Instinctive shooting · TradBowhunter-Ethical Predator

Instinctive shooting

One archers journey #2

Archery is good drug and I get my fix every day. The range runs between two rows of citrus trees, levelish to around ninety feet. I hang at round sixty feet and fling from there. Since I’ve only been at it for a few months there is a tendency to stick to basics. Form, posture, draw, aim, release and follow through. It’s a lot to put together.

For what seems like the longest time I was aiming, using the tip of the arrow as a guide and holding the fully drawn bow for many seconds until releasing when it felt right. From time to time the arrows hit the mark, but it was rare to be consistent In finding the center of the target. One morning, shooting with a friend that’s exactly what we were doing. The arrows hit all over the place. We were talking in between shots and Don brought up the idea about doing quicker shots. The idea was to release almost immediately after the full draw. I’m sure we’ve all seen videos of this method and I wondered why did I wait so long to give it a go. Well chalk it up to inexperience.

Since that morning I’ve been working the quick shot, releasing almost immediately after the full draw is anchored . Is this what is meant by instinctive shooting? This archer thinks so now after months of aiming. Waiting five to fifteen seconds it became obvious that the bow hand began to waiver before the arrow was released. Even wavering a little caused a greater error in the arrows at the end of the flight.

For myself, I am taking my time learning archery. It’s the journey, not the destination, that’s fascinating. Grant and Jenn are always spot on in their opinions and answers. I love candid people in general. Ah, I drift from the the point. What was it again??? Oh yeah the quick shot, the instinctive shot. To be honest it proved better than aiming, when the quiver went empty and I went to pull the arrows. Nice clusters, a few closer to center and fewer all over the place. Basically beginners luck and it turned on the light in this archers head, a moment of clarity.

So you sort of think your way to become full drawn and locked and that point the thinking seems to stop and you release. You are not quite aware of not thinking nor are you aware of thinking when the arrow began to fly. In that moment of simple unawareness is where the instinct took over for a fraction of a second. Remember, time is relative to each of us.

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