Instinctive Aiming! Are You Struggling? Try This! 

Best archery coach on RU-vid right here. Jeff teaches in an easy to understand and duplicate style like no other. Much thanks for helping all us guys trying to get better.

Probably the most honest reviewer and trad guy on the net. LOVE his vids!!

After watching this video I went out to shoot with these techniques and it just clicked for me. I’ve been, as you say… “struggling”. 😉 My shooting was much better after adjusting with your tips. Thank you! You’re a fantastic teacher and I appreciate your focus on sharing your faith! Keep putting out great content!

Jeff, I watched tons of videos on traditional bow. You are by far my favorite channel. You give the best instructions. I’ve been watching your videos all morning and I’m going to put some of your tips into practice and the one thing I appreciate most about you is you always thank the Lord! I really do appreciate that. Let’s me know what kind of person you are.

Brother, love your dedication to love and the LORD above! This time last year, after taking serious damage to my right shoulder in February, I couldn't see myself pulling on a 50lb recurve again but LORD pulled me through and I'm ready to sight down along some arrows one more time .. Will let you know how I get on ... your advice much appreciated. Hallelujah [Holy One of Israel] Jah Bless [Peace in Jerusalem]

Expanding through the shot is so important! Your great tips are helping me improve and it's so much fun! I like your concept on instructive aiming and your comparison to aiming with iron sights.

I never understood the phrase pulling through the shot. Terminology can mean different things to different people. Rolling off the fingers after hitting a consistent point in my draw & just that little extra that made my shoulder blades behind me pinch was something that really clicked with me. Two things that helped me for years was bow fishing with a recurve & shooting 3D. When I am training & shooting for muscle memory I never shoot a round of arrows into a flat target in the center of that target. For me that does the opposite of focusing on a spot. I adapted to hitting the target & then picking a spot in all directions until I was out of arrows. The great thing about traditional is that u train the brain for trajectory. Shoot the arrow straight like a golfer shoots a small ball straight. Your brain can do the rest for distance. Congrats on 10 K Jeff. You deserve it & everyone is richer for paying attention & learning 🎉.

Thank you for your time to explain and share your knowledge. I love this community for this, and for the joy of shooting 🏹 I’m the sole bow & arrow shooter at my local shooting 🔫club, learning everything online from experienced archers.

Jeff, this was a great video and probably one of the best explanations you've done about getting accurate and I know for a fact that this works. I've only been shooting with Trad equipment for 6 months and struggled at 1st until I naturally started using these techniques of aiming instead of just flinging arrows (you know, "instinctive") hoping to hit the target. The accuracy immediately got better and now anything inside 20 yds is inside 3" groups and nearly automatic with multiple bows. It's probably time to start learning out to 30 yds. I would recommend every archer (especially the guys switching from compound) incorporate this into their shooting and the left/right will tighten up fast. The up/down will come with practice and the "instinctive" part takes thousands of arrows, so patience is the key. Around 13:30, you described beating target panic to a T, the surprise release/controlled release is the biggest factor in accuracy and consistency. I've been working by butt off trying to master it, Joel Turner (Shot IQ) goes through this in great depth.

Hello All. I am a New Subscriber and have watched 3 Whole Video's. I am a 68 Yr old Fat man in Rotten Physical Condition. I can tell you that I've Been Around the Block More than Once and I may have something to add to help some of you on the Range. Long story for another day, I just got a Cheap New Recurve Fiberglass Bow. It's only a 30# "Youth" bow. I got it for physical Conditioning. I have trouble just drawing it to Full Draw. I need to get into good enough shape to be able to control the bow at full draw. Many of you may need to think about "Strength Training" for the Very Same Reason. Good Luck and Be Honest with yourself about your condition. Don't be a Joe B&%$*!!!!!

Jeff - hey I just can't believe how much you've helped me after watching this video - I've been shooting split, pulling it back and letting it fly. Squinting my left eye and seeing the arrow in my periphery has helped tremendously - little things I haven't been doing - still a work in progress but getting better - thanks so much!

Great explanation. I do reference the arrow but if I look directly at it, my shot is off. Maybe is all in my head but we there it is. I shoot spit fingers but this still works for me too. I have always said anyone can be a teacher, but not everyone can teach. Jeff explains this all in a very good way. Thanks Jeff. Keep those videos coming!

