Consistency

Stretch

Well-known member
I would argue that it is not worth the length of discussion. There are trigger words that help people improve performance there are other words that have the opposite effect. One persons poison is another’s nectar.

When “consistency” is used it’s really just a vehicle for saying you need to practice as much as possible to program your sub-conscious to execute a shot without *too much* conscious interference. The proof is the international archers who (puts polite hat on) don’t look to have great form but have great results. But they look the same shot after shot.

Of course there are things that if you do consistently your results will always be rubbish - so it is a misnomer. But there are things like shooting off the bicep, too much grip contact, “funny looking” anchor... and so on... that if done every time exactly the same will result in an arrow in exactly the same place.

The theory is that good form is easier to get consistent and holds up under scoring pressure.

Not disagreeing with what others have said but if you get caught up trying to attach detailed meaning to sweeping concepts then you are always going to be barking up the wrong tree.

2p

Stretch
 

Draven

New member
Shooting the bow has just 3 steps:
- get a hold of the bow
- draw the bow aligning the arrow toward the target
- let the string go
If you are doing these 3 in same way every time you will have consistency. This is something a kid can be taught very quick and a seasoned archer will not argue with. There is a point in time where "too many steps" will f*ck up the practitioner, and there is a point where rushing for “subconscious” shooting is as bad as cognitive aiming.
 
Last edited:

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Draven, I can see the logic of that. I like the simplicity of it but I feel it misses out some of the "workings" of a shot.
I could present a beginner with those three steps and say, "do them in the same way each time... get on with it!"
Too many steps is bad; I agree with that. Knowing how to produce " in the same way" often takes many years of discovering where the differences are coming from.
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
Now to the TP issue, from what I have been able to gather it seems to be more an issue of transferring focus from the shot to the target. Simply put, it takes almost no effort to point your finger at the gold on a target face and it shouldn't take much more put your sight pin/arrow point on the gold, it does however take a lot of effort to maintain and control your form and shot cycle, so you should be focusing 99% on your shot and 1% on the aim, the problem seems to be when an archer starts to focus more on aiming and the shot cycle suffers. Most archers with T/P can shoot perfectly on a blank boss or with their eyes closed so it is not a control issue. So the solution may be to go right back to basics and build a complete new shot cycle bringing the focus back to the shot and away from aiming.

Just my rambling thoughts.....
If only the aim was as simple as pointing pointing at the gold. There are a few things that you have left out.
First for a compound archer Gold is not good enough we want 10's and that makes the aim more difficult
Next , correct alignment of the peep, (It should be OK if you have anchored properly) you have to maintain the peep / scope alignment through out the aim.
Then comes the the bubble for verticle alignment and then the pin on the 10.
For me . next comes back tension and pick the minimum float and touch off the shot. touching off the shot requires about the same amount attention as clicking the mouse button
 

Draven

New member
Knowing how to produce " in the same way" often takes many years of discovering where the differences are coming from.
And I believe this is correct. We are kind of living in "I want it now" era where everybody wants to be like [insert archery idol name here] in a short period of time, without taking the time to really understand that acquiring a skill takes time, method and will to improve. Even all this "consistency" subject is polluted by this new approach in my opinion. There are hundreds of Coaches who are repeating like robots "do the same thing every time" when the poor beginner doesn't even know what shooting a bow really means. In reality "consistency" is something you acquire and improve with the time spent shooting which is nothing but the time your skill is developing / maturing. The same way you can't stop yourself to shoot a bad shot until you sensed what a bad shot meant, I believe you can't become consistent until you moved from the "do this" in the area of "I feel this".
 
Last edited:

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Nice post Draven. Makes me think!!
If I put this into musical terms, it might clarify things.
When a "new to music" person starts to play an instrument they might start by playing scales or even a simple tune that they already know, but can't play yet. They know when they get the wrong notes. They eventually get the right notes in the right order and the tune is recognised.
With a bit more effort they can play the tune with less faltering. They may progress even further to making it sound just like the one they knew from earlier days.
To get even better they may have lessons from a famous musician, who can point out the subtle differences between their version and a different version that is accepted as better/closer to the intentions of the composer. They learn to "feel" the music and that helps them play the music in that special way. Some top musicians seem to move to the music as if their movements are helping with producing the desired effect.
 

Draven

New member
If only the aim was as simple as pointing pointing at the gold. There are a few things that you have left out.
First for a compound archer Gold is not good enough we want 10's and that makes the aim more difficult
Next , correct alignment of the peep, (It should be OK if you have anchored properly) you have to maintain the peep / scope alignment through out the aim.
Then comes the the bubble for verticle alignment and then the pin on the 10.
For me . next comes back tension and pick the minimum float and touch off the shot. touching off the shot requires about the same amount attention as clicking the mouse button
How are you dealing with all these when we have a limited time before the brain is starting to wander away from the task?
 

KidCurry

Well-known member
AIUK Saviour
I've been shooting for well over 30 years and I'm not sure I
"... know what shooting a bow really means" :)
I learned a serial shot process from step 1 thru 14 ish. Now I have only one step. To try and break it down makes the whole thing less repeatable as some things are done at the same time. It has to be done sometimes, to improve, but it soon becomes one thing again. My brain isn't on a task. It is just an observer. If something goes wrong it kicks in but generally it has very little to do. There is no rush or deadline, there is just the shot.
I am, generally, only on aim for 1-2 seconds shooting barebow. A few years back, when shooting compound, I was approached by a judge at a tournament. Following a slow shot he asked how long did I think I was on aim? I said about 2 seconds. He said I was on aim for 55 seconds. He had mistakenly assumed because the bow was pointing at the target I was aiming when I was actually just waiting :)
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
How are you dealing with all these when we have a limited time before the brain is starting to wander away from the task?
Drawing to anchor with the peep correctly setup brings me close to correct peep alignment only a minor adjustment is required. As for the bubble adjustment of the stabs brings me close, a little correction does the rest. After that full attention is given to the aim and back tension. Concentrate on the aim look for the period of stability and trigger the shot.I am not aware of time pressure or brain wander
 

Draven

New member
My brain isn't on a task. It is just an observer. If something goes wrong it kicks in but generally it has very little to do
This is the answer you don't think you know. But to get there takes time and just knowing the "steps" and "repeat the same thing all the time" is not cutting it, at least past "slogan" phase.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Perhaps this is similar to woodcarving that I used to do a lot of. The chisel just seems to remove pieces of wood from the workpiece until the right shape appears. I am an observer almost; just as KidCurry describes.
Clearly, the observer is involved, in what is about to happen next, as it would not turn out well if I closed my eyes.
 
Top