# Head position...



## Dana K (Feb 25, 2005)

*it will make your arrows go funny*

My daughter has to constantly think about her head, when she starts shooting left she knows she is goosing her head and then she starts being concious of her head position and the arrows come back to the middle.


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## Puckett (Apr 27, 2006)

*It can be tricky*

You have touched on a problem that us Recurve people have that compounds don't. 
The best way to keep you head from moving is to constantly check your string alignment. If your head is out of position then the string will not be in the same place in your sight window. 
Let me ask you this one......
Is your head out of position because of poor setup, or are you moving your head in order to get through the clicker?

Puckett


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## baldmountain (Apr 21, 2003)

Puckett said:


> You have touched on a problem that us Recurve people have that compounds don't.


I bet they do. Especially if their release hand floats. But I do agree that looking through a peep makes this less of an issue.



Puckett said:


> The best way to keep you head from moving is to constantly check your string alignment. If your head is out of position then the string will not be in the same place in your sight window.
> Let me ask you this one......
> Is your head out of position because of poor setup, or are you moving your head in order to get through the clicker?


I stopped using a clicker. I find I get better drawlength consistancy without it and I never have a problem getting through the clicker...  I also bounce back and forth between Olympic recurve and barebow and having to deal with the clicker when I go back to olympic is a pain...

On the other hand it means that my setup must be exactly the same each time. A little head tilt makes the situation worse because not only am I changing my aim, (even if my string alignment is perfect every shot), but I change my draw length a bit too.

The reason I mention head position at all is so that others who seem to be struggling with mysterious left and right arrows have one more thing to check to try and solve the problem.


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## Puckett (Apr 27, 2006)

Try this with your string alignment.
At full draw, your string should be just to the left of your sight ring/pin. (Right Hand Shooter)
The most common head possition error will move the string through the sight and to the right. It should be pretty easy to see that there is a problem if you setup like this. 

Puckett


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## baldmountain (Apr 21, 2003)

The problem is you can still get the string to line up with your head tilted. You may have to cant the bow a little but you can do it. But by then all is lost.


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## massman (Jun 21, 2004)

*Using a package of soup crackers...*

I find that to help students get away from tilting the head side to side and or front to back. I use a package of soup crackers. With the student in the "Predraw" position you then place the package on the top of the head. 

Then get ready to catch the package as it will slide off their head when they tilt their head. Repeating this a number of times starts the learning process so that they stop moving their head position.

Most times I find that this comes from moving the head to the string rather than moving the string to the head.

Regards

Tom


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

Puckett said:


> Try this with your string alignment.
> At full draw, your string should be just to the left of your sight ring/pin. (Right Hand Shooter)
> Puckett



I would suggest its at least personal choice, but if there is a recommended method I would tend to follow K. Lee and V. Frangilli, both recommend the string be on the right side of the aperture for RH. McKinney cautions the use of the aperture since moving it in or out will also affect string alignment, making it easy to overcompensate. 

2c


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## baldmountain (Apr 21, 2003)

Seattlepop said:


> I would suggest its at least personal choice, but if there is a recommended method I would tend to follow K. Lee and V. Frangilli, both recommend the string be on the right side of the aperture for RH. McKinney cautions the use of the aperture since moving it in or out will also affect string alignment, making it easy to overcompensate.



My most natural alignment is with the riser. If I close my eyes, draw, settle in at full draw and open my eyes, my string is aligned with the riser. If I try to align with the aperture I'll have to force it. Riser alignement is just fine and so I'll stick to it...

Tom,

The soup cracker idea is a good one. I'll have to give it a try.


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## ROB B (Oct 30, 2002)

Seattlepop said:


> I would suggest its at least personal choice, but if there is a recommended method I would tend to follow K. Lee and V. Frangilli, both recommend the string be on the right side of the aperture for RH. McKinney cautions the use of the aperture since moving it in or out will also affect string alignment, making it easy to overcompensate.
> 
> 2c



This confuses me.If I draw the string to the center of my nose, how can I get the string to the right of the aperture? I would shoot so far left I would be in the wrong butt My string right now is on the left side of the riser.
Am I drawing to the wrong place?

Rob


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## bsu_beginner (Feb 14, 2005)

LOL... My lady Kathleen... she saw my head was oscillating. She brought out the dreaded yardstick. Which is kinda amusing because she ballroom dances. So she's been key for working on my posture and she doesn't know a thing about archery.


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

*Alignment*



ROB B said:


> This confuses me.If I draw the string to the center of my nose, how can I get the string to the right of the aperture? I would shoot so far left I would be in the wrong butt My string right now is on the left side of the riser.
> Am I drawing to the wrong place?
> 
> Rob


Having had that problem I can offer my bit of advice. Just as I see it as a beginner in recurve archery.

