​Target Panic & How I Overcame It

Last week we discussed shooting a bow that is not properly fitted for the archer. It was the first in a series about archery practice. This week we’re going to dive into target panic, the second article in this same series.

Todd Lambright is the National Sales Manager at 60X Custom Strings. Archery has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember and he shot his first deer with a compound bow at 12 years old. In this blog post, he shares his experience with target panic.

Target panic is something the majority of archers will confront during their archery career. For some archers, it plagues them, and they quit shooting because of it. I don’t want that to happen to you, so I’m going to share my experience and how I overcame it.

Archers Experience Target Panic in Different Ways

Archers can experience target panic in many different ways. Some people:

Freeze low on the target

Freeze high on the target

Freak out if their pin actually touches the bullseye

Punch the trigger as soon as their pin gets close to the target

In my opinion, no matter how you experience target panic, it all stems back to a fear of missing the target that just got out of hand.

My Experience with Target Panic

I had target panic for a few years when I was a teenager. I couldn’t have put my pin in the center of the target if my life depended on it. I’ve been shooting archery for 25 years now and since then, I’ve competed with the top target archers in the country. I’m grateful that target panic is a thing of the past for me.

Form a Plan for You

There are loads of articles out there on target panic and several different techniques on how to beat it. When I was dealing with target panic, I read as much as I could on the subject. I also took advice from people in the archery industry who I trusted.

How I Beat Target Panic

I ultimately beat target panic by putting all the information together from the articles that I read and the people I talked with and formulated the best plan for me. I started by shooting at a big target up close. I shot until I couldn’t miss. At that point, I moved the target back a few yards and shot at that distance until I couldn’t miss. I did this again and then repeated it until I no longer had a fear of holding my pin in the middle and could make a good clean shot every time.

No matter which path you choose, just know that target panic will take a lot of determination and practice to overcome, but it is possible.

Target Panic Just Happened

For me, I don’t remember when my target panic started; it just happened. I didn’t realize what it was and suffered through it for a few years. It wasn’t until I heard people in the industry talking about it that I put two and two together and realized that I had it. 

Archery Practice Series

We hope this post will help you with target panic. Maybe you’ve been struggling with your shots but don’t know why. Take the time to consider target panic as a reason for your struggles. This is the second in a series about archery practice. Check out these other posts:

• Shooting a Bow that is Not Properly Fitted for the Archer
• Perfect Practice
• Hunting Practice

Are you trouble-shooting issues with your shooting? Here are a few other articles that may help you:

• Archery Tips for Beginners: Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Archery Accuracy Tips
• Longbow Shooting Tips
• 10 Tips to Improve Archery Accuracy
• Advanced Archery Shooting Tips – Getting Over the Hump

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