Advice for a friend.

[Cherry Tree]

Ok im needing some help with shooting advice for a friend, he's a real good shot he can shoot candles in the pitch black dark just all kinds of stuff but he wants to know if he can get better, he doesnt use his back muscles when he shoots, he is all instinctive, he snap shoots by snap shoot im mean full draw let go, but hes wanting to know if its worth messing with and trying to put back muscles in with it have a more define anchor point just stuff like that,but hes kinda worried about messing with his form before hunting season, your thoughts?

(i didnt want just my opinion given to him i think its better to get a few)

[fireball31]

if it ain't broke don't fix it.  Especially right before the season.  I try not to do anything that is gonna mess with my confidence before the season.

[bigbadjon]

I say the goal of any archer should be to hit what he's aiming at, and it sounds as though he is. In that case hid form is perfect for him.

[Cherry Tree]

Thats what i was think but why he asked me is he thinks he can be more consistent witch would lead to confidence in each shot witch helps with accuracy, since he does short draw on some shots but not on meaning to witch leads to the arrow missing its mark etc etc. your thoughts?

Thanks for your input!

[Bill Carlsen]

I think that when the day comes I can put every arrow I shoot right where I want it then I have learned all that I can or need to know. Until then there are things I would like to learn that would get me closer to that outcome.

[fireball31]

I work on consistency throughout the season. If I'm gonna make a major adjustment to my form its gonna be during the off season.

[Cherry Tree]

Well he may not do it before the season if he was going to change his form. But is it something he should look into for the off season?

[fireball31]

personally I'm not a big fan of snap shooting.  I'm not gonna say it doesn't work because Asbell has done quite well with it.  I think that a slow deliberate shot with a consistent draw, anchor, release sequence is more repeatable.

[Bowwild]

Cherry Tree,
My first thought about someone asking such questions (your friend) would be that he is dissatisfied with some of his hunting shots?  But you report he is very accurate and I assume that's on game too?  If so, I certainly wouldn't change anything within a month or two of or during the bow season.

Now, I firmly believe and have stated on this site too many times I fear, there is a best way to shoot a bow to prevent target panic from taking over your fun someday. Back motion (tension is a commonly used but bad word in archey)is an important part of shot execution and depends upon a successful separation of the mind and eye once the sight picture (aiming) has been achieved. That would be something to work towards the day after the season closes.

Some changes require thousands of shots to become subconscious actions that will come to you during the moment of truth. I know this happened to me in 1997. After having switched to LH shooting after 28 years of RH shooting (dominant eye issue)I practiced for just a couple of months. When I had a 15-yard shot at a 135-class whitetail I drew and CLOSED THE LEFT EYE just like I had for 28 years when shooting right-handed!  I shot to the right of that buck about a foot! He walked off leaving me wondering what the...phooey. I reinacted the shot and realized what I had done.

[Mike Vines]

if it's working, why mess with it?  

The best case scernario I would call it Archery Stimulus Program.  He can take what is working just fine, and then come in decide that it can be done better, and change it all to better fill his needs, the whole time telling himself change is a great thing, and is going to be good for him, and once everyone else catches onto this Archery Stimulus Program it will make better shooters out of everyone.  But this is only going to be achieved by those who are shooting scores of 250 or better, and will not affect the guys who are shooting less than 250 scores, but they will benefit from it just the same and before you know it, everyone will be using the Archery Stimulus Program, well except for me.  I am the one who dreamed up the Archery Stimulus Program, and although I'm shooting 250, or higher score, I'm going to exempt myself from the Archery Stimulus Program for the simple fact that although you hope changing will work for improvement, I know changing anything that is working will only ruin everything you are doing.  

Man, for some reason this seems familiar.  I just can't seem to think of where I have heard this before.  Might someone be able to help this old brain remember where this also has been used, and never worked?

[champ38]

Good post grapes....and to the OP, dont do it. Stick with whats working, dont over analyze, and go hunting.

[njloco]

Ha, ha, but they are going to try it again aren't they !

Good posts.

P.S. Cherry Tree, tell your friend, Touch Nothing !

[Bowwild]

I re-read the post about your friend. You reported that he "short draws and misses sometimes".  Well we all miss, regularly no matter what our style or equipment choices.

The important issue is whether or not he is satisfied?  If not, then he should try to improve. If he is not satisfied, then it is "broke" and a candidate for "messing with". Hopefully, it's not so broke that he can't wait until the hunting season has passed to tweak.

How about that stimulus plan explanation the other night. According to the orator...Our car was driven into the ditch. The new guys got it out but dinged it up a bit. Interesting analogy but I don't buy it...after they got my car out of the ditch they made copies of my keys and gave them to everyone expecially those too sorry to work for their own.

[Bowwild]

By the way, when I wrote "we all miss...regularly" I meant when we practice at targets. I hope very few of us miss the kill zone of our intended quarry very often.

[Cherry Tree]

Thank you guys so much for the help you guys are the best!  

Thanks and god bless,and happy hunting!