# Practiced with my new bow/ form questions



## PlainandTall (Jul 7, 2009)

I got to go out and shoot some arrows today and I really like how my bow feels and operates, trying to get the sights dialed in, but was starting to get tired before I was 100% happy with the adjustment- at that point I think my shooting was starting to slump- so I quit while i was ahead and will try again tomorrow.

Anyway- my husband took a few pictures of me- and I was a bit annoyed to see that in a lot of the shots it looks like I'm leaning back. I have really no idea what proper form is supposed to be- but I know- not that! I'd like to post some of those pictures and get some advice about what's wrong with my form and what to do to correct it - I don't want to keep practicing if I'm doin it all wrong. Perfect practice makes perfect right?

There are so many board here- I can't make heads or tails of it- can someone suggest the proper place here to post such a request for (kind) critique?


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## MN_Chick (Jul 13, 2008)

You can certainly post it here, that way you avoid some of the droolers in the main forum. But for starters, your feet should be about shoulder width apart. Foot placement can vary for women, either both feet parallel to the target, or the front foot slightly turned out. I stand with both feet parallel to the target, but my foot closest to the target is a half step off-set from my rear foot. 

Your body should be a perfect T. hips directly above your feet, shoulders directly above your hips, and shoulders square. It's very common for women to want to cock that hip forward, and it can take some practice to stand straight.

Your bow arm should be straight out (90 degree angle from your body) but do NOT lock the elbow. Be sure not to cock up the drawing shoulder. Your anchor point should be a solid bone to bone connection so that it is easy to find each and every shot. 

Your bow should rest on the meaty part of your hand, between your thumb and forefinger. Do NOT grip the bow, but you can lightly touch your thumb and first finger if it makes you feel more secure. Still with me? I know, it's a lot.

Go ahead and post the pics here, we will give you whatever feedback we can. And, btw-- good call on quitting while you were ahead. If you shoot when you are tired, you will pick up some bad habits.


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## Mali (Dec 20, 2008)

Definitely post your pics here. The ladies here will be more than honest with you and very helpful to boot! I agree that you were really wise to stop while you were ahead because sighting in while tired will never work out well. I lost two arrows due to shooting while tired . . . and slapped my arm with the string . . . it wasn't pretty. :blob1:


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## PlainandTall (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks for that info MN Chick- Maybe you can see better with the pictures- I hope these post right and are a good size.


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## PlainandTall (Jul 7, 2009)

I saw in another post about proper form that the wrist strap is supposed to be up on my wrist like a watch- not down around my hand.

I also saw that there is supposed to be a straight line between my elbow-> hand-> bow wrist... and I can see that the line my drawing arm is making is no where near that- will tightening up the wrist strap change that line?

Also- the leaning back is pretty glaring. I wonder if I need to shift more weight to the front foot?


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## canam (Apr 2, 2003)

My husband and I are coaches and I asked him for advice so I could tell you good advice, lol. A few small tweaks and you'll be good to go!

First, bring your front foot back a little to where it is more in line with the back foot. You're going to form a T.

Second, drop your back elbow down just a little and make sure it is directly behind and in line with your arrow. This will also drop your shoulder just a little, which is what you want.

Third, twist your hips just a little so that your body is square and your shoulders are square with the target. You may need to slightly adjust your feet to get this just right.

Fourth, put weight on your front foot. Kinda like press your toes down and that will bring your leaning back into place and you should be straight. You want 60% of your weight on your front foot and 40% on the back.

I just saw your post about the wrist sling- you want it slightly loose or it will make you torque the bow and shoot left and right. The purpose of the wrist sling is to "catch" the bow. I don't have one attached to my bow, I use one that goes around my wrist and then hooks around the bow. My husband uses a finger sling.

Lastly, you are putting a death grip on your bow. Relax your bow hand. Your fingers should be "limp" but holding the bow. Make sure that your grip is just inside your lifeline and that will put you in control. It may feel strange at first, but once your grip is right, your arm guard can go and you'll be surprised at how things improve.

Hey- we paid big bucks to learn this (as well as going through being coached professionally) and I am giving it to you for free because I like you.  If I can help you more, please feel free to ask. Let me know if you try these tips and they work.


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## Huntinggirl (Jul 20, 2006)

You did the right thing. If you start to feel tired as hard as it is.,...put the bow down and get back to it tomorrow.

