Time to start shooting indoors again!!

I am moving my blogging over to my forum.

www.archerylive.com

Here is the link to my blog.

http://www.archerylive.com/forums/index.php?app=blog&module=display§ion=blog&blogid=1&

Add a turn to your bottom limb and call me in the morning.

WOW! I can't believe how long it has been since I posted on the blog. Time flies when you have an arm baby and a two year old to wrangle. So what's new here.... I live in Atlanta now. Finally sold my house and escaped NY! Now I have a nice place and I can actually shoot at the house.

On the archery side of things. I have been putting a lot of time into the ArcheryLearningCenter and getting my household set up here in Atlanta. I have big plans to open a shop with a full on archery school here, but so far the credit crunch and put the kibosh on my dough. So for now I am waiting for things to settle out.

I am cooking up a new recipe for the 737s right now and have been shooting fletched and bare shafts trying to find that X drilling combination. So while tinkering with tiller tonight. I totally change the hold pattern of my bow through tiller adjustments. I ended up with a full turn on the bottom limb and reset my nock point and peep. MAN! this thing holds even better. I didn't shoot a score but I got more inside out Xs in one round than I have had in a while.

I have had a terrible time with stability because of all the moving and working, I haven't really kept up on my shooting like I normally would. For a while there I was beginning to wonder if my solid hold was gone forever. Well its back and I sure did miss it! I will start keeping averages in a few days. I have to re-string the sticks and finish tuning them up.

OH! and I am expecting a new Vantage Elite soon too! I hope that thing rocks the hizzy!

Until Next time...

It's a BOY!!

Well there hasn't been much archery going on the last two weeks. I just had my second son and I am spending most of my time hovering over the kids and trying to get everyone settled in.

[PICS] www.leodublin.archerylive.com

I have a brand new bunch of X10s on my desk next to the fletching jig begging to be fletch and aired out at 70M. I have just the spot to shoot them.

I am also working on my latest DVD centere around Shot Execution technique, I expect it to be ready in about a month.

So I am coming off of a back to back seminar tour, one in Seattle, WA and one in Bismarck, ND. I always have a great time giving these talks and I always meet many new friends. Many of the people I see in the seminars I actually recognize their faces from the national shoot tour, but never had the opportunity to actually meet them.
Though my seminar material and outline is always the same, it always amazes me how different each talk is. Such as is this situation; Bismarck and Seattle were completely different. Seattle was a smaller group with a larger sampling of styles represented and we dwelled mainly on making form consistent and using my techniques to draw, anchor, and address the target in a consistent manner. The were many in the crowd that showed immediate improvement with just a simple refresher in the basics. We also covered the full array of tuning techniques and special form and draw length tips to increase stability.

The Bismarck group dwelled mainly in the shot execution area. A large sampling of the group was interested in learning new release techniques and solidifying their approach to shot execution. We concentrated on techniques centered around stability improvement, and the separation of shot execution from sight movement. Most people are completely unaware of what that is doing to their game. We all worked together and took a step-by-step trip through my shot building routine and The Ten Yard Exercise. We shot two ends at each distance extending from about 3 yards to twenty in two yard increments. I also worked with each individual on their own specific release technique, and gave each one the tools to work out their own feel. I have high hopes for several in the class. If they stick to the program through to the finish they may realize their fullest potential quickly and next season may be their best yet. I can’t wait to see who reaches a personal best first.

Now about my own shooting. Because I have been traveling with the seminar so much. I have spent all my free time with Sarah and Quin. Quin and I made it to the range for some shooting and I have been working on my new 737 and considering what to do for outdoor season. I don’t think I will be able to shoot too many national outdoor shoots this year, but I will have my rigs set up and rolling at least for local outdoor matches and some alone time on the fita range. I am working on my FITA Field setup an I have a great scope power and dot combination to use on the unmarked section. I have a great field of view and a good fit at all distances. (I think) ☺

I am still shooting a hinge and have settled on a good clean technique that is working. I can tell that I have every thing working as I need it because the shot is getting faster and faster these days and it feels like it used to. Now all I have to do is practice hard and work on a little physical conditioning to increase my stability. The Pro38 and the Seven37 is holding well and I hope Hoyt leaves them unchanged for next year. I would like to try some 3000 limbs on the Seven37 and make it a Seven41. I bet that would Kill indoors with the big 2712 shafts

National Indoor

Well it has been a while since I changed my swing and I am proud to report that it is working fantastic. I am beginning to internalize the groove and I swung a great 60X on the first day. It was smooth, relaxed, and it felt easy. I started a tad rough but went inside out for the bulk of the game.

