Archery Apprentice

Learning instinctive archery. Shot my first arrow the 21st of may 2014.

[joe-archer-dk]

A bit og paper cup training without the paper cup. From 5 to 25m. Good training.

[joe-archer-dk]

Won second place in a very nice an challenging event last weekend. Did some 18m target practice today. It's been months since I've done some real target practice. Score of 464 was ok (60 arrows). Had one group of 3x10 which was sweet.

[joe-archer-dk]

Finally it's here. My custom Falco Force. Will be spending the next couple of weeks tuning the arrows.

[joe-archer-dk]

Made my first serious wooden arrows. Spined to be 70-73 lbs, weight from 555-580 grn. Weight could be better, but wanted as many shafts as I could get within the spine range, so had to compromise a bit, because the shop was running low on heavy shafts. Love that shop - you can just come in and get a box of shafts and test spine/weight. No extra charge. Tuned them with bare shafting first, they seemed slightly too weak when cut to 29.8". I bare shaft my carbons to be slightly weak, but this was more than usual. Then I just fletched them and grabbed my kit of top hat points ranging from 50-100 grn. I did walkback tuning to 25m and the result was quite clear. The perfect point was 85 grn (+40 grn adapter). The same I used for bare shafting. As a final test I shot the tennis ball at 25m. Had to find the range, but the arrows seem to fly really well despite being weaker than my perfectly tuned carbons usually are. Wonder if wood behaves differently in some way, that you have to take into account when bare shaft testing. I bare shafted from 15-25m.

[joe-archer-dk]

Just a bit of practice on our 3D course. Waiting for my new longbow - a custom Falco Force with diamond carbon. My patience gives me fond memories of childhood christmas. It's nice that as a grown up, you haven't lost all the juju of childhood. Our 3D course is very flat, only 2 downhill shots out of 25, but quite good practice anyhow. Ranges from 10-31m from the blue distance. That ram is only af 28.5m, but for some reason I often hit it very low. But I should have my Falco ready to shoot some time the next two weeks. Then it's time to start tuning the bow and paper tune the wooden arrows. Falco sends me a test kit with wooden arrows in different spine ranges, so I can find the perfect arrow and then order the arrows from them. Their customer service has been incredible - they are very helpful and willing to spend the time needed to create the right bow for you. They have also been very helpful with putting together a good arrow test kit.

[joe-archer-dk]

I've found that 3D Archery where I just shoot 2 arrows at a target and then move on to the next is much more effective at training my ability to intuitively measure distance. Even though I shoot fewer arrows, I can really feel how fast I'm getting confident that I won't miss my target zone. Our club just set up a 25 target course, so now I have options. The 65 target course with moving targets half an hours drive away and the our club course 10 minutes away.

[joe-archer-dk]

First group is the first five of the warm up arrows and the second group is the third set of arrows. Progress since yesterday on 25m Rasta Snail training. Slightly to the right, but it's my head placement that isn't 100% yet.

[joe-archer-dk]

Introducing the worlds smallest 3D animal - the Rasta Snail. Shot at 25m. A good evening of indoors 3D practice 😊

[joe-archer-dk]

The myth of instinctive archery

After some time using split finger, I really like it. I remember how it was amazing when I switched to three fingers under, because I had a much better sight picture and control over my shooting. Now when I changed back to split a couple of weeks ago I had to learn the new sight picture of course, but split finger gave me a cleaner release and a quiet bow. While I ended up going back to split finger, the time with three under certainly wasn’t wasted. I now have much more control over my entire form, like head placement, bow canting, and range estimation. With three under I used a sort of split vision, instinctive gap method. It should be harder with split finger because the distance between eye and arrow is greater - but it isn’t for me. I use full length arrows however to give me a smaller gap. I don’t think that I would ever have learned this higher level of awareness and the ability to use my sight picture to correct imperfections in form, if I hadn’t used three under for a while. My aiming method isn’t gap shooting in a strict sense, but I have a clear awareness of the arrow and that it’s directly under the target. The range estimation is done intuitively however. I don’t look at the arrow, but I see it. My focus it fully on the spot I want to hit. I see my arrow, bow and string too - which means I can make sure my bow canting and other parts of my form is consistent. I think the misunderstanding about the nature of instinctive Archery is holding back a lot of new archers wanting to shoot instinctively. Instinctive archery isn’t magic in any way. It’s a skill developed through awareness of every visual and proprioceptive input. That means the whole of the sight picture, including the mythically invisible arrow. Instinctive Archery does exist, it's just misunderstood - and a better term for it would be intuitive archery as many others have suggested. It's the same as throwing a ball, which isn't instinctive either, but a skill learned through training from the first time you dropped your baby spoon on the floor.

[joe-archer-dk]

One of the longer shots.

[joe-archer-dk]

First day of 3D shooting this year part 4. Ranges from 10-45m.

[joe-archer-dk]

First day of 3D shooting this year part 3. Ranges from 10-45m.

[joe-archer-dk]

First day of 3D shooting this year part 2. Ranges from 10-45m.

[joe-archer-dk]

First day of 3D shooting this year part 1. Ranges from 10-45m

[joe-archer-dk]

Left picture is at 20m and right picture is at 27,5m (my max indoor distance). The picture to the right also illustrates just how punishing bad form is at longer ranges. The arrow outside the target was me plucking the string as I had second thoughts about releasing, a split second after I had released. Hopefully I won’t do that at any events this year 😄

[joe-archer-dk]

Last 3 arrows of my 60 arrow round at 18m. Was a decent round, but not my best - last three shots was nice though. 478 total on 60 arrows. These arrows are slightly weak though. Since I went to split finger it seems I my bow gained some speed. I just fletched up some Easton Axis Traditionals and bare shafted them. Full length 340 spine, 50 grn HIT insert (brass), 100 grn point. They shoot perfectly and the bare shafts grouped right in a tight group with the fletched ones.

[joe-archer-dk]

Ordered a Falco Force to compete in the longbow class, since my Quick Stick is 4" too short. Also changed from three under to split finger, since that's the rules most places for the longbow class. Two days of training and my groups are slowly comming together on 18m. Still shoot slightly right and the odd shot going high, but it's getting better. A few weeks and I should be tuned in.