Q: I’ve found that since moving indoors my release has deteriorated. I used to be able to execute a clean, unanticipated shot but now I’m hanging up and holding on too long. I don’t want to get into the habit of punching the trigger, so what am I doing wrong?
A: Many archers find shooting indoors much harder than shooting outdoors but it really isn’t any different; without the interference of the weather it should logically be easier, but this can instead increase your focus onto your own mistakes.
Being closer to the target can make aiming seem more critical, as any amount of movement is overly magnified and since your mind is more aware of this, your sub-conscious won’t allow you to execute the shot until your bow holds steady; this is referred to as over-aiming and will only ever lead to poor results and frustration.
In order to overcome this you need to fool your mind into believing you are holding steady over the middle; I would recommend either trying a lower magnification lens, which will lessen the amount of movement you can see at the target, or trying a different aiming aperture. This could be a large dot that obliterates the entire gold or centre of the target, or an aiming ring that allows you to focus on the middle of the target without the interference of a bigger picture.
Just remember that a well-executed shot is more accurate than a shot that is over-aimed. No matter what your sight is doing, focus on your target and keep pulling through; having confidence in your form is the key to great results.
Duncan Busby
A different sizes or lower magnification scope can also help indoors
Experiment with different scope decals to see if that helps your aiming on a small face