Reddit reviews Zen in the Art of Archery

You're going to have to decide if you want to approach it from a modern or traditional standpoint. I shoot recurve competitively, so the links I'll provide will be focused on modern recurve bows.

Archerytalk, a popular forum

FITA's youtube channel. They upload VODs from every major event they can

Technical resources:

The Easton tuning guide

Texas archery keeps a list of useful links and documents. It's a mashup of things, but sometimes the tuning and instructionals are useful. [In particular, the recurve reference guide.]
(http://www.texasarchery.org/Documents/ArchersReference/archref_05.pdf)


Form and technique:

The basics. This is what we teach absolute beginners at my club.

Total Archery. A very advanced and very significant book. Countries have created entire coaching programs based around the teachings of the book's author.

Precision Archery

Zen in the Art of Archery

Do not listen to ApertureLabs. Besides the fact that he so easily insults the most popular type of archery in the modern world, he's also plain wrong. You don't need textbook form, but it is important that beginners understand the basic reasoning behind using proper muscle groups, stance, grip, balance, and joint orientation. Developing your own technique without guidance will always lead to bad habits because a lot of the above does not come naturally to someone who picks up a bow for the first time. Shrugged shoulders, puffed chests, and floating anchors are all common ailments of beginners who come to my club with no coaching, all of which are difficult habits to shake and impede your ability to improve.

First of all, for technique/practice, consistency in the woodshed is key. My daily routine is very repetitive, to the point that it is incredibly boring. But the improvement is so amazing, that I'm still excited to do it every day. I also kill the monotony with something to occupy my mind, usually either a sitcom or reading material, once I had the routine down.

[This is my daily routine], which takes about 90 minutes if you go nonstop, at the tempos marked (which will take some time to work up).

Secondly, your performance anxiety should be addressed. My professor in college had a required course for the whole tuba/euphonium studio called "Performance Anxiety: Understanding and Coping."

I had some mild anxiety then, but the class helped. The class was almost 20 years ago, but here's the largest takeaways:

• Perform as often as you can in front of an audience. If you have a weekly student recital class like larger schools of music do, sign up as often as you can prepare something. Start with easier solos, and work your way up.
  
  
• Read these books, which were the required reading of the class:
  
• • The Inner Game of Tennis (There is a music version, but consensus is that this is still far superior)
    
• • Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within
    
• • Zen in the Art of Archery (Very short read, can be done in the same day)
    
    Two of the three texts are not music books, but are read by students of just about every single discipline and apply it to their area of study. They will take years to understand on new levels, but you should be able to get some immediate results and understanding of your situation.
    
    As I got older, I've found the best way to quiet those nerves is to overprepare for anything. My teachers used to say "an amatuer practices 'til he gets it right; a professional practices 'til he can't get it wrong." When I'm in a position where I know I cannot screw something up, I actually enjoy the performance, butterflies and all. And I've been in some very high stress situations, with fewer train wrecks each year. This takes some massive time management, but it definitely helps. I usually set a goal to be "performance ready" a few weeks out, so I can do some very picky polishing of the performance.
    
    This is a lot more than I thought I'd say on the matter, but there should be a lot here to help. Happy shedding!
    
    Edit: After perusing the other comments, it looks like you might have a difficult professor. Sounds like you should sit down and decide if he's helping or hindering your progress. To be candid, I never really think of a trombone player being very good for tuba students. Maybe some pedagogy, but there's enough differences in the two instruments to warrant a specialist at the collegiate level. Great euphonium players can teach tuba, just as my best teacher was a tuba player, but they both doubled strongly on the other instrument. Unless your professor can be considered a professional tuba player to some extent, you might need to find a different school to finish your education.

Play more in public. Volunteer to play at church, or for a nursing home. Perform for your family, your friends, your classmates.

The thing is, performance anxiety and nerves don't just go away. As you get more experience performing, you get more used to them, to the point where I've heard (and read) professionals talking about how nerves are that extra little spark that makes a performance more special than a rehearsal - in other words, their anxiety doesn't disappear, it becomes a part of how they perform.

Now, all that said, there are things you can do to help you cope with the side effects of nerves on your playing. If this is something you're serious about tackling head-on, I highly, highly recommend tracking down either Performance Success or Audition Success by Don Greene. Perhaps see if your local public or college library has a copy or can borrow one via interlibrary loan before buying either one yourself. Two other books I see recommended a lot (that might be easier to find at your local library) are Zen in the Art of Archery and The Inner Game of Tennis, both of which have valuable insights that can be applied to performing. (The is even an adaptation of the latter called The Inner Game of Music, but I don't feel it adds much to the original.)