As for form, It is hard for me to type so that it makes sence but go to the General Archery Information and look at the thread that says another hows my form....

I would link it here if I knew how. 
There is also a thread on proper anchor. and a video on how to properly hold your bow....lots of good into in that thread. As well as what the ladies will tell you here.

Good Luck and again welcome to the addiction !!!


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## Huntinggirl (Jul 20, 2006)

Check out the bow hand torque explained thread in the same area too.


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## MN_Chick (Jul 13, 2008)

I think canam got it pretty well. Feet need to be a little closer together, level out your shoulders, and get that hip back in line.

As for the grip- this is probably the biggest problem I see. You want the bow free to move as it will after you release. If you grip the bow, it will cause it to react differently and throw your shot off. The wrist strap allows you to relax your grip and not worry about the bow falling. Either just touch your thumb and index finger around the bow, or extend all of your fingers. The wrist strap should be loose enough that you can easily slide your hand in and out, and it should not be distracting when you shoot. Mine is loose enough that I never even feel it.

Personally, (and this is NOT the same for everyone, you will find your own way) I have to extend my pinky outward as far as I can. This keeps me from gripping my bow, and it also helps me keep my elbow turned out.


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## CountryWoman (Jul 24, 2006)

Great advice ladies:thumb: 

I can't think of anything to add:noidea: . . and if we have any uncalled for remarks from visitors to the ladies forum I will get the :whip: out

p.s. beautiful grass much greener then AZ


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## PlainandTall (Jul 7, 2009)

I don't think I can ditch the arm guard yet... where else would I tape my cheat-sheet of great advice!? Thanks so much everyone- (and Mr. Canam too!) for taking the time to give this a look and help me get this right. What's the point of me fussing 1mm with a yellow dot- if my whole body is so far out of wack! I hope that I can somehow go through this checklist from toe to pinky while I practice and eventually have it come naturally into place.


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## CountryWoman (Jul 24, 2006)

Thought of something . .when I am out practicing especially sighting it(which I really need to do again since I have a new sight:frusty I will only shoot 3-4 shafts and then walk and go get them . . .I used to shoot more at a time and got tired alot quicker:wink:


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## MN_Chick (Jul 13, 2008)

PlainandTall said:


> I don't think I can ditch the arm guard yet... where else would I tape my cheat-sheet of great advice!? ... I hope that I can somehow go through this checklist from toe to pinky while I practice and eventually have it come naturally into place.


Oh no! Don't get rid of that arm guard until your form feels completely natural. The little changes you make will take your focus off of your elbow and you will smack it. A mental checklist is a good idea though. Form a process: place your feet, nock an arrow, draw, square your shoulders, check your hip, find your anchor, check your hand, turn your elbow.. every little detail so that you do it exactly the same every time. Eventually it will become second nature.



CountryWoman said:


> Thought of something . .when I am out practicing especially sighting it(which I really need to do again since I have a new sight:frusty I will only shoot 3-4 shafts and then walk and go get them . . .I used to shoot more at a time and got tired alot quicker:wink:


Shooting fewer arrows each time is a great idea, and can make more of a difference than one might think.


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## 1DevineShooter (Apr 13, 2008)

One thing I want to add is that most people I know that are leaning back in their form are doing so to compensate for a draw length that is a bit too long. Also since you are not interested in ditching the arm guard yet, that tells me that you are still getting a few slaps from the string, yet another sign your DL might be a bit too long. May not be the case with you, but worth mentioning anyway.


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## DeeS (May 12, 2005)

1DevineShooter said:


> One thing I want to add is that most people I know that are leaning back in their form are doing so to compensate for a draw length that is a bit too long. Also since you are not interested in ditching the arm guard yet, that tells me that you are still getting a few slaps from the string, yet another sign your DL might be a bit too long. May not be the case with you, but worth mentioning anyway.


I would tend to agree with you on this Julie. Great point! And as the others have said, close your stance a bit, lower your release arm, and make sure that your body does form a "T". You are for sure on the right track! :nod:


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## McStamper (Feb 25, 2009)

I have never had anyone take pics of my form, and I had no idea I leaned back until one guy at the club yelled "Stand up straight like a New York model." Now I add that to my mental check list.


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## Archry Princess (May 28, 2009)

Great advice Ladies! So much nicer than this type of post on the main page; Sometimes I feel bad for those guys.

