Olympic Archery

[LBR]

Don't be fooled.  I know of at least a couple of people who try to pad their resume' claiming they have worked with or are "Olympic" coaches, when they mean "Olympic style".  Big difference.  Do your homework.

[mgf]

I think most of us take the term "Olympic archery" as a reference to a style of shooting rather than a specific venue.

I know I do anyway.

[LBR]

I'm sure some do, I know some don't.  The one's I'm referring to have purposely inferred that "Olympic" meant just that--not Olympic style, which was the actual situation.

Just to be sure, I pm'd an Olympic coach I'm acquainted with (actual Olympic coach) and he confirmed what I already knew.

I just like to keep it real.  Some of these guys have a bad habit of putting out awful and inaccurate information, but people that don't know any better believe it based on the Olympic reference.

[Sam McMichael]

I am not sure if the Olympic style of shooting would fit in very well with my deer hunting, but I sure wish I had the form discipline exhibited by those folks. I do have a question about the under the chin anchor. What is the benefit? It seems to be consistently used in this format. We might shoot better out of a ladder stand than some of these guys, but betting against them on a level range might be a money losing proposition. What characteristics of Olympic shooting have you seen usefully adapted to bow hunting?

[LBR]

I'd have to ask someone about the anchor.  I do know these guys are amazing shots.  I've watched them compete at 20 yds, and they consistently came in just a few points behind the wheels with all the bells and whistles.  Based on what little I know about Olympic archery, it's all about consistency--just like anyone else who wants to be accurate.  Try to make the exact same shot every time, with minor adjustments for differences in distance.

[LBR]

Back to my point though...not kosher to discuss Olympic style archery here, I just wanted to put it out there that just because someone claims to be involved doesn't make it so.  Do your homework.

[mgf]

I believe the low anchor lends itself to long range shooting, especially,  with sights.

[Mark R]

Sights, klickers, raised rests, long stabelizers, kisser buttons, low anchors, I don't think it applys to a archery hunting website.

[mgf]

Originally posted by Mark R:
Sights, klickers, raised rests, long stabelizers, kisser buttons, low anchors, I don't think it applys to a archery hunting website.

All of those are/have been used by single string bow hunters...ok, I guess most hunters using a stabalizer would use a shorter one than an olympic archer.

[Mark R]

I'm sorry a traditional bow hunting website, but what ever works for you is fine with me.

[JohnV]

Yes, yes.  Let's all bury our heads in the sand and not listen to or consider anything that may be slightly out of line with our perception of what is and is not traditional.  Never mind that sights, clickers, and raised rests were in use by both target archers and bowhunters long before any started using the term "traditional."

[TSP]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion about what traditional archery is, especially since there isn't enough cohesion among archers to give it an acceptable definition for clarity's sake.  

For me the only thing traditional about the current olympic archery movement is that a type of bow is used to shoot a type of arrow...and that's about where it ends.  It maximizes technology minus cams to shoot sophisticated  arrows, bows, sights, and accessories, using target-oriented aiming methods for pounding the same hole over and over again from the same distance, or at least trying to.  It is to archery as shooting bench rest rifles is to shooting firearms.

Traditional archery relates to shooting bows and arrows with more self-reliance and less mechanical dependence.  It is as much a mindset as it is honing natural hand/eye coordination to shoot and one's woodsmanship skills to hunt, and it has nothing at all to do with 'winning'... unless one sees winning as overcoming the challenges presented by using the simpler equipment and techniques.

Arguments will ensue I'm sure.  But to me that's the key difference.

[reddogge]

The ergonomics of an underchin anchor are just about perfect for getting the bone on bone contact and proper alignment. They use it for that and hitting those 70 meter targets. It wouldn't kill anyone on here to watch and study Brady Ellison's form and apply what's appropriate to what you are doing. He's also a successful bowhunter BTW.

[Roy from Pa]

Traditional is how you choose to go about it. Olympic archery is just another form of archery. I wish I could shoot that well.

I joined an archery club in 1970. There were no compound bows then. There were two classes back then, bare bow and sights. The guys with sights used everything the Olympic shooters use today. No one looked down their nose at the sight guys, it was just the way it was back then. I seen quite a few perfect scores back in those days by the sight guys. But I wanted to shoot bare bow, and still do.

[Mark R]

I agree with TSP