Jeff, thanks again for bringing high quality content! I love this RU-vid Channel! Every new video is a Highlight!

Been waiting for more content from you.I appreciate your pleasant attitude and genuine presence.

Im learning archery and been doing itfor about just over a month, watch many videos, mostly Jake kaminski because he also says the same thing. Actually start my 8 week training next month, but learning alot from you guy's, this was perfectly explained and logically makes so much sense. Defently a new sub. I also post on my channel from a learners prospective, how i make mistakes and adjust. Because you are absolutely right, doing the same thing and it doesnt work, yet still doing it, just isnt going to help you evolve. Im learning on target because thats what im aiming for, competitive field achery, or indoors, even at 52 i believe in myself that i can achieve this goal ive set for myself. Did the same thing playing guitar, only with that i tought myself everything i do. Never had a lesson dont know music theory, but know what sounds good and adjust my chords to achieve that. Great video.

Thanks Jeff, I was plucking my string. I tried following through and behold, I started getting much better groupings. I was shooting all over the place but it feels good to know there is a fix. You say so much in your vids and sometimes it helps to watch them several times. I can watch it one time and pick up something here and then watch it again to pick up another secret nugget. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you do. Thank You !

I'm new to trad archery. Very new. I'm working on shot sequence and just learning to shoot again. (30 years of shooting Compound). I have absorbed all of your content on RU-vid, not to mention other folk's content. Here is a question: As I am learning to shoot and also tuning the bow and getting the right arrows. How do I make sure my bow and arrow set up is right when I know it could be my form and sequence that is messing my shots up. Thanks for all your content. You have a great way of explaining things. God Bless Proverbs 12:27

Nice video. Enjoyed it as I am an instinctive archer. I try not to focus too much on form. But posture is #1. Slower diliberate draw. Kinda like yours and the older guys together.

Spot on! When i got into trad archery like most id be shooting at a foam target, i could never really get the "focus" on a small spot thing,. After a while the foam target got boring, so i fitted all my arrows with judos and lighted nocks and tried "stump" shooting (soda cans and whatnot) WOW! That aim small miss small is a real thing! Found myself being able to hit a can at distances where before before id miss on a bigol foam target. Id like to point out also that 1 my eyesight was poor when i first got into trad acrchery making it impossible to see my arrow trajectory and 2 fear of loosing arrows disrupted my focus. Corrective lenses and lighted nocks fixed problem 1 Judos fixed problem 2 I also switched to "gapstinctive" which helped tremendously out passed 30 yards.

This is great one thing I would mention as far as the dominant eye is to make sure you’re not twisting your head to much to get your dominant eye over the arrow. Took me forever to figure out I was twisting my head so far to the right to help get my eye over the arrow that the bridge of my nose was actually getting in the way and my left eye was taking over, always had to keep the point of the arrow to the right or I’d miss left due to this.

You are very helpful with your tips. This has help my accuracy for grouping tremendously. Thanks...I have become a fan of your site.

Thank you Jeff this video might be one of the most significant Archery videos that I have watched When you quoted 'The Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting the same result '....It suddenly struck me that was exactly what I have been doing with my purely instinctive aiming method ever since I started Archery a year ago. !. When i started out in 3D archery I had no absolutely no idea how to aim, so I instinctively (sic) used a purely instinctive aiming method. To this day I never see any part of the arrow whatsoever ,even in my peripheral vision. At targets up to 15 yds I concentrate my focus on the spot that I wish to hit on the target and release . At greater distances I concentrate my focus on a spot above the target ...the gap depending on the distance . My accuracy has been just as you said , .....good one shot and bad the next. ......I have tried everything I can to improve including numerous sets of arrows and several weight bows but still do not see the consistency that I seek despite being meticulous about my shot cycle. Next time I am up the 3D range I am going to try using the arrow tip as an aiming method together with instinctive gapping ....thank you Jeff

Thanks again Jeff. Your videos are always helpful to me.

Jeff I totally agree I shoot primarily right handed. Completely instinctively. That being said I do shoot left handed when my right shoulder gives me problems. Shooting left handed I do reference the arrow for left right line up, but I must close my right dom eye. Some of my best groups are after switching back and forth left to right hand. Thank you for all you do for the archery community.

