Instinctive Shooting

[MikeD]

How do you learn to shoot instinctively? I know the theory of look at the target, draw the bow and loose. However, I've seen people that can do that and hit the target too!

I think I want get rid of sights, clickers (particularly clickers ), stabilisers and all that junk.

I understand string walking to some extent but, unless I've got the wrong end of a bent stick, NFAS styles do not permit string walking. Just instinctive or sights. I'll also be shooting GNAS/FITA but that is very much in it's infancy in Scotland, so I would want to shoot NFAS too.

Mike

[Field Archer]

Mike, you are allowed stringwalk in NFAS, but it would put you in to the Freestyle clase.

Another example, I shot in the Scottish champs a few weeks ago, one archer shoots Barebow, but he chooses to use a clicker and happily shoots in Freestyle.

[TJ Mason]

Learning to shoot instinctively is very much like learning to throw a ball. No sights or distance markings, but with practice you can get pretty accurate.

It's entirely a matter of practice. As you develop, you'll become better able to size up the distance and drop, and your muscle memory will develop so that you can angle yourself correctly.

[Macbow]

There are a couple of good books - the one I'd recommend is Instinctive Archery Insights (Revised Edition) by Jay Kidwell. If you read that first then any other system can be accommodated (Howard Hill, Byron Ferguson, Asbell etc). Rick Welch's instructional video Volume 2 is incredible but for competitive reasons I cannot shoot 3 under.
My personal view of "instinctive" shooting is to get a system that works and practice until it becomes instinctive. I like to shoot at moving targets and while I'm not consciously aiming my brain is definitely making calculations based on familiar sight pictures/gap distances/arrow trajectory - in other words it is using the same aiming systems that I consciously use for target shooting, only I'm not aware of it.
Make sure that everything else in your usual shooting routine is consistent and eventually your brain does the work. On a field course I always shoot shoot the bunnies instinctively with better results than when I try to figure out gaps. I think the subconscious is amazing and I reckon that's why 3D is so popular in the USA. I nearly always hit the kill zone with the first instinctive shot. Trouble is I just cannot do that four times in a row so I need a repeatable system for field.
The instinctive argument is a hot potato - do a search on the Leatherwall forum where it is debated to death.

[chris]

i would like to think i shoot instinctively but do instinctively aim?
i duno but whats string walking?
chris

[MikeD]

I'll order up the book. But one thought. I shoot right handed but am left eye dominant. I'm guessing that for instinctive shooting it is going to be important to shoot with both eyes open. So I might need to switch to left handed too.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by Field Archer

Mike, you are allowed stringwalk in NFAS, but it would put you in to the Freestyle clase.

Another example, I shot in the Scottish champs a few weeks ago, one archer shoots Barebow, but he chooses to use a clicker and happily shoots in Freestyle.

Do many people shoot with sights and stabilisers in NFAS, or is it mainly barebow in one form or another?

[Raedwald]

Originally Posted by Field Archer

Mike, you are allowed stringwalk in NFAS, but it would put you in to the Freestyle clase.

To shoot HT/HS (depending on NFAS or EFAA, I can never remember which is which), string-walking is a no-no.

[Field Archer]

Originally Posted by MikeD

Do many people shoot with sights and stabilisers in NFAS, or is it mainly barebow in one form or another?

Freestyle is one of the smaller groups, most of us are in the south and south west. There is usually about 20 freestyle that compete in the National Champs each year, compared to about 30 of each compound styles, 40 Barebow and 60/70 HT and Longbow.
This is just the mens, there are also ladies, juniors and cubs.

[robtattoo]

Just rive the sights off of yer bow, sling yer stabs in the bin, grab a handfull of arrows & just go & shoot at various distances until you get it right every time You'll soon enough come up with your own particular aiming 'system' whether it be gap shooting, arrow tip sighting or whatever, you'll find out what works best for you