The witchery of shooting....

[Ifrit617]

I was shooting today, and experienced something quite interesting.

Having read many books on archery and archery history, along with talking to some old time archery champions, I have heard quite a bit about being able to know when everything is perfect, see the path of the arrow before it is shot, and above all "feel" the arrow to the center of the bulls eye. I'm not talking about just picking a spot and shooting at it, as many instinctive archers do, but feeling the extension of your mind to your body to the bow to the arrow to the target.

I really experienced this today, and I could not miss. Every time I drew the string I "felt" the shot, and when I let go, the arrow appeared dead center in my target. I was hitting quarters at 25 yards. Not just from luck but almost every single time.

This is something I feel only trad/primitive shooters understand, and was just curious if anyone else every experienced this.

Jon

[Adam]

I sure wish I would!

[killir duck]

sometimes, but not often enough

[turtle]

Yeah..... Once in a while then i loose it again. 

[Pat B]

When it happens I know it. Unfortunately is isn't a commin occurance.
  Reading some of the old timers like Fred Bear you know they knew about this. I remember reading about Fred on a goat hunt. As Fred was drawing, the goat walked behing a large bolder. Fred continued his draw and swing, launced the arrow to where the goat should have been and dead centered the goat, totally hidden by the bolder.
  Generally when I release the arrow I know right then if it was a good shot or not.

[Scowler]

Very enlightening feeling, isn't it?   I strive to attain that feeling whenever I shoot.  Check out some of the books on Zen/Archery (One Arrow, One Life, Zen in the Art of Archery, and Zen Bow, Zen Arrow). 

[gstoneberg]

Absolutely.  I had a friend bet me once to see who could get closest to a hollow tree opening about 75 yards away.  I declined the bet, but  shouldn't have as I got the feeling drawing the bow.  I was lucky the hole wasn't deeper or I'd have lost the arrow.

The last time it happened I was shooting at a doe with my glass recurve.  As I drew she began to leave but my concentration was so complete I didn't even realize it until the arrow was in flight.  I had a lighted nock and was shocked to see the arrow 10' in front of her and a couple feet or so over her back with her quartering away at a fast trot and passing 30 yards out.  She was just short of 40 yards when the arrow arrived  behind her front leg where it belonged.  Only got one lung though with the long range and her moving.  We found her on a sand bar in the river about 200 yards away, the lighted nock showing like a beacon in the dark.  It's very cool, but since moving to the city I can't practice enough to maintain.  Sadly, that takes some of the fun out of hunting.

George

[gstoneberg]

Update: too bad the feeling doesn't stick with you.  Tonight I put a cane arrow 6" through my cedar fence trying to feel the trajectory to a 30 yard shot.  LOL

George

[H Rhodes]

 

[jimmy]

I get into the "zone" on a very rare occasion.  I wish I could harness it and do it at will.  But just being able to do it at all tells me that the ability is there, it's just a matter of tapping into that all of the time.  Archery is a mental game.  To me, it's almost another form of martial art.  Sometimes when I get into the zone, I come out of it with less arrows because I break or split the nocks from such tight groups.  One thing about shooting arrows is that you can always get better.

[Ifrit617]

I get into the "zone" on a very rare occasion.  I wish I could harness it and do it at will.  But just being able to do it at all tells me that the ability is there, it's just a matter of tapping into that all of the time.  Archery is a mental game.  To me, it's almost another form of martial art.  Sometimes when I get into the zone, I come out of it with less arrows because I break or split the nocks from such tight groups.  One thing about shooting arrows is that you can always get better.

I agree with that a hundred percent.  That's what is so great about traditional/primitive shooting.

Jon

[JW_Halverson]

And the more time you spend on shooting for perfection of form, the more you will have those days when you hit the Zen Zone.  Also for me, there is also an attitude of just not caring.  When I start to care about where the arrow goes, then I lose that zone.

[Huntinfool]

Ya gotto love the flight of the feathered shaft!!!

~HF~

[Huntinfool]

Also it's kind of like that college Bball player who got in the zone the other day and scored 138 points in one game. Kid couldn't miss from anywhere on the court!

He was definitely in the "zone"!

~HF~

[jamesches]

the book "zen in the art of archery" is all about being able to get that feeling every time. plus its a great read.