Drawing your bow an inch or two short of full draw is another form of target panic. The short draw is just one of the many compensations traditional archers will try in an effort to shoot with target panic. They are unable to make a full draw because doing so will trigger an overwhelming urge to loosen the arrow, forcing them to release early, flinch, shake, freeze, or experience any number of other related symptoms. So they are resigned to shooting weak and less accurate shots. A short draw is a clear indication that there are demons lurking just beyond those couple of inches.

I had severe target panic for two years, but I always felt that there was a cure for me just around the corner. I never stopped working on a cure until I eventually found one (called the Push Release). I refused to accept that I would have to use a long-term compensation like having a short draw in order to enjoy shooting my longbow again. To my way of thinking, doing otherwise is accepting defeat.

Life is about fighting the good fight, getting up every day determined to succeed and overcome life's obstacles on your terms. When I see someone on the range draw their bow short of a solid anchor, I want to encourage them not to give up on fighting their target panic. You don't have to accept it. We are all given the capacity to create and overcome. The frustration that comes with failure can make us more determined; give us more power to change our circumstances.

Traditional Archery and the struggles that come with learning to shoot your bow well are a metaphor for the more challenging obstacles we face in life. Settling for less in small ways has a tendency to transfer to the more important things in life. If you have been using a short draw to compensate for your target panic, stop and go back to the drawing board. Decide to cure your target panic for good and shoot the way you really want to: Drawing to full draw and releasing with confidence.