Thanks for all your instinctive lessons. I used to shoot and hunt years ago and decided to take it up again. I recently purchased the Sanlida hermit x10 that you reviewed and am very pleased with it but haven’t tried it in the Adirondacks where I live for deer hunting this fall. Thanks again for your videos I’m getting back in the game.

Awesome videos!! I was meant to shoot a recurve bow and not a compound bow. Just the art of this makes me satisfied shooting!

Thanks for the reply Jeff! As a Christian, you will appreciate this. So, I have been working my way through reading the whole Bible, I finished the New Testament and then started working through the Old Testament and am currently in Psalms. Friday, I bought my recurve and gear, along with my 4 year old son's first youth recurve, and wondered if I made the right choice to do so, should I have made that purchase for myself etc. When I get home, I was on Psalm 103 for the day. Psalm 103:5 says, "He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles!" What a message, that the Lord would speak to me, on such a day, in regard to such a specific matter. I am blessed with good things, even material blessings such as my new bow. This recurve took me back to my childhood days of shooting traditional gear, so as to renew my youth in a way. There is no way this was coincidental. How would I start reading, miss a few days here and there over the course of months, and accidentally wind up on this passage on the day I got back into traditional and had these concerns and worries. It is amazing the Lord can use a stick and string to speak to us and show his providence and love for us. Thank you for being a Godly man in the archery world. I just wanted to share that with you. May the Lord bless you in all that you do!

This video might be one of the most important for new instinctive shooters like myself. Man I would love to shoot a round with you sometime. Also side note, the ol’boy’s you shoot with seem pretty cool. Love it man.

I just started watching your channel and it has helped me out immensely. This video is great. Thank you.

Archers!! Pay attention as this instructor is OUTSTANDING! Remember, you miss your target each time that you short draw your bow. I have been instructed to line up the point of my draw arm elbow with the point of my arrow and simply expand to release the shot. I have also learned that 45 pounds at full draw is NOT light or slow ! Enjoy! 🏹🏹🏹🏹

Jeff.....thank you for the awesome video. After I watched your video I shot a few arrows and what a difference. My groups got tighter and more accurate. Using the arrow as my sight made a huge difference! I'm going to continue practicing so I build consistency in my shots.

One of the best channels out there.

It is just little drawback to get arrow to target after "anchor" and arrow go to target BUT it is hard to remember to me.... anyway this method is the key!

Yet again, another fantastic video. I'm still new to traditional archery. Less than 2 weeks in. I have some consistent shots, and some that go way off. I think I need to figure out proper shooting form. Some shots feel right as soon as I release, others not so much. I'll give your tips a shot as I continue to learn. Thanks again for the video!

I got a clicker, since then my vertical alignment has improved 100%. And the right and left has finally improved as well by tuning an arrow, now I know if it goes right or left it is me and not the arrow. I shot messed up arrows for months, wonder how could I posible get consistant, sure enough it was imposible shooting arrows under and over spine and 100 grains difference between some of them, wonder why I was shooting dirt! This channel helped me a lot to lear about well tuned arrows and how they should fly. Thank! Praise to the Lord!

How does old mate with the wild release and elbow sticking out shoot accurately? Seems to work for him. The thing with archery is we need to do what works for us. Good tips in Jeff's vids!

my first traditional 3d shoot is in a couple weeks at the bowmen club! cant wait to get there and shoot with some of you guys! thanks for all the tips!

Jeff, Great video. Any tips on helping me would be greatly appreciated. I’m a right handed shooter but lost significant vision in my dominant right eye and now must use my left eye so I can’t sight directly down the arrow. I guess it’s like a right handed shooter who is left eye dominant. I struggle with grouping especially left to right. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks and God Bless you! Leon

Judy chop! Lol. Great advice as always

I've shot nothing but horsebows (hungarian, türkish an assyrian types) only, with the arrow on the right side (I'm right handed) and thumb release. These principals apply no matter what, so I DO highly recommend this channel to everyone who is in love with any style of archery. It's really something special, I can't explain why... archery just does something to you, awakens something in you that has the potential to elevate you.

just found your channel, and subbed. thank you, you've helped allot, just joined a club, wanted to do it all my life, at 44 I thought right I'm going to do this, bought my first bow last week, shot with it yesterday, and from the moment I picked up the bow 3 weeks ago, I knew this was for me, my ancestors were the welsh archers, they used to pull 250 lbs bow, atm I can only use a 30lb bow, but I want to go traditional, I also want a longbow. they thought I was self taught, I've not done the beginners course yet but I'm shooting gold, but not consistently, I am now in the red mostly, but I've not found my form yet, I'm going to also go 3D shooting, this has helped me so much, thank you.

