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It happened so slowly that I didn’t even notice and I didn’t realize that I had adjusted am aiming point.
I recently re-fletched my arrows, went from 4” parabolic to 5” shield, (looks more traditional) apparently this allowed me to see my arrows better in flight. They still flew good,,,but slower. I thought because of the larger fletchings. But then I realized that I wasn’t coming to full draw any more! I had gotten lazy with my form. I was still shooting good because I adjusted my aiming subconsciously. So I thought, “TIME TO GET BACK TO BASICS.” My anchor point was still good because I was hunched into the shot. So now,,,square the shoulders down, expand the chest, bring the shoulder blades together, pull with the back and never stop pulling. Pull through the shot! Now the arrows are zipping and I have a better feel for the bow. Hitting about 10” high, but that’s just aiming. Speaking of aiming,,,I was at nice 3D shoot over the weekend. Good looking natural shots in the woods. Sometimes when I draw on a target I can see the shot clearly and nail the X ring. Other times I can’t see it at all. Like I have no idea where or how to aim. Can anyone help with that? FRUSTRATING!!! -
I’m sorry I can’t help, but I can relate to the problem:cry: It seems when I start into the draw I can see the target clearly but as I get near full draw, something has changed where the target has blurred or disappeared
I’m looking for advice as well.
Bruce -
Hi Bruce, It’s not that the target disappears or blurs, I just become unsure how to aim at it. Example: at the weekend shoot came up on a big elk target about 23 yards, drew, looked and looked and shot right over it’s back. How do you miss a target the big?? Next target was a small cinnamon bear under a pine tree. About 18yards, had to crouch a little to get a shot. Drew up and shot right away,,,10 ring! Maybe I’m just over thinking the shot sometimes.
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ReadyHawk wrote: Maybe I’m just over thinking the shot sometimes.
Other than trying to maintain a good follow-through I try to not think about what I’m doing when I shoot. Any time I start to think about what I’m doing while I shoot my accuracy falls all to pieces.
Of course I’m not at all interested in developing a consistent ‘target archery’ shooting form and could care less if I can put three arrows touching. At all ranges that are within my personal ‘zone’, what I am after is the ability to put each arrow “close enough to kill”, when shooting under as many different shooting conditions as I can devise. I change something on every shot in practice; my foot and body angle to the target; the cant of the bow; the distance; the time I allow myself to hold and aim; etcetera – I even intentionally change my draw length for some shots.
Shots under hunting conditions rarely allow one the opportunity to strike perfect shooting form, and hunting is all I practice for. I always shoot better at game than I do on a target. On game I’m not thinking about anything other than putting the arrow where I want it to go.
Ed
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Dr. Ed Ashby wrote: [quote=ReadyHawk]Maybe I’m just over thinking the shot sometimes.
Other than trying to maintain a good follow-through I try to not think about what I’m doing when I shoot. Any time I start to think about what I’m doing while I shoot my accuracy falls all to pieces.
Of course I’m not at all interested in developing a consistent ‘target archery’ shooting form and could care less if I can put three arrows touching. At all ranges that are within my personal ‘zone’, what I am after is the ability to put each arrow “close enough to kill”, when shooting under as many different shooting conditions as I can devise. I change something on every shot in practice; my foot and body angle to the target; the cant of the bow; the distance; the time I allow myself to hold and aim; etcetera – I even intentionally change my draw length for some shots.
Shots under hunting conditions rarely allow one the opportunity to strike perfect shooting form, and hunting is all I practice for. I always shoot better at game than I do on a target. On game I’m not thinking about anything other than putting the arrow where I want it to go.
Ed
You have to stop stealing my few remaining thoughts, Doc!I’ll give that a 100% score an AMEN and even a 😯 that someone else’ agrees with what I’ve preached on hunting for…..well, too long!
It’s been said that Howard Hill’s eyesight was phenomenal and I can say that it IS much easier to concentrate if you can SEE detail………but it just dont always happen.
Over 500 dollars later at the eye doc this AM………..it isnt going to get BETTER either.
Thank God, for hunting “pinpoint accuracy” it IS NOT needed. I can see well enough for decent shots. I’ll never a be competitive shooter again.
ACCURACY is still MANDATORY but is measured “smart” instead of with lines on paper. Dont think Im saying accuracy is NOT important. It is…..it just takes a different form.
