i still cant..

[jamie]

when i hunt i snap shoot. its more fluid. but i believe you need to practice perfect form in order to stay consistent with snap shooting. find a comfortable anchor and stick with it. keep the bow arm on target. and allow the string to slip from the fingers using your back muscles. once you get this down your form will be crisp even when snap shooting. ive suffered from target panic for a few years now and by shooting at close range and being strict in form it has brought my confidence back when hunting. one more thing it doesnt matter if you gap shoot or shoot instinctive. what matters is putting the arrow where you are looking.

[mullet]

  Asbell's book is an excellent book. There are a lot of good books that will help with you shooting and form. I suck when it comes to 3-D shoots. I guess I get bored, socialise too much,, just have a hard time getting serious, but I have a good time. I take on a whole different attitude when I'm shooting at meat. There is a lot more at stake when you hit an animal and I think you should be comfortable with your shooting and know what you are doing before you release that srting on something alive.
  I have a long draw and I just never could get used to snap shooting to get comfortable doing it. I've also had to hold on target at a full draw for a few seconds when I was about to get busted. The botom line to me is to pick whatever style you can feel comfortable with and practice consistantly that way. Let someone video you while you shoot and go back and see if you are reaching the same anchor point each time and your body mechanics are the same. And start out shooting the target close till you can get a good group like Dave said.

[crooketarrow]

   You've got to do the same thing over each time as well as a ankor point.Practice and it well all come together.

[Dave 55]

It all started long ago  I got a HH Big 5 and a copy of HUNTING THE HARDWAY,Howard was my hero and the book explained his swing draw and split vision method,a kind of gap shooting really,I practiced religously and my shooting looked nothing like Howards or anyone elses for that matter.after a while I was releasing at every place but my anchor point and couldnt hit the ground with my arrows.This went on for a year or so and I was so fedup I was about to quite.One morning I was sitting in a ground blind Id brushed into waylay any completely safe deer when a squirrel jumped up on a branch about 20 yds away,I raised my bow straight up,picked a spot,pointed a the squirrel pulled staight back to anchor and put the arrow straight thru the critter,I was dumbfonded and to make it more bizzare another squirrel came out on another branch a few yards from where the other had been,I raised my bow hand and pointed at that one ,came to anchor and shot an arrow thru that one too.I was so amazed I picked up my 2 squirrels and went home.That was the end of the swing draw for me tho it certainly worked for Howard.

[Kegan]

Dave makes a really good point. Set arm is a bit easier, because it loads the pressure of the bow's draw onto your arm and into your shoulders, so you get proper alignment. Swing draw is tricky in that very few individuals can use a true "swing", that is, approach the target completely from beneath and finish once anchor is reached. Most, even Hill, brought the bow up and drew about 2/3 the way back, and then finished in a straight line. This, though it does allow for more variables than a true swing, loads the force back onto the bones so you get less chance for torquing and flailing. I prefer this "half swing" myself because my eyes get distracted so easily, but I know that I can shoot slightly better set arm.

[riarcher]

I love the swing / draw,,, but with a twist.
Basicly I swing and draw at the same time.
Swing stops just short of the mark and draw is complete.
Then I let(?) the bow move into position and the arrow is gone.
A little backwards maybe, but it works well enough for me.
Just part of a style more than anything.
Sometimes it's fast like snap shooting,,, and sometimes it's,,,, well, painfully slow (seemingly). Not something I try to control,,, more like let it happen.

[mullet]

 Shooting dove, with a shotgun. You still have to anchor.

[aero86]

just to let you guys know, im doing a lot better.  i reduced down the brace height on my bows to help reduce set and stress.  the string slap has stopped all together unless i get sloppy.  ive got them braced right before the front wrappings on my fletching.  also, from 6 or 7 yards, i can hit a soda can 3 out of 5 times and the others are right near it.  its amazing what proper equipment will do for your shooting as well, since ive finished a couple well matched arrows.  the whole instinctive thing is neat.  it really is like throwing a football.  just gotta get tuned in with your equipment