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Traditional Shooting Form

gcr0003

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2018
Messages
8,014
Was messing around with the slow motion camera setting on my phone. Trying to use it to improve my form. I wanted to see if I was able to add this to a thread somehow. Let me know if you have any helpful pointers, comments or critiques.

Me Shooting a Bow
 
Might Raise Your Anchor to Your Middle Finger Always in the Corner of Your Mouth..
Is that your preferred anchor point? If so, why? I am concerned that if I go to a tab will I be able to use that same anchor point.
 
The goal in close range (30 yards and in) is to get the arrow closer to your eye. That has helped me and countless others cut down on missed shots when the adrenaline hits.
 
The goal in close range (30 yards and in) is to get the arrow closer to your eye. That has helped me and countless others cut down on missed shots when the adrenaline hits.
I saw clay Hayes had a video of him switching or trying out anchoring right below his eye socket where the eye is level with the arrow. I’ll admit when I tried it my shot was dead on; however, I have a desire to shoot split and instinctive. I’ll try to get that anchor up a little higher. Do y’all touch your nose to string at all? I did shoot a little bit with my middle finger at the corner of my mouth with moderate success.
 
I saw clay Hayes had a video of him switching or trying out anchoring right below his eye socket where the eye is level with the arrow. I’ll admit when I tried it my shot was dead on; however, I have a desire to shoot split and instinctive. I’ll try to get that anchor up a little higher. Do y’all touch your nose to string at all? I did shoot a little bit with my middle finger at the corner of my mouth with moderate success.
I like to anchor with my thumb and pointer finger crotch anchored to my cheek bone and I shoot 3 under. By doing this, it places the arrow right below my eye so I can aim down the arrow shaft. Draw back, pinch your shoulder blades together for back tension and your elbow should naturally follow, aim with the tip of the arrow (gap shooting) and let er rip! Once you find your point of impact and are shooting consistantly, you can adjust your gap accordingly. There's a video out there somewhere that explains how "instinctive" shooters are still using aiming points but have shot so much that muscle memory basically overrides a bad shot. Once I started consistantly using gap with split vision my groups tightened up immensely. I think back tension is a huge factor too, it helps you hold the bow steadier for longer to get a good aiming point.
 
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I like to anchor with my thumb and pointer finger crotch anchored to my cheek bone and I shoot 3 under. By doing this, it places the arrow right below my eye so I can aim down the arrow shaft. Draw back, pinch your shoulder blades together for back tension and your elbow should naturally follow, aim with the tip of the arrow (gap shooting) and let er rip! Once you find your point of impact and are shooting consistantly, you can adjust your gap accordingly. There's a video out there somewhere that explains how "instinctive" shooters are still using aiming points but have shot so much that muscle memory basically overrides a bad shot.
Yea Clay Hayes has a video where he is basically saying the same thing. Yea I would like to get to a point where I am instinctively gap shooting if that makes sense. I don't want to think about it, I want to have muscle memory of my form such that when I want to shoot something I naturally know how/where to aim. We shall see...
 
Is that your preferred anchor point? If so, why? I am concerned that if I go to a tab will I be able to use that same anchor point.
That's the way I was taught many moons ago and has been good to me. Keeps the arrow closer to your eye. I shoot a triple served string, also taught by an old timer, and bare fingers. I have tried a glove and tab in the past and worked fine, but I like bare fingers. No need to slip anything on when the time comes to shoot a critter.
 
Your form looks solid to me. I wouldn’t want to watch mine. I’m sure I’m a mess. I shoot a tab and put my middle finger in the corner of my mouth. Your finger tip will still hang over the tab when you curl them. Shooting 3 under gets the arrow higher as well. Gloves always stretched on me when the broke in. They always felt different through out their life. A tab always feels the same to me.
 
Anchor point has been addresses and I agree with getting the arrow much closer to your eye. Might want to check out some of the stuff from Tom Clum on youtube as well, esp. the back tension/follow through portion of your shot. With good back tension, your elbow should rotate on plane back and around obviously pulling your draw hand rear ward. I would guess that you are thinking about holding a static release while trying to execute a shot. Stop it :grinning:. Just focus on the spot you want to hit and keep pulling through the break.
 
Anchor point has been addresses and I agree with getting the arrow much closer to your eye. Might want to check out some of the stuff from Tom Clum on youtube as well, esp. the back tension/follow through portion of your shot. With good back tension, your elbow should rotate on plane back and around obviously pulling your draw hand rear ward. I would guess that you are thinking about holding a static release while trying to execute a shot. Stop it :grinning:. Just focus on the spot you want to hit and keep pulling through the break.
Yea I guess that Static release is a function of the mechanical release. I’ll work on that. When y’all are pulling to the corner of your mouth where is the string in relation to your eyes? Outside/in between etc.
 
