A few weeks ago I was watching a television program called Celebrity Hobbies. This
is not something I would normally be interested in, but one of the guests was a
well-known entertainment personality who also happens to be a bowhunter. The
program highlighted his love of the outdoors and his passion for archery. He
commented about his penchant for things that are natural and the importance of
living off the land. He liked the idea of doing as our human ancestors did in
harvesting animal protein with a bow and arrow.

As I was watching this it struck me as funny when he sheepishly pulled out his
compound bow. Although I shoot a longbow myself, I have no personal problem
with those who choose to shoot a compound. However, this guy was clearly
embarrassed about shooting one. Especially considering his comments about how
we should all live as our Native American brothers. He did mention that he likes to
shoot a recurve, but preferred the compound because of its superior accuracy. This
is all well and good, but I got the feeling that there was something more.

They showed video of our man shooting his compound for a time and then showed
him with his recurve. As he drew his recurve back I could see some hesitancy as he
neared a full draw position. Next there was a slight shaking, and then he stopped
his draw about an inch or two short of full draw. Mercilessly, the camera cut away at
this point and showed the arrow hitting its mark. Now it became clear to me. He had
target panic.

Target panic is a very common problem that strikes many—if not most—traditional
archers at some point in their shooting lives. Compound archers get it as well, but
less often and less severe than their traditional counterparts. Bearing the full pull
weight of a bow is a major factor, as is the use of the fingers as opposed to a
release aid in loosening the arrow.

The two most common symptoms include a premature release and freezing outside
of the target picture. Target panic can be extremely difficult to get rid of and has
caused many traditional archers to give up the sport entirely or start shooting a
compound. My guess is that this is what happened to our celebrity.

In order to have a chance of curing target panic, it is important to understand the
exact cause—which can be traced to the very nature of archery. In Part II of this
series of articles about target panic, I will review the causes target panic and
introduce you to another famous bowhunter who has found a way to compensate
for his target panic.

To find out more about target panic and how to get rid of it for good, visit
www.PushRelease.com
Here you will find out about a new technique that can cure
your target panic permanently.

Michael Linsin is a conributing writer for US & International Archer Magazine and the
author of Archery Strong. He is also the creator of the Push Release DVD for
traditional archers.