Anyway, the one comment I would add is it looks like from the pics that the practice range is not quite level. It's hard to find a proper stance if you can't get your feet level with each other. Unlevel ground will automatically shift your hips. Try to find a place to stand that is completely level for practicing. 

One other tip for sighting in: Get a blank target and put a horizontal stripe on it (piece of electrical tape on a paper plate works good). Shoot with the pin on the tape without thinking about left or right. Seems easier to tell if you are shooting high or low. You can also rotate the plate to a vertical line to work on your left and right.


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## canam (Apr 2, 2003)

I'd suggest sitting down and reflecting what all has been said. When I was getting started, I wrote a shot sequence after I had been practicing. Here's me:
1) get my stance
2) hook my wrist sling
3) nock my arrow
4) hook my release
5) square my hips and shoulders *
6) hand in grip release hand at brace
7) study the target and get a focus point
8) breathe
9) focus, focus, focus on your spot
10) draw and bring bow to anchor- not head to bow
11) anchor
12) release
13) reflect on the shot

You will get a mental checklist that works just for you and it will become natural, but if I start to shoot badly (and know it's me and not my yardage) I will take myself back through that sequence to see where's the problem.

Here's a great tip- when you make a shot that "feels" right- stop, walk to the target and reflect on everything you did in that shot. Collect your arrow, go back and repeat it.


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## PlainandTall (Jul 7, 2009)

OK- I have been practicing every day and trying to work on some of the stuff you guys told me to... my form seems a bit improved- but my accuracy is still totally off... grrr. I am still not sure about my sights- but I'm not even getting consistent tight groups low or high... at 20 yards I'm getting a loose cluster low and one or two of five actually hitting at or above where I was aiming....

I have been working to stand up straight, to keep more of my weight on the forward foot, to keep my draw arm elbow back and down a little, to loosen up my death grip on the bow and to pull the trigger release easy- not to snatch it. I think I see improvement between last week and now- but I wish the arrows were telling me a better story. I'm being patient and I'm going to keep plugging away at it. 

Any further comments are well appreciated- the last round was so helpful!



















I think this picture is so funny- to me it looks like I'm drawing back using mental telepathy.... if I could power that up some more- maybe I could pull 80#


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## SLG2 (Feb 16, 2008)

All the advise here is great. I agree that you are probably a hair too long in the draw length. Accuracy comes from consistency, and it is hard to tell from the picture if you are anchoring your release hand in a good spot or not. Check out our website and read the article called the Value of a Coach. It seems like you are really enjoying archery, but getting frustrated at trying to teach yourself (or have you loved ones teach you, which is not always a recipe for success). Good Luck! Oh, yes...I recommend try to always quit practice before you get too tired and on a good shot!


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## MN_Chick (Jul 13, 2008)

I would bring the back foot up a little closer. The farther apart your feet are, the farther apart your arrows will be  Keep them directly under your shoulders.

One thing you can do is blank bale. Take the target off the bale and just shoot focusing on your form instead of your aim. It can be a lot less frustrating. Also, move your target closer. Start small, maybe 8 or 10 yards. When you feel comfortable there, back it out a little. If archery was easy, none of us would have stuck with it because we'd all be bored. Expect it to take some time.

It won't pay to sight in your pins until your form is down. As long as you are hitting the bale, don't worry about it yet. You will spend all day chasing your pins if your form isnt set yet. Above all else, make sure you are having fun. When you get frustrated, go do somethng else and come back with a fresh attitude.


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## kimmiedawn (Jun 26, 2006)

That last pic is awsome by the way. Your form is defenatly improving. Like MN-chick said. "square" your feet with your shoulders. I see 1 change I would make to form though.. Your release arm elbow needs to come down. More paralle(sp) to the ground to be inline with your arrow and bow arm. Makin the archery "T" Squaring your shoulder. 

Talkin about form and proper draw length. I have 2 bows, 1 for huntin and 1 for 3D. Well I had shot the 3D bow and liked the way it shot and was comfortable. Then after shootin my huntin bow at a few 3D shoots, even in Metropolis, I picked up my 3D bow and it didnt feel right. I had hubby step back and look at it when I was at full draw. I told him it felt short and I could not stop the "bow bobble" I was gettin. So he called Anderson bow company to make sure which way to adjust the DL on it. It has 4 settings A-D. A was supose to be 27" on this bow.. It was on B.. Which they said was 27 1/2.. Well anyway. It is now on 28" and feels great. My huntin bow (Parker Side-Kick) is set at 27" and feels great. That just proved what I had heard before about "not all bows bein alike".


