Starting out to high

[Todd Cook]

Hi guys, I have a shooting issue I've been battling for some time now. I'm an experienced shooter and hunter, and although I'm certainly no national champion, I shoot pretty well. I shoot 3 under and hold for a second or two before releasing. I can see the arrow but I don't try to use it as a reference, so I guess you call that instinctive. But here's the thing:

When I hit anchor, I'm invariably a little bit high. In other words I have to move the bow down a little to get aligned. If I hit anchor and focus on the spot without any adjustment I'll usually hit 3-6 inches high, depending on the distance. And high hits on animals are bad business. I've been watching some videos of some really good shots( Welch, Blackmon, etc,) and notice they seem to be on target when they hit anchor without any further adjustment.

Am I overthinking this? Are they moving a slight amount that I can't see? All I know is that when I miss, I miss high. And I want to fix it. Any thoughts?

[moebow]

Yes, I believe they are to some extent.  When a bow is drawn, you want to be orientated to the target, but the job is to get to full draw and set whatever alignments YOU use (archer's "T"?).  THEN once ready, a final adjustment of whatever you use for a sight picture is appropriate, IMO.

To use a rifle or shotgun analogy (again), you load the gun (bow by drawing to full draw), oriented on the target, Then adjust aim (whatever definition or technique YOU use) THEN just before firing most refine the aim in order to hit what they are shooting at.

At full draw, you have "loaded the gun", set the archer's "T" THEN maintaining that alignment, adjust the upper body without "messing" up the "T" to aim then shoot.

So, I would ask, why the resistance to adjusting your shot or sight picture (by whatever definition) in order to make the best shot you can?

Arne

[reddogge]

I shoot with a guy who starts at full draw high and lowers his bow arm and releases. Kind of a drive by release. I feel it is not a good thing but never mentioned it to him. It just may be his way of coping with target panic.

[moebow]

Agree.  I hate to see folks with the "drive by" shooting syndrome.  

After draw, the bow arm itself should not move in relation to the shoulder/body again for the shot. The whole upper body moves to set aim/sight picture/whatever reference you use.  Just like you are elevating or setting left/right or swinging a shotgun. The shotgun doesn't move in relation to the body, the upper body moves the whole package.

Arne

[McDave]

If I understand your post correctly, you are an instinctive shooter who is aware of the arrow.  Some would dispute that this is instinctive, but since I do the same thing, as taught by Rick Welch, I would agree that we are shooting instinctively.  An instinctive shooter does not want to make conscious adjustments to aim, like a gap shooter would, anymore than a baseball player or a basketball player would want to make conscious adjustments to his throw or shot in the moments before he makes it.  So what you want are ways to adjust your POI without consciously making aiming adjustments.  This is a valid desire, and one shared by many good and great shooters.

First, make sure your form is correct.  There is a lot of pressure on your bow arm during the draw, and incorrect alignment can cause the bow arm to rise when the bow is drawn.  Make sure you have a strong bow arm.  Do exercises or practice drawing and holding the bow slowly to build up your upper body strength.

Do not ever focus on the point of the arrow.  If you are aware of the point of the arrow while you are holding at full draw, it is easy to let your focus accidentally shift to the arrow point.  This will cause a high miss.  The arrow point should be out of focus in your peripheral vision at all times.

If you're doing everything else correctly and still miss high, then make mechanical adjustments to lower the POI.  You can use a heavier arrow.  You can raise your nock point.  Don't worry if you have to raise it higher than tuning would indicate is optimal.  The feathers will quickly correct the nock high, and the arrow will fly true.

I just recently realized that raising the nock point only works if you're truly shooting instinctively.  If you're cheating and using the arrow point to aim, consciously or not, you will just move the arrow point up to compensate for the higher nock point, with the result that you'll be shooting a poorly tuned arrow and still miss high.  There is nothing wrong with “instincti-gap” aiming, but in that case you would want to adjust the position of your arrow point consciously, as Arne suggests.

[Todd Cook]

Arne, I was thinking of how to best answer your question and then McDave answered it for me. I want to not have to make conscious adjustments to aim. I would rather not gap shoot, although I may be doing that to some degree already? I have never been to Rick's school but I try to shoot much in the same fashion. I've always prefered the freedom of not having to judge yardage or line up the arrow as a reference point. I understand what you said about maintaining the "T" by moving the body instead of lowering the arm. I will try that.

[McDave]

It is possible that you may be gapping to some degree.  What has come to be called “instincti-gap” means that you are using the point of the arrow to aim, as in gap, but you are not consciously measuring the gap; your gap is whatever feels right to you at the time.

For years I thought that was what Rick Welch was doing, consciously or not, because part of his method is to see the sight picture, including part of the arrow and the arrow point, out of focus in his peripheral vision, the same as gap shooters do.  But now I am convinced that he is a true instinctive shooter and does not set any kind of gap, whether measured or felt.  He has absolutely no interest in methods to reduce the gap, like Jimmy Blackmon's fixed crawl.  He anchors the same way he taught me to anchor, and his gaps at 25 yards must be huge, since he shoots such a fast arrow.  I would guess his gaps at 25 yards are 30” or more.  I’m sure he has no idea what they are, and doesn't care.

It is important to know if you're an instincti-gap aimer or a true instinctive aimer, because it will affect the ways you practice and learn to get better.  Both can be effective methods of aiming.

Until your brain adjusts to your sight picture, how about just looking six inches low?

... or... move your nocking point up and see what happens..... maybe?

Nothing wrong with making a bow shoot where you're looking as long as your arrow flight stays good.

[Friend]

Using an approximately 2" longer arrow may provide a favorable result.