Mechanical release should not change your follow through at shot break if you are shooting with proper back tension. I shoot trad 3 under with middle finger as my anchor in the corner of my mouth. I prefer to have my eye directly over the arrow and thus cant the bow slightly to achieve that. Some folks cant the bow quite a bit for the same reason, to get the eye over the arrow and have the clearest field of view. When I dont get the arrow under my eye I shoot left, right handed shooter, because the nock end of the arrow is outside my eye line.
 
I had a rough go of shooting yesterday. It seems like all my shots were going right (left handed shooting). I was trying to figure out where to have my eye in relations to the arrow and string. Shooting can be frustrating at times. I really need to get the right arrows for this bow. It seemed like the arrow was on a left to right path on its own which makes me think it’s bouncing off the shelf instead of bending around it.
 
I had a rough go of shooting yesterday. It seems like all my shots were going right (left handed shooting). I was trying to figure out where to have my eye in relations to the arrow and string. Shooting can be frustrating at times. I really need to get the right arrows for this bow. It seemed like the arrow was on a left to right path on its own which makes me think it’s bouncing off the shelf instead of bending around it.
Sometimes when I'm shooting poorly, I realize that I'm so engrossed in the target and where my arrows are going, that my form suffers. And sometimes my errors are so subtle that I don't realize its happening.
When I stop worrying about hitting the bull, and I start paying attention to my form, my arrows start hitting the mark.
I dont know if this happens with other guys, but it seems like 90% of my concentration needs to be on ME and not on the target. I concentrate on the target until I begin my draw. At that point, the target becomes secondary and form becomes primary.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 
Sometimes when I'm shooting poorly, I realize that I'm so engrossed in the target and where my arrows are going, that my form suffers. And sometimes my errors are so subtle that I don't realize its happening.
When I stop worrying about hitting the bull, and I start paying attention to my form, my arrows start hitting the mark.
I dont know if this happens with other guys, but it seems like 90% of my concentration needs to be on ME and not on the target. I concentrate on the target until I begin my draw. At that point, the target becomes secondary and form becomes primary.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
Yesterday I was doing the classic golfer self destruction where you overthink form and all your shots suffer haha. I suppose it can go both ways.
 
Yesterday I was doing the classic golfer self destruction where you overthink form and all your shots suffer haha. I suppose it can go both ways.
How far from the target were you shooting?
A good tactic is to shoot a bare bale from just a few feet away, often with your eyes closed.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 
Anchor point has been addresses and I agree with getting the arrow much closer to your eye. Might want to check out some of the stuff from Tom Clum on youtube as well, esp. the back tension/follow through portion of your shot. With good back tension, your elbow should rotate on plane back and around obviously pulling your draw hand rear ward. I would guess that you are thinking about holding a static release while trying to execute a shot. Stop it :grinning:. Just focus on the spot you want to hit and keep pulling through the break.
I did notice this also and wanted to address it but forgot too. Good catch!
Yea I guess that Static release is a function of the mechanical release. I’ll work on that. When y’all are pulling to the corner of your mouth where is the string in relation to your eyes? Outside/in between etc.
Never noticed where it is... Don't worry about the string.
 
I had a rough go of shooting yesterday. It seems like all my shots were going right (left handed shooting). I was trying to figure out where to have my eye in relations to the arrow and string. Shooting can be frustrating at times. I really need to get the right arrows for this bow. It seemed like the arrow was on a left to right path on its own which makes me think it’s bouncing off the shelf instead of bending around it.
If you were playing with different amounts of cant, That will change your arrow flight.
 
Sometimes when I'm shooting poorly, I realize that I'm so engrossed in the target and where my arrows are going, that my form suffers. And sometimes my errors are so subtle that I don't realize its happening.
When I stop worrying about hitting the bull, and I start paying attention to my form, my arrows start hitting the mark.
I dont know if this happens with other guys, but it seems like 90% of my concentration needs to be on ME and not on the target. I concentrate on the target until I begin my draw. At that point, the target becomes secondary and form becomes primary.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
When I find, I'm thinking too much, like when I haven't shot in a while, Going back to 5 yards and not concentrating on a spot, like blind bail shooting, and just feel my form and release every shot, making them the best I can, over and over and over again, really makes my accuracy better when I'm shooting for accuracy. Targets are always changing. Shot placement is something to think about. Form shouldn't be. Best to make that part natural and subconsciously .
 
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