How long too get in The Groove.

[Flex]

Just wondered how long it takes ppl to get into the groove shooting
wise.

1 day I seem to slid right in the next I need to shoot 10 ends b4
I get into it.

[Eberbachl]

....and some days it just doesn't happen! :lol:

Difficult question Flex.

The other day I walked into the club, grabbed my bow, walked into the indoor and started scoring an Aust indoor round from the first arrow of the day, and shot a 297.

I was pretty much in the grrove from the word go. Just felt good that day I guess. Although maybe I should have shot a few practice ends.....the three nines I shot were in the first three ends :cry: all tens and X's after that :wink:.

Other days, I really need to shoot for a while before I'm in it, and some days whatever I do, I just can't seem to find "it".

I guess the question for our resident Psychologists is:

What puts us into or out of "the groove", and how can we manipulate that for our benefit so that we are in the groove when we need to be?

:bday:

[Mike13]

Luke, just out of interest, when you walked in and shot the 297 did you have anything else on your mind (outside distractions, problems, pissed off at work etc) or were you just happy to be there to fling arrows?

Also did you have any equipment worries or were you perfectly confident with your setup?

Cheers

[Eberbachl]

New bow the week before (the UltraTec), and I spent about an hour setting it up after I got it.

I was totally 100% confident in my gear.

I had nothing on my mind, and was content to shoot arrows. Really didn't give a rats about the score, it just felt good. Just one of those nights when (after I shot the three nines in the first three ends) I just felt like I couldn't miss. The arrows just kept hitting the X :wink:

Interestingly enough - only a few days earlier, in similar circumstances with the same gear - except I was in a very negative mood, I was struggling to hit 290.......

I think there is ALOT to be said for being "in the groove" :bday:

[James Park]

Certainly for the days I shot my highest scores or won the biggest tournaments I new in advance that I would probably do so. I guess that on those occassions my frame of mind was as it should be.

[Flex]

James ParkI new in advance that I would probably do so. I guess that on those occassions my frame of mind was as it should be.

You new!!! I never know its like a lucky dip for me.

[Marcus]

I'll agree with Jim on that, you usually know that day if it will happen or not. Sometimes your surprize yourself, but most often not.

I find that my performace is usually related to

* How much I am shooting, particulary that style (indoor, outdoor etc)
* How tired I am, how much sleep I have been getting
* If I ate Mexican the night before (not good, but I can't help myself)
* How stressed out I am

[CMB50]

* If I ate Mexican the night before (not good, but I can't help myself)

I hear you on that one! :D


I agree about shooting better when 'in the groove'. It'd be so much easier though if we only knew what the 'groove' is! Confidence (although i think that might be a side effect) energy, fitness, positive frame of mind might be some of the aspects.

Others?

[Marcus]

I think the groove is timing.
When I'm on, my shots are almost clockwork in their timing, draw anchor settle bang! X
When I'm not in the groove shots take longer

[James Park]

Agree with that Marcus.
One thing we have to watch for though is not to get too complacent. I can recall one tournament where it was all working well, shot four 60's in a row, thought "this is really easy", and promptly shot a 7. Basically, I let my brain do the wrong thing.

[AndyUK]

Good subject here flex and something i have thought about on my last few field shoots.
Haveing struggled with bad case of target panic this year and bringing my self back to shooting well again (for me anyhow).

I shot a round in october and felt great shooting a personal best of 463 and being very happy with my days shooting.

The next shoot however I felt I didnt get into the groove at all on the day. I left the day thinking I had not done my self justice. But when I got my class card back later that week I was really surprised to see I had only scored a few points less.

So it can be surprising you might feel as though your shooting bad and can be unhappy but still shoot ok........go figure :o

[baldmountain]

It ALWAYS takes me about 10 ends to hit my groove. If I split a round in three parts. The beginning is mediocre because I don't feel like I'm warmed up yet, the middle will be best because I've hit my groove, and the last will be fair because I'm getting tired. Happens every time.

As far as shoots as a whole, I have good days and I have bad days. On a good day I'm :o because I just can't miss. On a bad day I just want to go home. :(

[stodrette]

If you define "groove" by scoring well, you set yourself up for failure....

