Instinctive Shooting

[chris]

I disagree. Let common sense prevail. Your way is not for everyone and neither is mine. But please do not criticise others for having or offering differing views. May I humbly offer the opinion that we all have a built in sense of distance otherwise we would be constantly tripping and would not be able to drive, ride, walk or indeed shoot a bow with or without a sight . I have never used a sight and could not tell you how I aim. That is why it is “instinctive” if you are thinking about it, it is NOT instinctive. “No offence but that says to me that instinctive doesn't work very well.”
No offence but that says to me that you do not shoot instinctively. I think that’s enough of this shall we just go back to friendly advice about archery?
chris

[English Bowman]

Originally Posted by Macbow

I would accept that if this thread was on the Longbow section where many traditional archers are happy to just go with the flow and accept they will miss a lot. But if you cannot judge distances from 11 yards to 80 yards with at least some degree of accuracy you really shouldn't be on a Field Archery course. As I said earlier you can practice a system until it becomes instinctive but to shoot well on a field/3D course takes discipline and methodical practice. Without analysing your technique you won't know why you are missing and what you need to do to get on target - enjoy your practice but learn from it.

I'm with Chris on this. I don't conciously judge distances. I couldn't tell you if a target is 40 or 50 yds away, but I can hit it. I know that my fiance shoots in the same manner, and so do many other archers I know. Most of them hit the target more than miss it. I know one particular archer who can be put off by telling him the distance. If he doesn't know then he just shoots, and usually hits. Once he knows the distance, he thinks about it, aims, and misses.

Daniel

[Macbow]

Chris, if my posts were attacking, aggressive or unduly critical in nature then I apologise. Friendly is my middle name.

[chris]

Originally Posted by Macbow

Chris, if my posts were attacking, aggressive or unduly critical in nature then I apologise. Friendly is my middle name.

as do i. sorry m8
chris

[Merlin Archery]

I've just come back from the 3D champs and shot HT for the first time. (I have shot compound with sights for years). I shot purely instinctively. Basically, that consisted of drawing - then thinking 'that looks about right' - and loosing. After a while I got in a nice flow and hit more than I missed. Very enjoyable weekend. BUT. If you are at all competitive, (like me) then I think you need to estimate the distance first, and use some sort of gap method. As far as I heard from talking with other, better shooters, that's what they did. I'm going to work on that some.

[Macbow]

Originally Posted by Merlin Archery

BUT. If you are at all competitive, (like me) then I think you need to estimate the distance first, and use some sort of gap method. As far as I heard from talking with other, better shooters, that's what they did. I'm going to work on that some.

Ben, there is a DVD being launched later this year featuring some of the world's top barebow shooters discussing and demonstrating their various aiming systems. Naturally I want a copy as some of the archers featured are shooting my style of bow. When it is available I will let anyone interested know. To my knowledge none of the world's top competitive field archers are purely instinctive, they use whatever combination of systems works best for them at a given range be it gap, stack, trajectory aiming, point of aim and instinctive aiming.

[Merlin Archery]

I would be interested. A problem I have is getting a comfortable anchor point higher up my face. I have a natural, comfy position that is too low making it very hard to aim. Point on is something like 70 yards. Basically top finger near the corner of my mouth. When i try to move my hand higher it just isn't right... But I WILL figure it out

[English Bowman]

Originally Posted by Merlin Archery

I would be interested. A problem I have is getting a comfortable anchor point higher up my face. I have a natural, comfy position that is too low making it very hard to aim. Point on is something like 70 yards. Basically top finger near the corner of my mouth. When i try to move my hand higher it just isn't right... But I WILL figure it out

Try putting all 3 fingers below the arrow, this will have the same effect as moving your anchor higher.

Daniel

[Field Archer]

Originally Posted by English Bowman

Try putting all 3 fingers below the arrow, this will have the same effect as moving your anchor higher.

Daniel

I think Ben said he was shooting HT, three fingers under is not allowed for this style, Mediterranean loose only is allowed.

[gwynn]

ooooooo did i annoy people? heheh

i think the word instinctive is the problem. i don't pactise repeatedly until the aiming becomes instinctive.
i (quote the dictionary) am prompted by a strong natural impulse. the picture becomes right, the arrow goes and i hit a lot more than i miss. i don't know the distances i shoot at, i don't care, it doesn't matter. no zen involved (or implied) you can do it or you can't, it's how i've always done it (shotgun as well) i do ok and what's more important i enjoy/prefer it!
if i pause to aim, i miss and that's the truth