I shoot split finger and am going into my 5th year of shooting a longbow split-finger. I'm a fair shot, not champion material, but a fair shot. I can see myself improving over the next several years, but I keep wondering if I really want to become a champion material do I need to make the switch to 3 under?
I'm a stubborn person and I keep saying Howard Hill, Byron Ferguson, Fred Bear, all shot split finger, why can't I?
Are there any split-finger champs out there?
Don't know what you consider a champion, I shoot split and guess I'm probably not considered a bad shot. I have noticed that as I age, I need more light to shoot really well. Three under is good, I guess, but all it does is raise the level of the arrow closer to the eye. If you use your middle finger in the corner of your mouth, it's at the same level as it would be for split three under, it's what I do.
Good luck
Champion meaning split finger shooters winning 3d tournament.
Lots of guys win while shooting split finer. I have had my butt kicked by most of them....lol! :goldtooth:
The split,finger shooters that I know of winning major tournaments. Use some sort of aiming system, split vision using the end of the,arrow tip on a,memorized distance below the for the yardage. Such as at the deers feet on a 20 yard 3d deer. Maybe up to the bottom of the chest at 30 yards. Weight of bow and length of arrow factor in.
If I'm not mistaken one of our very own won the Hunters Challenge at IBO World this year shooting split finger. I think he is pretty darn good, just saying :)
His name is Jerry something???? :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
What does 3d and trad hunting have in common ?thought this was a trad hunting site
I'm not sure about this, but in reading about 3D tournaments in Europe, my impression is that in many tournaments, split finger is required, and 3 under is not allowed. I think there may be some small advantage in shooting 3 under other than just changing the point-on, enough that Rick Welch convinced me to change to it some years ago. While I'm no champion, I find that sometimes I'm on top of my shooting buddies, other times they're on top of me. Most of them shoot split, while I shoot 3 under.
I'm sure there are some split winners out there. I shoot split and I shoot a LOT of 3D. Sometimes I win and sometimes I don't.
I don't go to any shoot thinking I will win or that I am better than anyone else. I go trying to shoot well for me. If I finish a shoot with the feeling that I shot well, I don't really care if 50 guys beat me!
Bisch
QuoteOriginally posted by Gordon martiniuk:
What does 3d and trad hunting have in common ?thought this was a trad hunting site
Umm..practice?
I don't know of any personally in the IBO that are winning it currently, statics will show its 3U dominating the circuit. Not to say split cannot do it, just that for 30 and under, with a 3U shooting style that there are littler gaps which decrease the room for error in setting your gap.
One is not "Better" than the other, its more of a choose your weapon for the chosen task kinda thing.
Shooting 60 yards its easier for me to shoot split. Shooting 40 and under its easier for me to shoot 3U.
I noticed you've mentioned Howard Hill, Byron Ferguson and Fred Bear. If I'm not mistaken these three archers all shot/shoot instinctively.
This is just my 2 cents, and I may be completely off here but I think that shooting instinctively lends itself more towards hunting situations and distances as well as moving targets, and may not be quite as efficient as other aiming methods for the 3D range.
That being said, most if not all of the instinctive archers I know of have felt more comfortable shooting split finger. And most target shooters feel more comfortable shooting 3U. To me 3U seems to lean more towards gap styles of shooting where yardage becomes a factor. Ultimately I think what Brian said is the main thing "choose your weapon and do what feels comfortable to you".
If one style was that much better than the other, Wouldn't the majority of people use that way? I always figured that if it feels good, do it!
(If I finish a shoot with the feeling that I shot well, I don't really care if 50 guys beat me!)
And there is the key for competing regardless of the sport. In my old other life I always competed against myself. A great day was when I edged my own capabilities.
I used to shoot a fair bit of 3d competitions and my recollection is that a majority of the classes were won by split finger shooters. To some 3d is simply hunting practice to others competition but hitting the "spot" on a 3d target or a game animal is pretty much the same thing. I have never quite understood the idea of different weight arrows and even shooting styles for the two. Also for information's sake, I have never read about Fred Bear but Howard Hill and Byron Ferguson did not/do not shoot "instinctively". Read their own words on the subject.
QuoteOriginally posted by Gordon martiniuk:
What does 3d and trad hunting have in common ?thought this was a trad hunting site
I apologize for offending you, it won't happen again.
Thanks
No apologizing needed. It has been a while for me but I still enjoy a bit of 3d competition. I shoot split finger, always have, and I won the southwest triple crown in 2005, decisively. The 3 finger shooters were classed together and they still didn't get to the top. No real system for me except to focus, focus, aim with your instincts!
I am by no means a champion archer but I have won the Sunflower Games 3D in the traditional catagory the last 2 years. I shoot a Wildhorse Creek longbow and been shooting split finger for about 50 years.
3D is good practice for hunting BTW...
Like it or not 3-D shooting has become part of the hunting landscape whether for tuning up for the season, staying sharp during the season or just plain having some fun. My grandaughter and I tried some indoor 3-D and had a ball.
QuoteOriginally posted by gonefishing600:
I shoot split finger and am going into my 5th year of shooting a longbow split-finger. I'm a fair shot, not champion material, but a fair shot. I can see myself improving over the next several years, but I keep wondering if I really want to become a champion material do I need to make the switch to 3 under?
I'm a stubborn person and I keep saying Howard Hill, Byron Ferguson, Fred Bear, all shot split finger, why can't I?
Are there any split-finger champs out there?
I am a long ways from a champion but I can share my experience. After shooting a compound split for most of my life, I started trad shooting split finger. After a while I swapped to 3 under, brother did it feel odd. Once I stuck with 3 under for a while my shooting drastically improved.
To add to that, I have to use an aiming system I have never been worth a hoot trying instinctive shooting. Once I closed the gap up I started using the arrow point as an aiming devise, wow I could aim. :)
After I though I was shooting decent enough I made my first 3D shoot. That was the single best thing that ever happened to my trad shooting. I was fortunate to shoot with a young man that helped my shooting dramatically. As a matter of fact I have met some of my best friends at 3D shoots. We all share the same passion for Traditional shooting and hunting.
Heck, if you think you have plateaued try 3 under. If you want to get even better yet, try going to see Rod Jenkins. Good luck with your quest for perfection my brother.
If this were off topic the mods would pull it. Ignore those who seek to make rules. If they do not like it they can choose not to read it.
I like hearing how others shoot.
Even though Howard won a lot of tournaments his main goal was hunting. Fred and Byron were/are primarily hunters. I don't think 3U has any advantage in a hunting situation.
A "champion" split finger shooter
Larry Yein
QuoteOriginally posted by nineworlds9:
QuoteOriginally posted by Gordon martiniuk:
What does 3d and trad hunting have in common ?thought this was a trad hunting site
Umm..practice? [/b]
Bingo......
I am a 3D Champ and I shoot split finger. And no tab, but a shooting glove. No probs at all with that. Ofcourse your bow must be tillered the right way. Besides of that, most important tournaments are IFAA rules. Those silly rules dictate split finger for longbows. So you don't have a choice here. But no matter what type of bow, I always shoot split finger, also on my traditional recurves and horse bows.
I re-read you original post. In that post you stated: " if I really want to become a champion material...". I'm not exactly sure what "champion material" is, and I'll bet the definition will be different for different folks.
I have been shooting stick bows for about 20yrs now, and at the current time, am shooting probably the best I ever have. I know in my heart, though, that I am not as good as I can be, and I strive every day to get a little bit better than I was the day before!
Also, I shoot a bow because I love to bowhunt. 3D just happens to be a really fun game that I can play with my bow, see lots of my friends, and make a bunch of new friends!
Bisch