Do i snapshoot?

[mnbearbaiter]

Ive always shot any traditional bow instinctively, and i feel i shoot well! I always seem to dwell on my anchor however, i stare at my target, a tiny spot that i wanna hit, draw, and then as soon as i bury my middle finger into the corner of my mouth i release! It goes against everything you read, but it works for me  :rolleyes:  I wouldnt consider it target panic, but i always seem to think i have a sloppy anchor! I personally believe i get on target alot faster than i get to full draw! Ive tried slowing down my draw, speeding it up, a clicker, and im still there where i always was! I would compare my anchor to the owner of Tusker Broadheads anchor in the video when hes shooting through buffalo shoulder blades! Do i need work?

[griffin73]

if its not broke, dont fix it

[BobCo 1965]

If you are happy with your shooting and it is working for you as you say, then don't do a thing. That is what it is all about.

The shot is not over when you hit anchor.  You have to follow through to conclusion.

If you have "complete" control of your shot I don't think panic is a concern.  You can check that very easily.  If you can come to anchor and let down without shooting, then you're a snap shooter.  A lot of folks shoot well by pre-aiming and snap shooting.  I don't think it's a problem if you're in control and follow through. On the other hand, if you can't stop and let down, you've got a panic problem.

I would think that there are cases that shooters cannot let down when shooting at their back yard targets, because of the mental shortcut that too much repetitive shooting at the same target can cause, and still shoot perfectly fine. While being able to hold or let down speaks to self control, it is an intentional 'do not shoot' mind set. I have seen some, including myself for a time, that could intentionally not shoot but still flinch when the time to shoot came.  If this person says I am going to shoot at that target and executes smoothly throughout the follow through, while it may be snap shooting, I would not call it target panic. He probably just needs to work on getting a solid release and holding is not required for that either.

[jhansen]

Fred Bear referred to himself as a "snap shooter".  In videos I've seen he does seem to draw, anchor, and release in one continous fluid motion.  I'm willing to bet that he wasn't always that fast or accurate though.  My theory is that archers go through a series of stages that phase into one another.  We start out uncertain with the string often slapping us in the forearm and lucky if the arrow hits near where we wanted it to go.  So we learn to break the shot into separate motions and practice getting each one right.  With practice the movements become automatic until we don't remember much except looking at where we want the arrow to go.  We are still making all those motions but they have blended together.  The bottom line is to put the arrow where you want it.  If what you are doing is working don't change it and don't think to hard about it.  Some of my worst shots in the past few years have come when I thought too much about what I was doing.

John

[mnbearbaiter]

I will admit when i try to change i shoot like garbage!

[moebow]

mnbearbaiter,  When you change something, your shooting WILL go down for a while!!!!  If you are not patient with it and give it a chance you will never REALLY know.  Coaches will tell you that when you make a change you must stick with it for about 20 practice sessions.  For those that shoot three times a week, that would be about 7 weeks.  If you make a change and shoot one afternoon and decide that it's not for you, you do a disservice to yourself and to the change.

[mnbearbaiter]

i guess what i was trying to get across is that what i do now feels natural, and when i change it feels unnatural! I think im ok in my shooting, ive watched others that hold longer(mostly gap shooters), and i dont feel that they are any better/worse than i am! I only shoot 55lb bows so im not overbowed, its a mental thing if anything at all!

Originally posted by pavan:
I would think that there are cases that shooters cannot let down when shooting at their back yard targets, because of the mental shortcut that too much repetitive shooting at the same target can cause, and still shoot perfectly fine. While being able to hold or let down speaks to self control, it is an intentional 'do not shoot' mind set. I have seen some, including myself for a time, that could intentionally not shoot but still flinch when the time to shoot came.  If this person says I am going to shoot at that target and executes smoothly throughout the follow through, while it may be snap shooting, I would not call it target panic. He probably just needs to work on getting a solid release and holding is not required for that either.

I would be in a different school altogether.  Every good archer I've ever seen has complete control of their shot sequence.  Any deviation from "complete" control would be indicative of a form of target panic--to me.  I'm further convinced that an archer who is content not having complete control of his shot sequence is doomed for a lifelong struggle, and will never get beyond mediocrity.  I should know… I’m about as mediocre as they come.    

