Ive found that putting that fiber optic dot on the target and squeezing the trigger on my Beretta AL-391 with a 1500 fps load works real nice like. Any questions?...Oppps...wrong forum...hehehehe

If ya like it...shoot it!

Jaw

Range, it is a great book. Get it.

Beretta... ain't that a cheap@$$ Chevrolet?

How ya doin', James? Long time, no see.

I'm perfect Arthur...Thanks for asking...I couldn't help myself...just had to poke a lil fun.
Hope you had a great holiday and you and yours are all healty. It's time to go catch a few trout.Gimmie a shout ole friend.
Jaw

Good thread. Arthur P thanks for the explanation it helped my shooting already. I read the book by Asbell and he says never look down the arrow or at the arrow, only the target where you want to hit. I noticed when shooting when I watch the arrow with my peripheral vision as you describe I shoot much better than when I concentrate only on the spot I want to hit. I've spent a lot of time trying to make myself not see the arrow but have not been that accurate or progressing very fast. Last night after reading this post I shot some groups and shot better than I have in quite a while. I think it will help me a lot, I've always been more comfortable shooting that way but was under the impression that it was incorrect.

Mez, there is no one right or wrong way to shoot. Some folks give that impression, but it only shows (to me anyhow) that they really don't know as much as they think. There are lots of great shots that use different methods--go with what works best for you.

Chad

Instinctive vs gap has been argued for years. I'll make you a deal: You shoot how you like & I'll shoot how I like. The only rule is that neither of us can roll on the ground laughing!

OK??

Mez, if you want to give "instinctive" another try, you might try a different perspective. Rick Welch's instructional video Volume II may help. He does a lot of stuff that Asbell says it totally wrong, but I dare say Welch could shoot circles around Asbell (Rick is a high-ranked competitor). In the video, Rick does not use a high wrist grip (looks like a medium, maybe medium/low wrist grip), he draws a bit past his anchor and settles in (not a resting point according to Asbell), and shoots 3-under (double no-no according to Asbell). Rick also shoots standing straight up with his bow verticle (wrong and wrong again according to Asbell). Rick spends some time explaining the release, in Asbell's video he has a segment that is labeled as "Release", but he only mentions that release problems are really bow hand problems and goes off in that direction, never giving any real information on the release itself.

I don't agree with everything Welch says in his video--but that's just my point. I don't recall him ever saying "you have to do it just like this, or you are wrong", while Asbell mostly maintains "do it just like this". Rick proves his technique works, at least for him, by making several shots at different yardages on the tape. You might incorporate a little of both in your style and have it work for you. Don't get hung up on what one "expert" says--try different things and use what works best for you.

Chad

Thanks Chad, I'll look into that video. I shoot a high wrist, which took forever to get used to and just now is starting to feel comfortable. I was also snap shooting, for lack of a better term as Asbell also states you should release as soon as you come to anchor and I think that was hurting me also. I've recently met a local shop owner who shoots traditional and has a traditional league once a week which I'm going to start attending. I was shooting in his shop and he wanted to try my bow and I watched in awe as he put 7 arrows, all touching in the X at 20 yards. First thing I noticed was that he came to full draw and settled in prior to releasing. I thought anybody who can pick up a bow he's never touched and do that must know something so I've been settling in a little more and that has also helped. I didn't want to develop bad habits and Asbell was so adament about all of his points I tried to duplicate it and ended up fairly frustrated.

There are a lot of questions out there about books and videos. I must say I have a library of at least 60 books and twice that of videos. I enjoy reading them or watching them almost every evening before bed. What a way to wind down the day. My wife asked me once why I have all of that stuff and can not hit the side of the barn with my longbow. Simple, I only get time to shoot may be 25 arrows a month. I love traditional archery, the books, the people, and the equipment. Untill I get more practice, I will have to continue to hunt with my compound with sites. (like shooting a rifle) and I have never had a miss out to 40 yards (my max) he had better be holding still though with all the gadgets and laser rangefinder it requires of me.

The point is, all of the books and videos should be taken with a grain of salt. It is practice which will get you on the paper. OLN showed an episode of a Judge shooting a buck on a slow run not 20' from him after jumping a fence. He nailed it. You can not do that unless you are instinctive shooting. That is what I am aiming for.