# How important is a clicker???



## archer_nm (Mar 29, 2004)

*How important is a clicker*

D2, because of Target Panic I can't shoot anymore without one. So for me it is vital>>>>>


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## Ka-Bar (Jan 14, 2007)

I've never used one, but if I understand correctly, don't they just let you know when you've reached a certain portion of the draw? 

With the solid walls found on many draws today I think they would perform the same job. Also, when you're pulling against the rear wall you're getting the added advantage of a cleaner release(heavier). 

I guess I'd prefer the above over listening for a "click", then _hovering_ at full draw somewhere in the spongy 50%, 65%, 80%, etc draw valley. It would be different on a recurve where there's a non-definable, infinite rear draw.


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## jerrytee (Feb 5, 2005)

Some times useful for shooting a bow with a very soft back wall. You can use the clicker instead of the back wall.


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## TexasGuy (Jan 27, 2005)

jerrytee said:


> Some times useful for shooting a bow with a very soft back wall. You can use the clicker instead of the back wall.



I agree.....clickers can be a great asset when trying to beat target-panic with a recurve or soft, spongy-wall compound.....or simply to ensure you release the arrow at EXACTLY the same draw-length each time with a recurve or soft-wall, long-valley compound.....

Nice thing about the very short valley/ hard-wall compounds is the precise repeatability of shooting "off the wall".....even with fingers, it's always the same! :wink: :thumbs_up


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## Robert58 (Oct 5, 2002)

The Shooters that I know don't use a Clicker to ensure that they are drawing the same every time. We creeptune our cams to shoot the same weather we are at the back of the valley or in the middle. They use a clicker to tell them when to release. They have a hard time holding the pin on the x without releasing (target panic). When they use a clicker, they can hold the pin on the x just like a release shooter because their brain knows that they are not ready to release. They train themselves to release, only when they hear the clicker go off and it is as close to shooting back tension with a release as you can get, shooting Fingers.

Robert


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## billert (Sep 27, 2004)

Robert58 said:


> The Shooters that I know don't use a Clicker to ensure that they are drawing the same every time. We creeptune our cams to shoot the same weather we are at the back of the valley or in the middle. They use a clicker to tell them when to release. They have a hard time holding the pin on the x without releasing (target panic). When they use a clicker, they can hold the pin on the x just like a release shooter because their brain knows that they are not ready to release. They train themselves to release, only when they hear the clicker go off and it is as close to shooting back tension with a release as you can get, shooting Fingers.
> 
> Robert


How does the "clicker" know that its time to shoot? Might you be way off target at the time?


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## Robert58 (Oct 5, 2002)

You come to almost full draw into the valley and hold on the x and then start your back tension and when you pull the tip of the arrow out from under the clicker and it makes it's sound your brain is conditioned to release with out you having consius thought of releasing. Giving you a true surprize release.

Robert


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## TexasGuy (Jan 27, 2005)

Robert58 said:


> You come to almost full draw into the valley and hold on the x and then start your back tension and when you pull the tip of the arrow out from under the clicker and it makes it's sound your brain is conditioned to release with out you having consius thought of releasing. Giving you a true surprize release.
> 
> Robert



Great description, Robert.....:thumbs_up


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

I've shot a clicker for around thirty years. Wouldn't know how to shoot without it now. And you don't listen for the click, you feel it.....


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## TexasGuy (Jan 27, 2005)

billert said:


> How does the "clicker" know that its time to shoot? Might you be way off target at the time?



ONLY when the archer has his pin steady on the "x" does he apply that final bit of back-tension.....clicker "tinks" side of riser.....the mind says "shoot!"......shot is gone!


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## billert (Sep 27, 2004)

Clicker sounds cool.


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## Craig in Aus. (Jan 11, 2006)

Does anyone use clickers that come up from under the arrow or use a limb or cable clicker?

I'm looking for something that is legal for IFAA barebow.

Cheers
Craig


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

I used to use the Clickity Click and absolutely love it, but I don't think that one will work for barebow because you would probably have different draw lengths with your crawl on the string. When I shot barebow about a zillion years ago, I used to make my own out of spring steel wire. And I've even seen them made out of a piece of plastic milk carton to go under the arrow to be legal for barebow....


