On Sunday something snapped into clear focus: I could see in my mind the exact parabolic arc the arrow would need to take to strike the point of aim. I sort of saw it in my bow arms. Yeah, it sounds as if I've been tailgating diesel trucks too closely to something. But I could visualize that arc such that I could lay an arrow down into an existing group in the target by somehow perceiving that parabolic arc in my bow arm. This visualization allowed me tighter consistency than before. Here it is Tuesday, and I shot on Sunday--yet the visual perception remains in my mind, and if I hold up my bow arm, there's some interesting awareness in my holding hand.

I know: lay off the moldy rye bread.

CDFingers

A friend of mine used very similar language to describe his experience of being in perfect practice on the rifle range.

There's a strong visual component in this archery parabola awareness that I don't get with a rifle. Only a time or two in fog have I been able to see the bullet path. With the arrows, it's quite clear every time--175 fps. I think that over my decades of playing archery I've hooked the visual to the actual physics of drawing the bow: exit velocity is directly proportional to the draw length. Over the years I've internalized this and just recently it's coming together when I'm warmed up and in the zone.

It actually seems to be a body awareness. I perceive it in my bow arm, but it also plays out in the follow-through. My drawing/release arm conspires with my bow arm: as the arrow leaves the bow, my drawing arm comes back and goes a bit behind my head in a stylized J, and somehow there's an awareness in my release hand that seems to guide the arrow. I think my body has put together all the motions of the shot and perceives the point of impact before release, and it adjusts itself somehow. I don't use sights, so I know this is a wholistic thing with my body.

I have to shoot more bullets to see if I can approximate this feeling. I think I'll keep working on the Vaquero in the Bullseye to see if I can collect this kind of awareness. In order for me to up my rifle game, I have to shoot more often out past 200. Long walk, though...

CDFingers

I do the same with rifles although I think at least part of it is having shot a lot of tracers in the Army at long range. I just unconsciously "see" the trajectory in my head and while it's not perfect by any means, it gets me close.

I think I can feel ya.

When I was 13 we lived in Australia in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. We had a giant back yard and a raised brick house that made a fantastic backstop for pellets. I, at the time, had a Daisy Powerline 880 multi pump pneumatic. Pellets were about $2 for 500 in a cardboard box. With no friends and plenty of time on my hands, I spent whole days in the backyard plinking. The scope got boring so off that went. Then the irons got boring so I switched from cans to can lids which also got boring in time. I hung the can lids from strings so they'd move. Even that lost its challenge so I started shooting with only one pump in the rifle so the pellet moved very slowly in an arc. This was challenging and proved much fun and I credit it with teaching me much of the skill with a rifle I still possess.

As an aside; When I did start school and made a few friends we went to the state fair. It took me three shots with the airgun at the shooting gallery to figure out where it was shooting. From there the moving ducks just kept a 'fallin. Giant stuffed animals are a PITA, as I found out and are to be given away at ones earliest possible convenience.

This is with both bows. Aluminum from the compound held in my right, and carbon out of the recurve held in my left. 27 yards. I watched the parabolas converge. Psychedelic in a way--or so I've heard. But I busted a nock on this. It's right there.
CDFingers

Sounds as if you have stepped into the practice of Kyudo after years of practice. In shooting, I too practice the control of the breath and mind, the focus that leads to the cessation of thought. But you are right, shooting is different and I am not yet in The Zone most of the time.

It is said in Zen that it is not the target that the archer aims at but in shooting the arrow he will find the Self in the target. This is the spiritual development which will lead to the ultimate truth in the discovery of the self.

The Empty Mind - Kyudo or Japanese Archery
https://youtu.be/OA2EnemzBpk

When I pee, I can predict exactly where the pee will go. It's uncanny. I've been able to do it my whole life. I have achieved considerable international recognition based on this ability, but I have had to stop doing it because I developed severe repetitive motion disorder. The fact that all the documents on the internet referring to my special ability were written by me should produce no doubt in your mind that I was once in great demand worldwide.

The pee, by the way, describes a perfect parabola.