Getting back into trad. Your advice on training/resources?

[Hmon127]

New to trad here as well. Highly recommend Tom Clum's Shoot solid. Very detailed and well outlined.

 

[SliverShooter]

“Seems like picking one system and sticking to it would make the most sense.”

That is the best advice I have seen on this thread.

I will add, CONSISTENCY is the most important thing when it come to being a good shot. Consistent form, anchor, aim, release, and follow through, rather it is picture perfect Olympic, Fred Asbel style, or one you taught yourself, consistency is what kills animals. Some types of form are easier to master and maintain consistency with then others. Though they are different, I will use form and method interchangeably in this post, they both express essence of my thoughts.

The Masters of the BareBow CD provides numerous methods of shooting a bow, some similar to others, yet with different nuances. The CD’s are worth the money and show many ways people get it done.

As stated earlier, Tom Clum’s course Solid Archery Mechanics is excellent, he is great at explaining olympic style archery, most important he is a good person. You can’t go wrong with it. Yes I have the course, have went through it a couple of times, and picked up some good points.

I really like Rod Jenkins, both as an instructor and as person. I attended his first clinic in Hood River and help host his clinic in Bozeman around ten years later. Different teaching method, the mechanics are similar, aiming is different. His teaching methods and clinics have evolved over the last twenty years.

Joel Turner advocates shooting on the other side of the bow using a thumb ring. He is an excellent shot and kills a lot of good animals.

Hitting them like Howard Hill is a great video (referring to the content, not the technical quality), unfortunately Howard’s method is hard to master, few people have the commitment and/or ability to master it mentally, and then maintain that commitment, especially over an extended period of time.

I hunt with my own style/method, it is a combination of everything I have learned, and works for me, over the last 40 plus years. I am not a tinkerer, shoot right-handed mostly the same as I did in 2004 when I completely revamped my shooting style, but am not against incorporating something I think will make me a better shot. Sometimes it works, most often it does not. Left-handed I use Rod Jenkins method and shoot it extremely well, a little better than I shoot right-handed. I hunt right-handed because for me, it is more efficient.

Beware of those who claim this or that method is the only way. Because one method works for somebody, or lots of people, does not mean it will work for you, or everybody. People have been killing animals for thousands of years with different types of bows while using different shooting and aiming methods. The variations are endless.

Might need to change my tag line, which was in response to the claims by tha armchair experts that it is unethical to not use this or that type of broadhead, or to not sharpen the broadhead this or that way. How about:

“The form used, regardless of how perfect, is nowhere as important as consistent form, and being able to place the broadhead in the correct spot.”.

Or maybe: Dead is dead, the animal doesn’t much care what method you used when the broadhead went though it’s lungs.