Rick Welch Shooting Style

[REM]

Does anyone use the Rick Welch shooting method?

[McDave]

I've attended his two day training session, and several followup seminars over the years.  I've also spent a lot of time talking with Rick about his shooting style.  These are the elements that define his style:

Instinctive aiming
2 second hold at full draw
Dead release
3 under string hold.

The 3 under string hold is optional, but he encourages it.  The other three are pretty important parts of his style, meaning that if you don't feel open to using these three elements, you might want to look elsewhere.

Everything else that he teaches is the same as you will get from any other good archery instructor.  You will get a lot of personal attention from Rick, and will spend the day walking around with him and shooting at various 3D targets at various unknown distances.  This compares with other classes I have attended where personal attention is limited due to class size and a lot of time is spent working on form a few yards away from a big target.  Nothing wrong with either method; different strokes....

I would say that my time spent with Rick was the best archery instruction I have ever had.

[REM]

I am going to try to attend his shooting school this year. 

[zmax44]

I attended his two day training session at his home outside of Little Rock Arkansas. Rick helped me tremendously.

We started with bow and arrow tuning to hit exactly where I was looking at 15 yards and so on.

Then every aspect of his shooting method was covered and how and why it works stance,draw, anchor and the whole shot process.

I second what McDave said The time spent with Rick was the best archery instruction I have ever had.

If interested here's a link to my shooting after Ricks instruction.

https://youtu.be/5hOg3ozO1ZU?si=D3GIR_VZNyNfKyGT
 

[TSP]

I've never seen anyone use Rick's shooting style with a canted bow...all videos (of students and himself) seem to be with the bow held in a near 90 degree vertical position. Would be nice to hear why that straight-up position is the standard, and whether a canted bow has worked for anyone using his style.

[McDave]

In lessons I've have had with Rick, he cants his bow when the situation requires it, for example if he is shooting under an obstruction, from a tree stand, or kneeling.  Otherwise his normal shooting position is a couple of degrees off vertical, which seems to be a comfortable shooting position for many people, myself included.  For me, that position allows me to notice the string blur in the corner of my eye, as a part of my alignment.  Rick has never mentioned string blur to me, so I don't know if he uses that as a part of his alignment or not.

Some people use canting as a more active part of their shot.  I suspect that Rick just defaults to the slightly off vertical position because it is comfortable for him, as it is not something that he focuses on in his lessons.

[Possum Head]

Mike, I watched your link and your shooting is amazing! It appears you have nailed the 2 second hold David alluded to. Two seconds seems to be all I really need to be right where I want to be. Rick espouses the hold,hold mantra and really seems to work as his students seem to finish his class with vast improvement. Joel Turner's approach is hoooooooooold as silence stimulates the shot. I really think I would benefit from either one of their instruction.

[TSP]

I like RW's way of shooting, it gets good results without requiring the more complicated requirements that gap style invites/requires.  But since it isn't covered in his videos, it could be useful if those who took his instruction class could describe whether shooting a canted bow is covered in any capacity during his class, and if it is, what Rick's tips are for adjusting for the non-vertical bow approach.  If he didn't cover the differences in shooting canted that might be a problem for shooters who normally do cant significantly (for instance, perhaps ASL fans or those who may otherwise be constrained by the limb length of their bows when shooting in tight quarters). 

Before paying for the course, it could be an important issue for alot of archers.