A complete conversation on how getting your head right is crucial in both the archery and bowhunting disciplines.
I’ve screwed up more archery shots and bowhunting opportunities than I care to admit. While I’ve bagged plenty of deer, it’s largely due to persistence than consistent execution. Of course, as I’ve aged, I’ve learned how to perform better in both the archery and bowhunting departments. But early on, my batting average was depressingly poor. And it’s in large part due to misunderstanding the mental aspects of archery and bowhunting.
The Challenging Nature of Archery
Archery itself is a challenge. It isn’t easy. Archery is both a physical and mental game that requires skill development in numerous categories. There are so many things that can go wrong in archery, and navigating those challenges can be a significant thing to overcome.
Common challenges include becoming proficient in:
- Establishing proper footing.
- Learning to judge distance.
- Following proper practice routines.
- Developing good stamina.
- Maintaining confidence.
- And more.
Of course, some people are naturally skilled in various departments. They have tendencies to overcome certain problems, or avoid these altogether. Others have to overcome shortcomings. Regardless, virtually everyone must learn to elevate above mental challenges. Keeping your mind right is one of the biggest things to learn. This takes many years to become proficient in, and you’ll never completely perfect it.
The Added Challenges of Bowhunting
Archery itself is a big challenge. Toss in the animal element and it gets downright difficult to tackle. But it isn’t nearly impossible. That said, it won’t be an easy road.
Common challenges include becoming proficient in:
- Learning to scout efficiently.
- Getting in position to make the shot.
- Mastering difficult shot angles.
- Overcoming weather-related challenges.
- Maintaining confidence.
- And more.
As with archery, some bowhunters are naturally inclined to succeed in certain categories. Like most things, it takes time to move past these. Sometimes, specific things might even continue to be a challenge long-term. But that’s bowhunting. Just as with archery, it too is a lifelong journey you never master.
The Archery Side: Change the Way You Think
For the right-minded, confidence is difficult to obtain and easy to lose. Finding a groove, and staying in it, is the key to long-term success. But that doesn’t happen without mastering the mental element.
Without question, mental consistency is a pre-requisite for consistency in form, and therefore, performance. Unfortunately, most people pay no mind to their mental consistency until it’s too late.
Oftentimes, when we make a great shot, we react positively. In contrast, when we make a poor one, we react negatively. Therefore, positivity stems from good shooting and negativity follows poor shooting. That’s the natural process, and it must be removed.
Every archer will make mistakes. That should be expected. No one is perfect. But every archer should be improving. The only problem is making mistakes and not learning from them.
Shooters must train themselves to think positively no matter the outcome. Rather than reacting to the outcome, learn to respond. And there are very big differences between the two.
Overthinking and trying too hard are major hurdles for most archers. Fear is a big element. So is pressure to perform at a high level. Combined, these can cripple even the archer with the utmost potential.
When working through establishing a mental process, keep certain things in mind. Set important goals. Learn how to relax. Understand the meaning of visualization. Prioritize focusing on the task and eliminating other thoughts. Produce positive self-talk, if talk is needed at all. Work on your mental and physical skills in tandem. Continue working to improve, even if it removes you from your comfort zone.
To find further inspiration, study the best archers in the world. Watch videos that showcase their process. Listen to podcasts where they detail how they go about things. Then, try some of these things for yourself. Keep what works for you. Toss the rest.
In short, one must have a shot process and routine that’s highly repeatable. Failing to do so is a significant issue that will lead to inconsistencies that won’t be overcome. Learn the basics skills. Develop the advanced skills. Establish a routine. Continue to improve. And learn to reproduce everything that works for you. Then, engrain in trusting that process. Believe in it. Live in it. Look inward to reach your outward potential.
The Bowhunting Side: Level Up Your Game
There are numerous ways to improve your bowhunting game. But as with archery, this takes time and effort. Fortunately, there are no shortage of ways to level up your mental game.
Merely creating an opportunity to arrow a deer is extremely difficult. Putting yourself in bow range of a big, mature buck is even more so. This demands learning how deer tend to think and behave. It requires understanding habits, lines of movement, and common tendencies. Pinpointing bedding areas, food sources, water sources, travel routes, staging areas, and key interception points are part of the process.
Of course, one of the most difficult things to overcome is keeping your head in the game when the action is slow. Not seeing deer, and not seeing the deer you want to see, can make it difficult to keep going. It requires mental fortitude to do so.
Staying in a good place when the elements aren’t the best is another tall task. Whether it’s really warm during the rut, bitter cold during the late season, raining hard during your hunt, or some other challenge, keeping your mind on track is a serious feat. Learn to do that and things are much better.
Finally, it’s certainly a challenge to keep your head right after a botched opportunity. Bow hunt long enough and negative experiences will occur. Missing deer completely. Making poor shots that aren’t lethal. Making shots that are likely lethal but you can’t seem to recover the deer. These and more are big-time gut punches. For many bowhunters, these aren’t simple things to move past. It takes time. And it takes practice.
Without question, there are many more things to learn and overcome mentally. That’s true for archery and bowhunting alike. But if you haven’t started it already, that journey begins now. The process is a long road, and you must fall in love with the process, and not the destination, or you’ll never learn the love of a bow. And you’ll never reach the pinnacle of grasping the mental aspects of archery and bowhunting.
Find or Become an Archery Coach
Looking to try archery (https://www.usarchery.org/participate/try-archery)? In the hunt for an archery coach? USA Archery has a service for that (https://www.usarchery.org/coaches/find-a-coach). Locate an archery coach near you and benefit from the extensive knowledge they can afford you.
If you can’t afford a coach, don’t give up hope. There are many free to affordable resources available to archers. Self-help books for developing mental game, as well as online tutorials, serve as excellent replacements for those with lesser budgets. Ultimately, go for the level of assistance your circumstances allow.
Additionally, those looking to become an archery coach should look to USA Archery, too. Becoming a certified USA Archery coach provides an opportunity to educate new and prospective archers. Furthermore, USA Archery can offer tools and resources to get you started, and then keep you going. They even have courses on learning, and teaching, mental management (https://www.usarchery.org/coaches/coach-resources#mental-management). That’s how important the mental game is in archery.