Jeff, I can't tell you how timely this video was. Thanks!!

Man you did a game changing with that tips that is the way to go . 🏹👍🏻

🎉 tightened my groups immediately. Thanks and great info

Best explanation ever. Thank you.

I do pretty much the exact same thing with my release. I call it "pulling thru the release". When i reach my anchor point, i squeeze my shoulder blades together, and slowly pull thru as i relax my fingers and let the string slide off. It made for a much smoother release, and it also became a whole alot easier to do once i switched from using a glove to a finger tab. People get too caught up on the semantics, and whether or not they are "gap shooters" "instinctive" "string walking" etc. And they get way too damn caught up on whether what someone is doing is "traditional" or not. The words "aim" and "sight" are basically curse words lol. I mean, if you think back to our hunter-gatherer ancestors thousands and thousands of years ago...the longbow archers of medieval Europe..the horseback archers of the Mongolian Empire..or the Native American hunters who took down plains buffalo with their bows and arrows. If you think that there werent many, many archers thru-out the entire history of the bow & arrow, who didn't use some method of aiming, like "gap shooting", to be consistently accurate with their bows, then you are lying to yourself. And if you think that if you went back in time, and showed a medieval English longbow archer, or a Paleolithic hunter-gatherer, how to make a bowsight and how to use it to improve their accuracy, that they would scoff at it, you are nuts! We worry so much about whether or not what we're doing is "traditional" enough, that at some point it becomes a bit absurd. I guarantee you that plenty of archers thru-out history have utilized methods of aiming, such as gap shooting and string walking. And its just ridiculous to think that they wouldnt.

Great stuff. Backyard shooter here and love the info you provide.

Funny, Armin Hirmer tells it the other way aroud with instinctive shooting: Never look at your arrow! look like you throw a stone" I did that for 3 years. Now I am going to try Jeffs methode.. see what happens

Point blank means one point of aim which will give a kill or hit in relationship to paper or live target. Think of it this way . Each zeroed sight pin represents point blank range for different distances

I've learned to shoot any lenth arrow shaft size ,weight and be dead on

My point on is 4 foot and 55yds. I have a custom made 62#@29” draw reflex/deflex. I shoot a trad only 500 w/160gr field point. @22yds my arrow tip aim point is 24” below impact point. I’ve experimented with 230 grain field points and my point on aim point is @22yds is 19” below impact point.

If I think about the shot I miss every time , just do it!

Great educationel video ,i train every dat with nu bow.i in de started with comound bow, but not 2years with the traditional bow and I should have done that much sooner but bether late then never,but i do have a question , about the rifle and crossbow , i am a left shooter but with the bow i am right despite my left dominant eye, now i don't shoot that bad but it can always be better ,do have a tip for that too, keep on the Good Work Greetings from the Netherlands

I’ve recently begun watching your videos. And my only question is what has driven you to shooting 3 under vs split finger from the past. I’d love to hear from you on this. Thank you

Love your videos mate keep them coming 👍

A roll of "glue backed" carpet makes a good target for any trad' archer. Inexpensive, similar to 3D, no distracting 'bullseye', easy to pull,....on the ground or hanging from a brach my carpet rolls helped me to concentrate on 'the spot'. Shooting between 10 and 25 yards builds my 'instinctive' skill.

Man that older guy (Hank?) has a crazy release and technique but he's really good! Great video and tips!

Always seems like I am aiming to right and lower right of target to get arrow to bullseye. Is that what I’m looking for??

One thing that I've noticed over 30 years of traditional instinctive shooting is people are way over bowed. That is one thing that hurts archers trying to shoot traditional.. Good instruction..

Subscribed! Great video. Relaxed and informative. Id love to shoot with you guys but id lose all my arrows at 26:00! Lol

Thanks!

super tips jeff, love to usa from uk

Does this work well with split finger?