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## canam (Apr 2, 2003)

Sarah- you're looking much better! Like kimmie said, drop your back elbow down just a little but. The overall objective is to have your elbow behind your arrow. Another thing is to relax your bow hand. Your grip is much better, now just relax that hand a little and you'll have it going on. When you bring your foot mre under your shoulder, your hips will straighten up even further and you will see a marked improvement. 

That last pic is cool! You must have just released! 

Kimmie- the string angle of a bow has a lot to do with how a draw length feels. This is due to the ATA and brace height.


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## z28melissa (Feb 8, 2007)

That last picture is so awesome :mg:

Your form is looking great from what I can see. Something that helped me with my grip issue is when someone told me to "push" the bow, rather than grip it. I make my hand almost like a "stop" sign, then relax my fingers. This also turned my elbow out a little, and the string doesn't hit my arm that way.

Don't worry about your grouping, it will be all over the place until you've practiced for a while with consistent form... it's all part of the game


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

*Great job!!*

Huge improvement--you've done a great job. I have a couple of more suggestions. You seem to still be carrying a lot of tension in your upper body. 

Starting with the bow hand, improved, but don't try to extend the fingers, just let them curl naturally at about a 45 degree angle in front of the riser. Pointing fingers places a lot of tension in the bow hand that translates to bow torque and missed shots. 

Next, try to take a deep breath and let the bow shoulder relax down so you have bone-to-bone contact going from your wrist all the way back to your shoulder.

Lastly, allow your drawing arm to naturally relax down so you don't feel tension in your neck while anchored. You may need to adjust your anchor point down about 1/2 inch to accomplish this this. This will help to square up your shoulders in a relaxed manner.

Keep up the great work and please keep us all posted on your progress.:teeth:


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## kimmiedawn (Jun 26, 2006)

canam said:


> Kimmie- the string angle of a bow has a lot to do with how a draw length feels. This is due to the ATA and brace height.


wow learn somethin new. My Parker is 31" ATA and the Anderson is 36" ATA. So that could have somethin to do ith it..)
And talkin about grippin the bow... that is 1 thing I love about the Anderson bows, you CANT hold it wrong...it is to uncomfortable on your palm if you do.. It kinda hurts... So you learn proper angle on your grip.


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## PlainandTall (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks so much everyone- I practiced at 20 yds this AM and PM... 30 arrows in the morning and 15 tonight... I put a sheet of paper with a 1.25 inch orange sticker on it for my target- just so I'd have something to think about. Both times- my first shot hit the center of the sticker... and went downhill from there. I think this says a lot about fatigue/freshness. I'm shooting 5 arrows at a time and I should probably back off to 3. I might also set up a short range closer to the house so I can pound some in from a short distance more times a day. 

Tonight's groups were getting much tighter- so I am not quite so worried about the sights... on previous days *everything* was going low- but tonight - 5 shots were level with the center, 6 low and 4 high. Something must be going better... I WILL find a coach who can help me understand the cause and effect of the adjustments I'm making. (could it really be as simple as MN Chick said? I did put my feet closer together- and whaddaya know... what she said would happen did!)

Thanks SLG2 for pointing me to that coaching article- I can certainly see how too many cooks could... you know...


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## Washi (Jan 23, 2005)

PlainandTall said:


> I saw in another post about proper form that the wrist strap is supposed to be up on my wrist like a watch- not down around my hand.


If you are talking about your wrist strap for your release then you are correct, it needs to be tight enough that it is around your wrist like a watch, not up on your hand. You DO NOT want that to slide off your hand at full draw. Also being up on your hand would make you have to reach for the trigger more.

If like other people thought, you were talking about your wrist sling, then yes it should be loose and just kind of hang down over your wrist.


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## Mrs.Bowhunter02 (Jul 8, 2009)

I know EXACTLY what you mean about your proper form. While shooting, I have the same problem about wanting to lean back. My husband can't understand why I do it and I don't either. 
We try to practice everyday now in order to work on my form. Hopefully, practice makes perfect . . like you said! :smile:


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## moodawn (Jul 17, 2009)

I am new to the site and I am taking in every bit of info on proper form. I am sure I have bad form as well, but no pics to see. Sorry I have no advice to give, except maybe practice, practice, practice.:teeth:


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## canam (Apr 2, 2003)

Hi Sarah
If you're getting your height about the same but experiencing left and right isses, it could be that you are getting used to the grip. Make sure that your wrist sling is slightly looseand your bow hand is relaxed. It will feel weird at first, but trust me on this, you will see an improvement.


