No full target to night. We had an outdoor JOAD practice tonight and the target was well used so there was no point showing it. We were at 57.3 yards because that is where the bails were set. I was shooting for score and my eighth pin. I shot well but not well enough. I really felt I had a shot at getting the pin tonight. I had two bad ends which cost me the pin. I felt I shot well because I managed to recover and shoot good ends after the bad ones. I was following the form/routine that I have been practicing except I could not use the SweetSpot- no electronics USA Archery. I have a Tournament this coming weekend in VA where I can try again.

Good practice tonight. I had almost two hours to shoot and got 54 arrows in. Working on form/routine with the SweetSpot at 20 yards. I am doing better with my follow though and not dropping my bow arm. Also I really tightened the bolt inside my UltraView scope so that it will not be turning any more. I am happy with this target, still not enough Xs but feels like I am making progress. I did not remove weights from stabilizers but I will try that soon.

Yes wrong kind of target. I spent a number of hours at the range Saturday but was working on bows mostly instead of shooting them. Minor things on my outdoor compound bow but on my target indoor compound bow I was doing updated to match all the changes to the outdoor compound bow. At the JOAD Tournament I spent a lot of time watching the archers shoot and decided I do not have good control of my Olympic Recurve bow. I decided to not lighten the bow and replace the limbs with like lighter draw weight limbs. I removed about 9 oz. from the bow and replace to 34 pound limbs with 30 pound limbs. At my draw length that takes the bow from 41.5 pounds to 37.5 pounds. Still plenty of power to shoot 70 meters when I am ready. The bow felt much better and under control. I shot two 1” groups and three 2” groups but ran out of time while adjusting my sight. I am feeling very good about this bow.

Over two hours of shooting time Friday night before helping teach the 101 Archery class. I shot only 30 arrows. When past or current students ask me for help I help them which I did but it cut into my own practice time. Happy with most of these shots. Working on form/routine with the SweetSpot but again I am spending a bit more time getting to a pin I am happy with. Heard Donnie talk about the SweetSpot in a Bowjunkie podcast today. I agreed with most of what he said about it from my own experiences but I am not getting the battery life he is calming.

Thursday night practice is always short due to bagpipe rehearsal and tonight I only got to shoot 12 arrows. I was late getting to the range due to work and I had trouble with the lights in my sight. But I would come shoot even if I only had 20 minutes. I am pretty happy with what I did shoot. I am working on form/routine but tonight I let myself spend a little more time letting the pin settle.

George Ryals  

Jul 30

I’m seeing that you’re not really sighted in. Everything is low.

Here my target friends m Wednesday evening. I mounted it upside down as you asked. It was a little strange shooting it like this but not a problem. I managed 93 arrows at 20 yards. I was having trouble holding center. Working on form/routine with the SweetSpot. Also working on not dropping my bow arm. My groups are still too large.

George Ryals  

Jul 30

Rather than working on “not dropping your arm” work on keeping the pin on the target as long as possible.

Good practice last night. I am finally over being sick all last weekend and have recovers from the six long HOT days judging the S3DA and JOAD National tournaments last week. I shot 72 arrows while working on form/routine with my SweetSpot. I am making progress in not dropping my bow arm but I am having trouble holding center especially in my second and third arrow. Not sure what is up with that.

Monday evening practice before and during the JOAD class. A good practice but I again found after four ends that my Ultra-View scope housing was twisted down a bit again. Correcting this helped with the shots that were hitting low. I have got to find a way to keep it from getting twisted. At 20 yards working on form/routine with the SweetSpot focusing on holding on center. I know I keep saying that last bit over and over but it is what I am doing.

I was sick Friday so I did not make it to the range. Saturday I shot half a NFAA Hunter. I was using the SweetSpot for the first time in the wild. It work just fine and I did not find it distracting. I think it helped. I shot pretty well in spite of not feeling very well. All Xs, 5s & 4s except for one 3 on the 70 yard target and one miss. The miss was a lack of focus on my part. I somehow got my thumb in the release during my draw and release even before getting to full draw. Still not sure how that happened. I was very lucky with the arrow. It hit a small tree, about one and a quarter inch in diameter at about four feet off the ground. I walked past it twice looking for it. I will include a photo after this post.

How to not lose an arrow or even have to bend over to retrieve it.

Good but short practice due to pipe band rehearsal this evening. At 20 yards while working on form I am focusing on not dropping my bow arm. It seems to be a real problem for me at the present.

