When you first started shooting traditional bows how long did it take you before you could shoot well, to this day do you still have a bad day practicing, I know I do some days I can't miss and the next day you wonder what happened, to yesterday....be honest.
The first day I was confident that I could consistantly kill at 8 yards :) and after a week I was confident I could do the same at 10 yards :) . but it took s couple of months to increase that range to 15 yards or so and much longer to 20.
Thing is, that 20 looks close until you are looking at your first few animals at 20...wow does that seem fat at times.
Of course some days are better than others. When having a bad day...or less than stellar, set down the gear for a little bit and do something else. Try to change your mind set. Maybe relax a little more or just something different to change the mood.
Won't always work, but you can't force a bad day to go away, you must trick it.
After a while (longer for some) your good and bad days don't seem to be as dramatically different.
It takes time. Don't rush it and shooting 500 arrows a day will not help either.
When you can no longer devote full attention to your shooting concentration...it's time to step away and do something else at least for a little while.
BigJim
Thannk, s big jim
Everyone has bad days. Or just bad shots, on the regular.
I would say it took a few months to shoot "well" 10 yard was my max for a while. It was hard not having a teacher. I remember trying to read books to help me shoot, or understand what I was supposed to be doing. Didn't work. I've learned so much more over time from others and the time spent shooting is what helps the most.
I've been shooting for about a year and a half, and I feel like I'm just starting to shoot with some consistency. I practice 3 to 4 times a week with one arrow and take about 30ish shots per practice session. Lately, I've been shooting a lot between 18 and 25 yards and that's really helped my level of confidence - especially for shots in the the 10 to 15 yard range.
Yeah I would say as for me I feel really confident at about 15 yards beyond that it's a little iffy. ...
I found I moved somewhat quick in confidence to 15 yards. the next 5 yards took forever. still to this day, if I were shooting an indoor 300 round style score, if I could shoot from 17 or 18 yards my score would improve quite a bit. weird I know..
QuoteOriginally posted by Florida bowhunter:
When you first started shooting traditional bows how long did it take you before you could shoot well, to this day do you still have a bad day practicing, I know I do some days I can't miss and the next day you wonder what happened, to yesterday....be honest.
It took me a year to be consistently good and I still have bad days. For example this morning I started off shooting really well... 30 arrows later my groups opened up to soccer ball sized. :dunno:
Been at it regularly for 9mo. or so; I too feel very confident at 15yds. and 20 is still iffy.
Having a good coach makes all the difference. I tried to teach myself and shot traditional for 3 years never became consistent, period. One day I should shoot paper plate size groups at 20 yards (thought that was good :/) and the next day I couldn't even hit the 36"x30" target from 20 yards.
I started watching some of jimmy Blackmon's videos and I started getting better, started to learn proper form and one of the biggest things that has helped me was learning gap.
In the last 1.5 year I have ran into and became friends with 2 world/national level shooters. 1 has taken 2nd at the IBO Worlds multiple times and the other has set state records... In the last 1.5 year my shooting had drastically improved, I went from shooting 160's on a NFAA 300 round to now shooting a consistent average of 250-260 on just average days, not good days where I can't miss.
I posted a video on the shooting form of me shooting and asked Moebow to watch it, he helped point out some back tension issues I have been having and my shooting has improved since. I suggest you do that same, no one has perfect form and the majority of your accuracy is your form so it's a great place to start.
For me it took 3-4 years to set my pride aside and get some help, I have always been that guy that does it on his own. If you let your self be taught you will be amazed how fast and consistent you can get, yes you will still have bad days shooting and everyone is right when you do you need to take a break or you will compound that poor shooting, but those bad days will get fewer and fewer and your plucks, pulls and bad shots will become what you use to consider a decent shot, at least for me any way.
Choose a form and aiming style so you can narrow down the problem when your struggling. that is how to draw your bow( ie swing, rotational etc), your positive anchor(top jaw on a tooth, between teeth), a draw check and double anchor checks, aiming method ( full instinctive, not looking at bow or arrow and concentrating on spot or split vision), and good back tension (pull in your shoulder blades which will help your release and follow through etc.) When you choose your style it will help. Also as Jim says stay close and limit your shooting to good practice. Shooting a bow is like developing new muscles in weight lifting, break them down and let them rest to build them or risk injury. Take your time to learn right. The journey is half the fun. Also after you develop your shot get out and hunt something, small or big game, for hitting the bunker isn't always the same as shooting wild game.
Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. I agree 100% with BigJim. When I first started I would have bad days shooting (still do) and I would fling arrow after arrow after arrow thinking I had to work out the problem before I quit. 10-20 well executed shots beats 100 bad ones. I was actually reinforcing bad form, which believe me, takes a lot of time and effort to come back from. As a result I actually digressed for a good while. Soak up the knowledge this site has to offer. Listen to men like Terry Green and Arne Moe (and many others). I would suggest just shooting at close distances where you feel comfortable. Only when you are very comfortable, move back five or so yards. Keep it up!!! If this were easy everyone would do it. It will be worth it, I promise.
Jake
I have close to the same experience as 2 bird. I was doing pretty good on my own. Then I let some guys who had been shooting for years start trying to "help me". Really screwed up my form and shooting style, told me I only needed to shoot instinctive, was too light of a bow...blah blah. I got to where I stopped shooting for about a year.
I could hit what I wanted within 10 yards but outside of that it was a guess. Then I saw Jimmy Blackmon's videos decided to give it one more try. I dropped bow weight and have pretty much started over with form, bow, release... and my good days are now awesome and my bad days are what my good days use to be.
I don't really miss much within 15 yards now, I'm about 80% on average day to day beyond that. I can hit with regularity out to 40. at that distance..Good days I can keep it in the kill zone, bad days I'm digging for arrows.
I picked up a bow fifty years ago.
A few weeks ago I shot an OK 3d course, and when I lumbered back up to the clubhouse afterward, an acquaintance asked me to demonstrate my newish bow.
I shot abysmally, naturally.
Killdeer :o
I started shooting a longbow when I was seven, about 60 years ago, so I don't really know/remember when I became proficient. Killed my first deer at 14. Relatively close shot. Some days I shoot better than others, but usually not a great difference unless my TP gets the best of me. Then I stink.
Jake is right on..
for me, not to offend anyone but instinctive is a complete joke.
anyone that tells you you need to increase bow weight past 45# (unless hunting large game) just doesnt know what they are talking about.
I'm at this game for almost twelve years... Guilty of being human gives me good and bad days at practice and 3-D shoots... People that learned how to shoot "the right way from the start" have more good days, IMHO...
Yes, this is a (simple) way to shoot a bow, but I think understanding "why and how" shots go off target is the key to correction... We need to get it right the first time! In my case I need to slow it down and follow through, each and every shot!
Keep practice interesting. Easy to get board with the same shot (groups) over and over again. Where I live restricts my backyard practice. That is why an archery 3-D range and stump shooting is so important to me.
... mike ...
For the Traditional Archer..
Its always good to improve our shooting skills..
Even Better, is improving our skills of Getting Closer.
We all have good and bad days in archery or any other athletic activity, so don't worry about it. As some have said, you may need to walk away for a while, and come back to it when your confidence is restored. If you are consistent to 15 yards, you are good to go hunting. Just pick your shots.
As for how long it took me to get good, well, I'll let you know when it happens. By the way, I first took up archery in 1959 in a very casual manner. Since the 1980's, I have been at it very intently, and I am still trying to develop the ability to shoot at 25 yards.
You never know how good you can be or how long it will take. Archery/bowhunting is a skill accomplished over time. Just relax and enjoy the journey.
Thank, s guy's foe all the info really appreciate it at least I know I am not the only one who has bad days....lol
I think that confidence plays a big part in shooting well if you practice with the right mind set things seem to go really well..the minute you lose confidence it all goes down hill....
I shot golf ball sized groups for years, then a stroke put a blind spot right in the middle of my aim. I have bad days, not so bad days, and good shots. I'm gonna try a different bow and see if I'm not overbowed a bit at 70 pounds. I can shoot it for an hour but I'm feeling it at the end of that session.
With hunting season approaching, I'm finding that I might have to start from square one to bring my accuracy back. That's not a fun idea.
I shot poorly for about 5 months. Started learning about arrow spine,nock points,tip weight,brace height,and such. Then as I learned more about the mechanics of the sports equipment,I shot better. Found bows that I shot better than others. Switched to 3-under after a year of shooting split and found that style fit me well. Big Jim said some good things in his post. And walking away when things are a fray is the truth. I shoot pretty good now. A friend of mine had the pleasure of shooting with an Olympic Archer on a 3-D course. He told me afterwards.."Ryan..that guy never left the "X" ring the whole 30 targets" Maybe one day. rat'
I have good shooting days and bad shooting days all on the same day sometimes. If I forget my form triggers while shooting( phrases I use to initiate good form ), I get tired, lose concentration..., I can have horrible arrow grouping after having a good round moments earlier.
