New anchor point/longer draw/back tension???

[swampdrummer]

I've been working on my back tension after reading Terry's suggestion to imagine closing a door with your elbow while drawing and it is helping. My draw length has increased by an inch or more!
My groups are tightening up out to 20-25 yards but I'm having a hard time finding a consistent anchor at this new draw length. I'd been using the corner of my mouth and my thumb knuckle behind my jaw.
I'm still hitting the jawbone with my thumb knuckle but my fingers are behind the corner of my mouth now.Seems counter productive to ease up and get my fingers back to the corner of my mouth to get the consistent anchor but also giving up the increased draw length?

I need to work on it some more but any suggestions would be very helpful!

Thanks
Brad

[moebow]

drummer,

If you're really doing it right, your anchor point should not change significantly although your draw length will probably increase.  If your string hand has moved back that much I think you're not rotating your drawing elbow/shoulder as much as you think but rather pulling more straight back.  Also be sure that you are extending your bow shoulder low and toward the target.  If your bow shoulder is colapsing back toward your spine, that will move your anchor hand back too.

Once I reach full draw, I think of the final transfer to my back as sticking my chest out a little to get it between my shoulders.

[NBK]

I agree with moebow.  I too recently discovered better alignment, (watched Terry on tradgang dvd), not by necessarily changing my anchor point, but by making sure that my shoulders were aligned properly.  It's really hard to get your drawing elbow in line if your bow shoulder is pointed off target!

[Terry Green]

You anchor can be your point behind your ear...it does not HAVE to be 'corner of the mouth'.  

Sounds like you are improving, so dont regress/digress!!!

[swampdrummer]

Thanks guys, Looks like I need to dig out the video camera and take another look at whats going on.

Terry, I relize I don't have to use the corner of my mouth. Just feels like my fingers are kind of floating there on the side of my face when I've got my thumb on my jaw.

I'll keep working on it. I feel like I'm making some progress and I've got all winter. :-)
Thanks again
Brad

[Greg Skinner]

Have you tried your index finger on your cheekbone?  That is where mine hits when I use the thumb knuckle and jaw bone as you are suggesting and also have my shoulder alignment correct.

[longbowguy]

Howard Hill suggested holding your pinky with your thumb. I do it. It lowers the thumb and enables contact with the last joint of your index finger or thumb over or under your cheek bone. I put the thumb on the nail in front of the pinky; for my wife the thumb on the back of the pinky works better.

Everybody is built differently but I suggest trying this and then trying to find a bone on bone anchor fairly far back on the cheekbone. This enables a further back anchor and therefor a longer draw and better alignment of the forearm with the arrow. Both of those are very good things to strive for. - lbg

[craig1955]

One thing that has helped me find a comfortable anchor is to relax my string hand. I just think about the string on the end of my fingers and keep my hand relaxed. Seems to work for me.

[swampdrummer]

Thanks guys, I did some blind bale work today and its coming together. Thumb knuckle on my jawbone, index finger on my cheekbone. Still need to work on expanding thru that for release. I found myself doing something close to a dead release if I didn't concentrate.
Moved out to 15 yards or so and if I did everything right the arrows were stacking on top of each other.

[Bowmania]

Using only the corner or the mouth is not a good anchor point.  It's just shin and I can move mine back an inch.  Thumb knuckle on the jawbone and maybe add the knuckle of your fore finger to you cheek bone.

Bowmania