Eric73 and all others interested.
Earlier in this thread, I described what I thought about the G Fred Asbel/Ken Beck Black Widow shooting school and Byron Ferguson's class at the Goodman ranch. I went to both of those schools last year.
Since then, I went to NFAA headquarters in Yankton, SD to get the Community Coach's rating ( used to be known as level 3) from Larry Wise and MJ Rogers. This was full immersion in the BEST (Biomechanically Efficient Shooting Technique)system, also known as the NTS (National Training System). Consider this to be Form-Form-Form! and YES this is the Olympic target system.
This spring, I went to Bob Wesley's Whispering Pines shooting school. Bob is one of the last instructors that actually learned for the master himself -- Howard Hill. Bob's class is strictly one on one. Two days learning Howard's system. Again it is heavily into form but done in a slightly different manner and also concentrates on split vision aiming. Having good form when you get there allows the student to progress a long ways to really hitting what you are shooting at. But if you need form improvement, Bob absolutely knows how to do it. He has probably been instructing longer than any of the others.
Then this month, June, I went to Rod Jenkin's class that was held at the Rapids archery Club in Coon Rapids, MN. As has been said above, Rod can and does teach you the true meaning of back tension and really good form. He's as good as they come getting you to shoot correctly.
About the only commonly talked about instructor that I haven't been to now is Rick Welch. Maybe someday.
You may wonder why I'm taking so many classes and the answer is simple. As an instructor, I'm trying to be the best that I can be and taking all these classes has given me multiple ways or approaches to delivering information to my students. Filling my tool box -- as it were.
There is literally no way I know to determine who is the best. They all have seriously good skills and slightly different ways to get to the end result. What works for one student may not work for the next but these folks have the expertise to adapt to a student that is willing to learn.
"Willing to learn!" Now we're into my editorial comment and this is my observation only and not meant to start an argument! I see many threads here and elsewhere that try to suggest a difference between formal target archery and hunting "style" archery. Folks, form is form. Learn the form standing straight up first then you can much more easily adapt it to the situation. If you watch the clips of Howard, Fred or any of the other really good shots, you will see that they all have one thing in common and that is the SAME good form. The alignment of the string arm with the arrow, the alignment of the bow hand to the shoulders -- getting bone on bone support. It doesn't matter if they're laying down, squating, kneeling, or standing. Good archery form is the same for all and yes even the good compound shooters.
If you are interested in really improving your shooting, pick an instructor, and go to the school with the thought that you will do what the instructor tells you AND do it long enough (most will say about 20 days of shooting) that it becomes second nature. However if you go with the thought that "I've been doing this for ___ years and he's not going to get me to change this or that, then you're wasting your time and money. And you will probably see that instructor in a less than favorable light.
This is the longest post I've ever made and as I said earlier, I'm not trying to start an argument just addressing some of the comments I've seen over time. IF THE STUDENT IS READY AND OPEN, ONLY THEN WILL THE INSTRUCTION BE A SUCCESS.
Topic: Thoughts on shooting Schools? Balck Widow or Ferguson. (Read 764 times)
