Shooting Style Names

[PaulRoberts]

Hi folks. I'm trying to decide on names to call the two basic shooting styles: rigid-arm and swing draw, or static and fluid, or ... . What do YOU call them?

[McDave]

I don't think there are just two basic styles, and I'm not sure all of them have names, and some of them can be mixed with others.  To list a few (I'm sure my list is not complete):

Swing draw: where you hold your bow arm rigidly and draw the bow as you raise your bow arm, coming to full draw at the same time you reach anchor.

Push-pull: where you extend your bow arm at the same time you draw the bow.  Can be done as you raise the bow or after you raise the bow.

Rotational draw: where you extend your bow arm and keep it pointed toward the target while you draw the bow.  As you draw the bow, the arrow initially points to the left of the target (RH shooter) and rotates onto the target as the draw is completed.  See videos under Moebow1 for a more complete description of this draw.

Dynamic release: where the drawing motion is never completely stopped until the arrow is released.

Dead, or static release: where the drawing motion is stopped at full draw and the arrow is held at full draw through balanced pulling until it is released.

Three under: where the index, middle and ring fingers hold the string underneath the arrow.

Split fingers: where the index finger is over the arrow and the next two fingers are under the arrow.

String walking: where the fingers are held on the string at various places depending on the estimated distance to the target, such that the point of the arrow can always be placed on the target.

Gap: where the focus of the eye remains on the target, but the out-of-focus point of the arrow is placed at various distances (gaps) above or below the target depending on the estimated distance to the target.

Point of aim: where the focus of the eye is on the point of the arrow, which is placed at various distances, or sometimes secondary aiming points, above or below the target depending on the estimated distance to the target.

Split vision: similar to gap, but rather than gaps being measured, distances to the target are not estimated and the gap is set based on previous shooting experience.

Instinctive: distances to the target are not estimated, and focus is on the target to the exclusion of the arrow point or any other external reference points, which are ignored as much as possible.  The arrow is released based on previous shooting experience, similar to the way you would throw a baseball.

Snap shooting: where the arrow is drawn in a continuous motion to anchor with no discernible pause at anchor, and is released as soon as the anchor is touched.

Holding: where the arrow is held at full draw, in the case of the dead release, or drawing motion almost comes to a halt, in the case of a dynamic release, for the purpose of refining the aim of the arrow, which can be either instinctive or cognitive.

[smoke1953]

Guess that makes me a push pull, static release with dynamic release tendencies, and instinctive shooting. If I think about a dynamic release I often pluck the string however when I think about remaining still with my release hand I more naturally achieve, but not always, a dynamic release. My release hand moves straight back to the shoulder more often than not. I personally needed to think about keeping the hand on the face to prevent creeping and plucking. Of course the only time I really think about this is during practice and I pass and fail often. While hunting everything seems to happen naturally more often because thinking while shooting is at a minimum.

[PaulRoberts]

I'm thinking about drawing styles in particular, not anchors, releases, or aiming methods, per say.