Rich welch style

[Keb]

Hello, I have a question about the way Rick shoots to those who have been to his school.

I got volume 3 and been watching it, when I first started I read and watched what I could, I shot 3 under and use the gun barrel system, I can shoot good out to 20 yards, it seems I have figured out the trajectory of my bow and feels good gap at distance past 15 yards.

My questions, is his style based off muscle memory on where to hold you bow arm, as it becomes 2nd nature to your vision, I shoot they the video states but still confused, it seem to shot okay his way, but need more info?

[The Night Stalker]

You get into a routine, or shot sequence. I modified mine since going to his class. I use a rotational draw now. I anchor with my jaw, cheek and feather. I do not really focus on the target until I settle. What is going on when Rick says hold, hold. I just focus on my spot and your sight picture will adjust your arm automatically. From doing it over and over at different yardage, your mind just remembers your sight picture and adjust your arm accordingly. Hard to explain, it just feels right. I slowly pull my release as I maintain my sight picture. Rick says your release just happens. If I do that, my mind wants to shorten things and I get a type of target panic.

[Retnuh Wob]

Ricks style of shooting is really quite simple. But that doesn't mean it's easy. I took his class this last June and am just now getting it all together. I was not one of the guys on those videos that walked away after two days shooting great. I guess I have a thicker skull than most and it took a while for me. When I came back from Ricks class I worked very hard on my form. Some days I would shoot really good and then other days arrows would go every where. I felt I had my form down but was still not getting the results I wanted.  

I hadn't watched The videos(vols. II & III) for a while but watched them both for the umteenth time and all of a sudden it hit me. Once you have a consistant form it is really all about your bow arm and concentrating on the spot. Your form has to be so ingrained and automatic that you don't think about it any more. You concentrate on the spot while trying to keep your bow arm as still as  possible. When you do that you do not have the concentration left to worry about your string arm or your releas and it just seems to go off on its own. I believe that is what Rick is talking about when he uses the phrase "subconcious release". I just shot 7 shots doing just that and put each shot in the same hole at 7 yrds. So Ricks system does work

The other thing is that Rick does not gap shoot. He just concentrates on the spot he wants to hit.  When you start to gap shoot you are using a different system and relying on a different part of your brain. Rick calls his style of shooting instinctive, but I think a better term would be right brain shooting. When you right brain shoot(instinctive) you are relying on the same part of your brain a quarter back uses when he fires the ball to a wide receiver dashing across the field at 25 yards and it ends up in the exact place the receiver needs to catch it, keep his balance and keep running.  The QB does not sit there and think "lets see, he is going to be X yards away when the ball gets there in 1/3 seconds so I have to point my arm in this direction and....."  He just focuses on where the ball needs to be and throws it there.

There are other styles of shooting besides Ricks and there are people that are very good at them. Some would be termed instinctive, other styles invlove aiming. What I think you have to do to start out is to pick one style and stay with it until you master it. If you bounce around and mix match different styles I think it will be much harder to develop any real consistent results.

[Sirius Black]

Good advice given here. I've been watching different videos and reading books, and picking this and that and pushing it together. I think I'll stay with one system and learn it first.

[McDave]

As Tim said, Rick uses his sight picture in aiming his shot. Some would say that this is not a purely instinctive aiming method, because the shooter is aware of something other than the target. The quarterback, for example, is only aware of his target when he throws the ball.  Mark is correct when he states that Rick does not gap shoot, because gap shooting requires that you estimate the distance to the target and hold the arrow point a known amount above or below the mark based on the estimated distance.

Rick maintains that his method is an instinctive method of aiming because he does not estimate the distance to the target, and aligns his sight picture with reference to the target solely based on the experience of having made many similar shots in the past.

I believe this is the same style of aiming described by Howard Hill as "split-vision," which he maintained was not an instinctive method of aiming.

Which just goes to prove, I guess, that it really doesn't matter what you call it as long as your arrows hit the center of the target.

[RC]

I do know after over 30 years of bowhunting I switched to 3 under before last season and enjoyed a very good bow season of perfect shots.Ricks Method works. I tried to gap shoot a while and my shooting went to slop. I focus on my spot without thinking distance and the arrow goes there.Sweet.RC

[LinemanARK]

I also went to Ricks school this summer in Aug it was a good time. I to went from shooting a 125, 130 on the 3d range to 185 , 190. Yes this is good, but more what I learned was how to set up a bow ,tune it to my shooting skills. I wish I could go back for a one day class, refresher corse lol. I watched him shoot everytime we went around the course you can learn alot from watching someone else and then him be right behind you on your next shot, things work alot better that way. He uses a lighter arrow weight than most people like, but my bow is quit and shoots very well to 45 or 50yds you really dont move your bow arm that much with lighter arrows . I have alot more to say about his school but I'm not pushing it on anybody my wife and kids got it for my birthday last year

[Retnuh Wob]

I would not mind taking a one or two day refresher from Rick. Now that I am starting do a better job of incorporating his lessons into my shooting, it would be nice to get some help in refining my form.  Though I was probably not one of his better students I still learned a lot, and feel the class was well worth the expense.