Pretty good practice, I shot 45 arrows and am mostly pleased with the results. I am continuing to work on form and routine at 20 yards working with my SweetSpot.

Monday evening target. I was still very worn out from the judging but really wanted to get back to shooting after missing five days. I managed 60 arrows in the short JOAD class and was happy with about half of them. I had a lot of shots that looked and felt good leaving the bow but would strike the target low. I am pretty sure due to my fatigue I was dropping my bow arm even though I was thinking about it and trying not to. I was very tired. I was at 20 yards. Working on form/routine with the SweetSpot. Saturday the is a local NFAA field tournament which I plan to shoot. It will be my first time using the SweetSpot at a tournament. I will do an outdoor pin shoot Tuesday with the SweetSpot on the bow but with the LEDs disconnect if they will allow it.

George Ryals  

Jul 24

Is your holding pattern sagging low?

Ashby Spratley  

Jul 25

Yes I am having trouble with it saging but I also think some of the low shots is due to dropping my bow arm. I am working on correcting that but if you have guidance for that or the saging please let me know

George Ryals  

Jul 30

Try shooting your bow without weight on the rods. Just to be sure your form is solid.

Tuesday evening practice was ok I was just so wore from the day judging the S3DA Tournament and my shooting reflected how I was feeling. I did not think I was doing myself any good and left early and went home to shower and rest. I was at 20 yards working on form/routine with the SweetSpot.

Monday evening practice. It was a pretty good but short as usual on Mondays. Shooting at 20 yards working on perfecting my form/routine and using the SweetSpot. I seem to always have a few wild shoots but more good ones. Just need to get rid of the wild shots.

George Ryals  

Jul 24

This target looks like the previous one you posted. HOWEVER, I’m seeing a pattern. The top spot is vertical and the two low spots are low and wider. Just for fun shoot one round with the target upside down and let’s see what happens to the pattern.

Ashby Spratley  

Jul 25

I will try that this evening.

Saturday practice this was a good one but a bit short for a Saturday. I got to the range later than I had planned. I went to the Apple store to buy an iPad to use with Archery. It took longer than I anticipated but it works very well with the SweetSpot. I am pretty happy with these targets. I find I really have to warm up the first couple of shots each day are rough.

Friday practice I was not feeling well but wanted to shoot. Back to 20 yards and only shot 36 arrows working on my form/routine with the SweetSpot in there.

Good but short practice Thursday, bagpipe rehearsal also this night. I got the SweetSpot working and have begun using it. Looking at the graphs it will show for each shoot is very informative. I will include an example of one shot I made which is now my goal graph to produce. I do believe this thing could be helpful but it has not been as reliable as I would like. Sometimes it does not seem to record good data or maybe I am doing something wrong. I am working at 15 yards, making sure I am following my shooting routine and focusing also adding checking the SweetSpot lights. I shot 39 arrows.

Good practice tonight if a bit short. Only got 35 arrows shot. I think I have figured out the SweetSpot. It seemed to work and I was able to use it successfully today while shooting and intriguing it into my shooting routine. I believe that in time it may help me.

Just 30 arrow Wednesday and back at 15 yards. I was also experimenting with the SweetSpot for which I finely got a working sensor installed on my bow and was able to collect shot data. The red light comes on when I pull back too hard but I am not getting the green leg for the correct amount of draw pull. I was allowed to shoot my Olympic bow Wednesday at JOAD for a pin so I spent a little time shooting it Wednesday- I missed the pin by 26 points. I was shooting very poorly for the pin shoot I shot much better when I was practicing.

Maybe meats practice was so so not bad but not good either. After the tournament Saturday I checked my sight tape and discovered it was way off. I am assuming this is do to the changes to my bow since I made the tape. I hade a real solid range for 50 meters or 54.68 yard from shooting the tournament so I decided to get a good 20 yard range and make a new tape. The changes to the bow are new pep, new strings and the rest was adjusted. So I made a new tape. I will test it as soon as I am able. I had planned to go back to shooting at 15 yards and had a bail with target set up only to be told that one of the JOAD kids needed to shoot for a pin. Too bad my needs are not as important as so kid. So I was forced out to 20 yards. It was that or don’t shoot. I do not feel like I am finished with my work at 15 yards and will go back to that if allowed Tuesday.

SweetSpot works!

George Ryals  

Jul 16

That tool is interesting. I’m going to need to get one.

Ashby Spratley  

Jul 17

Yes I am pleased with it so far after getting a working sensor. I had three bad before I got a working one. I have high hopes for it.