# Anchor hand position and stability



## pherrley (Jan 24, 2015)

I got a new bow the other day and set the peep so the knuckle on my index finger just touches my jaw bone. I did this so I could shoot with a flat hand instead of turning my hand over a pressing them into my face. 

Does anchor hand contact with your face increase stability? Or likewise, would a floating anchor hand that had not contact with your face be less stable? Or does float almost all come from your bow arm? I haven't tried enough variation to know this, but intuitively I would guess the contact of your hand on your face would help.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

With this, "would a floating anchor hand that had not contact with your face," I think you need to get one-on-one with a knowledgeable archer.


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## dmacey (Mar 27, 2015)

My personal experience with loads of experimentation with this exact item - which is only my experience and may not apply to others: I have found that only a very light contact of the knuckles with the jaw bone gives me the best results. I rely on my alignment on the back end to maintain the anchor point when pulling through the shot, not any form of pressure against the face. No string contact anywhere is permitted what-sooo-ever on the face, with the exception of touching the center of the nose. I also tend to kiss the string as a habit. 

For me, if the final execution is running right there's no increase or decrease in the very light touch to the jaw bone, which indicates to me that I'm maintaining my alignment. I check this regularly with bareshafts too.

I use to use more pressure and it had the effect of disguising mis-alignment on my back end, particularly pulling the elbow too far back round behind the head and a slight collapse on the front end. This was a recent form change for me and I checked it at the target yesterday with my freestyle rig, the improvement in my scores afterwards are almost 10 points on a Vegas face...

Anyway, my experience with anchor, that may or may not be worth more than the usual .02,

DM


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

You never want to have a floating anchor--there is no way to be consistent without maintaining a repeatable light contact with your facial reference point. You also do not want the string digging into your face or facial hair; just a light contact with the tip of your nose (if able depending on string angle) is preferred. Finally, maintain a consistent hand angle with your release hand. An angle that is between horizontal and about 35 degrees will allow for easier use of the back muscles for executing your shot.


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## pops (Oct 10, 2015)

Montigre is right on with what works for me. not that i can repeat it everytime but working on it


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## Sasquech (Dec 15, 2014)

Montigre on the money . I use groove between 1st and second finger on jaw line works well for me and my students.


Staff shooter Dream Shot Archery makers of Twisted Minds bowstrings. 
Hoyt Pro Comp Elite XL 51#
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## nestly (Apr 19, 2015)

I like light contact between the back of my hand and my jaw. What I find works best is to set the bow up to hit in the middle without a peep installed, then install the peep and make sure I'm still hitting the middle without adjusting the sight. This ensures I'm in a comfortable and repeatable position, not making small adjustments as I come to anchor to make sure the peep and scope are centered with each other. When I have a good anchor, my group size isn't much larger with no peep than with a small diameter peep installed. Outdoor setup is a little different since the pin height changes as yardage changes.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Again, no response and no one knows what type release he has.


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

Aside from determining the preferred anchor point for the specific type of release used, ie 1st knuckle under the earlobe for a wrist rocket versus along the jaw line for a hinge or thumb trigger, the basic concepts of anchoring are the same for all releases.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

Have a person take a picture of you at full draw, then take a look at the arrow. It should be between your lips and the lower jaw bone, it is ok for it to be centered between the lips and lower jaw but should not be above the center of them. It is ok for the arrow to be on the lower half between the jaw bone and the middle of the lips and the jaw bone. 

With a hand held having flat knuckles to the floor is not a good thing, i see a fee people doing it but in the end very few. Having a perfectly flat hand against your cheek is kind of the other extreme and again there are a few people with a perfectly flat hand against the cheek but is really spreads out the pressure and kind of feels wishy washy. The most common is more of a 45 degree angle approach, this allows your index finger main knuckle to dig into the jaw bone and give you a great reference point right there and it moves the string off of your face so it isn't digging in. In fact by working with your d-loop length and having proper draw length you can have the index knuckle just under the ear lobe and on the side of the jaw bone instead of behind the jaw bone and this really helps with the string not digging into the cheek. 

45 degree is just a reference number that we use and it is not a exact thing, It is just a way to tell you somewhere between flat knuckles to the floor and a flat hand against the cheek. This is where personal preference takes over.

One thing I strongly suggest is taking out your peep, most people are coming from a wrist strap setup and the try and make the hand held work with that setup of d-loop length and peep location and it does not work. So by taking out the peep and then shooting for a while you can focus on the anchor point and get things fitting just right and then find the perfect location for the peep.


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

The hand position mentioned in my post is used for those who desire to shoot a hand-held release using back tension. 

The method mentioned by Padgett with the shooter placing his/her release hand at an angle 45 degrees or more against the face is generally used by those who manipulate the release in some manner to get it to fire. You can tell this method is being used because their release hand and arm generally moves straight back, away from their face, and down at the time of release. 

