CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS


Guest lovinbowhuntin247365

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Guest lovinbowhuntin247365

is there anything that you guys do that help you shoot better instinctively? i jsut wanted to know, cuz im tryin to teach myself ... im doin pretty good, but i would like to get tighter groups, and not miss when i shoot at the corners ... any help appreciated!!!!

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

True Instictive shooting can't be taught, you just do it. It's something you're born with. I shoot a compound now, but at any time I can pick up a recurve or longbow and be just as deadly without having to put in all the hours most do to get good.

The best thing you can do is work on different anchor points and gripping techniques until you find what works best for you.........but above all practice, practice, practice!!!!

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

I believe there is a fairly highly thought of book by a guy named Asbell that gets into the nitty-grittys of instinctive shooting.

Good luck on your attempts. I don't shoot in this fashion, but let's face it ....... that is REAL archery and my hat is off to those who can do it well.

Doc

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

Some say there is no such thing as "instinctive " because one would use their peripherials to use the tip of the arrow as a referance point. I personally think there is such a thing as instinctive shoot, Get a consistant anchor point, Mine is my middle finger on my bicuspid. after that focus on the target (with a properly tuned bow) and Practice, practice, practice.................. Its the same as throwing a baseball, you only get accurate with practice.

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

I started shooting instictive with my first recurve and graduated this form of shooting to my compound. Like others have said, anchor point first, smooth release ( don't roll the string off your fingers). Your sense of distance will get sharper as you practice, as well as not using the arrow as a sight to gap shoot. You should be able to,after a time, look at the target, pick a spot and shoot. It becomes more fluid as you practice. Hope this helps. Good luck!

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

[ QUOTE ]

Some say there is no such thing as "instinctive " because one would use their peripherials to use the tip of the arrow as a referance point.

[/ QUOTE ]

There certainly is such a thing as pure instinctive shooting. Man has a lot of rangefinding and accurate pointing mechanisms built right into his brain and doesn't really need the tip of the arrow or any other sighting device or scheme if he only learns to use the stuff that's built into his sub-conscious. Exactly what sight do you use to throw a ball from 1st base to 3rd base? What sight pin does the quarterback use to drill his receiver right on the numbers when he is running a crossing pattern and a whole bunch of apes are charging at him with all kinds of destructive intent? I never saw a sight on a bat. I never used a sight on a snowball. There are all kinds of seemingly supernatural accomplishments that you can do if you can just free your mind to do them.

I remember seeing Stacey Groscup put on a shooting exhibition. He was shooting aspirins out of the air. He shot all kind of flying targets. He shot from a prone position (that's got to really mess up your anchor and stance etc.). He shot things out of the air while laying on his back and holding the bow with his feet. He shot recurve and longbow and then threw in a few shots with a compound just to show that it could be done. After a few more trick shots, he picked up a blowgun and shot some more flying targets. Then he got started with tomahawks. There was no sights on any of these things and no time in any of the shots to use anything but his instincts for speed, windage, elevation and distance. So, if anyone tries to tell you that there is no such thing as true instinctive shooting, you'll know that they are just flat wrong.

Doc

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

[ QUOTE ]

There certainly is such a thing as pure instinctive shooting. Man has a lot of rangefinding and accurate pointing mechanisms built right into his brain and doesn't really need the tip of the arrow or any other sighting device or scheme if he only learns to use the stuff that's built into his sub-conscious. Exactly what sight do you use to throw a ball from 1st base to 3rd base? What sight pin does the quarterback use to drill his receiver right on the numbers when he is running a crossing pattern and a whole bunch of apes are charging at him with all kinds of destructive intent? I never saw a sight on a bat. I never used a sight on a snowball. There are all kinds of seemingly supernatural accomplishments that you can do if you can just free your mind to do them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very well put.

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Guest deerhntnwithdogs

Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

Same here I anchor for about 5 seconds usually unless Im really comfortable or really uncomfortable. I anchor like you would make an L with your fingers straight out and thumb straight out and 3 finger hold. then I make my hand into a C and draw untill the C sits right in the conrer of my jawbone. I find it very comfortale and consistent and can even shoot bows Ive never shot before with moderate accuracy with this teqnique. Might just be me bud somebody try it sometime and tell me if its just me or not. haha

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

[ QUOTE ]

Read my post. I said, "some people say" not me,

[/ QUOTE ]

I know that, and as I said, those people are wrong.

