If you feel like you hit a brick wall and can't seem to get better no matter how hard you practice and you somehow manage to stay more or less at the same level, then you should definitely take some time and read through this article. There is a saying that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.. I don't even to finish that line, everyone knows it by now. But us archers often think that, whatever is written there is not for us. But deep down we know oh yes it is! So let's go back to the original question. You hit a brick wall so, WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK? Think about it for a while. Make a list of things that you might suspect is keeping you from reaching your potential and what are you going to do about it. To make things a little easier and save you some time I have made a list of the biggest culprits in our sport that is stealing your potential every single time you compete. This is equipment based and also a little phycological as well. 1. Draw lenght! This is likely to be the most important factor when you want to reach your potential. I can't emphasize this enough. You need to find what works for you! Don't only go by the guy who is a great shooter and helped you once with your form and said everything looks fine. There are some excellent archers out there and who are just naturally good and they are not even sure what sets themselves apart from rest. You might not believe this but somehow a lot of people fall in the trap of shooting too short especially in South Africa! Why is that? Well there was a time when a lot of coaches overseas advocated shorter is better, and maybe we got stuck on that. How about shooting the correct draw length for your body instead of making it as short as possible. A lot of things will change when you hit the sweetspot, like amining solid as a rock. 2. Peep height! This is also a crucial part of your bow that you need to figure out. Too low is bad, too high is bad! Get the correct hight. Set your peep for the average you compete in. Indoors you will shoot 20 yards, field is an average of probably about 40 yards etc 3. Tuning! It really makes a difference. A tuned bow for you is more forgiving. Centre shot, rest and loop height will change the way your bow shoots. Find out where your bow aims better in terms of nocking point height. 4. Target Panic! Ever wondered why most pros shoot hinge style releases? Well the answer is not far away. That anxious feeling we all feel when we are aiming in the middle of the yellow or 11 ring on an important shot a Nationals or even a Provisional shoot. Times that feeling by a 100 shooting for a Million Rand at the Vegas shoot. I am a believer in a hinge style release, it's a long term investment but so worth it. When used correctly it's the purest feeling you will experience in compound archery. A suggest to cure Target Panic, a good place to start is to get a hinge. Just make sure someone shows you how to use it correctly and safely. This list can be so much longer and impossible to cover everything that might be holding you back. I hope you enjoyed this article and that you can apply this to your shooting and you might find yourself stuck on a 60 x count in the near future!