# HELP! How to properly engage shoulder blade (compound)



## mateust (Feb 16, 2018)

Hi guys, I am new here (first post). Sorry for some mistakes on my english (non-english speaker here).

Have been into archery for almost a year with my own (compound) bow. I feel my form is very consistent since I can hold my bow strongly steadily at the 10 ring and the follow through is working.

BUT this is not happening on every shot. 

I am having a hard time when it comes to engage my shoulder blade. I simply cannot find the right place in all shots. Sometimes I fell it is engaged, sometimes I feel it is not. Also, sometimes I cannot keep the shoulder blade in place before the shot, so I feel my draw arm is trying to "get back" to relaxing position. I am shooting 51 pounds.

If I squeeze my back too hard with the arm movement I feel the string goes deeper into the tip of my nose and my shot always go out of path. And my bow shoulder goes in a high position. If I squeeze just a bit I get less stability 

Any hints on how to find the proper "engaging point" for shoulder blade and how to keep it in place? 

Many tks


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

Bow shoulder popping up to high position. Watch this video by GRIV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJbu3GtfUro






Push the bow away from your, reach for the target and this will keep your bow shoulder down.


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

How to engage release side shoulder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gexDLptcios






Release side collar bone must relax and drop.


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

mateust said:


> Hi guys, I am new here (first post). Sorry for some mistakes on my english (non-english speaker here).
> 
> Have been into archery for almost a year with my own (compound) bow. I feel my form is very consistent since I can hold my bow strongly steadily at the 10 ring and the follow through is working.
> 
> ...


When you walk down a set of stairs, do you THINK about how to move your left knee, and then take a step, and then THINK about how you move your right knee, and then, take another step down the stairs? No. You have walked down several hundred thousand steps of stairs, and you do not THINK about what to do, and your body remembers what to do, and your legs walk down the stairs by themselves. You upper body goes along for the ride.


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

mateust said:


> Hi guys, I am new here (first post). Sorry for some mistakes on my english (non-english speaker here).
> 
> Have been into archery for almost a year with my own (compound) bow. I feel my form is very consistent since I can hold my bow strongly steadily at the 10 ring and the follow through is working.
> 
> ...


So, the very first time you walk down a set of stairs, the very first time you drive a car, you have to THINK through each step. So, how to proper "engage" the release side shoulder blade? Rotation. Imagine a camera in the sky, pointing the lens straight down. The right shoulder joint must fly in a circle behind your head. When the right shoulder joint moves in a circle, the right shoulder blade will "engage" and move sideways into the backbone. Here is an excellent description of how to perform the "angular" movement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c8_-96h6BY






Watch the entire video because Coach Moe has several excellent camera angles, so you can clearly see the movement "around your spine (backbone)".


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## Theresa1 (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm not a coach, but someone told me to imagine I'm trying to put my shoulder blade in my back pocket. It helped me. Good luck!


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