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## Robert58 (Oct 5, 2002)

I saw one that David Hughes made out of a coke can. He cut out a long "L" shap about 5/16" wide. Then they drilled and taped a small hole in the back of the riser (side facing string). There may have already been a hole for it on the Redman Bow, I don't know. But the "L" was layed down under the arrow rest with the top of the "L" attached to the riser, then bent along side of the sight window going under the arrow rest with the foot of the "L" sticking up to put the arrow under with the top of the foot just going up passed the center of the arrow shaft so that it wouldn't distract from aming, when looking a the point of the arrow.

I hope I have discribed it well enough for you to understand what I remember it looking like.

Robert


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## Two Fingers (May 15, 2006)

I think a clicker is more important if you are shooting barebow, where the effective draw length does change depending on the crawl. The crowd from Texas use one that looks pretty effective and comes from under the arrow. However, you do not need aclicker to shoot well if you will put in the time training. In my opinion, it is merely an additional gadget to keep in tune and one more gadget that will fail when you need it most. But that's just me & I could be wrong.


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## tothepoint (Dec 22, 2006)

Boy I bet I take some flak on this one......

Why in the world would anyone shooting a modern day compound bow even contemplate using a clicker. The device was developed (supposedly by Fred Leder) specifically for recurve shooting (field archery) to help the archer shoot consistently at the same draw length which = same weight = consistent arrow speed = higher accuracy, Which it does for recurve shooters. However modern day compounds once they reach the shelf don’t care if you creep or not, the arrow speed differs so little (in comparison) it's not even worth mentioning +/-1 FPS. Does anyone here actually use a clicker on their compound rig?????? If so why??? I've found over the years a clicker used on a compound bow in most cases (2 out of 3 friends who tried them) first off didn't work because 90% of the time they drew straight past it during the initial draw and secondly it created a pattern of behavioral TP that destroyed their ability to shoot consistently. After 4 to 6 weeks of training their body and brain to shoot when it heard the click. They did. Whether they were on the spot or not. A clicker can create a form of TP that will mess with your head for a long time, a couple of my buddies never recovered had to remove the clickers in order to regain a consistent style of shooting. If you currently shoot a compound with one and find it's actually made you a better shot, good for you. If you're thinking about putting one on your compound IMO its a double edged sword and you're playing with fire.


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## Jorge Oliveira (Aug 13, 2004)

I tried one - a Cavalier - in the ProTec, Command cams, not a very hard wall.

In a quick draw (as I usually do) it would go off during draw.
I a slow draw, it would take a lot of finger pressure to go off - and I tried very fine adjustments.
As I was fighting with the clicker, my draw hand wasn't relaxed and I couldn't concentrate on aiming...

So, I had bad results with one.

Now, Dado used to shoot (shoots?) a Nitrous cam, and is a big fan of a clicker.

Your mileage...


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## Craig in Aus. (Jan 11, 2006)

Two Fingers said:


> I think a clicker is more important if you are shooting barebow, where the effective draw length does change depending on the crawl.


This is my thoughts exactly.

Robert:
I saw Dave's at the WFAC, so your description makes good sense. 

Gus:
The clickety click was exactly what I had in mind, but I've had little feedback on them.

Cheers
Craig


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## FSL (May 22, 2002)

I shoot a clicker with a S4 and wouldn't shoot without one. The fallacy as I see it is that the clicker triggers the release. Although to the observer it may seem so, it is actually a combination of the auditory click (probably the least important), the vibration in the bow and the sight picture. If the sight picure is there and the thing goes off, time to rip..... if its not.... let down and start again.

Who shoots clickers with compounds....... hmmmmmm Randy Brabec (Martin), William Boyd (Mathews), Charlie Owens (Mathews) , Vince Hershell (Hoyt) are just a few.....


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## TexasGuy (Jan 27, 2005)

I would imagine a clicker, when used with a very short valley/hard-wall compound, could be a little tricky to fire....

With the normal draw and ancher against the wall, there ain't much room (if any) for that last bit of back tension pull to get it to "click" and then shoot....

At least it seems it would be tricky on my Apex.....

