# Form check or critique please.



## DTrent90 (Dec 27, 2021)

Yes i know I am kinda aiming down. I've been shooting almost 2 months and i feel like my front arm might be a little cramped I know the elbow needs to be soft. If you would just give me some thoughts on what you think I would greatly appreciate it!


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## hrtlnd164 (Mar 22, 2008)

Never draw a bow without an arrow and pointed at a target!!! Good way to be left standing with a mess of broken pieces or worse. Really can’t give any info from that picture…too much front arm bend, aiming down without leaning forward at the waist, aiming down while actually leaning backwards and lowering bow arm, etc… By the time you stand up straight and level aim everything will look totally different. And did I mention to put an arrow in there for the next picture!


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

DTrent90 said:


> Yes i know I am kinda aiming down. I've been shooting almost 2 months and i feel like my front arm might be a little cramped I know the elbow needs to be soft. If you would just give me some thoughts on what you think I would greatly appreciate it!
> View attachment 7563619
> 
> View attachment 7563620


1) get a target
2) get middle of target all the way up to shoulder height
3) stand in front of target, with bow, with arrow loaded in arrow rest
4) COMPLETELY unbend the left elbow, ZERO bend.
GEt photo like this.



goto ZERO bend in the left arm, for ONE photo,
with arrow parallel to floor, 
even if string does not touch nose.


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## DTrent90 (Dec 27, 2021)

nuts&bolts said:


> 1) get a target
> 2) get middle of target all the way up to shoulder height
> 3) stand in front of target, with bow, with arrow loaded in arrow rest
> 4) COMPLETELY unbend the left elbow, ZERO bend.
> ...


So i dont want to have a softened elbow on the front arm or just take a picture like that?


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## DTrent90 (Dec 27, 2021)

hrtlnd164 said:


> Never draw a bow without an arrow and pointed at a target!!! Good way to be left standing with a mess of broken pieces or worse. Really can’t give any info from that picture…too much front arm bend, aiming down without leaning forward at the waist, aiming down while actually leaning backwards and lowering bow arm, etc… By the time you stand up straight and level aim everything will look totally different. And did I mention to put an arrow in there for the next picture!


Ill get a better one next time my wife was in pajamas and it was raining when we took it so i just worked with what i could. But i will get her to take a better photo next time? My front arm i feel like has to much bend but my kisser is in the right place and im anchored so i kinda felt like i might need to lengthen my draw a little bit


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

DTrent90 said:


> Ill get a better one next time my wife was in pajamas and it was raining when we took it so i just worked with what i could. But i will get her to take a better photo next time? My front arm i feel like has to much bend but my kisser is in the right place and im anchored so i kinda felt like i might need to lengthen my draw a little bit


IGNORE peep.
IGNORE kisser.
Forget "anchor".
Load an arrow. Stand in front of a target.
You are indoors, so raining does not matter.
Get target up to shoulder height, and get the left elbow to ZERO bend.
Get arrow parallel to the ceiling and floor.
Stand up tall, get head LEVEL, and get arrow on the bow LEVEL and get the bow arm LEVEL
with zero bend in the left elbow.

Then, we can see how much the draw needs to grow longer.


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## DTrent90 (Dec 27, 2021)

nuts&bolts said:


> IGNORE peep.
> IGNORE kisser.
> Forget "anchor".
> Load an arrow. Stand in front of a target.
> ...


Gotcha now correct me if im wrong i wanna stretch my arm fully but not hyper extend the arm a full stretched arm but with a soft elbow? That way im doing it correctly? I honestly felt like my arm was cramped i knew something was up it didn't feel right


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## DTrent90 (Dec 27, 2021)

nuts&bolts said:


> IGNORE peep.
> IGNORE kisser.
> Forget "anchor".
> Load an arrow. Stand in front of a target.
> ...


And by raining outside i meant that's why I took the photo inside was what I was referring to the other comment wife wasn't dressed to go outside and it was raining which led to the picture being taken like it was.


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## DTrent90 (Dec 27, 2021)

nuts&bolts said:


> IGNORE peep.
> IGNORE kisser.
> Forget "anchor".
> Load an arrow. Stand in front of a target.
> ...


Elbow zero bend got it


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

DTrent90 said:


> So i dont want to have a softened elbow on the front arm or just take a picture like that?


I still have no idea why the bent left elbow keeps finding it's way to so many new compound shooters. Seen it for decades now. I see 8 year old show up with it at 4-H. It's coming from somewhere. I just can't figure out where. Why anyone would voluntarily give up inches of draw length is beyond me.


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

limbwalker said:


> I still have no idea why the bent left elbow keeps finding it's way to so many new compound shooters. Seen it for decades now. I see 8 year old show up with it at 4-H. It's coming from somewhere. I just can't figure out where. Why anyone would voluntarily give up inches of draw length is beyond me.


They read somewhere on the internet that a "locked" bow side elbow is bad.
So, like the telephone game, where one person whispers a sentence to the next person, by the time you reach person #10, the sentence has morphed, warped into something completely different.

So, "locked bow side elbow" is bad becomes you GOTTA bend the bow arm elbow.


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

DTrent90 said:


> Yes i know I am kinda aiming down. I've been shooting almost 2 months and i feel like my front arm might be a little cramped I know the elbow needs to be soft. If you would just give me some thoughts on what you think I would greatly appreciate it!
> View attachment 7563620


So, your peep is in the wrong position...way too low.
So, when you point an IMAGINARY arrow downhill, you must lean FORWARDS, like this.

KILL the bend in the bow arm.










When you kill the bend in the bow arm,
the cams on your bow NEED to swing FORWARDS 8-inches.


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## Flyinhawaiian (Nov 2, 2018)

Elbow aside, no one has yet mentioned that you are in a closed stance rather than an open one. There are certain occasions where a closed stance may be appropriate (hunting on certain terrain), but for repetitive target archery an open stance is best.


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

Flyinhawaiian said:


> Elbow aside, no one has yet mentioned that you are in a closed stance rather than an open one. There are certain occasions where a closed stance may be appropriate (hunting on certain terrain), but for repetitive target archery an open stance is best.


Look at his heels. He is in an OPEN stance.










Right handed shooter.
Left heel is FORWARDS of right heel. We call this an open stance.


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## hrtlnd164 (Mar 22, 2008)

nuts&bolts said:


> Look at his heels. He is in an OPEN stance.
> 
> View attachment 7566436
> 
> ...


Seriously, looks closed to me. An open stance would have his left heel behind his right!


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

hrtlnd164 said:


> Seriously, looks closed to me. An open stance would have his left heel behind his right!


Yup, got it backwards. This is the backside of the shooter.


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## hrtlnd164 (Mar 22, 2008)

nuts&bolts said:


> Yup, got it backwards. This is the backside of the shooter.


I was thinking after I posted that maybe the photo was reversed and he was left handed. 😂


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