[KHALVERSON]

Originally posted by mnbearbaiter:
i guess what i was trying to get across is that what i do now feels natural, and when i change it feels unnatural! I think im ok in my shooting, ive watched others that hold longer(mostly gap shooters), and i dont feel that they are any better/worse than i am! I only shoot 55lb bows so im not overbowed, its a mental thing if anything at all!

change takes time
and will feel unnatural at first
one habit has to be replaced by another
i my oppinion you want to become a better shot
am i correct ?

i made a change a year ago
i was shooting like you describe yourself shooting
and after 25years plus of shooting that way and doing ok at it
i was no longer satisfied
so i watched masters of the bare bow and rick welchs the acccuracy factory
i ended up adopting ricks style of shooting
and it was a learning experience  totally different to what i was used too
but after a month or two i started to come around and am shooting better than ever
bottom line is change can be good
even if it feels unnatural at first give it a chance
kevin

If someone has good form and is not holding and is still reaching a consistent anchor, sounds like hunting form to me.  Bearbaiter did not say he had target panic or could not hold if he wanted to, he points out that it seems unnatural to him when he holds longer and changes his tempo around.  Everyone develops their own tempo.  I am guilty of at times holding a long time and over analyzing the shot while under pressure.  That gives me plenty of time to second guess myself, lose confidence and concentration.  The chapter in John Schulz's book called "Hold It Your Wrong" come to mind, the concept works for me in hunting scenarios.  That does not mean an automatic flinch or loss of control, it merely means long intentional holding at game is often a negative. It may be the case for Bearbaiter as well.

[S.C. Hunter]

I practice holding at times for strength training, but shoot much like you do. I look touch anchor and let it go and when I do I shoot my best. I find when I hold for 2-3 seconds I try to aim and my shooting goes down hill. Doesn't fit me so when I hold and shoot I don't shoot for accuracy.

[fujimo]

i, like everyone else would always like to improve accuracy, i find when i hold i start to sort of gap aim, and i really dont want to gap aim- i want to stay instinctive.
the problem with the snap shooting, is that i still get flyers the odd time.
 i find i do my best shooting while stumping- every shot is always within a few inches at the very least- and i hit my mark with amazing consistancy. but when i target shoot, i start to second geuss every shot, and i seem to zone out on the target, i find it harder and harder to "pick a spot" on the butt- my target shooting is horrific- i am lucky if i can shoot a 6" group at 18 yards.
 can any body tell me a bit more about Rick Welsch's style of shooting.
thanks all
wayne

[mnbearbaiter]

I will agree with my style being more of a hunting style form, over target style form! Thats all i care about anyway, i cant eat paper or foam! Im not the best shot in the world, nor never claimed to! Im deadly out to around 25yds and thats it! I will say that i practice kneeling, off balance, downhill/uphill shots, etc! Shots that present themselves in the field, i dont just stand there and shoot at a target in the backyard!

I have found that after weeks and weeks of just shooting at my backyard target my release gets softer.  After some serious stump shooting, my release gets tighter feeling, more of a pull release than a finger straightening release.  My release fingers stay pretty much in the same shape and tension as they were during the draw.  When I have been doing target shooting with a recurve at times I can see my release fingers fly in my peripheral vision, I know that when that happens have lost some power.  For some reason it is easier to keep the power up on the draw and release when shooting at varied targets at varied distances.  Perhaps because when I shoot at a dead stick I want to break it, when I shoot at a target I only want to stick it.

[gvdocholiday]

Originally posted by mnbearbaiter:
I will agree with my style being more of a hunting style form, over target style form! Thats all i care about anyway, i cant eat paper or foam! Im not the best shot in the world, nor never claimed to! Im deadly out to around 25yds and thats it! I will say that i practice kneeling, off balance, downhill/uphill shots, etc! Shots that present themselves in the field, i dont just stand there and shoot at a target in the backyard!

Ditto.  I made the switch to trad from compound because I felt like I was handicapped by the compound bow.  95% of all of my shots were inside 15yds, and the reality of it all is that my shot sequence for compound was roughly 15seconds from the time I drew to the time I released.  In a real world hunting situation with my recurve I can make that shot in less than 2seconds and be very deadly 25 yards and in.

[Stumpkiller]

I have a definate pause when practicing.  When hunting, however, it varies with the situaion.  I do know that if I really want to screw up a shot I should hold it at full draw long enough to start thinking about the distance.  

One of my happier shots was as I was sitting on a log resting and a buck walked up straight at me.  Once he broke cover there was nothing between us and I had not seen or heard him until he was 25 yards away.  I had no chance to prepare (luckily I had an arrow nocked).  At 11 yards he turned and I lifted the bow, drew and shot as fast as I could in a single fast motion.  I found him 35 yards away.

Other times, treestands especially, I get half drawn and ready and wait for the deer to move into an opening (I like cover areas).  But I have learned not to draw and then wait.  That seldom works.  Better to get set with the bow up but not take that final focus and draw until the moment of the shot.  Sometime I practice that "molasses draw" because it is a whole different timing and throws off my rhythm.

Still hunting I get the bow up as soon as possible so as to minimize motion as the deer gets close.  That's why I like a light hunting bow with no bow-quiver.