Instinctive Aiming Illustrated

[onesharpbroadhead]

Here is a clip from the new Rick Welch DVD - The Accuracy Factory:

 

In this clip Rick Welch explains and illustrates perfectly the difference in the sight picture of the instinctive shooter verses someone who consciously uses the arrow or bow to aim.  

The DVD is awesome - it is classic Welch - meat and potatoes - no fancy fluff - just straight forward instructions on how to shoot a traditional bow instinctively and more importantly ACCURATELY.

Awesome stuff - the video is available at  www.dakotabows.com

If you have ever had one of the know-it-all types tell you that "everyone uses the arrow to aim" - well - this clip illustrates that such statements are bovine excrement -

[Warbow]

Rick is awesome, no doubt about that, but without even rising to the issue of whether "instinctive" shooters use sight picture as part of their aiming system the video does not do what you claim it does. It does not prove that people do not subconsciously use exteroceptive sight picture in conjunction with their proprioceptive sense as part of "instinctive" aiming. In fact, Rick even says that if you are shooting "instinctive" that "you are not consciously using [the arrow] as a gauge."

While it is true that you have to decide whether to focus on the target or your sight (be it an actual sight or a reference like the point of your arrow) it is just flat out wrong wrong to claim you have to focus on the arrow to use Point Offset Aiming/Point of Aim/Gap Shooting--you don't. Whether you focus on the target or the arrow/target sight reticule, is a choice.

[dragon rider]

When I was at his shooting school in early July, Rick explained the difference between consciously using the arrow as an aiming device and using his instinctive method.  His analogy was of the arrow to the hood of your truck.  You know it's there, and in fact it's in your peripheral vision, but you don't consciously use it to aim your truck - you look down the road toward where you're going and where the other vehicles are.  So I don't think Rick claims that people don't subconsciously use whatever data is available. What he does claim is that his method does not consciously use the arrow as an aiming device.

[Mourning Wood]

Sorry about the late post but I sure wish I could let every person see that excerpt from Rick's video.They all insist that we are looking down the arrow as a sight instead of focusing on a spot.That is exactly how the arrow appears to my vision especially to an older man that needs reading glasses for closer inspections.I use contacs that are designed for longer vision clarity.I know the arrow is there but my focus is on what I intend to shoot.I love the analogy of the hood on our vehicles,of course it's also there but again our focus is down range.If most could see the video they would accept Rick's system as a viable way to get accurate and still be totally instinctive.ED