Shooting Form Advice

[EnW]

Grip the handle like you would shake the hand of an 80 year old woman. You are shooting with too much of a loose grip and grabbing the handle when you drop the string. It can be held with the index finger and thumb like you are doing...I know people who do that, but you can't grab at the handle with the other digits when you loose the string.


~Eric

[moe monsarrat]

I see a few things watching you shoot. High drawing elbow, not much cant to the bow & draw hand in slightly the wrong place upon release. Canting the bow a few more degrees will move your impact to the right. If you're canting the bow more, you must also cant both your draw hand and head to the same angle as the bow. Upon release(with proper back tension) your draw hand should end up behind your right ear. To achieve proper back tension and release try this: go in front of a mirror with your bow and an arrow. Without putting the arrow on the string, take your stance facing the mirror. Draw the arrow to your anchor point and look at your draw arm elbow. You will see that it's slightly out of line.....slightly forward. Now pull it into line with the arrow by contracting your back muscles. Do it a few times to get the feeling of it. Now, when you nock the arrow on the string in front of a target and come to full draw and pull your elbow into line by contracting your back muscles something wonderful happens: a nearly perfect smooth release just about every time. It's simple. You cannot hold the string when your elbow is pulled into line with the arrow and release is automatic. Try it. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'!!

[lonestararcher]

Thank you guys for all the feedback! Looks like I have a few thing to work on. I tried keeping a slight bend in my left elbow and it helped get me back to the right.

A few folks mentioned over drawing. Can y'all clarify that? I'm not sure what it means.

I have always known that my release needs work but was never really sure how to work on it. Looks like I have plenty to keep me busy for a while.

[TMiddleton]

I do have a couple of questions though.

1.) Have you checked to make sure you are right eye dominant? Eye dominance can cause this kind of stuff.

2.) I see you are shooting 3 under. Do you have a nocking point tied below the arrow as well? 3 under shooters normally have two nocking points on the string, one above and one below. If you have only one nocking point, upon release the arrow slides down the string a little bit and the back of the arrow bounces off the shelf causing erractic arrow flight. I've got a link somewhere that shows it happening in slow motion. I can post the link if you want.

Just some things to think about and try.

Also, I agree you need to lower that drawing elbow a little bit.

[Restless]

I didn't see if you hit what you where looking at, if you did then your golden. If your gonna try out for the olympic team then thats something else. Now go kill something.

[Greywolf in Hawaii]

If thats a 8 foot fence you might have a 30 inch draw.
Your really stretching out, relax (over drawing) let the muscles fall into the place on their own, hunker down, tilt the bow tip to about 2 O'clock, it's help get your arrow under your eye.
Howard Hill had a 32 inch draw, he couldn't find arrows for his style so he shot split finger and the "Split-Vision" style which brought him to a 29 inch draw.
If your consistently hitting to the left then check the eye dominance if you going to hold your bow vertical like that.
If you are point gapping left eye dominance might be not so easy to see, but you'll know for sure if your gun-barreling.

Also pick a spot "inside" of a spot.(aim small miss small) "concentration" may also be a subtle issue too, you have a tendency to shoot where you look.

But then again what do I know..LOL I shoot facing forward.

[Hunter Todd]

I do have a couple of questions though.

1.) Have you checked to make sure you are right eye dominant? Eye dominance can cause this kind of stuff.

2.) I see you are shooting 3 under. Do you have a nocking point tied below the arrow as well? 3 under shooters normally have two nocking points on the string, one above and one below. If you have only one nocking point, upon release the arrow slides down the string a little bit and the back of the arrow bounces off the shelf causing erractic arrow flight. I've got a link somewhere that shows it happening in slow motion. I can post the link if you want.

Just some things to think about and try.

Also, I agree you need to lower that drawing elbow a little bit.

Thanks! you just solved one of my problems. I could hear the arrow slapping the shelf, but didnt know what I was hearing. Thanks again.

[psicoo]

Once you draw your arrow, start from the up position and come down to your shooting/aim position instead of beginning from the down position coming up.
Should notice a difference.
( a tip I picked up from a former employee of mine that was trying out for the olympics)