Shot preparation

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
One of the compound guys at the club where I used to shoot went to the Worlds at New York as part of the England Team. At the time the fashion was to have a large black dot on the scope lens. About 4-5 mm diameter. The idea was, if the gold was hidden behind the dot, you were on aim. Took some of the sensitivity out of the "view" as it didn't change so obviously when wandering slightly. If the gold appeared then you were in need of some adjustment.
 

Stretch

Well-known member
<snip... open ring stuff...>

But I tell you what, as I am not doing anything else useful (other than work and that’s no fun at all), I’m giving an open ring another go. Started with a Beiter but even with the extension pulled in it is very small. I did shoot two arrows out of about 30 where I forgot about aiming... they were very nice. Next session will be a bigger ring. Then I’ll put up a target face - so far just aiming at a target pin which for me was always easier than a target with an open ring.
So... I’ve been shooting a open ring for just over a month. Some ups, some downs... Not ready to discard yet but not wholly comfortable either. All of my shooting has been done at 30m. (And I was on holiday for a week and shot a lot of arrows). Open ring is a 14mm Titan with black housing and empty inside.

My best groups are still shot with a pin. Open ring and the groups look more like a pepper pot. Nice group but not smashed together either. However, when relaxed there is a consistency that has not been there of late with a pin.

On the downside my eye focus is not what it was. So I’m looking at the ten, through the ring, and my eyes twitch (for want of another term) towards the edge of the yellow ring and the pin follows. So that is a lot of good shots in the 9 and not so good when you get tense about it 8s. I don’t do that with a pin.

The biggest thing is that I cannot be thinking about aiming when aiming. The moment I think about it the 8 or 9 is incoming. If I think I start trying to line up rings (not deliberately!) and given the ring sits outside the 6 zone that is a long wander. The comfort has been coming and the groups are tightening.

So earlier today I probably shot my best 30m score in years - all be it still with one end that can only be described as a meltdown around my aiming. Six arrow ends 58, 59, 58, 59, 53, 57 - 344. The second last end was just a cacophony of discomfort which started with a aiming moment in the 8 and included 3 9s touching each other mid 9 at 12 o’clock. It also set up the last end to be a bit of a struggle but a 57 after a first arrow 8 will suffice!

The above was shot on a used target face. No raging holes but also plenty of marks. I changed the face for a new face and as expected my group location changed to high ten/nine. So there is an issue there that my eye is resting on something in the ten, not necessarily the middle of the ten.

So plus for me is that it is easier to focus on execution and the grouping is quite consistent.

The negative is that the best groups are less groupy and any thought about aiming while aiming is disaster.

As I am feeling increasingly more comfortable I’ll stick with it for a while longer. But there needs to be a trend in the closing of the group or at longer distance it will equate to 8s and 9s around the edges.

I do have some doubts about black being the best colour for the ring - in some lighting it just disappears and kicks in the “am I aiming” disaster process.

Stretch
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
I think some archers find it easier to load arrows onto a bow string using "their own way" rather than copy a one used by someone else. That could be down to using their own method for a long time but only trying the other method once or twice. I think it is important that the method is easy to get right because it can bring on stress if you start to fumble when you are shooting in a competition. For example, some finger slings or bow slings are a fiddle to put on. Not good if you find yourself short of time.
One part of the routine that can become "lost " during the shot process, is how the shot will finish. Usually, the archer having that trouble, drifts off from the plan and hesitates just before the follow through. Finishing strongly; as planned; can be quite difficult IF the routine doesn't give enough importance to that aspect.
What determins the shot 'finish ' is what the archer does before the finish. The early stages of stance. load, settling the front hand position on the bow, a rough aim draw, anchor , back, tension, aim and execution Any thing the archer does after that has little to no effect on the shot`
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Hi Jerry, I think that is a bit vague. "Before the finish" could include a whole list... I think "last thing before".... or "what the archer is doing at the point of release"....
What happened immediately after the release is an extension( or continuation) of what went just before. If the archer drifts from the planned sequence in any way... like looking away to catch the arrow leaving... or thinking "when 's it going to go".... will damage the res unless a lucky accident happens.ult
 

KidCurry

Well-known member
AIUK Saviour
What happened immediately after the release is an extension( or continuation) of what went just before.
I think I'm with Jerry here. When I shot compound you got your hand position right, gave a good yank to get it through the peak then had time to settle into a good shooting position before the release. I have found recurve much more critical of every step before execution. And barebow is hyper critical of these steps as there is no stabilisation to hide differences. From slight grip changes to draw alignment, back muscle tenson and position all steps build on the previous and have a direct impact on the quality of the release. I'm now holding 44lb and only just beginning to learn just how much very small deviations at any point affect the execution.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I think that the whole shot process is important. Every step makes it more likely that the following step will be managed more successfully.
It's like the run up for long jump,high jump, pole vault, etc.
But , as in those other events, the final stage is the one that makes the best use of the preceding steps. Get that last part wrong and what happened before is wasted.
With compound, the steps have less of an impact on the final stage as there is time to settle and adjust things. With longbow, there is no time... it's like a golf swing.
 

oceanjaws

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
...barebow is hyper critical of these steps as there is no stabilisation to hide differences. From slight grip changes to draw alignment, back muscle tenson and position all steps build on the previous and have a direct impact on the quality of the release.
This is what draws me to barebow.
..and with that, I win the pun award.
 

Eugen

Member
I forgot to mention, there are some things that will be part of your process that you will need to practice but will not form part of every shot.
Practice coming down and resetting. Not often needed but your senses will be monitoring the wind for gusts or something in your form wasn't quite right etc. You will need to be comfortable with this alternate process which may involve removing the arrow and starting again, or just reseating the nock and resetting your brain and, importantly, giving your muscles a few seconds rest and oxygen before drawing again.
Good answer but only one small BUT.
why do you think that oxygen is for muscles? regarding the situation and case, primary - it is not! draw isn’t part of aerobic energy system, opposite, it is Cr-P energy system by nature and definition. So, oxygenating of muscle is out of common sense in this case. But because we are all breathing all the time , muscles will get oxygen in any way.

resting is important part (I think it is a very much important and I agree with you and not only for physiological processing but also for mental and I’m very glad that you mentioned this particular aspect because it is directly related to the subject and question)

and one more thing to pay attention - ‘a few seconds’. Resting in mentioned by you isn’t just ‘a few seconds’ but pretty much clear range of seconds , namely, from 20 sec to up 2 min (in some cases even up to 5 min) Just because of type of energy system used in this case (creating phosphate/ anaerobic alactic).

let me know if you need a bit more clarity (I understand that not everyone on here has professional knowledge and understanding of raised issues)
 
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