I've found that practicing my shooting every day, even just for five minutes, has helped me tremendously. But many folks don't have a range in their back yard, and finding time to drive to the range constantly can be difficult at best. The good news is that you can practice indoors without a bow or a target, and it's VERY effective.
The answer is to use a bow simulator. It's not as fun as shooting a real bow, but after a couple of weeks of daily practice, you'll be surprised at how much more confident and natural your shooting is with your real bow. I shoot about 20 shots with my home made bow simulator each evening.
You can buy bow simulators professionally made, but they're very expensive. I made mine with a neoprene covered 4lb dumbbell which weighs about the same as my bow. The only disadvantage is that the dumbbell's handle is round and fairly thick, but I like the heavy feel.
DIRECTIONS
1. Drill a tap hole in both ends for two eye-screws or eye-bolts. Be sure to use a drill bit that has been hardened to drill metal or you'll ruin your bit!
2. Dab a little epoxy on the eye-bolts, insert them into the holes, and snug them down. Be sure that they're turned to face the same direction.
3. Once the epoxy has dried, take some sturdy cord (parachute cord is perfect) and tie it to both eye-bolts so it's the same length as your bow's draw. Leave a little excess in case you need to make further adjustments. It's essential that you get the string length perfectly matched to your bow so your anchor point at full draw doesn't change.
4. Attach a string loop too, even if you don't shoot a loop on your bow. Loop material is very tough and will withstand many shots, it's also similar in diameter to your bow string.
OPTIONS
For travel, I pack a lightweight rig made out of a wooden dowel.
For a truly custom job, you could also shape a piece of wood to fit exactly like your bow's grip. Just trace your bow's grip outline, cut it with a band or coping saw, and sand away!
For the ultimate simplicity, you can make a bare-bones rig with just a simple loop of cord.
If you've got some metal working skills, you could also fashion a simple bracket for a bow sight. But I actually like practicing without a sight better, and it's very effective.
PRACTICE
With a bow simulator, you can practice your shot routine, aiming, and proper back tension. You can even simulate "blank bale" practice without a target by facing a blank wall.
Even though a bow simulator doesn't have a sight, you can still practice aiming. Just hang a target on the wall, or simply pick a small spot somewhere. Draw back your bow simulator, close an eye (if you close one to look through your peep sight) and drill a hole in the center of your target with your open eye. Then start your release activation.
Try practicing your release with your bow simulator with your eyes closed. With your eyes closed you can really feel which muscles are contracting, and you can make corrections to your form.
You can even get some hunting practice in! Tape a small picture of a deer or other animal to the wall and aim at it. If you've got a hunting DVD or have some hunting shows recorded, set your self in front of your TV armed with your bow simulator, and take some "live action" practice with the critters onscreen.
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