As 95% of my archery is bowhunting, don't really have much use for one, anyway......


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

It's harder to shoot a clicker with a cam and hard wall than Chinese arithmetic...That's why I haven't really tried a cam bow. I know a Guy from Pittsburgh that shoots a Hard cam Darton with one, but h'es in another league than I am...

For you guys who doubt a clicker, just how do you know when to release an arrow?? Do you think I'll just let go now??? What do you do when the pressure is on?

Craig, PM me your address and I'll send you a clickity click. I probably have fifty.....


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## archer_nm (Mar 29, 2004)

I found a way to shoot a cam bow with a firm wall, I found it on a thread here at AT. It was the way the guys are shooting a single cam and made a modification to work with 2 cams. Also I was told that Randy Brabec last year was putting a small bead of RTV top and bottom where the string meets the stop giving him a little spongie room at that point. I put eliminator buttons at that same point and just served them in on the cable, then I have a little room to pull through the clicker. Works really great..


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## fingers1 (Nov 29, 2003)

*Flak*

Most problems in archery are TP related , but most people wont admit it for some reason. I personally have TP to the extreme. Yes I've tried blank bailing and everything else but Nothing helped.
I started shooting national level events in 1993. I shot 280-380 on a 40 target 3d depending on my timing because i shot everything on the drive-by. If my timing was on it was agood weekend if not it was really ugly.I watched alot of the top shooters and asked alot of questions and ended up with a clicker. Clickers are not easy to shoot , however they will allow a person with TP to shoot cosistantly and accurately if you learn to shoot it properly.
On todays hardwall cams it works really well to install an eliminator button on the bus cable where it contacts the wall of the cam. You set your clicker to the desired draw length and then adjust the eliminator button to achieve the desired tension on your fingers when the clicker goes off. you can not believe how much better you can shoot when you find your perfect "fit".
A clicker will make you shoot a good shot in high stress situtions,weather it be shooting at a big buck or shooting that tough 3d shot for thousands of dollars. If more finger shooters learned to shoot a clicker there would be more bucks hang'n on the wall.
There are exceptions to every rule and i know a few guys that dont need clickers ( Rodney Huffman and Joseph Goza ) who shoot way more consistant than anybody else, but they ocassionally have meltdowns like the rest of us. 

In short, it's my opinion a clicker will make 90+% of finger shooters more consistant. But thats just my opinion.


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## tothepoint (Dec 22, 2006)

Unclegus 

to answer your question about how us guys who don't use a clicker know when to release? I use a technique taught to me by an olympic archery coach who made a guest appearance at my local pro shop. Its such a simple technique that it sounds stuipd. Once you come to full draw and get on the target you start tensioning through your back like your going to shoot and then start counting to ten. That's it. Nothing more to it.. I know it sounds stupid but it has help rid me of TP several times and definitely helps me shoot more consistent when the pressure is on. Give it a try most people can't make it to ten without involenteraly releasing the shot, which many might think of as a bad thing but IMO are wrong in thinking so. Release shooters having TP (punching the button) use a similar technique by having some else pull the trigger after they have come to full draw on target. The technique forces them to hold on target because they never know when the shot will go off.


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## Hans (Oct 9, 2003)

without a clicker the arrow is usually away faster than I intended....with a clicker it usually takes longer than I intended....ukey:


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## Dave2 (Jan 24, 2003)

will be setting up a Hoyt Protec with 3000 limbs with spirals later on, want to add a clicker to it, it sounds like it should be more consistent and I won't be getting those ups and downs like i do now with my present setup.,,thanks everyone, good info, Dave


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## 4X-24 BOB (Jul 4, 2003)

Dave2 said:


> will be setting up a Hoyt Protec with 3000 limbs with spirals later on, want to add a clicker to it, it sounds like it should be more consistent and I won't be getting those ups and downs like i do now with my present setup.,,thanks everyone, good info, Dave


 Let us know how those spirals shoot with a clicker and how you set it up . I have been trying to shoot spirals and when I really hold it there its great but the 4 or 5 times I dont its not good. I shot a 43X 295 the other night my highest X count in a while . The 295 is not what I need though ! Thanks BOB


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## mnjeff (Jun 19, 2004)

*Clicker*



Craig in Aus. said:


> Does anyone use clickers that come up from under the arrow or use a limb or cable clicker?
> 
> I'm looking for something that is legal for IFAA barebow.
> 
> ...



