# Push the bow shoulder forward?



## Ray Ray (Aug 1, 2005)

I would like to see the shoulder down, with good bone to bone contact. I feel this is more repeatable. 

I tell my 4H' ers , Archery is 2 steps. Learn to shoot a repeatable shot in the "X" . REPEAT


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## catcherarcher (Sep 23, 2014)

I like a shoulder to be set down. Good bone to bone contact.


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## JF from VA (Dec 5, 2002)

I would not recommend "pushing" the bow arm to the target either. By actively pushing, you are using muscle activity that may not be able to be repeated. As has been said, you want good solid contact between bow arm and shoulder. Think of your bow arm as a 2x4 that you are using the force of the bow's draw weight to pull into your shoulder.


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## DragonPaul (Jul 6, 2012)

Sorry to hijack but I struggle to picture this. To get my should down it moves forward, a push if you will. If I want what feels more like bone-on-bone contact, ie the arm pushed back the shoulder joint, the shoulder pops up. Is there a halfway house? How do I know that my should is down without being pushed too far forward? The feeling I try for is shoulder down, which I achieve by a sort of push from side-back muscles.

PaulC


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## JF from VA (Dec 5, 2002)

I think a low bow shoulder could also be described as a shoulder that is not high or elevated above the other shoulder. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, take a look at this video by George Ryals on keeping the bow shoulder down and what to look for: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJbu3GtfUro

As an aside, I used to shoot a clicker with a compound bow. Sometimes, to get the clicker to go off, I would push the bow forward. This caused all kinds of problems in that it was not repeatable and I was also using extra muscle. What GRIV is describing is not an active push while the bow is being drawn, just a gently push when doing the set-up.


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