I liken trad archery to golf. You will have good days and bad days, but if you have good form you'll have a lot more good days than bad days.
Soon after I began shooting traditional seriously I read an article by a European archery coach...he said that on average it is going to take about 10 years to reach your best shooting level...I still have 4 or 5 years to go on that so I do not sweat the days my shooting sucks...when I am going hunting I try to have 4 or 5 bows tuned and I go through them until I find the one that is shooting well for me that day...good form may be number one, but confidence is a very close second
DDave
QuoteOriginally posted by 2bird:
Jake is right on..
for me, not to offend anyone but instinctive is a complete joke.
anyone that tells you you need to increase bow weight past 45# (unless hunting large game) just doesnt know what they are talking about.
For me, not to offend anyone, but aiming is a complete joke...and I shoot 55 to 60 pounds because I am willing to work at it and I find a bow that rips the string out of your hand is more forgiving of minor form errors that often creep in under hunting conditions
DDave
Dave,
why is aiming a joke to you? that doesn't make sense to me...
It's a pretty well known fact that heavy bows are the leading cause of bad form.
If you read Florida bowhunter's posts that thought process is exactly what screwed him up.
Not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers but in my and many others experience instinctive and heavy bows are what turns people away from traditional archery or they try it and say it's not for them. When I first started that was exactly what I did, 55# recurve and instinctive, I tried to get my dad (compound shooter) to try it, he shot about 12 arrows and said it wasn't for him, now that I know better he still doesn't want to try. Most people don't like things they can't get good at or think they can't do, and not everyone will keep running into a brick wall till they break though. look at the majority of top shooters, they aim and shoot lighter bows even when they hunt.
Yep Howard Hill and Fred Bear shot light bow get real man it takes work some have the potential to get really good some don't look at golf folks.
Get real?
Easy guys...
Look at it this way. Did Elway play the same as Theisman? Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth...different styles, all great ball players. Rod Jenkins and Byron Furguson have VERY different styles, but they can both shoot the lights out. My point is this, there are a lot of different ways to skin a cat, but in the end the skin still comes off. If target shooting with light bows and light arrows is your deal. GREAT! If bowhunting using an instinctive (or gap, or split or whatever, doesn't matter) method is your deal, GREAT!!! There are a few universal concepts to shooting a bow well, for everyone. There are also a lot that are very personal and up to the individual. Shoot the way that works the best for you and let the other guy do what is best for him.
Shoot straight,
Jake
Perfect form is not always possible in hunting situations. Half draws elbow against your tree, cold weather and heavy clothes. A heavy draw weight can help in these cases.
I shoot a 36# bow for 3D but for hunting its 52#er
Mike
I'm with you Jake!
I'm with Jake also.
I started shooting my Dad's Ben Pearson Cougar when I was either 14 or 15 - 1968-1969. I started practicing at 5 yards shooting a refrigerator box in the yard. When I couldn't miss the box I moved back another 5 yards until I got to 20. Then I started shooting smaller spots.
After a few weeks of this I was hunting chipmunks.
It became a standard practice technique over the years to start at 10 yards (5 yards wasn't necessary) with 4-5 arrows. As soon as I hit the target I intended (usually a magazine turned horizontal or paper plate) I would move back another 5. The goal was always to see how far back I could get, 5 yards at a time.
There was no one to tell me if I was shooting correctly. I relied on the result. This was the wrong way to go about it by the way and a perfect path to TP. I was pretty good, killed critters and placed high in local 3D shoots. I was the best shot in my circle of shooters. Then in the early 80's "it" all began unraveling. I struggled from about 1984 to 1995 until I had THE mental shooting problem so bad I thought I'd have to give up bow hunting. I had lost the ability to have fun target shooting a few year's prior.
I switched from RH to LH shooting (I'm Left eye dominant) which solved my problem immediately. I learned how to properly shoot in 2002. Now I focus on the process before the result and I control the shot instead of the target dictating my reaction.
So you see it has been a 46-year journey.
The "Eleven Steps to Archery Success" are the key for me and for 2.15 million student archers last school year.