"Instinctive" (Revisit)

[tradtiger]

Not to hijack the thread but curious … for those how shoot without consciously aiming (my definition of instinctive), how often do you practice?

Valid question.

Try for at least four days a week. Not always a ton of arrows -- might be a 10, might be 100. Depends what's coming up.

[RickBarbee]

Valid question.

Try for at least four days a week. Not always a ton of arrows -- might be a 10, might be 100. Depends what's coming up.

And quit when you get tired, or start falling apart.
The worst thing anyone can do for their shooting is shoot until they have to end on a stretch of sour shots.

The absolute best time to stop a session is when you are feeling accomplished.

Rick

[tradtiger]

Try to end on a good shot!

[DRT]

Every day I can. 4,5,6,7 days a week. Even if only a half dozen arrows

Gary

[Draco]

I've shot gap for a lot of years but I don't consciously think about the gap. The point just goes to the right gap...................instinctively.

[tradtiger]

I've shot gap for a lot of years but I don't consciously think about the gap. The point just goes to the right gap...................instinctively.

"...... instinctively"

Almost spewed beer on keyboard....

Kinda what I was figuring I would do if I shot longer distance shots a whole lot just to get "instinctive" on what those long shots looked like and got those "looks" locked unconsciously into the brain. Except, instead of arrow point, it might be knuckle or armguard buckle, etc. But, honestly, none of us trad guys is fixing to shoot something 55 yards out, are we? Fred Bear, maybe.

[DRT]

That's where the wheels come off for me. Past 25 yards or so.

Gary

[76aggie]

Pass the Advil please.

[SwampRabbit]

Subconscious vs conscious. That is really all it is. You are always aiming... the question is do you want your conscious to be in control or are you okay with letting your subconscious take over and deal with the pitfalls that come from that.

By the way, either way, you can end up with target panic. The difference between the two methods is how you deal with and "cure" the panic.

[SwampRabbit]

Let me expound a little on what I said above regarding target panic.

When I hear my buddies talk about their bouts with target panic, I have been a little confused not about how they could just "let go" before they were ready, but how that was not controllable.

See, I have let go before I was ready. Primarily because I was never ready or gonna be ready. But I let go anyway out of frustration... or maybe on the belief that the result would be okay AND that would boost my confidence and realize I was worrying for no reason. But... rarely did that actually happen. Instead, I'd need to take a break or... break down my shot cycle and figure out why I wasn't hitting where I wanted to. If I couldn't figure it out, I'd rule it out as physical fatigue or mental fatigue and just take a break (as in stop shooting, try again tomorrow.) There were stretches where my confidence was really in the dumps and it just made matters worse... but I never ever let go of a shot uncontrollably.

But it dawned on me that for the most part, most of my sequence is conscious and not automatic and subconscious. There are parts I definitely don't give any thought. One of my biggest faults is that I don't think about follow-through and that is where a lot of the physical fatigue is hard to see... dropping the bow arm or plucking the string, etc. But... the trigger for all that is always a conscious event. And the check point is when I am aiming. I have to be okay with the shot before it happens. Because of this pause and check, I can always stop it if I want to... again, I've been in "panic" situations where I just let go anyways because it isn't gonna get better... I doubt the sight picture and or what is about to happen. But I can stop the release. (I can't always improve my confidence as quickly.)

I don't ever say in that situation "I have target panic". Although in reality, I believe that is exactly what I have. A lack of confidence. The difference is I know it... and since my whole sequence isn't automatic, I can acknowledge the issue and have a path to move forward (not an easy path... but a path.)

I could imagine that if I relied on subconscious for everything, including the trigger that says it is okay to shoot... I could fall into a scenario where those confidence/panic events take over and I am out of control.

I am NOT going to say that conscious shooting is better than subconscious shooting. I think there are definite tradeoffs. I personally believe that it is easier to panic when you are having to think through the shot... and you can insert doubt really easily. When you don't worry about it, there is less opportunity to overthink it. I think that is a plus. But on the flip side, when you don't put any thought into it... you open yourself up to getting out of control. Tons of folks are better archers than me that shoot both ways... so again, one isn't "better", but...I do think you have to pick your poison at some point and it will boil down to personal preference.

[CRM_95]

I think the force is just so strong in me that the arrow goes where my mind wills it to go. But for some reason every now and then it'll will one into the privacy fence.

[SwampRabbit]

I think the force is just so strong in me that the arrow goes where my mind wills it to go. But for some reason every now and then it'll will one into the privacy fence.

who you thinking about that lives on the other side of that fence?

[DRT]

That's why I have big horse stall mat behind the target. Sometimes my force has ADD.

Gary

[Junkers88]

That's why I have big horse stall mat behind the target. Sometimes my force has ADD.

Gary

LOL!!! *See the target...... draw.......... anchor....... SQUIRREL!!!!! FWWIIIPPP!* "Dang it."



Richard.

[JHarrell89]

Im with a few of you in the "I dont want to think too much"

So much so, I have never even learned about arrow grains. I just shoot a heavy arrow and make sure im hitting consistent.

That said, I've been trying to be mindful in practice about back tension so that lately my groups have been touching on good days. Im hoping I can do that in the field!