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How much do you practice?
Danzn Bar:
Brad congrats on the elk tag ...good luck.
DBar
bjrogg:
That's great Brad, good luck getting that shot. I'm sure you'll be ready
Bjrogg
gfugal:
I'm just getting into shooting. My main problem is finding the time or place to shoot. So when i do its usually about 100 arrows. But i'm no good so take that for what it is.
What i can tell you, is that you can absolutely shoot too much. I am an certified personal trainer and am graduating with me bachelor's degree in exercise science this december. Archery can be thought of like any other sport. If you overtrain, you can get some nasty injuries that will put you out for a very long time. If you are feeling chronic pain every shot that probably means your muscles, tendons and ligaments are damaged and inflamed. You might want to get those checked. You could have burstitis, or some other rotator cuff problam. They need time to heel and reduce swelling. And if not fixed could lead to a full or partial tare in your rotator cuff, or some other injury. This can happen if you do too much in general, too much too soon, or if you just jave poor form (not poor form in accuracy sense but poor form for injury). Just like with a runner who has shin splints or runners knee, you're going to have to take a brake for maybe a month or so. If it's really bad, you might want to talk to a physical therapist. When you are healed, you need to make sure your technique is spot on, and that you take it slow. If you slowly build up over the course of many months of consistant shooting your body might be able to handle shooting everday again. But for the meantime it might be best to start with 2 or 3 times a week. Maybe a a dozen or two a day. Then after each week increse the arrows a day, then maybe add an extra day after a month or two. But listen to your body. Like any workout your body needs time to repair itself. You get stronger in the recovery.
A hiatus won't permenatly damage your accuracy. You might be rusty the next time you pick up the bow. But after a week you should be back to where you were technique wise, but not necesarily strength. Taking days off in your regular training is going to have no consequence either. However, fewer shots a day with a little higher frequency like a dozen arrows 4-5 days a week is better than 3 dozen arrows 2 times a week. But thats concerning technique. Strength wise, 3 dozen arrows 2 times a week is better for buding strength and getting adequit recovery. So it all depends on your goals: building strength so you can shoot frequently, or honeing your technique after you've built that strength.
Knoll:
--- Quote from: H Rhodes on June 10, 2017, 12:09:14 am ---I normally shoot at least three times a week - all year long. Most of the time that is walking a 16 target course through a strip of hardwoods near my house. I change it up every so often.
--- End quote ---
So THAT's why Howard is such an awesome shooter! (SH)
I've adopted the "less is more" approach. Not fewer shooting sessions, but fewer shots at given target. Usually one shot and not more than two. And shooting slowwwly ... that is, making focus top priority and getting next shot off no priority at all.
And when am feeling really cocky about my accuracy, go shooting with my friends who quickly put me in my place!
H Rhodes:
--- Quote from: Knoll on July 08, 2017, 10:00:38 am ---
--- Quote from: H Rhodes on June 10, 2017, 12:09:14 am ---I normally shoot at least three times a week - all year long. Most of the time that is walking a 16 target course through a strip of hardwoods near my house. I change it up every so often.
--- End quote ---
So THAT's why Howard is such an awesome shooter! (SH)
I've adopted the "less is more" approach. Not fewer shooting sessions, but fewer shots at given target. Usually one shot and not more than two. And shooting slowwwly ... that is, making focus top priority and getting next shot off no priority at all.
Ha! I am a work in progress.... You just dropped a pearl of wisdom with that advice. I completely agree and intend to try and incorporate that into my practice. "Making focus top priority and getting next shot off no priority at all." That is good stuff! I am learning to "warm up" my concentration before taking that first shot. We use our eyes for smart phones, computer screens, and televisions, and God knows what else. Most of that vision related stuff has the brain receiving input in a static fashion - nothing physical about it. That first cold shot used to be a lot tougher for me. I would have some crazy things happen those first five or six shots until I got warmed up. Lately, I have been taking little short mini shots barely out in front of my feet while walking out to practice. Nothing close to a full draw, barely pulling the string back and letting an arrow go at a dead leaf or clump of grass. This seems to reboot my vision or brain to picking a spot to shoot at. After you have been shooting long enough, your shot sequence is all a part of muscle memory that is fairly easy to keep straight with a simple mental checklist. That "focus on the spot" thing can be elusive in this crazy age of constant distractions.
And when am feeling really cocky about my accuracy, go shooting with my friends who quickly put me in my place!
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