When I look back on how much I have spent on bows, arrows, other equipment, and hunting trips, the money I spent on the class seems like a pretty good deal.

[Keb]

Well I have been using his method, and greatly improved, no more using the arrow to aim, just focus on the spot and shot.

All I can say is wow!! 20 yards was a poke with my old method, I was shooting 30 and 35 which was not even an option with the method I was using.

I'm shooting wood pretty heavy 11 grains per pound, but I want to practice with what I hunt with. They fly to good to change.

[LinemanARK]

Like every one has said its all mental and practiceing alot that way you know were the arrow needs to go. I took his class in Aug it was well worth the money and I have thophys to prove it on 3d range I went from 125 to 185 190 on a 20 target course and my hunting form has improved so much. Even with heavy arrows your bow arm still knows were to go when you shoot with alot of practice. Merry christmas  Mike

[McDave]

To build on what Retnuh said in his first post, the key to Rick's method of shooting is the absence of any mental calculation, freeing up 100% of the brain to concentrate. Usually, this sentence would be completed with the words "on the target."  However, over-reliance on those words held back my shooting for a long time.

Instead, as in Retnuh's example of the quarterback, or, I believe, a pro golfer, Rick Welch, or any great athlete, I think they have developed their powers of concentration  to the degree that they are aware, not just of the target, but of all aspects of their shots that need their attention. Using the brain to calculate distance, measure a gap, or do any of the analytical or conceptual (left brain) thinking that humans are so fond of just takes some of our mental capacity away from our ability to concentrate and be aware of all the tiny movements that affect the shot. It clearly isn't possible to have conscious control over these movements, but if we are aware of them, in the same way we are aware of the target, our bodies (or right brains) will make the necessary corrections without the necessity of conscious direction.

My mistake was in trying to concentrate on the target to the degree that I tuned-out my awareness of what my body was trying to tell me. Now that I have expanded my awareness to include all aspects of the shot, my shooting has improved.

There are some very fine gap shooters, many who are far better shooters than I am, who involve their conscious minds in the shot to a far greater degree than I'm describing. My comments are directed to those who want to improve their instinctive skills, and I believe are consistent with Rick's method.

Oh, and Merry Christmas everyone!

[ed jarvis]

Ive seen videos of ricks  shooting ,I am not famous, or really well known,outside ohio,I have been shooting trad archery for about twenty years,and pride my self on instinctive, shooting,the problem , alot of shooters,even some expereinced,your eyes can only focus on one thing,either,at a distance, or up close,the tip of the arrow, or the target,not both,its like driving your car,you look at where you are going.or your hood,the rest is practice,

[Echo62]

I'm interested in learning more about Rick's method, but going to his school really isn't an option for me right now. So my question is, can I pick it up watching his video, and I notice he has 2. Would volume 3 be enough or should I get 2 and 3. Thanks Keith

[Don Batten]

Keith, I learned most of what I know about Ricks style on vol 2. I wore out two copies of it. I'd watch it everynight. My wife thought I was crazy. I'd go out and shoot every day and then watch the dvd.  When I met Rick and we shot together , He said I had it down really good. I did learn about tuning the bow to shoot where I was shooting from Him though.   Vol 3 is ok but I say that after wearing out 2 vol 2 discs.  I got vol 3 somewhere if you want it send me your address in a pm. I see your from NC so I may run into you at a shoot sometime. Don

[Echo62]

Thanks for the advice Don. I sent you a PM.

Keith

[solobowhunter]

Originally posted by McDave:
To build on what Retnuh said in his first post, the key to Rick's method of shooting is the absence of any mental calculation, freeing up 100% of the brain to concentrate. Usually, this sentence would be completed with the words "on the target."  However, over-reliance on those words held back my shooting for a long time.

Instead, as in Retnuh's example of the quarterback, or, I believe, a pro golfer, Rick Welch, or any great athlete, I think they have developed their powers of concentration  to the degree that they are aware, not just of the target, but of all aspects of their shots that need their attention. Using the brain to calculate distance, measure a gap, or do any of the analytical or conceptual (left brain) thinking that humans are so fond of just takes some of our mental capacity away from our ability to concentrate and be aware of all the tiny movements that affect the shot. It clearly isn't possible to have conscious control over these movements, but if we are aware of them, in the same way we are aware of the target, our bodies (or right brains) will make the necessary corrections without the necessity of conscious direction.

My mistake was in trying to concentrate on the target to the degree that I tuned-out my awareness of what my body was trying to tell me. Now that I have expanded my awareness to include all aspects of the shot, my shooting has improved.

There are some very fine gap shooters, many who are far better shooters than I am, who involve their conscious minds in the shot to a far greater degree than I'm describing. My comments are directed to those who want to improve their instinctive skills, and I believe are consistent with Rick's method.

Oh, and Merry Christmas everyone!

Man, that'a some good stuff there! Thanks!