Target shooter to traditional

[s_mcflurry]

I haven't seen a thread about this, so here goes...

I've been shooting FITA/Olympic recurve for the last couple of years and have been very serious about it.  Bought a $2K+ setup with stabilizers, sights, thin arrows...the whole shebang.  I lived, slept, and ate the National Training System (used to be called BEST method).  That was for a school team.  But now that I've graduated and am a "free agent", I'm going back to my first love: traditional archery.  Traditional was something I dabbled in before FITA.

Over the years, I've read that target archery (Olympic style in this case) and traditional archery aren't compatible, that you can be good at one but not at both.  This kind of worries/saddens me because I really like both styles of shooting and want to do both side by side.

Now, I know I'm not the only one at Trad Gang with this background.  There's gotta be others who is going or has gone through this transition.  I'd like to hear thoughts on this, maybe debunk myths going from Olympic style to traditional.  Is there even a true difference between the two? Any tips that will help me overcome potential barriers?

Thanks for any help you can throw my way!

[Mr Green 740]

I think the attitude that you can be good at one thing but not both is a crock of #$%##%$$! You're in charge of your brain and if you aren't any good at something practice harder! I shoot compounds too and used to hear that crap all the time. Usually from the people who were just a little bit better than me. I feel like they were trying to discourage me! Take your time and practice!

[Ragnarok Forge]

There is as much difference as you want there to be.  Lots of guys shoot with their trad bows straight up and down and use point of aim, string / face walking, or gap shooting with full on trad bows.  For me trad is a canted bow, which is a bent stick with a string shooting a sharp stick, with my brain doing all the work.  If you want to shoot instinctively then they are not compatible. If you want to shot trad, then the variables are endless.  If there are no attachments on the bow then your trad in my book.

[Mr Green 740]

Good attitude Ragnarok Forge! There are so many people in this game who try so hard to classify you as you are or not trad. I really don't understand why you cant be happy for someone who is HAVING FUN! If they shoot an ilf good for them! Selfbow just as good! It seems like a lot of people really like to try to cause division instead of inclusion. At the end of the day who cares?

[lpcjon2]

Originally posted by s_mcflurry:
 I'd like to hear thoughts on this, maybe debunk myths going from Olympic style to traditional.  Is there even a true difference between the two? Any tips that will help me overcome potential barriers?

Thanks for any help you can throw my way! [/QB]

IMO I think the Myth is just an ignorant opinion repeated by people who wanted to fit in to that persons group.Unless someone can find proof that you can't do both types I would laugh about it, and prove to yourself that it is just a myth.You are the creator of your own accomplishments. I can shoot everything from a slingshot to an RPG7 and everything in between.I can do this because I won't be told I can't! and neither should you.
   

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good luck and Have fun with it!  

[SteveB]

John Magera aka Limbwalker does pretty well at both.

[stevemfwills]

good luck and no matter what have fun

[Earthdog]

When people say you can or can't do something,,,their "always" talking about themselves.
I've shot FITA,Field,3D,Hunted everything that rans,jumps,flies,swims or hops for as long as I've been into archery,,,which is only 40 years,,but I'm working at it,,

[MercilessMing]

  When people say you can or can't do something,,,their "always" talking about themselves.

Well said, Earthdog.

I feel archery as a sport has many styles which have a lot in common.  It could become "fundamental" or "minor" depending on how much emphasis we put on the difference portion.  I tried to be more conscious about handling the differneces while maintain the technique and good habits developed through the common portion. Such as adapting the follow-through to a heavier mass weight Olympic recurve comparing with shooting a usually much lighter 1 piece longbow.

Just have fun!

[Diamond Paul]

I would think you'd be way ahead of the game if you trained at Oly style and moved to trad, because you've developed excellent form as it relates to a recurve.  I think it would be much harder to go from a compound shooting a release to learning to shoot with fingers.  About the only thing I can think of is that you'll probably need to change your anchor point (higher) to shoot traditional, especially if you shoot instinctive, and a tab with a ledge ( Oly style) probably won't work if you anchor up on your face, but that is a relatively small problem.  Also, the higher anchor makes it a bit harder to achieve good back tension and smooth release; however, the transition should be much smoother for you than for those who haven't shot "no letoff" bows before.

[James Wrenn]

Should be easy.You already have good form so just carry that with you.Most times when someone has trouble it is because they forget what they know and try and reinvent the wheel.They start hunching over,snap shooting ect because they see others do it and there shooting goes all to pieces.Use what you know works and it will be a piece of cake.jmho

[kestimator]

Well said Diamond Paul!

[Ben Maher]

Good shooting form is just that ... good shooting form . There are a few different ways to arrive there but it boils down to getting outta the sport what you want. I shoot and hunt with  Hill style bows and with arrows using a swing draw 'cause that is what i like and are comfortable with..but if shooting competitively [indoor etc ] i use my ILF rigs and use what would be considered a more "classical" target form.
I'm an archer because its fun and flinging arrows is part of who I am...In a sport as diversified as this , the little details are really not important at all , It is how much fun we are having that does!

[s_mcflurry]

Well, that settles that!  Thanks very much for the input fellas!  I kept hearing these myths over and over again and figured since they were being passed along there must be some truth to them, no matter how small.

I started traditional and shot that way for several years.  When I went to school, I joined the team, shot FITA for a couple of years, and during this time was told not to (forbidden!) to shoot my barebow because it "would mess with my FITA training".

But now I'm back!  My FITA training has really refined my form and am using it as much as possible.  My years of soaking up information on Trad Gang has given me a good foundation to help my return back to traditional and I'm doing pretty well for not having shot instinctive for a couple of years.  

Actually, the big thing I have to work on is having fun again and not worry about placing and medals and all that unimportant stuff...

Thanks again for reaffirming my thoughts.  Trad Gang is the best hands down!

[Gil]

Hi there!I shoot FITA recurve and compound and have been to our national team on a couple of occasions but I enjoy shooting my longbow the most.the basics of stance ,pulling, aiming and release from FITA archery helps a lot in trad archery for me.I trained at Coach Kim's Archery School in Korea and learned that Coach Hyung Tak Kim is both excellent in FITA archery and Korean Traditional archery, so for me, all forms of archery complement one another.

Gil