To keep your head straight place the string on the end of your nose AND have the kisser on the center of your mouth (or any other recurring place) so that the string comes just to the right (for a right-hander) of the sight ring (or to any other object on your bow). Keep your string hand at the same position along your face/chin and release smoothly.

If your previous position was very far off, you would have to adjust the windage (left/right positioning) on your sight.

The thing is to keep that position/combination constant for every shot, as well as the draw length (clicker recommended for that last point). That needs concentration, practice, practice and some more practice. Remember that archery relies about 80% or more on the mind and the rest is just some hardware.

Never forget that a good experienced coach is worth a ton of gold...

There never is ONE magic cure for any problem because in archery one has to take care of tens of fine points and any method has to be adapted to every archer so that he finds himself comfortable and efficient with the recipe. 

Cheers!


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## baldmountain (Apr 21, 2003)

ROB B said:


> This confuses me.If I draw the string to the center of my nose, how can I get the string to the right of the aperture? I would shoot so far left I would be in the wrong butt My string right now is on the left side of the riser.
> Am I drawing to the wrong place?
> 
> Rob


The human neck is an amazing thing. We can tilt our heads forward and back, side-to-side and rotate it horizontally. All at will. Depending on how you rotate your head you can draw to the middle of your nose and align the string anywhere from way right of the riser to way left of the aperture. It all depends on your head position.

I like to setup with my feet square to the target. I never have tou worry about foot angle if I setup square. I then position my head in the most neutral position I can directly facing the target. Then I draw, anchor, aim and release. Prefereably without moving my head. My issue has been that I've been tilting my head forward various amounts. Especially near the end of a tournament when I get tired. (I need to build stamina by shooting a LOT more arrows.)


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

Good point, "baldmountain" since head tilt is a very important factor that we tend to forget about and that moves the arrows up and down. And rightly, practice will take care of the stamina, BUT take care to mark a pause before a competition.


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## ROB B (Oct 30, 2002)

To keep your head straight place the string on the end of your nose AND have the kisser on the center of your mouth (or any other recurring place) so that the string comes just to the right (for a right-hander) of the sight ring (or to any other object on your bow). Keep your string hand at the same position along your face/chin and release smoothly.



This is where I get confused, I am right eye dominate, if I place the string on my nose and chin it is way left of my right eye,How do you put the string from this position to the RIGHT of the aperture? I will be shooting at a 45 degree angle...???????? Is your stance that closed or your head turned at an angle?

Rob


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

To: Rob B

Open stance, but it would not matter.

That is the way! You have to try and look in the same direction as if you were looking at the tip of your nose, then you will see the string... and the sight... and the bale... and the GOLD!

Don't you have a coach/trainer? Are you in a club? I am asking because it is the best way to go. Clubs often lend you equipment and have a lot of resources, especially experienced persons following you and giving you the right advice whenever they see it fit or whenever you ask.


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## ROB B (Oct 30, 2002)

*No Coach*

Here in the midwest there is not much recurve. I have been at it a year and am probably the 3rd most experienced person around. That is why this forum is so important to me:wink: 

Rob


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

" This is where I get confused, I am right eye dominate, if I place the string on my nose and chin it is way left of my right eye,How do you put the string from this position to the RIGHT of the aperture? I will be shooting at a 45 degree angle...???????? Is your stance that closed or your head turned at an angle?"




Sounds like you need to get a book or two! A picture is worth a thousand...etc. LOL. Check out Kisik Lee's site, click on "anchor/holding..", it has pictures of some of the world's top archers at anchor. This should give you a visual of how the head lines up, as well as seeing how different it can be for different face shapes. 

http://www.kslinternationalarchery.com/


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

ROB B said:


> This is where I get confused, I am right eye dominate, if I place the string on my nose and chin it is way left of my right eye,How do you put the string from this position to the RIGHT of the aperture? I will be shooting at a 45 degree angle...???????? Is your stance that closed or your head turned at an angle?
> 
> Rob


ok, technically if you line your string up to your arrow ( like checking centershot) your sight crosshair should be on the string or alittle left of it. So if you put the string on your nose and sight with your right eye, the apeture will be left of the string. when i sight, my string is aligned with my riser and blurred in it. thus the fita rule , no lines on limbs or riser to aid in aiming. if your sight is to the right of the string when you sight in and you shoot right handed, something in your setup is wrong. centershot not enough, arrows to weak, plunger is set too weak ( so sight is way right to compensate) etc. This was the same when i shot an open stance and the same now that i shoot a closed stance.


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