But yeah, the best thing you can do overall is to find and create more opportunities to play for more people. Force yourself to step outside of your comfort zone often enough, and you'll find it soon becomes comfortable. We've all been there to some extent!

Read Zen in the Art of Archery. Should be on every aviators bookshelf.

There's a deeper message within, but It's easy to pick up on. Also, as /u/quesarah said, www.innerairmanship.com is a great website to find other sources.

I became very interested in the spiritual side of flying about a year ago. It's extremely interesting and it has helped quite a bit!

The Zen of Archery? I'm more of a Tao of Pooh sort of person.

I could recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Archery-Eugen-Herrigel/dp/0375705090/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261825709&sr=8-1

(No actual need to be a fan of Zen and/or Archery, to enjoy this book)

My sensei led me to this book that I've really enjoyed: http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Archery-Eugen-Herrigel/dp/0375705090

The more you chase fulfillment the more it will allude you. It's not really something you chase and acquire, you just one day realize you have it. I did it by not chasing it at all, not even really caring about any sense of meaning or purpose at all. Once you let go of the need to be significant to anyone, even yourself, all you are left with is what really matters to you.

If this is on your mind Buddhism is certainly a good place to poke around for advice. Especially Zen, though I wouldn't spend too much time around Zen, it can get pretty weird. The advice about caring for others isn't bad, but maybe you should put a little more thought into it. It is very possible that the form of charity you choose could very well continue the same problem you are trying to avoid. So I would resist the obvious. I'll resist making too many assumption about you, but by what you've described and how you describe it, I'll guess you are kind of a Type A, kind of Alpha personality? If so maybe you should consider something other than the Big Brothers which could bring out a natural assertiveness and competitiveness in you. Maybe instead focus on forms of charity that you can do quietly, that only you will know about. (I apologize if my assumptions are incorrect, but I hope you see the line of logic I am taking. The point is to be weary of falling into the same trap over and over again, and you can start doing that by doing different things.)

I also hope you appreciate that the problem you described is the exact problem that every miserable human that has ever lived has had, and solving it will be more complicated that X problem has Y solution. The answer is always the same, but everyone's question is different. Listening to things like Carl Sagan and Penn Jillette helped me, but I can understand why that might not appeal to everyone. I also read Zen and the Art of Archery, which touches on the problem of excessively linear thinking which I think is the loop you are trapped in. Lastly the main things you need are honesty and humility: set your ego aside and let it stand bare. Good luck, you're going to need it.

I ask because this is a very famous text on mindfulness practiced through sport.
http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Archery-Eugen-Herrigel/dp/0375705090

Although I tend to agree with a lot of criticisms of the major league sports corporations, I do not think that the act of sports itself is in opposition to mindfulness. However, you must look at it through a lens of performing a task mindfully and beautifully rather than an attempt to conquer another person.

I wrestled competitively in high school and early college and was always complementing my training with yoga and visualization. Here are some books that I relied on.
http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Body-Dancing-Mind-Extraordinary-ebook/dp/B0030CMK8K/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1416196445&sr=8-12&keywords=visualization+for+sports+psychology

http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Tennis-Classic-Performance/dp/0679778314/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416196272&sr=1-1&keywords=inner+game+of+tennis

http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Dancing-Warrior-Performance-Athletic/dp/1602373647/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416196222&sr=1-11&keywords=sports+psychology+meditation

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Archery-Eugen-Herrigel/dp/0375705090/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416196253&sr=1-13&keywords=sports+psychology+meditation

Good luck (which is ensured by your earnest, focused training!)

I second this, especially if you find you're rushing your later shots.

Stand up, chalk up, and take a trip around the table. Look at the way everything's laid out, and give yourself a chance to relax before you shoot. Unless you're taking a really long time between each shot, nobody should give you any grief.

If you're looking for some great reads about this, check out Zen in the Art of Archery and The Inner Game of Tennis. I've also heard good things about the Pleasures of Small Motions, but I've yet to read it myself.

To add to that list:

For something philosophical/religious:

• Zen in the Art of Archery
  
  If they're fascinated by the construction of traditional bows and arrows:
  
  
• The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol. 1
  
• The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol. 2
  
• The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol. 3
  
• The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol. 4

I've been reading this book recently:

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Archery-Eugen-Herrigel/dp/0375705090/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416599238&sr=8-1&keywords=zen+in+the+art+of+archery

It sounds like the actual Kyudo style is based a lot in spirituality. You could certainly learn to draw the bow and release like something similar but that seems to be missing the point of Kyudo (in fact, they talk about this in the book) because it's more about the ceremony and spirituality of archery than it is about the mechanics of shooting (at least as far as I understand)