Draw arm high?

[Fuzzy Dog]

SwampRabbit - Have you ever shot with a Formmaster. If not, I'll be happy to loan you mine. You need it for about five draws to feel the difference between pulling with your arm and pulling with your back. I became a believer at Rod Jenkins clinic when he told me and another guy we were pulling with our arms and not our back. We told him he was full of it, so he put us both in Formmasters and neither of us could draw the bow at all until we figured out how to do it right instead of the way we were doing it.

Your elbow looks way high, but more to the point doesn't look like it even back to the extent of your range, let alone trying to rotate back behind your shoulder. Pretend your draw arm is simply a hook on the string. Pull entirely with your back muscles and the elbow will come down and around - you look in that picture like you have at least another inch and maybe more in you than you're getting. If you get the elbow where it belong, a tennis ball set on it won't fall off until you release - the way your elbow sits, it'd roll right off.

If you want another set of drawings, go to Trad Gang and look at "Terry's form clock." The line from you bow arm elbow to your draw arm elbow should be as close to level as you can get it. That should never change - you aim high, low, left or right by moving at your waist and hips without disturbing that straight line across your back.

O, put more simply, listen to Buff. He's absolutely right.

[jerp]

Since you asked I will pitch in my .02. From what I have read and heard from coaches, the forearm should be in line with the arrow as much as possible. Not only will that make your release directly behind the shaft but it is the best way to get a "rotational draw" that engages the rhomboids which enables you to have the relaxed hand and forearm necessary for a clean release.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X49xdu1wGdo"]performance-archery.tv | Episode 22 | Dynamic Posture - YouTube[/ame]

[SwampRabbit]

performance-archery.tv | Episode 22 | Dynamic Posture - YouTube

Is it me or is his elbow higher in the balanced form vs the unbalanced form?

[SwampRabbit]

Great info guys... thanks for the feedback.

[Texas5o]

I, too, have a problem with my drawing elbow too high. It feels right but I've been told it's high. I'm still trying to learn how to use my back muscles because, as long as I've been shooting, I never have. I'm hoping I'll master it some day

[M.E.B.]

Draw arm high?

Here is my theory on why 99% of us shoot with a high elbow.

Target archers use sights. They anchor under their jaw bone. Their tabs have a ledge that they set their jaw bone on. This puts their drawing hand low at the same level as their shoulder and everything lines up. They have good alignment, better shoulder tension etc.

Instinctive archers use a higher anchor to get the back end of the arrow under their eye. If you move the drawing hand up from under the jaw to up on your face the elbow follows and there is not a thing you can do about it

[Texas5o]

One other thing I have noticed about my "high elbow" form is that it causes me to tend to torque the bottom finger more than when I force the elbow down.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

Watch in the video how he keeps the shoulder down.. Get someone to stand behind you with their hand pushing down on your draw shoulder as you draw..

[Mike Javi Cooper]

Is it me or is his elbow higher in the balanced form vs the unbalanced form?

it is in line with the arrow, if it is artificially high it causes the load to be on the bottom finger and if artificially low on the index finger..

However the shoulder down and relaxed is the key. The elbow being high or low is very much secondary and somewhat dependent on one's forearm length in relation to upper arm length. Do not force the elbow down or raise it.

I will say that it is a bit easier to keep the shoulder down, when not drawing too much weight and/or with a slightly open stance..

[SwampRabbit]

Hmmm I think I am doing this right mostly... but perhaps inconsistently. Also, I think another part is not bending at the waist and dropping my bow arm and lifting my draw elbow. Look at these two pics where I wore a looser shirt that would bind to my skin.

Initial end of draw. Looks better to me.



Later I my face is rotated more and my elbow goes up to allow me to hit the same area on my face.



In order to keep the same head placement, I would need to find an anchor further back.

I use a tooth as my anchor because I like bone on bone... but I may need to find one further back.

[SwampRabbit]

I am not posting pictures of my potbelly... but my draw arm aligns with the arrow from behind in both situations.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

Looking at your feet it looks like you are closed, not open... Take your stance with someone behind you holding a 2x4 or broom handle... once you are aimed have them lay the board down at your toes and in line with the target... It may surprise you how closed you are..

[Greywolf in Hawaii]

Move your right foot half step ahead. It'll make you use your back muscle more.
Or next you'll be short drawing when you get a little tired.

[LiveFree]

Yep dig that shirt