# improving aim?>



## subconsciously (Aug 22, 2009)

Its the ability of a great archer to use as little muscle as possible. This means you must stay relaxed in the shot and aim "passively". Sure there are muscles required to draw and hold your form, but no more than needed.

Alot of this comes full circle to good form. This is a great place to pick up some good tips, but a certified coach will do wonders. Archery is a hands on game.


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## rigginuts (Dec 27, 2008)

First thing I would do is number my arrows. Make sure it's not the same arrows leaving the group.


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## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

*subs right..*

most women i coach need a better grip on the bow.try marking hand with a marker getting perfect hand placement is very important.. work on follow through keeping bow hand froze like statue . untill u count to 3 ill bet these 2 steps will get u the group u want. always use a very small target, and let NOTHING else enter ur mind but that small spot..if u need more help send video to mike 66 ill help ya. certifed grade 2 instructor...


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Good advice above.

Obviously you are doing something different from shot to shot. One of the hardest things to learn in archery is that one shot has nothing to do with the next shot. 

You have to learn to forget every arrow that you've already shot and not worry about arrows that you will shoot in the future. Focus only on the arrow that's in your bow right now.


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## [email protected] (Aug 3, 2010)

*form not groups*

stop worrying about groups and focus on the shot.the same way every time.disregard your pin and focus on the spot you want to hit.if you concentrate on form you will get good groups.whats happening to you is once you shoot an arrow that didnt hit where you want you then try harder on the next shot(control the pin) this leads to tension.one arrow at a time.form not groups.do not control the pin let it float and let shot happen


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## MSchleppe (Aug 4, 2010)

[email protected] has some good advice. The groups will come eventually. It sounds like you are doing just fine working on it. That is the challenging part about archery and why having a coach can be good, once you fix the obvious problems it is figuring out what to tackle next that will get you. Try not to worry about the fact that they are not grouping and instead try to improve parts of your form. Follow-through makes a HUGE difference, as does having a relaxed grip on the bow.


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## countrygirl2010 (Jul 24, 2010)

*Doing a little better today*

So I'm a little excited I took the advice about focusing on the target and not the pin.. I'm not getting every shot right but im mainly also making sure im anchoring the same way holding the bow in between the thumb and pointer finger. It may take me a few days to actually train myself on focusing on the target.. I don't plan on being a pro since i only started shooting a bow less than a month ago.. but i am kinda a perfectionist.. I also wanted to ask you guys how long do y'all recommend practicing for? Sometimes I lose track and i'll be out shooting for nearly two hours and I usually shoot everyday. so should i try to keep my sessions down to 30 mins? or does it matter .. everyone tells me im shooting too much and that i only should shoot thirty minutes a day! Thanks for all the good input!! It's very much appreciated!!


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## rigginuts (Dec 27, 2008)

Ben Hogan would practice until his hands bled :wink:


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## [email protected] (Aug 3, 2010)

*practice*

only practice as long as u can totally cocentrate.10 well done shots r better than a 100.the right practice improves you not flinging arrows.work on 10 intense shots aiming hard staring at ur spot,shoot 1 arrow you will concentrate more then get it out of your target.start on shot two.staring at target will take a while but you will get it.form not groups.stay mentally hooked up to the target until the arrow hits.


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## wyoming4x4 (Mar 16, 2009)

*shoot individual targets!*

Get a 5 spot target or vegas type target and shoot at each target and see if your arrows hit in same spot. Once you figure out your form shooting at your own arrows gets expensive. My bowhunter setup I don't even start shooting single spot until 40yrds or more. Learning the 5 spot or vegas targets are a good thing. If arrow hits the same spot on each target your doing good. I believe your watching your arrow a little and possibly pulling you off. Not focusing on aiming!!!! On targets also spray paint some small dots on paper and see what happens when you shoot at them. If your hitting same spot your form is good If inconsistant your form needs help. PM sent.


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> only practice as long as u can totally cocentrate.10 well done shots r better than a 100.the right practice improves you not flinging arrows.work on 10 intense shots aiming hard staring at ur spot,shoot 1 arrow you will concentrate more then get it out of your target.start on shot two.staring at target will take a while but you will get it.form not groups.stay mentally hooked up to the target until the arrow hits.


Good advice! 

Also consider your shoulders. You haven't had time to build up your muscles. I know from personal experience that it's very easy to damage the small muscles from over use. Shooting a bow works only a few muscles. To avoid problems over the long term, it helps to also develop the other shoulder and arm muscles. I'd love to be able to shoot 200 arrows a day, but if I did, I wouldn't be able to raise my bow arm the next day due to soreness. Take care of your shoulders, you'll need them later in life.


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## [email protected] (Aug 3, 2010)

*working it out*

do not work on any parts of your form while shooting at a target ur mind will become a mess.the blank bale is where u break down form 1 step at a time to ingrain the form change.for example to work on grip,shoot on bale no target just focusing on grip till the rt grip becomes second nature.then u could move on to another part of form(stance, release,etc).while on target u should only be concerned about one thing is the shot prepared and then proceed with the aim.extreme caution needs to heeded here do not work on your form while on a target.i suggest some learning material by len cardinale he breaks the shot process down very effectively.


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## striker34 (Jun 8, 2007)

"focusing on the target and not the pin.." This has helped me greatly.


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## Archer469 (Mar 20, 2009)

Are you compound or recurve? Fingers or release? If it's a compound, are you centering your pin/scope in your peep? Or is it offcentered? Little things, like pushing your release hand tighter/higher to your face on the second and third shot will lower your arrow. Have fun shooting...


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## striker34 (Jun 8, 2007)

I also like to aim for a spot or area on my block, rather than a circle or target.


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## deerheaven (Apr 27, 2003)

mike 66 said:


> most women i coach need a better grip on the bow.try marking hand with a marker getting perfect hand placement is very important.. work on follow through keeping bow hand froze like statue . untill u count to 3 ill bet these 2 steps will get u the group u want. always use a very small target, and let NOTHING else enter ur mind but that small spot..if u need more help send video to mike 66 ill help ya. certifed grade 2 instructor...


thanks,,,


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