Instinctive or aiming?

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

I had to put down the bow for about 6 months in the middle of trying to "perfect" my gap shooting method that I learned from Bob Wesley.  When I walked out with my bow a few weeks ago and after a bit of warm up from up close (just getting used to the weight of my bow again) I managed a pretty reasonable score from the first shot on.  I just remembered to indirectly find my gap and keep the form tips I picked up from Terry and many others and kept pulling until release.  I expect one day, with enough consistent practice this will become instinctive, at this point though I still have to think about it.

[bubinga]

I refer to my style as subconscious aiming.  I focus on the spot I want to hit and let my subconscious do the aiming.  Most would call this instictive, but that term has always bothered me from a logical standpoint.  The only instictive shot you have ever taken was your first.  Every shot after that is based on the data your mind has gathered on previous shots wether you are implementing that consciously or subconsciously.  Which is a learned process not instict.  It's not that big of deal, just a matter of terminology.  But, as stated before you should try them all and find what works best for you.

[ishoot4thrills]

Since I read Byron's book, "Become the Arrow" some years ago, my shooting improved dramatically in a very short time. I applied the method he describes in his book and it worked very well for me. I anchor with my arrow directly below my dominant eye and see my arrow point but it isn't in sharp focus because I focus the target instead. My arrow point is always "fuzzy" looking(because it's out of focus) but I am aware of the amount of gap that's between the arrow point and the object I want to hit. When I'm at 27 yards from my intended target, my arrow point is right on the center of the target. That is known as my "point on" distance. Anything under 27 yards and my arrow point is below my target.

This has worked very well for me when shooting 3D and has also worked great for me when hunting too.

   

[Terry Green]

Bubinga....the terminology has been taken out of context for years....started by folks that didn't shoot instinctive.

This style of shooting was never meant to refer to the literal meaning of the word instinctive.....but intent was that this style of subconscious aiming seemed 'instinctive like'.    

Now you can rest easier knowing the term was OK all along, just non-instinctors implying it wrong that's all  

[SaMbO2]

Well....if i understand you right Terry you dont think someone can shoot truly instinctive, that some way or anther you aim well i hate to brake it to you that that is not true at all. What kind of shooting style would you call it if someone was to shoot a candlewick in a pitch black room? well i tell you what he isnt using a sight method because thats not visible in a black room. Then that means he is truly a instinctive shooter.

I mean know disrespect to you or anyone else.

God bless.

[HUNT 24/7]

Originally posted by SaMbO2:
Well....if i understand you right Terry you dont think someone can shoot truly instinctive, that some way or anther you aim well i hate to brake it to you that that is not true at all. What kind of shooting style would you call it if someone was to shoot a candlewick in a pitch black room? well i tell you what he isnt using a sight method because thats not visible in a black room. Then that means he is truly a instinctive shooter.

I mean know disrespect to you or anyone else.


 
 Try shooting at a laser dot in a 100% pitch black room, although dim, a candle still does put out enough light to see your arrow silhouette a bit.

 I promise you, your groups will be bigger in the dark than in the light.
God bless.

[alex m]

Instigap--I like that.  That's what Ferguson meant by becoming the arrow, learning the gap then forgetting it when it becomes automatic.  I'm slowly getting there after coming around the hard way.  I was a pure "bore a hole in it" shooter for many years, and got pretty good until I was about ruined by a tournament style teacher.  When I finally got over all those bad habits, it was back to boring a hole until I studied Hill and Ferguson.  They got me thinking...then I discovered Howard Hill Bowmwnen, and followed Captain Dick's adventures at Bob Westley's school, and his great follow-up postings.  This winter in the shop I've made big progress in seeing the gap, along with my blind bale work.  Now it just seems instinctive to be aware of the whole sight picture at the moment of release.  It's made the first really big improvement in my shooting in many years.

[Eugene Slagle]

I'm with Bubinga, subconcience aiming till around 40 yards then it's more of a gap aiming since I see the arrow in my view beyond that range.

When i can get some fool to toss coins for me, out to 12 yards, I don't know what I am doing.  When i take long shots, I try real hard to visualize the flight of the arrow. Then when i did it right, I try to remember what it all looked like, sort of.  But when it is point on or beyond and that point is just sitting there in front of me, you bet, I am aiming, even that gets automatic too quick for me some times.

[waiting4fall]

I'm posting the link of this video on the perceived differences betweem aiming & shooting instinctive, to hopefully help folks who are unsure of the difference. I realize this is one man's opinion, but this just may help someone here.

 

[blktail]

Bore a hole, subconsious aiming/instinctive for me, that's just what has always worked for myself. Practice practice

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by SaMbO2:
Well....if i understand you right Terry you dont think someone can shoot truly instinctive, that some way or anther you aim well i hate to brake it to you that that is not true at all. What kind of shooting style would you call it if someone was to shoot a candlewick in a pitch black room? well i tell you what he isnt using a sight method because thats not visible in a black room. Then that means he is truly a instinctive shooter.

I mean know disrespect to you or anyone else.

God bless.

I would call that instinctive....I think you misunderstood what I said.  Some folks misunderstand the terminology...or the real meaning of instinctive shooting.

I shoot instinctive BTW.

[Larry247]

Shooting the flame off the candle is great fun at night. My boys and i do it from time to time and shoot one at a time standing in a line with one shot a piece till someone nocks out the flame.

It doesn't take but a couple of shots before one of us hits it.

Never tried the laser dot in the dark, but i don't think it would be hard to hit the dot or close to it.

[reddogge]

We are all born with an instinct to judge distances, trajectories and velocities. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to throw balls as toddlers. But we hone these skills over time to participate in various sports and life skills, one of which is archery.

I just read a small book on field archery written in 1956 written by a several time Texas field archery state champion and it delved heavily on instinctive shooting. Although the information was a little dated the prinicples were the same which I found interesting.

He describes instinctive aiming as focusing entirely on the target but he uses the arrow in his peripheral vision as a secondary reference before the shot. He doesn't look down at the arrow but is aware of it below his eye and he has a typical high anchor split finger style of shooting we use today.