Shooters shoot thoughts..

[JSEXTON23]

The psychological aspect of shooting has always fascinated me. It is easily the most underrated and least understood aspect of archery.

GCTerpFan is right. It is also what Tom Clum teaches. Your brain cannot focus on 2 things at once. You mentioned aiming methods in this thread. I think you really want to shoot however you feel comfortable, be that 3-under or split. However, if you are going to do anything, don't concentrate on aiming. Once you find your sight picture, let it go and focus your mind on your back tension. If you link your release to your aim you are doomed.

I personally get all my mechanics set before the shot. My aim/sight picture is set before the draw. As I move into anchor I check my sight picture one last time, make adjustments to it, then forget it and start my transfer to hold. Once at hold I really just focus on my scapula movement and building back tension. If I'm struggling it is often my release hand starting to slowing open my fingers and pull my hand away from my face.

A clicker is a valuable tool for building a repeatable shot process and consistency. I believe once you get used to shooting a triggered shot, you can execute an untriggered shot when you need to.

Also, the psychological aspect isn't an establish it once and forget it thing. You have to keep training it.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Whats wrong w/canting? I shoot split fingers w/my widow. You can shoot straight up vertical w/split too. I like the cant because I shoot from a canoe and sitting on the ground but I can shoot straight up also, not a big issue. I anchor w/my middle finger on the corner of my mouth, for 50 yrs. I,ve tried three under but too set to change if I dont have to. The gap may be better at a distance but the simplicity of instinctive wins out for me. Just my 2 cents.

I never said that canting is wrong. I was describing how I shoot and my reasoning for why I shoot that way.
I was shooting trad (64" bows) long before I started saddle hunting. I realized that canting the bow, on a shot towards the back side of the tree, was risky to hitting bow limbs on the tree trunk, or the tree stand. So I learned to shoot vertical. I can shoot canted. Heck, I can shoot the bow horizontal. But all things considered, in a multitude of scenarios, a vertical bow USUALLY offers better clearance. There are times that a cant is the better position.
Some spots have only one single tree that is suitable, and sometimes that tree has a branch or some obstruction that we have to contend with. There are times when we need to cant and times when we need to shoot vertical. I find more times that vertical is the desired position...FOR ME.

 

[swampsnyper]

I never said that canting is wrong. I was describing how I shoot and my reasoning for why I shoot that way.
I was shooting trad (64" bows) long before I started saddle hunting. I realized that canting the bow, on a shot towards the back side of the tree, was risky to hitting bow limbs on the tree trunk, or the tree stand. So I learned to shoot vertical. I can shoot canted. Heck, I can shoot the bow horizontal. But all things considered, in a multitude of scenarios, a vertical bow USUALLY offers better clearance. There are times that a cant is the better position.
Some spots have only one single tree that is suitable, and sometimes that tree has a branch or some obstruction that we have to contend with. There are times when we need to cant and times when we need to shoot vertical. I find more times that vertical is the desired position...FOR ME.

Have you noticed canting or not canting changes your tuning? It does for me but there may be other factors causing this that I'm not aware of.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Have you noticed canting or not canting changes your tuning? It does for me but there may be other factors causing this that I'm not aware of.

I have not noticed that except for paper tuning. A horizontal paper tear with a vertical bow becomes a diagonal tear with a canted bow.