What was the "one" most important thing..

[Kingstaken]

When you first started to learn or even as you cont'd learning to shoot (instinctively, gap etc), what was the "one" most important thing said to you.
I know for some it might be "always come to full anchor" and to others that might seem obvious.
A buddy Richie Lupo told me "Jim you have to dial in on the target". He raised his bow arm with no bow with a fist and twisted it w/ knuckles canted up creating what would be the "V" window we use to lQQk through to focus on your target and shoot .
Took a while to really understand it and times still find myself wondering but when I do it always works.

[pavan]

"It's just a target, I doesn't care if you miss and you don't either."

[supernaut]

Said to me by TUFFHEAD on here, my neighbor and the fella that got me started in to "traditional" archery last year: "If you are shooting bad, put the bow down and walk away for awhile. Never try to shoot your way out of shooting bad."

[hunting badger]

For me it has been, keep the bow arm still and follow through!

[GCook]

Marty Thomas (Buff) kept me from giving up.  I was intimidated by arrow spine work and tuning I was told about by guys on the web.  I had decided I couldn't do it and explained any anchor by my mouth clipped my nose.
He told me to go home and get my bow then try different things until I found one I could do exactly the same every time.  He said don't worry about my arrows being perfect.  Just get three to five yards out and focus on the anchor point, and release.  I did that for a few days and sent him a couple pics.  He told me when I got consistent like that take two steps back and start over.
His encouragement and coaching got me to the point I felt I had a chance to succeed.
.
Since then Bisch has been a great mentor and friend as well.  Without them I wouldn't have gotten through the suck.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Pine]

Look at the spot where you want the arrow to go and then put it there.

I was not taught to gap shoot. I tried it for a while years ago and I couldn't hit a thing.

[Caddo]

"Pointed end first!"

[blacktailbob]

Back when I first started shooting in 1968 we didn't have bow stringers. So I was taught to ALWAYS check for limb twists and make sure the string was properly in the grooves.

I still check those things today even when using a stringer.

[Pat B]

Instinctive, practice, practice, practice!...and make every shot count. If you are tired, angry, or loose concentration put the bow down and walk away until you are in a better mind.

[Todd Cook]

A steady bow arm can make up for a lot of faults

[stickandstring]

I shot left handed until somebody at the footed shaft circa 1987 realised I was right

[McDave]

Actually, the most important thing anybody ever told me about learning to shoot the bow happened long before I ever shot an arrow.  The advice was when learning something new, get the best training you can find.  Learning to do something correctly from the start will save you years of fumbling around and having to unlearn your mistakes.

[manny718]

 Consistency consistency consistency

[chase perry]

"Burn a hole in it."  - Ken Denton

His way of saying 'pick a spot'.

[Friend]

Close the other eye.

[Sam McMichael]

Pick a spot.

[katman]

Rod Jenkins from his class, make a controlled strong shot. Gets my form and follow thru were it needs to be.

[Pat B]

Go in to it with both eyes open. We were born with binocular vision so you should use it to it's fullest.

[degabe]

When I was learning to shoot Dad told me to look at the spot I wanted to hit, it has been working for about 65 years now.

[Bowguy67]

Consistency consistency consistency

That's the first second and third answers. Good post! Without consistency nothing else remains. You MUST start there. Even the worst shooters form if he's any good has consistency. Now the best way to become consistant is to learn proper form