Do you believe that practice makes perfect? Well, it’s true; the more we do something the better we get at it–our brain programs itself to the activity. So the more you do something, the more your brain builds the neural network that supports that activity. This is why over time we don’t have to try to remember the correct way to shoot; it just happens.
The problem is that the networks we make are very friendly. They make friends with any network that’s in the neighborhood. This can be a good thing or bad. It all depends on whether or not you use this knowledge to your advantage.
How Many Arrows a Day Should You Shoot?
Imagine your average practice session; right now, you can make 50 great shots before you get tired or your mind starts to wander. But instead of stopping, you keep going–shooting 100 arrows to finish the session as planned.
But what did you just program your brain to do? Instead of stopping with the 50 good arrows, you over-rode the good arrow programming the last 50 arrows shot when you were tired or distracted.
How to Practice Archery
If you only can shoot 50 good shots and then your shot starts to break down, you need to stop there. If you think in order to be competitive, you need to shoot 100-150 a day to get better, even if you aren’t at that level of quantity and quality yet, you will end up polluting your neural network with tired, weak, or distracted shots. You will be teaching your brain to accept less than stellar arrows.
Program Your Archery Mindset
This bad arrow programming corrupts your shot and slows your learning process down or over complicates it. Once there, then it takes effort to sort it out.
The goal here is to develop a strong neural network. The stronger network the less effort it takes to access it. The shot becomes more and more effortless.
Protect Your Archery Mental Game
This is why it is so important to stay positive and practice only your best shooting. You don’t want to damage your established network. You want to keep it simple. It’s just about keeping integrity with yourself. Know your limits. Push them but don’t over do it, be kind to yourself and release self- judgment. This will make your practice more enjoyable and accelerate your development. So keep your shots good and don't shoot junk.