rick welch school

[Hornseeker]

Good post Dave.

Well... I am going to try 3 under for a bit. I think, especially for closer hunting range shots (15-35 yards) it will really make a big difference in developing a good, easy to use sight picture...

Do you use the fletch to the nose deal? Recently..when toying with this...I am whapping my nose with my string...to the point of bleeding... any advice here????

Ernie

[McDave]

I've been whapped in the nose a few times myself.  There have been many times I have NOT been whapped in the nose, so I know it's possible, but I can't say that I have completely figured it out.  This is what I think so far:

It helps to have the cock feather at 9:00 to 10:00; no higher than 10:00.  This gives you a little room to adjust for fletch clearance, but not much.  I think if I just brush the bottom of my earlobe with my thumb knuckle and lightly touch my nose to the back of the feather, but not too close to the shaft, I'm less likely to get whapped.  Touching lightly also probably makes a more precise anchor than jamming my knuckle into my earlobe.  I'm sure it also has to do with how you release the string; if you roll it into your nose, you will feel it (this is probably good training, as they used to say in the Marines).  Rick favors holding the string in the middle of the last finger joint rather than the deeper hook that seems to be coming into favor; it could be that you are more likely to whap your nose with a deep hook.  Although I need to use a deep hook on my heavier bows, and I haven't always whapped my nose.  It could have something to do with not getting your string forearm back in line with the arrow.  Rick is pretty careful when he sets up your anchor to make sure you have good allignment, but that doesn't mean I always do it right when I'm practicing on my own.  I would imagine that having your string forearm at a slight angle outward could push the string into your nose on release.  As you can see, it is something I haven't entirely figured out myself yet.

[Hornseeker]

Right on... I'll keep messing with it...

E

[vhntr 1]

I bought his viedo about a year ago just got around to watching it a few weeks ago i have been shooting a stick for 5yrs now and changed everthing about my shooting like in his viedo.I have been shooting better then i ever have viedo worth 10 times the price

[Raven]

When my form goes down hill for what ever reason, I like to put in Ricks video and watch his form. Then when I go back out to shoot again I seem to be back in the grove.        

 Good luck on your shooting!

 Raven >>>>----------->

[RC]

If your hitting your nose you are overdrawing your bow in my experience.RC

[Tilzbow]

If you're hitting your nose you might just need to ensure your face is squared up to the target more. If you turn it away from the target and have a good size nose, like me, then it'll turn into a bleeder for sure. I've lost what seemed like a quart of blood after some long sessions where my head position wasn't right! Making sure my I'm facing the target is one of my five or six mental checks I go through when executing the shot and as long as I do that I don't whack my nose with the string regardless of my draw length - within reason. RC stated overdrawing can cause hitting you nose and I agree in the sense if you're anchoring in the same spot and then increasing your draw your head will turn and you will whack your nose.

[KellyBender]

I am getting ready to leave later this week to go to rick's school.  I will be there Thur-Sat.  Looks like I am going to get lucky on the weather forecast...hopefully the warm temps and sun stick around.  I will let you know how it goes.  To say I am excited is an understatement...
Greg

[bayoulongbowman]

THe man is born killer on game, with a bow!!!He can shoot and a heck of bowhunter!    

[Raven]

Cool! Take good notes@pictures, will be waiting on a full report when you get back!            

 Have fun and shoot straight...

 Raven >>>>-------->

[McDave]

Greg,

When Rick sets you up to use his anchoring system, he will fletch one of your arrows so you can anchor with the back of the cock feather touching your nose.  Along with whatever other changes he thinks you ought to make to your form, which in my case was about 5 changes, I think.  Since these changes are made all at once, it is kind of intimidating, but Rick is a good teacher, and it all seems to work out in the course of the first day's class.

When I returned home and started practicing his system, I got more comfortable with it, of course, and my draw extended a little.  It extended enough that the side of the cock feather was hitting my nose instead of the back.  which throws off the shot to the left a little, as the rear of the arrow is moved a little to the right.  I corrected this by moving the fletching about 1/8" further forward, so my nose had clearance to go behind the cock feather again.

My point is that it is probably not a good idea to fletch up a bunch of arrows right away with the fletching in the new position from Rick's class.  Just fletch up what you need to practice with for the first few weeks, until you settle in to the new anchor.

I think this is probably good advice, but since you are going to the class, why don't you ask Rick and let us know what he says?

[KellyBender]

thanks for the info.  I will definitely ask him.
Stay tuned!!