I own, and shoot bows from 42# @ 29" up to 51# @ 28". I am by no means a very good shot. I shoot for fun.......more times than not at our indoor club house. At least once a week, sometimes twice a friend of mine and myself meet and shoot for several hours. Not continuously, because we also like to "shoot the breeze" a little bit too.
Some days are better than others as lots of things can have an affect on how a person shoots that particular day. I came back to shooting what I call traditional bows because of the simplicity of it all......as well as the fact that I just wasn't enjoying hunting with my "gadget bow" any longer. For me, shooting a compound with a kisser button, peep sight, stabilizer and sight pins........let alone the mechanical release was to much like a rifle. Once you got it tuned in.......it was just plain and simple TO EASY to make a good shot. That being said, I never shot competitively......nor did I have the desire to. I shot some 3D rounds and tore up my share of paper targets.
I understand and support anyone that makes the choice to be competitive........heck, I am competitive myself, but not with other people. I have participated in many other sports in a competitive way and enjoyed myself. The only competition that I have......is with myself. I have yet to turn in a score card at a 3D shoot, but have not ruled that out as a possibility.
To be perfectly honest with you, I am afraid that if I ever got in a "competitive mode" shooting my bows that it would take some of the fun out of it for me. I could be wrong, but I'm sure that as long as the "fun" remains when shooting for a score, it will be something that I will continue to do.
As for light bows, and what I have learned about shooting them. When I want to work on my form, for me.......the lightweight bows show me much more than the heavier ones do. Your release, especially is much more critical when you don't have a bunch of weight trying to pull the string from your fingers. I own and shoot several bows built by different bowyers and truly enjoy both the vast and subtle differences. Anyone that has shot a lot of different bows can relate to what I am talking about. What I have found, for me, is that the "grip" on a bow is what makes or breaks it for me. Even with a similar grip on a bow built by a different bowyer.......some bows like to be "held"......others don't. Some bows just "feel" better in my hand than others do.
We all have our own shooting style, mine has been modified.....and I'm quite sure that it will continue to be refined up to the point that I finally get good enough to "suit myself". I'm willing to bet that when that happens......that I'm better than "average".
Once again.......the competition isn't with ANYONE.....except myself. Anyone that knows me will readily admit that I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to judging myself.
Winterhawk1960