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## MN_Chick (Jul 13, 2008)

Washi said:


> If you are talking about your wrist strap for your release then you are correct, it needs to be tight enough that it is around your wrist like a watch, not up on your hand. You DO NOT want that to slide off your hand at full draw. Also being up on your hand would make you have to reach for the trigger more.
> 
> If like other people thought, you were talking about your wrist sling, then yes it should be loose and just kind of hang down over your wrist.


I didn't even think of that, it's absolutely correct.



Mrs.Bowhunter02 said:


> I know EXACTLY what you mean about your proper form. While shooting, I have the same problem about wanting to lean back. My husband can't understand why I do it and I don't either.
> We try to practice everyday now in order to work on my form. Hopefully, practice makes perfect . . like you said! :smile:


Try dropping your draw weight a little, see if that makes a difference.


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## PlainandTall (Jul 7, 2009)

Canam- I'm having "left" issues... not so much left/right ones... this was my paper from last night with the 1.25" sticker in the middle killed with my first arrow (I drew the circles after the fact)... as I mentioned- things seem to have balanced out in terms of height- but 14 of the 15 shots here are left of center- 








Here is this morning's 15... and 13 are left of center...









If I hadn't hit the stickers on the first shots yesterday- I might be thinking I needed to adjust the sights horizontally- but I'm inclined to believe that this is something I'm doing causing the leftward trend.


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## FLcracker (Apr 16, 2009)

Try blind bailing this will help you keep the same form everytime.

This is when you stand about 3- 5 ft from the target, draw back with your eyes closed (keep eyes closed) concentrate only on feeling how your form and anchor point feels, then let down. Do this several times, then instead of letting down, shoot. Do not open eyes until after you shoot. When you can place 2-3 arrows close together then you know you are starting to consistently use the same form and anchor point. After you have done this for some time then start worrying about groups at a distance. I find that after doing this and becoming familiar with how it "feels" I will know as soon as I release if it was a bad shot because it didnt "feel" right. I also go back to blind baling on practice days when I find I can not group to save my life. I usually notice that my form was off a little or my anchor point had changed just a little. Basically you are wanting the same "feel" all the time.


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## Nocked_Nurse89 (Sep 26, 2008)

Your form is looking much better!! Here are some tips that I was taught and still have to be reminded of every now and then.

First, when you draw back, close your eyes and get completely settled in your anchor, then open your eye and aim. This will help you find the same anchor point/position every time and should close up your groups a little.

Second, when aiming, don't look at your pin! This is the hardest thing for me, but in a book that I read, it says to focus only on your target, and your pin will naturally go there. If you are trying to "put" your pin on your target, then you will punch your release and pull the shot, which brings me to another tip...

Third, don't punch the trigger when you get your pin on your target. Keep focussing and put some pressure on the trigger, but rather than release by moving your finger, pull into your backwall harder with your whole arm and pull through your shot letting the tension set off your release. It's hard to do at first because you will think you're going to pull off of your target, but trust me, if you can do this you will shoot better!

Lastly, if you are still having trouble with leaning back (it's ok I leaned back for the first few months!) try picking your feet up and comfortably placing them shoulder width apart at full draw. I still have to do this if I feel I'm leaning back. This will even out your weight distribution on your feet and make your stance more comfortable. Just make sure you stay hard into your backwall, don't think too much about your feet, and keep your finger behind that trigger while doing all of your adjustments!

Best of luck to you, read this forum often, and you'll learn more than you can imagine!!

Great advice from all ladies on here!

NN


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## kimmiedawn (Jun 26, 2006)

Nocked_Nurse89 said:


> Second, when aiming, don't look at your pin! This is the hardest thing for me, but in a book that I read, it says to focus only on your target, and your pin will naturally go there. If you are trying to "put" your pin on your target, then you will punch your release and pull the shot, which brings me to another tip...
> 
> Best of luck to you, read this forum often, and you'll learn more than you can imagine!!
> 
> ...


The sight thing, i have noticed this yr for the 1st time I am focusin more "down range" not lookin at my pins as much and it does help. 

