Aiming... now that's a thread I can get interested inMany times I have been asked for a book on instinctive archery.
Everybody aims even if they think they don't - you even aim when you throw or kick a ball, frisbee or play golf.
Aiming... now that's a thread I can get interested inMany times I have been asked for a book on instinctive archery.
Everybody aims even if they think they don't - you even aim when you throw or kick a ball, frisbee or play golf.
The problem with 'alignment' is it is already used to as a term for correct physical geometric form with or without a target. Aiming is the process of both consciously and subconsciously bringing that alignment to bare on a target."Alignment" is probably a better word, and then, do we align things consciously or subconsciously?
The first inch of movement during and after the string is released is the important bit everything after that is window dressing.What constitutes a fake follow through? Is fake or just poor (as in not conforming to current thinking)?
I've been working on my release during the lockdown and from watching the video replays my release will (mostly) go toward my ear (doesn’t always go the same route but it’s work in progress). It doesn’t travel as far as a top archers appear to do but I think that’s due to my body not being able to. My bow hand doesn’t do much. I’ve tried dropping the hand to let the bow swing but not really sure why I should. I know I’m not grabbing the bow as I release so why do I need all this swinging?
I have seen archers whose bow arm really swings to the side on release and thought “don’t want him on the line beside me”.
When I shot compound the arrow almost always went where the sight pin was indicating on release. If the sight pin drifted out of the 10 the impact would be outside the 10. Now I shoot barebow and I am often amazed that I can be aiming in the red and the arrow still goes in the gold. Something that would never happen with compound.I feel it is natural to believe the sight is all important. They are added to bows almost without thinking, as if they are part of archery; can't shoot without one, can I?
I totally agree with this. I normally gap shoot, but sometimes on the field course I just can't be bothered and shoot instinctive instead. Of course there's nothing instinctive about it at all; I'm fully aware that I'm just not bothering to estimate the distance accurately, I'm just seat-of-the-pants-ing the gap that I need.I'm going to say that " Instinctive" however you define it, is really gap shooting( gap aiming) without being too aware of how big the gap is that is being used at the time.
If you have to make left /right adjustments then your alignment and feet position are wrong - target archeryI forgot to say that the sight in the gold can often be reached using the bow hand to manipulate the sight into position on the target at the expense of the upper body alignment.
I hear people say tilt at the waist to shoot further; moving the sight as they tilt. Do we hear archers being advised to turn at the waist to adjust left/right aiming? Or do archers just move the bow arm?
I was a member of and then coached the GB Rifle team for more than 20 years. One thing we always insisted on, particularly in the standing position, was that before starting to actually shoot that you came on aim, and then closed your eyes, on reopening you should still be on aim. If it was high or low then the balance of the rifle needed altering (think stabiliser weight placement), left or right usually foot position. If you didn't do these checks then the rifle would tend to move towards the natural point of aim on firing. I naturally carried this check over to archery.If you have to make left /right adjustments then your alignment and feet position are wrong - target archery
Dictionary definition of instinctiveI think the term Instinctive comes from two misunderstandings. One is not understanding "instinctive" in the way that it is something we are born with. The other is misunderstanding how they actually shoot, forgetting the learning that went on to get even part way good at it.