Rick Welch Form

[DanielB89]

I stumbled upon this video of Rick shooting some warm up shots at a competition.  I was looking at things I saw that he was doing "wrong".  The main two things I can see him doing wrong are a "bad release" and a high elbow.  It also appears that he, when anchored, allows his elbow to go UP instead of down engaging his back muscles.  

He also has won a ton of different worlds events, etc.  


Just thought I would share.

[McDave]

Wish I could do a few more things "wrong" like that!

From watching Rick over the years, these are the things I have noticed that probably contribute to his success.  From reading books and watching videos of Howard Hill, I think he had the same attributes.

1.  He is very calm.  I don't think he feels pressure or becomes nervous when competing or hunting.  From talking with him, i don't think these are challenges he has overcome; he just doesn't seem to be susceptible to them, in the same way some people are not susceptible to poison oak.

2.  He is very strong.  His bow arm is solid.  In the video you referenced, I have no doubt he was shooting a bow in the 50# + range, and usually competes with the same bow he hunts with.  As he gets older, this may change, if he continues to compete.

3.  He is not rigid in his form, and neither was Howard.  If anything, Rick is more methodical in his form than Howard was, but neither seemed to be bothered by variations from shot to shot, so long as the arrow ended up where they were aiming it.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Me too, Dave. What Rick Welch has in form errors, he makes up for with consistency. Consistency and repetition is the name of the game in archery, as we all know. That said, if the archer has a repeatable shot process, accuracy is the outcome.

[reddogge]

I'd rather watch it at normal speed than slow motion. The thing I notice is he pulls the arrow back and anchors and then lowers his eye over the arrow before releasing. There is a good inch he lowers the eye before releasing.

[Tradcat]

If I could get the same results as Rick does, I'd be happy to be "wrong" !

[McDave]

I just got back from a 2 day refresher class with Rick, that I took with 2 other people, both of whom had attended previous classes of Rick's. Over the 2 days, we each shot well over a hundred arrows at 3D targets at unmarked distances from about 10 to 35 yards.  Each shot was from a different distance and a different place.  In addition to critiquing each of our shots (sometimes his critique was just to say "money" if he couldn't find anything wrong with the shot), he also shot every time we did, which means he also shot over a hundred arrows.  Every single arrow he shot was inside the 10 ring, and many were inside the 12 ring.

One thing I noticed, was that while his hands sometimes flew around in his characteristic way, his alignment was always the same from the waist up, and as far as I can tell, is the same alignment that Terry promotes in his form clock.  This also seems to be the same alignment that Rod Jenkins teaches.  What this tells me is that while there are various aiming methods and various release methods, there may be only one really good way of aligning the body in traditional archery.

[jonsimoneau]

Rick is a bit of an anomaly. He is an amazing shot. I've shot with him and like was said above he never hits outside of the ten ring.

[TSP]

Rick Welch is an excellent example of why folks shouldn't put too much stock into what today's archery establishment sees as proper/necessary form.  His repeatable accuracy is amazing, yet it can and does change a bit from shot to shot includes the following 'unthinkable maladies':  a high draw elbow, minimal to no classic shoulder rotation or elbow movement to the rear at release, a 'flip out' style of release, a fingertip string hold, a firm grip on the bow (his Dakota grips are designed for near-full hand contact), minimal bow movement after the shot (he controls the bow), a slight creep before releasing, and a slight downward head movement (head moving towards shaft) before releasing.  But, his shots are crisp and accurate with little sign of arrow trouble off the bow.  His follow-through reminds me of Hill's adaage for shooting...'both hands do nothing'...and there is very little movement of any bow or body part after the shot.  The guy is flat-out deadly, but a far far cry from 'correct' target style that is worshiped on most websites these days.  

Kinda' makes me smile.

[Captain*Kirk]

I also notice he is evidently sighting down the arrow shaft

[Friend]

Impeccable...validated by his ability to most consistently repeat the shot execution shot after shot.

[BAK]

Perfect "form" as we define it is a text book method that has been developed which results in most folks achieving consistency.

Besides Rick there have been other great shooters who had "imperfect" form.

What they did have was their own method of achieving the consistency that made them great shots.

[Mr. fingers]

Originally posted by Captain*Kirk:
I also notice he is evidently sighting down the arrow shaft

He's actually not that head movement is him touching his nose to the feather. In his video he claims he shoots purely instinctive. He does not use the arrow as a aiming device but concentrates  on the spot he wants to hit.