# shaky bow



## Josebon (Mar 24, 2011)

Ttt


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## da white shoe (Mar 10, 2009)

Not enough info to tell whether you're over bowed, but relaxation at full draw is the key to a steady sight picture. You have to relax every muscle that is not needed to hold the bow at full draw, including torso and legs. Any tension in your hands will really translate into the bow. Are you shooting a compound with sights and a release? If so, this is the way to shoot it.

If you're useing an index finger triggered release, you need to touch the trigger with the 2nd pad back from the tip of your finger. (Don't use the tip of your finger. It is too sensitive and easy to move.) To do this, you have to keep your release shortened up. With some releases you will have to keep the strap very tight and with others, not so much. For target panic, I would get a pure back tension release.

Before you draw, position your hand on the grip and start pulling back to put pressure on the string. You are trying to find the exact spot for your bowhand to be in. On your bow hand, you want to feel all the pressure from the bow at full draw, at one point on your palm. Pretend there is a steel rod running parallel and exactly between the two bones in your forearm. Where that rod would exit your palm is where this point is. If you find this spot, it will help keep you from torqueing the bow handle. Once you start your draw, do not move your bow hand AT ALL.

At full draw, your release hand, as well as your bow hand, should be completely relaxed. That means that you don't want to be grasping or squeezeing the barrel of the release with that hand, or the grip of your bow handle with the other. Also, do not force either of your hands open. Your fingers should be hanging limp. I lightly touch my first finger and my thumb together around the handle, but some people use a wrist sling.

Use the bones in your arms and your back muscles to hold as much of the weight of the bow at full draw as you can. Relax every muscle in your arms that you don't need to use to stay at full draw. That goes for the muscles in your torso and legs, too. Remember; tension in your muscles is what causes your sights to wobble and jump around. If you can learn to relax everything that isn't needed to hold at full draw, your sights will barely even move. Your draw length must not be too long. If it is, you will have a hard time relaxing fully. 

Next thing to work on is getting a surprise release. After you have learned to relax at full draw and your sight pins are fairly still, teach yourself to aim while slowly squeezeing the trigger until the bow goes off. Better yet, learn to do it by squeezeing the muscles of your back so that your shoulder blades are trying to touch. Put as much pressure on the trigger as you can without making it fire and then squeeze just your back muscles until it goes off. You do it this way with a back tension release also.

To aim, reach full draw, line up your bubble level, (yes, you need one!), pick the right pin and center it or the sight housing, (which ever you do), in the peep. Next, move your whole upper body to get on target. You don't want to just move your arm up and down or side to side. At full draw, your upper body and arms should at all times form a perfect T shape. When the pin is on the spot, concentrate on relaxing and then start your squeeze. The pin will still seem to float around the spot, but you need to forget about the pin. You will naturally try to keep it on the spot without even thinking about it. You should be focusing on the spot and nothing else. Keep your concentration while slowly squeezing off the shot, making sure to follow through after the release. The first few times the bow goes off, it will scare the heck out of you. Keep at it! You will get used to it and it is important to do. You will know you are doing it right when the arrow goes dead center even when you think the pin was not on the spot at the time your bow went off.

When you "follow through" after the bow goes off, people say you should try to keep the pin on the target or keep aiming until the arrow hits. I've always felt that that was a bad way to describe it. You can't keep aiming or even see the pin once you shoot. What I would say is... keep your T form until the arrow hits, do not drop your bow arm or move your head, stay relaxed and let the bow go where it wants to with out grabbing it. Good follow through takes practice.

When you start trying all of this for the first time, it will speed up the process if you do it with your eyes closed at first. Your target needs to be at the same height as your arrow. I hang my target from a rafter and stand close, so that the tip of my arrow is about 3 feet away from the target at full draw. After you reach full draw and have lined everything up, close your eyes and think through every step of the shot. 

When that feels comfortable, move to a blank target that is 3 yards away and start shooting with your eyes open, but use no spot and try not to aim for a spot on the target. When you have the hang of it, move to 5 yards with a spot and try it all while aiming. Work your way out to longer and longer distances, but if you feel yourself slipping back to doing something wrong, don't be afraid to get close again.

The philosophy you want, is to think of yourself as a bow shooting machine. You have to stay out of the way to allow the arrow to leave the bow with no outside influences working against it. Do everything listed here, do it the same everytime and you will soon be looking for a sight that has 7 or 8 pins!

I know... it is a lot to digest! Just take it one step at a time, take no shortcuts, practice only as long as you can concentrate fully and it will all come together for you.

Good luck!


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## swhipple (Feb 21, 2011)

Interesting reading I am working on the same problems and plan to try your advice.

Thanks!!

Shawn


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## Josebon (Mar 24, 2011)

wow ill definitely be trying this today when i go shooting


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## Josebon (Mar 24, 2011)

well i tried out most of what you said.. and i also had my peep moved up and adjusted my pins. now i shoot about half an inch to the right and up. arrows are in a cluster though. any ideas?


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## da white shoe (Mar 10, 2009)

Josebon said:


> well i tried out most of what you said.. and i also had my peep moved up and adjusted my pins. now i shoot about half an inch to the right and up. arrows are in a cluster though. any ideas?


If your arrows are grouping, move your sights.
If you are shooting at 20 yards and you can tell that you're off by a half inch, you are shooting very well!


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## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

SEND ME A VIDEO. SO I CAN DO THIS RIGHT.SOUNDS LIKE A FORM PROBLEM.:shade:


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## Josebon (Mar 24, 2011)

I'll try and get the video posted this weekend...


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## Big Harry (Nov 3, 2008)

This post deserves to be copied , thanks for your time 



da white shoe said:


> Not enough info to tell whether you're over bowed, but relaxation at full draw is the key to a steady sight picture. You have to relax every muscle that is not needed to hold the bow at full draw, including torso and legs. Any tension in your hands will really translate into the bow. Are you shooting a compound with sights and a release? If so, this is the way to shoot it.
> 
> If you're useing an index finger triggered release, you need to touch the trigger with the 2nd pad back from the tip of your finger. (Don't use the tip of your finger. It is too sensitive and easy to move.) To do this, you have to keep your release shortened up. With some releases you will have to keep the strap very tight and with others, not so much. For target panic, I would get a pure back tension release.
> 
> ...


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