How many times do you feel like you made a great shot and the arrow misses the 10 ring?

How many times have you had an "oops" and it went right in the center?

How often do you just grind away, working on your shot and realize at the end that you had a PB?

How often do you let someone else piss you off and your game goes to crap, even though up 'til that point you were shooting great?

As an archer, we must have faith that a good shot will produce a good score. If we try to manipulate the shot, we are doomed.

[Michael Naray]

As an archer, we must have faith that a good shot will produce a good score. If we try to manipulate the shot, we are doomed.

As Mr. Lee says; "Arrow never lie. Shoot good, arrow go in middle. Shoot bad, arrow go anywhere. But arrow never lie."

I was amazed, at the last Ranking that I shot at Homebush, to see many of the AIS guys sit in their chairs for the practice ends, get up at the start of scoring and immediately start putting them in the gold.

Perhaps being in the groove is simply a matter of knowing that no matter what, you are going to shoot this arrow exactly the same way that you have shot your last 10,000 arrows. If every arrow feels and flies exactly the same way, you won't need a Mystical Groove Thing to help you to shoot well.

-mikey

"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try."
- Jedi Master Yoda

[clever_guy]

"Just wondered how long it takes ppl to get into the groove shooting wise."

3-6 practice arrows, thats what you have to plan for. You have to be physically warmed up, increase your attention/concentration level and become optimally aroused - and your physical endurance, attention/concentration level and arousal levels have to be maintained for the duration of the amount of arrows you must shoot within the timeframe of the event.

It's just finding how to actually DO what I said that is hard...

;)

-CG

[ArcherAngel]

I know I'm new to the sport and I've only been to the range twice, but
both times it took me 2-3 ends to get into a rhythm, after that I only faltered a few times and got right back into it.

I only shot for 1 hour, have to be able to move my shoulders the next day.

I didn't get too bummed out about bad shots since I'm an absolute beginner, basically I'm happy to hit the target.

[Gunzer]

Just wondered how long it takes ppl to get into the groove shooting
wise.


shooting wise?

It takes rhythm. Once you get your pace, you'll only concentrate on smaller details. The best way to control rhythm is Zen breathing. Test your Zen breathing by swimming 200m butterfly accross the pool. Running 5ks also works but you're exercising your legs and not your back and arms that's why butterfly stroke is the best.

Rhythm.

Remember the key word is R H Y T H M... Zen breathing... Very slow heart rate.

R h y t h m.

[Archangel]

It takes rhythm. Once you get your pace, you'll only concentrate on smaller details. The best way to control rhythm is Zen breathing. Test your Zen breathing by swimming 200m butterfly accross the pool. Running 5ks also works but you're exercising your legs and not your back and arms that's why butterfly stroke is the best.
Either's cardiovascular exercise, and so will have much the same effect on breathing - although you'd have to do more than 200m swimming to compare to a 5k run. I'll agree that butterfly uses more archery-specific muscles (although legs are still important too) but it's not a complete training program on it's own.
Anyways, I don't think getting into a rhythm when shooting has much to do with cardiovascular fitness - it's more a mental game. On the other hand, staying in the groove has a lot to do with fitness ;-)

I'm going to go with the majority view; it depends on the day. "Some days it don't come easy, and some days it don't come hard; some days it don't come at all...."
It's not always predictable though; I shot a FITA in a nice groove once (and one of my better scores), despite a few late nights beforehand (yeah I know I shouldn't have) and being pretty exhausted that morning - but as soon as I started shooting, all that was unimportant.

[Jay.G]

sometimes i just know if its going to be a crap day or not but still i stand and shot why? dun't have a clue :-? but sometimes i just feel really good, the arrows would be in the gold or some where else if a gust comes up :x yea i think its definitely got to do with rests, timings of the shot but most definitely how you are feeling that day. don't how many it takes me to get in to the 'groove' never really counted it or really cared.

[hoyt for life 2]

Yesterday i felt really in the grove 2nd end shooting better than i have in ages (possubly ever), but then the next end the group moved to the left and didn't have the same tightness as before and i never really got that grouping back, i sort of lost the groove.