In compound bow archery you use a trigger release to fire the arrow.
Although the trigger is released by the thumb barrel the correct motion is to use back pressure to fire, rather than squeezing your thumb. I tend to squeeze my thumb, trying to time when my sight is right on the bullseye. This technique can only get you so far, and it leaves you prone to target panic. Target panic is a response where you (unconsciously) rush a shot because you see you are lined up for a bullseye, but it’s caused by unintentionally panicking with a reaction that is neither controlled nor steady. It makes for a bad shot.
When you don’t have target panic, the shot feels good, and while it won’t be perfect, it can be consistent. However, you reach a plateau where you just can’t get much better being trigger happy rather than having good technique.
So I’m in the process of trying to stop using thumb pressure and start using back tension. That is, using a pulling back motion to apply pressure on the thumb trigger. A couple days ago I ended up shooting the worst two rounds I’ve shot in over a year. I’m trying to undo, or unlearn, what I’ve been doing for a long time, and it really sucks. But I’ve got to accept some poor scores while I rid myself of this bad habit. I have to trust my aim and not rush to time my shot while my site drifts past the bullseye. I need to unlearn a bad habit which is much harder than learning it right in the first place.
Hi Dave. I think the experience you describe as an archer is present in all human endeavors. I feel I discovered more about how individuals learn from my training in Aikido than in any workshop I ever attended, or any book ever I read. More specifically, I experienced the cyclical nature of learning, and what it means to have a deeper understanding of something. I also learned better how to deal with those days when training doesn’t go so well!
Today was a better day. I had a really bad round, then bounced back to within my usual range with one minor alteration to my equipment settings. That said, I totally agree with you. Amazing how our experiences outside of education (and raising our own kids) can teach us about learning in ways that the classroom doesn’t always do… but that learning can be taken into the classroom.
Thanks for your insightful comment!