My personal best on a 10-round Vegas 3-spot target (highest score 300) at 18m (20 yards) is a 289. I’ve done that 3 times now. I got a 288 last Tuesday with all arrows in the gold (score of X, 10, or 9, with an X also being worth 10). Today I shot a 284, but had three 8’s and a 7. I also had three more X’s than Tuesday (which is the bullseye the size of a penny).

Tuesday:

Today:

Take away my last 4 arrows and even with the 8’s I was on par for an equally good round as Tuesday. The problem is the huge lack of consistency.

Both results give me feedback to reflect on. Tuesday tells me that I can keep the arrow in the gold. Today tells me I can hit the X or 10 two-thirds of the time. Both results show improvement, and that I have a lot to approve on. But most of all, they tell me that I need to focus on every shot, and not think about the results. On Tuesday I knew I was shooting well, but I had no idea I was close to my record. Today I let myself slip at the end, because I already had 3 in the red, even though when I was on, I was really on.

Archery is unforgiving. Small mistakes are exaggerated as the arrow moves further away. Distractions and stray thoughts leave me doing things I shouldn’t, like triggering the release with my thumb rather than using back tension. Thinking about my results while shooting actually hurts my results.

It’s all about the process. And when I have a day like today, where I have big movements that end up with me shooting three 8’s and a 7, I think to myself, ‘I just need to keep shooting. 1,000 more arrows, then 1,000 more after that…’