A hunter than can consistantly put an arrow in the lungs of a deer may not be a “bullseye” shooter at all yet he is “a good shot” IMO.
I have, in the past, hesitated on “draw length” threads because I dont have “one” and dont want just one.
Doc has it right again. Almost ALL hunting shots are NOT shots allowing for a standard practice archery stance and I practice that one the least.
With a full blown winter suit on to hunt in the December cold, I have a VERY short draw.
I get easily ten times the shots at “less than perfect” conditions for a “full” draw than ones that I do. Most others do too, yet dont realize it unless they have practiced and practiced those awkward , offbeat positions.
God Bless
Steve Sr.ok, Doc, Ill hush now. Sorry…….you started it!
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ReadyHawk…..:idea:….something to try.
I read once in awhile, taking time off the “web”. 😀
Jay Kidwell’s book on traditional shooting is worth the read and I’m always open to ideas …..other than my own, to think about. I hardly EVER agree with everyone but that is my nature. 😈
Jay had a chapter in his book about visualizations for aiming and I’ve found it a bit hard at first to use but it grows with you in time if you use it consistantly.
Don’t recall what Jay used but something similar to what I use (available near you, lol)……a McDonald’s smiley face sticker that closes the carry-out bags.
I’ve stuck them on bow bellys to look at “in my spare time” in the woods and when I aim I visualize that orange dot WHERE I want to hit. I even pick spots to visualize the dot on, things I’m NOT going to shoot, to “pracitce” the visualization and should do it more than I do, bow in hand or not.
Not saying it’s a “cure all” and it DOES take some time but IMHO it does TWO things. In time,
1. It MAKES YOU pick a spot. No more……there is a DEER!!!…………….TWANG!
2. It REMOVES any other things (see Ed’s post?) that you should NOT be thinking about!.
Should you attempt to think about ANYTHING else, you will lose the dot visualization. You only have to realize that you ARE changing to something OTHER THAN where you want to hit when that happens and stop doing that.
It is totally true that the human brain cannot CONCENTRATE on more than one thing at a time and this helps ME make that ONE THING……where the arrow IS GOING to go.
Hey…..works for me.
God Bless
Steve Sr. -
Steve, I just read an article today in one of the many deer hunting magazines:roll: and they talked about that very thing. The item they used was a common button. One guy went so far as to tape a button to his bow so it was a visual reminder. I thought it was pretty interesting.
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I cant imagine using that with MY brain. lol
I need CONTRAST and something silly looking so I can remember it. The McDonalds sticker was perfect.
Probably not a new idea but was to me. Hoping someone else finds it useful.
God Bless
Steve Sr. -
ReadyHawk wrote: Hi Bruce, It’s not that the target disappears or blurs, I just become unsure how to aim at it. Example: at the weekend shoot came up on a big elk target about 23 yards, drew, looked and looked and shot right over it’s back. How do you miss a target the big?? Next target was a small cinnamon bear under a pine tree. About 18yards, had to crouch a little to get a shot. Drew up and shot right away,,,10 ring! Maybe I’m just over thinking the shot sometimes.
I struggled with this early on in my years of shooting traditional equipment, both on 3D targets and while hunting. It sounds to me like you are looking at the entire target rather than staring at one single hair on the target.
When I first started deer hunting with my old trusty recurve, I missed exactly 17 times before I finally killed a deer. I had plenty of practice on a 3D target and felt quite confident, but I really struggled when it was game time. I would shoot over, under, behind, and in front of whatever live animal I was aiming at. My dad kept telling me it was because I was looking at the whole animal instead of picking out a spot, and he was right. I guess I finally decided enough was enough and began telling myself to not only pick out a spot, but to pick out one single hair on the animal. I tell myself this before every shot I take, and it has payed dividends in practice and during the season.
Thanks,
Mitch
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Docs got it right. I’m just coming out of a horrible slump caused by overthinking the shot. I rarely attend 3D shoots because, well because I get bored to tears after about 6 targets; but for some reason I attended three or four in a row this summer. I found myself looking at the arrow tip and starting to gap shoot. By the end of August I couldn’t hit the side of the proverbial barn from the inside! A few sessions of close up, eyes closed shooting helped and I’m on my way to a full recovery from my near death brush with “gapitis”. 😉
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