Right brain left brain & instinctive shooting

[adirondack46r]

While recently reading a book unrelated to archery I stumbled across a section that provided an explanation, at least in my mind, as to why one can shoot totally instinctively and be just as effective as another using a well defined aiming system.

It has to do with which side of the brain you are using in the process. The left side of the brain is our quantitative, verbal, calculating, discrete side of the brain, while the right is the spatial, relationship-based, feeling, non-verbal side of the brain.

Our left brain tends to dominate the right and therfore we will often as humans tend toward a "formula" rather than a "feel" to complete a particular task. Studies have shown however that when the right side of the brain is allowed to take control and use the more non-quantitative spatially-based skills it can be just as effective as the more calculating left brain.

So what's my point? Those of you who have mastered some sort of aiming system are using primarily the left side of your brain. Those who claim to be purely instinctive, have learned to overpower the left brain and are using predominantly the right side of the brain. Further, I have found that when I try to mix the two styles my shooting goes to heck in a handbasket really quick.

Now mind you this is coming from someone who has occasionally been told he only has half a brain, so to be safe I would just ignore it and go back to work.

[Kingstaken]

Very interseting and speaking from the right side of may brain I say your 100% right.
Now from my left side I say hogwash as everything must be computed to a fractional demension and in a technical format because as all gap shooters I know say too justify there style of shooting (Not that I ever thought they had to. Who cares how you shot, just shoot.) who say it's absolutely impossible to shoot instinctively and that those who think they do are actually shooting with "point of aim".
But then again I shoot instinctively, so to heck with the left side of my brain let me go back to being "RIGHT" and dominating the left (dark) side.
Anyway I'm human and with that not a calculator.

[McDave]

What you're saying kind of explains something that happens to me.  I'm an instinctive shooter, but occasionally will try gap shooting at longer distances.  I find that if I make myself aware of the arrow, and actually attempt to orient the tip a certain distance from the bullseye, I don't do well.  On the other hand, if I make myself aware of the arrow, and just notice where it is in respect to the bullseye, I do better.  Sometimes when I'm doing this, I try to remember after the shot where the arrow point was in relation to the bullseye, and I can't really remember the particular distance.  I think that's what Howard Hill meant when he said he was aware of the arrow tip in his perepheral vision, but did not consciously use it as an aiming device.

I think since I've learned to shoot with my right brain, actually measuring a gap would switch the process over to my left brain, and it would be like having to learn to shoot all over again.

[Terry Green]

Brings back memories of years ago, ...I wrote up something along these lines.....gonna see if I can find it.

[M.P.]

Read the "The Inner Game of Tennis".It isn't an archery book,but it has so much in common with archery it scary.It explains why you have shoot problems and how to deal with them.

[NDTerminator]

Left handers like myself are always in our right minds...

[adirondack46r]

Here's a little more on a right brain vs. left brain approach to things as published in "The Split Brain and the Culture Cognition Paradox".

An anthropologist contrasted the ways that a European and a native Trukese sailor navigated small boats between islands in the Pacific.

Before setting sail the European begins with a plan that can be written in terms of directions, degrees of longitude and latitude, estimated time of arrival, etc. Once the plan is completed the sailor has only to carry out each step. The sailor uses all available tools, compass, sextant, map and if asked can describe exactly how he got where he was going. He was using a left brain approach to navigation.

In contrast the native Trukese sailor starts his voyage by "imaging [looking at] the position"...As he sails along he constantly adjusts his direction according to his awareness of his position thus far.  His decisions are improvised continuously by checking relative positions of landmarks, sun, wind, etc. When asked how he navigates so well without instruments or plans he cannot explain it. The process is fluid and complex and nearly impossible to put into words. The native Trukese is using a right brain approach to navigation.

Navigating the path of the arrow is similar. We can plan, calculate and execute, or we can look at the goal and adjust in a fluid continuum of motion.

It seems applicable.

[Grant Young]

This is a really interesting observation and I think it may be as good as any and better than most explanation of the two methods of getting an arrow to go where you want it to go. I may also explain why the more zen like instinctive method is viewed as impossible to consciously aiming shooter- it just doesn't meet any of the criteria necessary for accuracy from his perspective of things. On the other hand,I get hopelessly bogged down in the "how" to shoot if I try to consciously line up multiple points of focus or concentration. And yes, I can shoot in the dark as long as the target is visible and score pretty well. I can also miss in broad daylight for no real reason except I was unable to keep my mind uncluttered. I've never had any problem believing both sides of the question but I can only function well from the "right" side. What was the book, adirondack46r?     Grant

[Three Arrows]

Looks like a cultural phenomenon here.  The advanced cultures tend to use more tools and instruments and using sophisticated methods to be more precise.  The less developed cultures tend to just "wing it" using learned instincts and behaviors.  From self bows with no rests to carbon powered superflexohybrid wonders.  From self arrows with rock tips and self nocks to carbonic straws with weight enhancing inserts and adapters.  I get it guys... I am just a right brain monkey trying to use left brain equipment!  

[adirondack46r]

The book is "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards. It is a book about the brain masquerading as a book about art, drawing specifically. It has a collection of excercises that are intended to "turn off" the left brain and "turn on" the right.

Funny the way you can apply almost almost everything you read to archery if you try hard enough... ;-)

[McDave]

One of the exercises that Betty Edwards recommends is drawing things upside down, so you are just drawing shapes rather than drawing a person, dog or whatever.  My sister, who is an accomplished professional artist still uses this technique in her own art.  I guess the idea is that when you draw something right-side up, your brain focuses too much on the personness or dogness of the object to be drawn and not enough on its shape, texture, etc.

I'm sure this correlates in our hunting to the need to "pick a spot," which is really to get our mind away from thinking about shooting at a deer and get it focused on shooting at a specific point target.