I shoot similar to this though I close my left eye due to being left eye dominant

Were can i get one of the hip quiver you have i like it better than mine roomy

So I’m still pretty green at this, one summer of 1-2 hours once a week, but I decided I wanted to do instinctive shooting, and pretty quickly I realized that I need my peripheral vision to get left/right on. But I think I have some mechanical issues to deal with.

Well I gotta say I've started doing what you said and I'm at least grouping. I wasn't really doing that before. It was just shotgun pattern. I shoot a fifty pound recurve. It is tearing my arm up I gotta make me a arm guard. Thanks for sharing your Faith and God Bless

Bless you Jeff for sharing your knowledge and passion for archery with us all 😇🙏🏹🏹🏹🏹👍

Fantastic Thanks!

This bow is gorgeous! What brand brother?

My problem arises when l shot longer distances. My bow arm hand then blocks out my target due to the higher elevation that is needed to reach the target.???

Do you use a helical or offset fletching

I'm struggling with consistency with string walking. On the other hand its feels super weird to draw back without my 3 finger widths down on my string. I was thinking about mixing stringwalking with gap shooting. I dunno

So the single color feather always away from the bow body towards you?

Byron Ferguson says ''become the arrow''

Thanks for sharing you awesome.

Do you like the warrior shafts? Have you had any issues of inconsistency with them? They are cheap and light for a nice FOC arrow. Killed a deer last year with one, the set I have has been good. Wondered if you are happy with them as well.

Where do you get your string silencers 😁

Like an instinctive ball pitcher .

what is the boy you are using. looks nice

I did the exact things you're describing in this video but I have an eye problem called a nystagmus which is involuntary and it affects my do you have any tips or tricks to get past that if not all good

What kinda bow are you shooting

What brand of longbow are you shooting

The Indians never done any of this I don't understand lay down from horseback up down in between I'm really fighting with this but your videos are definitely help

your back shooting 3 under

Interesting and informative but wat too long.

Any form of aiming is not instinctive.... Hit a tennis ball. What are you sighting on? See how accurately an olympian can place a tennis ball when he hits it. No sighting at all. Just instinct from billions of shots practice.

Yeah right , three fingers under and sticking the back of the arrow in your right eye,,, Yeah !!! very much instinctive shooting,,, ha ha . How come gringos don't get what instinctive shooting is ???

Sorry, but no such thing as instinctive aiming. If you are an real instinctive shooter, you never aim. I never do anyway. I just consecrate on one tiny spot, draw and release without ever holding at full draw. Just like Howard Hill, except I was never that good.

What about a long bow without a centreshot shelf? The arrow at full draw is not pointing directly at the target.....it will be slightly to the left. What about arrow spine and the archers paradox?

Excellent teacher, because he demostrates right shooting sequences!

Thanks for sharing this knowledge for us Jeff .... may God continue to bless you brother!

Greetings from England. Many years ago I shot target with all the sights etc ..a 15 year break away I started shooting field with a black hunter..I was crap..UNTIL I stumbled across this channel ..don't get me wrong there are some cracking channels out there BUT..this particular tutorial fix me with my particular set of problems well done sir and thank you in just two sessions ( after many) what an improvement and improved my confidence no end ..thank you ..

Archers ! Notice the draw arm elbow is lined up with the point of the arrow! The anchor point is consistent the draw weight of the bow is reasonable the arrow s are spined cut to proper length with FOC incerts ! Enjoy!

Great info, Jeff! I've been in a slump for a week or two and this video helped me TODAY. Thank you!

Jeff you have really helped me learn instinctive shooting. Do you have any tips for a left handed shooter thats right eye dominant? Im shooting with both eyes open right now. Thanks again for a great channel! God bless

Excellent video I'm just a novice using a Samick Sage, but I already love shooting. If I'm not shooting my bow, I'm thinking about shooting or watching your videos. Thank you for all your tips. Lord knows I need them! lol

That bow is sooo beautiful!!! Sooo beautiful.

This may work as an aiming method, but isn't real 'intinctive' shooting. Instinctive shooting is subconcious - the archer looks at the target and releases without conciously looking at (and focusing) on the arrow. When you are shooting well you don't even see the arrow, because it is out of focus. And getting the dominant eye over the arrow is also a shooting or aiming method whch is not instinctive. There are a few instinctive archers who are left eye dominant and shoot right-handed.

Another great video. Thanks for the information.