[ QUOTE ]

Also there are differences physically bewteen shooting a bow and throwing a ball, accuracy and ones proprioception may be similar, but the physical acts of control are different

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course, just like the act of throwing a tomahawk is different from shooting a pistol from the hip. However, the subconcious reactions are exactly the same whether you are using a football or a throwing knife or a bow and arrow. you may use your hands in a different fashion, but the eye-hand coordination coupled with subconscious interpretations of speed, distance and direction are still the tools that mysteriously delivers the item to the target. No difference and that is exactly what the definition of "instinctive" is in these cases.

Doc

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

[ QUOTE ]

Instictives are those that can pull up, draw, and shoot in one quick motion without pause and hit consistantly from all over rangewise. At least that's what I've been taught.

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That's what I've been taught too, and that does not include "gap shooting" or any other artificial sighting schemes. I know that NFAA has a bit broader definition of classifying competitors as instinctive, but that is only for purposes of practicality.

Doc

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

The thing you want to do is shoot a blank bail at like 3 feet away.

10 to 12 shots everyday.

Over and over and over, trying to maintain the same acts the exact same way each shot.

What this does is teaches your brain a consistant shot sequence. Consistantly bring your bow up, drawing, anchor, and follow threw.

100% repeatable with no spot to shoot at.

Blank bail because you want to take away any aiming at this point. ONLY practicing your shot and making it 100% repeatable.

Then move out to 10 yards with a small spot, say 1", and shoot for accuracy until its 98% to 100% grouping on that spot.

Then 15. Again stay there until its 98% - 100%

Then 20.

Etc....

However its important to note that you still hit the blank bail for at least 10 to 12 well run shots every day, along with the other shooting, to keep your brain focused on a repeatable shot sequence.

As far as shooting instinctively, the main thing to do is focus so hard on a very small spot on your target to where all other things seem to fade away.

Do this before you even draw.

Then "run your shot" and the brain will make the adjustments for you.

Trad instinctive shooting requires tons and tons of practice.

100x more then shooting a compound.

Year round too I am finding out... crazy.gifsmirk.gif

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Guest deerhntnwithdogs

Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

I dont know whether its the baseball player in me or just that I have a history of having very good hand I coodination since and early age but it seems to me that I just kinda know where the arrows gunna go. When I shoot my compound (especially with my scope on it) at 3D's I of course am very concerned with range. However, with my longbow its more like I see its there now I know where I need to put it. Of course practice makes perfect but the problem with younger shooters Ive noticed at my local shop is that they over shoot 3'ds but nail the bails even when were doin trad. leagues when we shoot from all sorts of distances from those bails. I honestly think it has something to do with peripherial vision and what yyou see beyond the target. You ofcourse are more comfortable with a wall of bails than a hill side and lake. The thought for beginners is always O no I dont wanna lose and arrow or just miss the target. As long as you concentrate on the target and not the surrounding area it seems like you can just know where you want the arrow and dont even have to concern yourself with distance in my case atleast. I mean I can throw a curve/screw ball (its hard to explain for those that play its like a screwball motion but Im lefty so I spin it like a curve) that you wouldnt beleive and I have practied so much with it that I can throw it on a dime and it drops right in front of the batter. I think its all about concentration and practice. Just like the old saying.

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Re: CALLING ALL INSTINCTIVE SHOOTERS

I suffered from that my first year of shooting 3-d's.Arrows are expensive and i was affraid of loosing them, before i knew it i was plucking the string and losing my focus on the spot... i bought soem cheap GGII's and that cured it. Hand eye also known as proprioception is used in most physical activities, shooting a bow, through practice, your eye tels your mind how much to compensate without you even knowing it, same with throwing a baseball, you want to hit that outside corner of the plate, you mind knows your body's muscle memory and what muscles are needs to make the ball go there.........all in praqctice.........aim small miss small

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