magazine this month on Spring Trigger Releases. I'm thinking about getting one to use while practicing during the offseason. I just don't see a back tension release ever being practical for me while hunting. In fact, most target shooters i know switch to a trigger style release for hunting.

Here's a short video that explains the Spring Trigger Release: *VIDEO*


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## TunaTango (Dec 6, 2009)

I changed to a single pin sight and that seemed to work for me


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

First off, I have had buck fever so bad that a Qualude would not have helped but I have never heard of target panic, never heard of a back tension release, maybe I need to get out more I guess. I've been doing this for yrs n yrs and know many that have also...BUT this is a first for me on a cpl of things including having a post removed, not bad for 3000+ post. I would think target panic as you explained would be from trying to hold to long or trying to stack m in a spot but what the hey do I know. Carry on, hope it all works out...WW


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

The best way I know how to explain target panic is....It's kinda like having the yips when putting. You subconscious knows when you are going to pull the trigger and you muscles involuntarily react. It usually develops when people get in the habit of punching the trigger.


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