Back From Rick Welch's Shooting School

[KellyBender]

I just got back from Ricks shooting school this Sat night. There are always lots of questions about it so I figured I would give some feedback.
In a nutshell, it is without a doubt the best thing I have ever done since I started shooting my recurve a couple of years ago. The improvement to my shooting is truly remarkable. To give you an idea, when I first got there Fri am, he had me shoot 20 targets after a short warm up to give us a benchmark. Scoring was a "10", "8", "5" and "0" for a miss. There were 20 targets at varying distances...maybe 12/15 yards to maybe 20/25(max) yards. My first round score was a 123. On the morning of the second day, I shot another 20 3-d targets and I scored a 183. If anything, the shots the second day were farther than the first day...15 yards out to 25/28.

I could spend a long time on all the things we went over and how they have changed my shooting..to say for the better would be an understatement. Before the class, 20 yards was about my max range to shoot comfortable....really about 18 yrds or so. On the afternoon of the second day, we were both shooting and after shooting about 25 targets or so, I started to pace off the ranges I was shooting in and was amazed that most were 25-30 and some 30+. Rick even made a comment "you probably didn't even realize how far you were shooting". And...I was hitting with a lot in the "10 ring" but if not there, definitely in the "kill zone" (an "8").

There have always been a lot of comments about his shooting so let me talk about some of the more common ones..

1) His shooting style is only for target shooting. NOPE. On the second day, he had me shooting sitting down, kneeling, out of a treestand and sometimes at wierd angles (body twisted), through openings in the tree limbs....all simulating hunting examples. Despite all these scenarios..result was the same...same consistency as I was getting before. 2) He is gap shooting, etc. NOPE. The whole time I was there, I never used any reference to gauge distance...tip of the arrow, sight window, etc. Pick a spot...anchor...hold...hold...hold and let the release happen.

If anyone has any questions, let me know. Tons of great stuff so it is hard to remember it all and put it into words.

I am still amazed at how nearly "automatic" a 25 yard shot became. More importantly for me was the fact that whenever I made a bad shot, I knew exactly what I did wrong.

if anyone wants to improve their shooting and has an open mind, i can not say enough good things about this school. I wound up selling all of my compound stuff...nearly $800 worth to fund the trip to go to the school and couldn't be happier that I did.

Trust me....do whatever you have to...and go to the school, you will be happy you did.

[Smallwood]

That's awsome Greg! I was hoping you would have a good time, and pick up some new found skills.
Good job,
sammy

[McDave]

Glad you had a good experience, Greg.  I had the same experience when I went.

Remember in your own practicing that everything he told you to do in the school had an effect in how accurately you were able to shoot there.

For example, at home when I wasn't shooting quite as well as I was in Rick's class, I had to remind myself that in the class, we shot one arrow at a time and retreived it before shooting another one.  At home I more or less automatically went back to shooting groups, since that's the way I've always done it.

When I started shooting one arrow at a time at home, my shooting improved.  I think when shooting instinctively, my mind can only focus to the extent necessary to shoot well for a short amount of time, and then it needs a rest.  Walking to get the arrow before I shoot my next shot gives it the rest it needs, so I can focus on the next shot.

The other thing Rick drilled into me was holding for a full two seconds at full draw before shooting.  Again, when I don't do that at home, I don't shoot as well.  And if I consciously try to hold for two seconds after I have not been doing it for a while, I get the "yips" and don't do very well for a while either.  I have to train myself to do what Rick said, every time, all the time, if I am going to keep shooting as well as I did in his class.

[KellyBender]

Hey Dave.  Pretty funny.  for me....I am having "nightmares" about rick telling me "hold, hold, hold", "slow down", and "like a rock" (my bow arm).

[TexasTrad]

Greg:

I am not suprised by your post -- I attended Rick's school at the end of January and I had the same experience.  The school is very helpful because the shooting technique is something that can be repeated every time.

When I see someone really struggling at a 3d shoot, I always suggest Ricks shooting video.  While not as good as attending the school, it does a good job of laying out the basic elements of a good shot.

Glad you had a good time.

[Leo L.]

Great review, thanks a lot.  I would love to be able to go someday.

[R H Clark]

What was the total cost and total time at the school?

[Air-n-sun]

I'm guessing his class is on the west coast?  How many days is it and out of curiousity how much was it...sounds like a great class.

[KellyBender]

he is in Arkansas...40 minutes west of little rock.  School is $400 and is 2 days (I left at 3pm to make a flight back to CO on day 2).

 www.dakotabows.com

[joebuck]

Does that include room and board? food? What time does it start on the weekend and end?

[KellyBender]

you are on your own for food and hotel.  I also got a cheap rental car to get from the airport to Conway (about 40 minutes).  rick picked me up at the hotel each day.  wound up costing me about $700-800 total...worth every penny.

[joebuck]

Thanks Kelly..i am about 4 hours from him. I have been basically shooting the same form as Rick for 20 years except I do not use 3 under or cock feather touching the nose. So basically he fletches the cock feather up a little to touch nose? Also when he draws, does he draw the string UNDER his jaw and bring up to his eye? I tried last night drawing straight back and my thumb knuckle felt aukward bumping into my cheek.

[McDave]

"Also when he draws, does he draw the string UNDER his jaw and bring up to his eye? I tried last night drawing straight back and my thumb knuckle felt aukward bumping into my cheek."

Cock your thumb back like you were cocking a revolver, so the end thumb knuckle sticks out a little.  Draw straight back until your end thumb knuckle lightly brushes the bottom of your ear lobe.  It shouldn't feel awkward if you're doing it right.  If you find you're hitting consistently to the left, you can tuck the thumb knuckle behind your jaw bone, which will move the back of the arrow a little to the left and move the impact a little to the right.

I believe Terry Green uses the thumb knuckle tucked behind his jawbone, and doesn't use the cock feather anchor.

[joebuck]

one think i found interesting about Welch style ( on youtube) is his release hand flying wildly to the right after release instead of pull through.....but the target at 30 yards didn't lie....he stacked them in there tight.  real tight...This Terry Green fellow ya'll keep mentioning..is he a good shot?  :rolleyes:

[McDave]

Terry Green is our guru.  Check out Terry's clock, which is an illustration of good allignment (shown at the top of the shooter's forum main page), his many responses to shooters hoping for an expert evaluation of their form, and his shooting style illustrated in the Trad Gang shooting video.

[joebuck]

I'm screwing with McDave..i know Terry...i would classify Terry style as Asbell and whole host of others before G.Fred. G. Fred put it all together back in late 80's with his classic "Instintive Shooting" book. I was never a big fan of stooping over at the waist so I spit out that koolaid and drank another!!! Welch style interests me though.....shooting foam is fun again trying to figure out how he does it......

[bayoulongbowman]

Bow moves to much with that Asbell swing method for me ....need less movement , almost like ya aint there!

[The Whittler]

When you talk about useing your thumb knuckle, is it the knuckle nearest the thumb nail or nearest you hand?

[TexasTrad]

Nearest the thumbnail

[Tilzbow]

joebuck did hit on a thing I'm also wondering about. How the heck does Rick shoot so well with that release? Seriously he's all over that place after the string slips from his hand; that said I can't argue with results! Man this man can shoot!