And as for anchor. I have found the best thing, for me, is a kisser button. Some ppl cant shoot em, I can shoot without one but I am more comfortable with one.


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## McStamper (Feb 25, 2009)

I'm loving all the info in this thread!


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## canam (Apr 2, 2003)

kimmiedawn said:


> The sight thing, i have noticed this yr for the 1st time I am focusin more "down range" not lookin at my pins as much and it does help.
> 
> And as for anchor. I have found the best thing, for me, is a kisser button. Some ppl cant shoot em, I can shoot without one but I am more comfortable with one.


Kisser buttons are a great aide in locating your anchor point. Some of my best shooting was with a kisser button. When I switched to the Equalizer, I trained myself to shoot without one, but every once in a while, I think.... hmmmmmmmmmm.......... 

It is definitely great to focus on your target. If you focus on the target, the rest will come.

Here's my cure for leaning back. Weight distribution on your feet should be 60-40 with 60% on your front foot. If you "press" your toes of your front foot down, it will help with balance and to keep from leaning.


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## bowtechbuffy (Jul 3, 2007)

Your form is definitly MUCH improved, Good Job!! 

A few things I noticed though, the hand that is holding the bow should be completely relaxed, don't stick your fingers out at weird angles, or try to hold onto the bow at all. Just let the bow naturally cradle in your hand and don't try to control it. I tlaked to Mike Deck @ Nelsonville the other weekend and he taught me a trick that works extremely well. If you look at your hand, you'll see an egg shaped pad just below your thumb. Place the back of your riser down the middle of that pad and relax the whole hand. This will not only help keep you from gripping your bow, but it will also help align your bow hand, arm, elbow, & shoulder with the arrow. When you release your shot you should feel the bow bounce around in your hand a bit, that's what your wrist sling is for, to keep you from dropping the bow. When I shoot, I don't have my hand wrapped around the grip at all, not even 1 finger. Your hand should be completely relaxed and loose. If it isn't you will torque. The groups you posted look like your torquing your bow because they are consistent in the direction they are traveling (ie left). 

You might also want to shorten the amount of time you practice. I get more out of shooting 2 dozen GOOD shots than I do out of shooting 12 dozen bad ones. If there is one thing that doesn't feel 100% right when you are setting up for your shot, let down and regroup, then try again. Once you learn what "right" feels like, you'll automatically correct the "bad". 

I would recommend shortening your draw length by about 1/2", I think it would help you balance your body out more and bring your hips under your shoulders. A draw length that is too long will cause all kinds of problems, one of which is pushing your forward hip towards the target, we women have a natural tendency to compensate shifts in body position with adjustments in hip position. It's just how we balance. Look at female gymnasts for proof of this... Our balance is controlled alot by our hip region. By shortening your draw length it will force your shoulders back over your hips and give you a more stable foundation to work with. 

Outside of that, I think you're on the right track. Just remember that it will take time and no one gets grat overnite. Stick with it and don't give up!! Oh and don't forget us little folks when you do become great!!

Oh one last thing, I noticed yout trigger finger is stiff as a board. Relax. Let it go limp and lay gently against the trigger, then _slowly, slowly, slowly, squeeeeeeeze _the trigger. Never slap it. That will help the side to side shots too.


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## PlainandTall (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks Buffy! I'm headed out right now for a few shots and I'm going to work on relaxing these hands of mine.


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## bowtechbuffy (Jul 3, 2007)

PlainandTall said:


> Thanks Buffy! I'm headed out right now for a few shots and I'm going to work on relaxing these hands of mine.


Take some more pics if you can so we can see how well you're doing! Its great seeing someone progress like this!


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## bowtechbuffy (Jul 3, 2007)

Hey P&T, here's a shot of my bow hand at full draw. The back of the riser is in the middle of the pad under my thumb and my fingers are totally relaxed. 

Hope this helps...