However, when employing back tension and a shallower release hand angle, you see the release hand and arm move in an arc along their jaw-line and back around their neck. This method also allows for less tricep and shoulder muscles to be employed in order to fire the release. 

Both methods do work, but I prefer the method that allows for the large muscles of the back to do the work instead of the smaller muscles of the arm and shoulder--both for shot precision and for injury prevention.

Starting off without a peep to dial in your initial anchor position is a very good recommendation.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

You are getting some really good looks into the little things to consider when setting up your grip and angles and stuff, good luck and once you settle in don't allow a hang up frustrate you. I guarantee that we had those hang ups also and between all of us we can give you solutions to move on and enjoy your shooting..


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## pherrley (Jan 24, 2015)

Thanks for all the posts, and advice. Dmacey's answer was what I was looking for; thanks for that. 

I didn't mean my question to be posed as "am I anchoring correctly", sorry if it sounded that way. I am not looking for advise in this particular question. I'm just wondering if anyone has experimented with "bracing" your anchor hand against your face.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

There is no force. "Bone to bone" is just a term meaning to be repeatable.

Just the index knuckle touching isn't something normally seen. The index and middle finger splitting the jaw line is seen. See pic.

Unless a injury turning the palm outward is about as natural and natural can get. No force. You didn't note your release. A index release would be different. 

Well known archer and coach John Dudley with ball hat showing student.


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

100% correct. I should have been more precise in my description--hand held releases are anchored with the 1st 2 knuckles framing the lower jaw line--not just the index knuckle resting along it. :wink:


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## pherrley (Jan 24, 2015)

I guess I need to elaborate further......

This is not a question about proper form. Only about stability, for example, when people rest their thumb on the back of their neck to "help hold steadier".


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

I am speaking of stability and consistency. There is no need to dig into your face to anchor if shooting a compound bow. If your DL is set properly, the wall will provide the necessary stability.

If shooting a recurve, since there is no wall, some added facial pressure is necessary to maintain a consistent anchor.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

pherrley said:


> I guess I need to elaborate further......
> 
> This is not a question about proper form. Only about stability, for example, when people rest their thumb on the back of their neck to "help hold steadier".


You are new to archery aren't you?


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## dmacey (Mar 27, 2015)

SonnyThomas said:


> You are new to archery aren't you?


Ah yes, the thumb on the back of the neck I remember from the old old days back when I was a young man. I started out with my trusty old Scott wrist-strap and tried that technique for a while. I don't know if it helped though due to horrible target panic at the time, the drive-by-and-jerk shooting disguised any benefit it might have had.

Mariia Vinogradova of Russia uses that technique, by the way, I noticed when watching the World Cup a while back. It took Sarah Lopez to beat her and she got a silver medal. 

But I agree it's definitely an unusual technique.....

DM


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## bardman (Oct 18, 2006)

A lot of solid advise. 
I will add...consistent, comfortable and repeatable is what my goal is. Whether the bow is to long or short on draw. I anchor in same position. I know I am probably wrong and etc. but I go to it every time.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

dmacey said:


> Ah yes, the thumb on the back of the neck I remember from the old old days back when I was a young man. I started out with my trusty old Scott wrist-strap and tried that technique for a while. I don't know if it helped though due to horrible target panic at the time, the drive-by-and-jerk shooting disguised any benefit it might have had.
> 
> Mariia Vinogradova of Russia uses that technique, by the way, I noticed when watching the World Cup a while back. It took Sarah Lopez to beat her and she got a silver medal.
> 
> ...


Well, show me how you would do it with a thumb or hinge......


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## dmacey (Mar 27, 2015)

SonnyThomas said:


> Well, show me how you would do it with a thumb or hinge......


Ah yes, good point lol.....

DM


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## Rick! (Aug 10, 2008)

SonnyThomas said:


> Well, show me how you would do it with a thumb or hinge......


Watch last year's Lancaster shoot. There is an non-pro with a 4 finger hinge with his thumb anchored behind his ear somewhere.

Just goes to show that every someone says "never", somebody's already BTDT.

Regarding the OP's question, I use a hinge with a level hand rather effectively, lightly anchored under my jaw with a finely tuned DL.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Rick! said:


> Watch last year's Lancaster shoot. There is an non-pro with a 4 finger hinge with his thumb anchored behind his ear somewhere.
> 
> Just goes to show that every someone says "never", somebody's already BTDT.
> 
> Regarding the OP's question, I use a hinge with a level hand rather effectively, lightly anchored under my jaw with a finely tuned DL.


Hey, I've seen it, but talk about weird. It was at a IAA Championship Outdoor. He didn't finish well.....Come to find out he was instructed by a JOAD coach...recurve thing. He since has learned keep his thumb off his neck. and 2 years ago won this Championship.


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