Thanks Kegan, This might sound somewhat crazy and metaphysical, but I'm a big believer in visualization. I add physical movement to my visualization practices, also.
Explaination and examples:
While in middle school I came down with the flu and couldn't practice or play basketball in for nearly 2 weeks. While in bed I would visualize my shooting jump shots. When I was able to get out of bed, I would visualize and actually practice jump shots in the house without a ball of course. My first day back to school was a game day. Since I had been absent, I did get to start and came in half way through the first quarter. I scored 18 points in the game, my career high to that point. Since then I've used that technique with a lot of things I do.
I've shot wheelie bows on and off for the last 15 years. Usually, I viewed hunting with a bow (compound) as way to scout deer for gun season. This season I got serious about bow hunting. There was a span of about 3 weeks that I couldn't practice shooting this season. I did however keep practicing and visualizing finding my anchor points (I use 3--chin anchored in the crease of my hand and thumb, string to the corner of my mouth and the string slightly touching just off the center of my nose) and smooth release. I was getting concerned because I hadn't actually shot my bow. I had just a few minutes one evening to shoot. I planned to hunt the next morning. At 15 yards I grouped 5 arrows in a silver dollar size group. At 25 yards 5 arrows could be covered by the bottom of a coke can. I felt pretty confident of my abilities for the next mornings hunt.
The chills forced me to leave my stand a bit earlier than I had planned the next morning, about 8:30. Walking back to my house I caught the movement of deer on the other hillside moving toward me. It was a 6 pointer with an ugly rack. I quickly moved back the way I had come then dropped over the hill. If the deer stayed on course it should cross a path I kept mowed across the the drainage of my pond. I no sooner got positioned next to a cedar than I saw the deer crossing the drainage right where I'd hoped it would. At 12 yards it was broadside to me. There was no cover between him and me. All I could hope for was for him to turn his head so I could draw. He turned his head straight to me and bolted. Instinctively I came to full draw as he passed behind another cedar. There was too brush on the edge of the thicket where I was standing for a shot.
But, young buck stopped at about 40 yard to turn and look at me. He did his pawing, head bob thing but was walking toward. Come on one more step. Ok, one more step. I coud begin to feel some pain in my arms as he stepped into an opening. He was staring straight at me, slightly quartered. I don't like head on shots even with a scoped rifle. But, I knew he wasn't coming any closed and that I would have to let my draw down in another 15 or 20 seconds. That movement would send him running.
I inventoried my anchor points. Everything felt perfect. My 25 yard pin was in the middle of his throat/chest about 4 inche below the horizontal line of his spine. I was as confident as any sight picture I'd ever had on any animal with any weapon. I took a breath and released. I saw the fletching flash into my pariphrial vision as I concentrated on the spot. The flight looked good. Thud. The deer jumped the fence onto my neighbors farm, crashing into a small tree when he landed then he was out of sight. There was some crashing, then all was quiet. The shot had been 32 paces.
I went to house for coffee. An hour later I went to look for deer. He had made it only another 20 yards. The arrow struck him just above the wishbone severing both coradid arteries and his windpipe then slice the top of his left lung before the broadhead lodged in his shoulder blade.
I'm convinced visualization works. Or, at least it does for me.