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## SLG2 (Feb 16, 2008)

If I hadn't hit the stickers on the first shots yesterday- I might be thinking I needed to adjust the sights horizontally- but I'm inclined to believe that this is something I'm doing causing the leftward trend.[/QUOTE]

When we shoot left it is normally because we do not have equal pressure on our shot release...this may be hard to explain in writing...if you are pulling your release back with a greater force than you are holding your bow arm then you will likely shoot left for a right handed shooter visa versa for a left handed shooter. Also, make sure your stance is squared off to your target. I admire your patience, most would have chased their form with their site pins! Good job! Keep up the great work! Karen


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## alpinehottie (Jul 5, 2009)

I started out with my feet in the T formation (how I learned to shoot) and since have tried multiple other stances but I have found that the T works best for me. I don't lean and i can hold my bow steadier. Another woman archer I know can not stand that way and shoot because she is bigger up top (if you know what i mean) and she doesn't want to take one of the girls off. I would recommend trying the T stance because I think it is more comfortable and helps to stabilize better.



canam said:


> My husband and I are coaches and I asked him for advice so I could tell you good advice, lol. A few small tweaks and you'll be good to go!
> 
> First, bring your front foot back a little to where it is more in line with the back foot. You're going to form a T.
> 
> ...


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## O'Gnaw (May 5, 2009)

Here's how I look - not my best since the camera has a 10 second timer, so I had about 2 seconds to address the target and draw:










Groups are tightening up, and there's a realization I may see solid repeatability eventually - much debt to this thread!

:set1_applaud::77::clap:


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## JAG (May 23, 2006)

If I have left or right issues, i go back to a few basics thing i have learned.

Keep in mind I am right handed, so the opposite would apply for you.

When I shoot to the left it's usually because i am grabbing my bow, you dont want a death grip on your bow, but you dont want open fingers either, because in watching a slo-mo video, you will see that you close your fingers to grab your bow, causing it to shoot to the left (right, if you area left handed) My advice is go back to basics, take your last 3 fingers and tuck them under, or if unable to do this then draw back open handed and gently place your index fingertip on the front of your riser .

If i shoot to the right, (in your case you would hitting left)
Its because i am punching my release... Try, try, try as I might, I still have a big problem with that..Even though I have about got it nailed down into an art form because i can shoot pretty well this way.. I can only imagine how good i could really be if didn't punch...The only way I have found to help deal with this is blind baling. 

Another factor to think about is look at the sun.. is that sunbeam shining down from behind you or slighty to your right rear, because i have noticed that it tends to flare up my pins and i will shoot left everytime. I have to make myself think hard and place my pin just to the right of my spot to hit it. Maybe this doesnt happen to everyone, maybe i'm mental..LOL But it does seem to be a problem for me.


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## O'Gnaw (May 5, 2009)

Thanks! With the extra 2 seconds I usually take on "set" I open my hand and relax and only focus on the point I want to hit.

Yep, the sun's bright up here above 9,00ft - no doubt about it!

Doing this "instinctive" with a buckle wrist release takes tons of patience (averaging 50 shots a day, some days lots more during the week) with my limitations - but I do love it! As it gradually all comes together, I can't help but smile for a long time after I put the bow (her name's Jenny, btw) down for the day.

PlainandTall - I wish I had a nice field of grass for a range! I bet you'll get the pattern for stability and repeatible accuracy down pat long before me - meanwhile, I'll just keep swimming (life's but a dream)!


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## bowtechbuffy (Jul 3, 2007)

JAG said:


> Another factor to think about is look at the sun.. is that sunbeam shining down from behind you or slighty to your right rear, because i have noticed that it tends to flare up my pins and i will shoot left everytime. I have to make myself think hard and place my pin just to the right of my spot to hit it. Maybe this doesnt happen to everyone, maybe i'm mental..LOL But it does seem to be a problem for me.


Jag, you're not alone! I think we've all had this problem at one time or another. I keep a square of thin black plastic (you could use a peice of crafting sheet foam, or even just an index card) and a rubberband with me to use as a quick sunshade. It works really well to shade my sight, but my peep still gives me trouble from time to time. If anyone has any suggestions on how to shade a peep without wearing a hat, I'd love to hear them! Thanks!


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## canam (Apr 2, 2003)

The easiest way to handle shading your peep is to have an umbrella toter, lol. If somebody totes your umbrella and shades your peep, you'll see how much things improve. Meanwhile, try to rearrange yourself at the target. I try to put a tree between the sun and me for example. 

Down here in the south, if we don't have an umbrella handy, we just use a palmetto fan, lol.


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## bowtechbuffy (Jul 3, 2007)

My son & my hubby are too busy shooting to tote or hold umbrellas for me, so I guess I'm on my own! I've been using the tree technique for years now, but it doesn't work too well in a field... Oh well, guess I just gotta think of an invention that will fix the problem for me! Maybe I'll get rich and famous from it! 

Maybe not...


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