I learned a lot while shooting this shoot. It always amazes me that I have been shooting the Nationals over 20 years and I learn like a newbie every trip. I rocked the pro-am. Though Nathan and DIDIpoo shot 30X I feel real good about my 27X game.

I am liking the click feature of the release more and more. I think I am beginning to get comfortable with teaching the idea. I always advised that shooters avoid the click because it is too easy to shoot it twice. By that I mean - aim, aim, aim, CLICK! jiggle wobble, re-aim, aim, aim, DUFF. Total waste of time. However, I am using a method that seems to be working great.

As I reach full draw and align myself with the target, I allow my hand to relax and stretch into line. Once I reach that perfect spot... CLICK - peep aligns and dot settles Bam! just in time. I am loving it like ranch on a hot wing.

I missed a few on Sunday. I would like to say that it was through no fault of my own, but things happen. I got a little too loose with my first scoring arrow and misfired. I managed to keep it in the white but it was waaay out of the X. It took a couple ends for the disappointment to subside, so I dropped another in the second end for good measure. I went inside out and was strumming along when I sat down next to Jim Despart late in the game and he was scanning for dead soldiers with his binos and said, Ooh! someone missed one! who's that on target 20 bottom left?" I thought for a second and snapped to the conclusion that it was me! I couldn't believe it. I cruised through those five shots and they were so perfect that I didn't even look at them.

I was totally bummed but not mad. I was actually happy that my shot is coming along nicely and I am beginning to feel like my old self again. Wooohooo!

I got my new 737 in today and am excited to put that together and see how it does for me. I am thinking it is going to be an outdoor driller! I bet that bow would be killer with 3000 or 3500 limbs for indoor.

I didn't get to be in the shoot-off this time but I got some nice photos anyway.

Another great day

I just got two boxes of assorted hinges in today. Any day is a great day when you get a wad of new toys to play with. It seems that the word is out that I am shooting hinges. I am flattered that they care. :) Anyway thanks to those that sent and I will be sure that I send back what I don't need.

I shot a 59 today and the inner score would have been in the 90s. The good thing is that I am really feeling that smooth confident flow and I LOVE IT when it is working. Interesting though I was forced to take a break today with two ends left to finish the game. It was long enough for me to totally cool down and loose my train of thought. When I got back to shooting. I wasn't aiming right nor did my shot work. It was weird. I dropped my fourth arrow of the last end because I was just out in left field and thinking about something else. My release woke me up when it plopped. Something in my head was like, "aaaaaaHHHHH~! what are you doing"... the dot wasn't even close.

It was kinda funny. I was flailing about trying to swing it back into the center as I came to my senses. I bet I looked like I was having a apoplectic attack with a sprinkle of epilepsy.

BUT! :being as positive as I can: :)

It was another great day. Shooting a 59 with a dozen different hooks was an interesting feeling and It was cool to have a huge sample of releases to play with. If you live near wildwood and happen to catch me up there. You are welcome to play with them too. I share well with others. :)

:climbing up on my soap box:

Elliott Spitzer (my governor) got caught today with a $5000 hooker. How stupid does a guy have to be - to be who he is, and get caught with a high dollar hooker. I don't want him running my state anymore because hes a dumba$$. Besides the fact that I can't figure out what a hooker could do for me that would be worth $5000, maybe paint my house after I was done with my 15min. :) well... anyway thats all I have to say about that.... :)

I got a taste of the good stuff today

After a couple days off, then a trip back to the basics, and a good hard look at my bow setup I did a couple things. I shot my trainer like a fiend to convince myself that I have my hinge technique just like I wanted it. For some strange reason during my short range shooting I had a nagging feeling that my bow felt short. I thought it was just tension from apprehension over the new release. As it turns out I somehow got my bow nearly 3/16" shorter than my baseline draw length. No wonder I couldn't get it to settle in Georgia! I grabbed my trusty marked arrow out of the box and drew it back, and reset my bow to the baseline draw length. I marked that arrow some time ago when it was shooting its best.

I shot at 7 yards just because I didn't have the time to go to the range for a couple days. Today was the first time I was able to shoot from 20. I had my son with me and he had a blast running for arrows and shrieking from his stroller between ends. :)

I shot a 60X on the NFAA target and it was relatively trouble free. I had a few quick shots, but due to my new pre-aim procedure I managed X rings on those.The FITA Score would have been somewhere around 594 or so. All in all I was very pleased with today and feel like I am beginning to feel it again.