02/27/2020
Blank Bailing (Blind Bale Shooting)
Having the right form in archery is everything. Executing the same form for every arrow you shoot is perfection, and you want to “myelinate” that muscle memory to make that shot perfect for every single arrow. If you haven’t read The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle, I highly recommend it because as he says, “Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown.”
You can have the best bow on the market, tuned to perfection, and have arrows flying everywhere, except where you’re aiming. Why? It could be because your focus isn’t on your form and executing the perfect shot....instead your eye is on that target and all you can think about is putting your arrow there. This can create what is referred to as “target panic” and it happens to every archer to some degree. It is definitely possible to overcome this problem with the right kind of practice. Remember that practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect. However, “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.”
The best way I’ve found to warm up (and warm down) for a shoot is to Blank Bale, sometimes called Blind Bale. It is also the best way I’ve found to really create, and “myelinate” if you will, that muscle memory responsible for shooting every arrow with the correct form each and every time.
Steps to Blank or Blind Baling
1. Stand about 5 feet away from a bale of hay, placed for your height...just above your shoulder, so that the point of your arrow will hit the middle of the bale. In this video, I’ve got a wall of hay.
2. Place your hand on the bow, on the thumb side of your lifeline, fingers relaxed, using a finger sling for a recurve or longbow, and a wrist sling for a compound bow. Nock an arrow. For a compound bow, attach your release, and for a recurve or bare bow, use your first 3 fingers, finger tab in place, & hook them (first joint) on the string just below the arrow.
3. Come to full draw, making sure your arrow is going to hit the hay & CLOSE YOUR EYES.
4. NOW your sense of sight is gone, and you can FEEL where your bow hand is placed on your bow, pointing ahead & pushing out to the front, fingers relaxed & drooping down at a 45 degree angle. FEEL where your draw hand is anchored on your face. FEEL whether or not you’re in a T position, elbow back, and FEEL that your form is correct.
5. If you’re shooting a compound bow, place your finger on the trigger (set in the hardest position...NOT a hair trigger) and wrap your finger, so that the tip of your finger isn’t poised to “slap” the trigger. (For thumb & back tension releases, this changes but the process of feeling, not slapping the trigger with your thumb is the same. With a back tension release you are feeling the form you need to execute a good shot, without ”artificially triggering & mimicking back tension” to get the arrow off the string because you aren’t looking at a spot when your eyes are closed.)
6. For a compound bow with a release, slowly activate your rhomboid muscle and at the same time slowly pull or press the trigger. Think of a drawer slide.....how evenly it glides back, taking your finger with it AND follow through, keeping your bow hand up, fingers still drooping at a 45 degree angle....resisting the temptation to grab the bow. FEEL your draw hand pull straight back & slightly down. For recurve shooters, activate the rhomboid muscle, pulling back like a drawer guide and relaxing your fingers as they slide back onto your shoulder. Keep your bow hand relaxed....your finger sling will bounce the bow back to your hand. If it’s a good release, you’ll feel it. “PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT” 🎯
—RINSE & REPEAT😀
This method is a great way to practice form, so make a part of your day as often as possible, especially if you’re having difficulty grouping your arrows. For me, activating the muscle memory that creates good form is critical, so I make it a part of my warm up every time I shoot.
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