What are the Main Differences

[rlc1959]

Being new to the Trad World I am still searching for a aiming or shooting technique thats works best for me. I have tried some different things that work at times and not at others. Still cannot find something that I am confident with all the time. What are the main differences between Rod Jenkins & Rick Welch shooting aiming methods ?? Thanks, Randy

[McDave]

They have more in common than differences.  Both stress good allignment and learning the fundamentals of good shooting form.

Rick Welch teaches a particular shooting method.  He is amenable to some individual preferences, such as shooting with either split fingers or 3 under, but he does have a particular shooting style, and if you want to benefit from his class, you should probably leave your preconceived notions at the door and do whatever he teaches.  You can always change things later on if you want to.

Rod Jenkins tends to build more on whatever style you are using, unless you want to change things.  Rod stresses a dynamic release and developing good back tension that results in the string hand moving back toward the shoulder after the shot goes off.

Rick doesn't spend much time in his class on back tension, so I think Rod's class builds on Rick's class in that regard.  I don't think that Rick would disagree with any of the work Rod does in developing a dynamic release.  Rick personally has an unusual release, where his hand kind of flops to the side on release.  It certainly works well for him, but he doesn't teach anyone to mimic that particular aspect of his shooting.  He stresses a 2 second hold, which translates for many of his students into a dead release, where the string hand doesn't move much after the shot.

Both stress the importance of a subconscious release.

Rick is an instinctive shooter, while Rod is a gap shooter.  Actually, aiming is the least important thing either of them teaches, and you could take the fundamentals they teach and apply them to any aiming system you want to use.

Rick mostly teaches one-on-one classes, while Rod mostly teaches groups, but I would imagine they each do both on occasion.  In Rick's class, you mainly shoot at normal instinctive distances, out to about 30 yards, while you will mainly shoot at a blank bale at close distances in Rod's class.

I took both classes, and highly recommend that anyone who can spare the time and money do the same.

[cjgregory]

I was converting a lifetime friend some time ago and there was a nagging sensation in him all the time.  Aiming.

From gun sites and scopes growing up he switched to archery and pins.  He had a difficult time learning at first because he was always trying to be mechanical about it. True there are mechanics in form but we are talking about aiming.  He became impatient because his expectations were derived from mechanical aided aiming.  He eventually just cut it loose. When he did this he progressed.

Like the poster above, form is 99% of aiming.  A peep site makes it so most anyone can learn to shoot well quickly.  Try sighting a rifle without a rear site.  It would also turn into a form issue.  Getting the picture?  You would have to shoulder the weapon and line up your head, body, shoulders and everything else the exact same way every time to group your shots.

This is a life long dicipline if youwant to excel.  It's not about mechanical thinking. if there were no peep sites there would be a very small percentage of people hunting with bows.  They would not find the motivation to commit the time into the dicipline.