I used to use a clikity click it mounts to your bottom limb and to your string. the othe one i used was made from piano wire. bent it so it came from under to shoot in barebow division.


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## Dave2 (Jan 24, 2003)

with the hard wall on my Ultra Tec w/spirals right now I think it is as good as a clicker imo.


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## 2wyoming (Sep 5, 2007)

This may sounds very dumb, but im only 16.
But, what is a clicker???


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## arc2x4 (Jun 4, 2007)

A clicker is a long flexible piece of metal with a screw at one end to attach it to the riser of your bow forward of your arrow rest. The arrow goes under the metal strip and when you draw far enough the tip of the arrow pulls out from under the clicker, and it makes a click as it hits the riser. That lets you know you have reached full draw, and then you release the arrow. It ensures that you draw to the same place each time so the arrow is going the same speed after its released, and hence hits the target in the same place.

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/sho...=6151&osCsid=c87458d324334070b54c6bab2a62dbaa


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## Dave2 (Jan 24, 2003)

Was wondering if anyone knows if the Pro Finger Shooters for the most part all use clickers?? thanks, Dave If they use them it probably means that everyone should, to be best they can be anyhow. After shooting more and more with my Ultra Tec with spirals and at longer distances, ups and down are pretty common for me, just maybe I will put the clicker on and see what happens. Thanks to everyone who has posted on here.


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## Badgerjeff (Nov 15, 2006)

*Pros using clicker*

It's a mix W/the Pro's

The clicker, it doesn't hurt to use it. It takes more decipline.

But just like any thing esle the more deciplined U are at what ever U do the better U will become.

After about a 5 yrs of not competing I'm going to start out with one to get my mind and muscles back into the game.

HeHeHe

On the mind end of things, I don't know if that will ever work.

Miss shooting with all the Pro FSL guys, they are all alot of fun and excellent group to shoot with.


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

I'm curious, it seems to meet that even without a hard wall a clicker is far less important to a compound shooter because of the let off. Small differences in draw-length are also very small differences in power because you are drawing the let off weight so the difference in draw length has very little difference in arrow acceleration. The opposite is true for recurve where the bow is at its peak weight at anchor and draw length makes a substantial difference to arrow acceleration


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## Robert58 (Oct 5, 2002)

Warbow said:


> I'm curious, it seems to meet that even without a hard wall a clicker is far less important to a compound shooter because of the let off. Small differences in draw-length are also very small differences in power because you are drawing the let off weight so the difference in draw length has very little difference in arrow acceleration. The opposite is true for recurve where the bow is at its peak weight at anchor and draw length makes a substantial difference to arrow acceleration



Go back and read all of the posts. You are missing the point. We Compound shooters are not using a clicker to tell us when we are at full draw. We use it to tell us when to release, so we can shoot backtension like a back tension release shooter and have a true surprise release.

Robert


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

Robert58 said:


> Go back and read all of the posts. You are missing the point. We Compound shooters are not using a clicker to tell us when we are at full draw. We use it to tell us when to release, so we can shoot backtension like a back tension release shooter and have a true surprise release.
> 
> Robert


Ah, got it. Thanks.


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## SuperDogOne (Apr 14, 2007)

billert said:


> Clicker sounds cool.


Whats a clicker?


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## FSL (May 22, 2002)

Wow.... I thought this thread was buried...

One other thought on clickers and hard walls ( I began shooting a clicker with a Nitrous cam/ very hard wall.)

Since buying an archery shop we have been measuring holding weights and the typical bow will vary from 3-7# at full draw, depending on whether or not your motion is a pull from start to "loose" or if you come back and "settle-in" before the release. Not sure what impact a variance of 3-7# holding weight might make on the target, but with a clicker, the weight is the same each time at the release.........


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## big cypress (Jul 31, 2006)

clicker is very helpful . however , i can't pull through mine so i'm not currently using it .


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