Lock the elbow or have a bend?

[PastorSteveHill]

Just wondering what the best approach is to this "issue" while shooting.  Should you lock the bow arm / elbow, or keep a bend in it?  

If you keep a bend in it, how do you get the exact amount each time??

Curious as to what works for you guys???

Thanks..

Steve

[BobCo 1965]

It depends. Some people naturally hyperextend their elbow (its fairly common)in order to lock the elbow out (some people call it double jointed). If this is the case, I would not recommend locking the elbow.

Personally, when I lock out my elbow (its really not locked, but the arm is fuly exented), I do not hyperextend and I still have a decent bend. Since this is the case, I do extend my arm fully since this is by far the most consistant manner possible.

[PastorSteveHill]

Thanks bobco   It does make sense to me, that one should have (bone on bone) settings, to ensure repeatability within the shot.....

I don't lock it like I'm trying to hyperextend it, but It is fully straight...

[gorillabows]

Thanks for prompting the question steve. I have always wondered that myself. Always played around with it cuz I thought that I was supposed to have a bend, but always far more consistent and accurate without it.

Thanks

Joe

If your bow is high wrist or pistol gripped, it is harder to be consistent with a bent arm, then a straighter arm may be better.  If it is a straight gripped Hill style, the bend in the arm helps with the whole shooting style by keeping your form fluid and keeping the bow arm shoulder in line with the target.  I shoot with my broadheads cut so that I just touch my finger at full draw and I either shoot net length target and blunt arrows or have the back of the target point so that I can touch my finger at full draw. After a while the length becomes second nature even with a bent bow arm.

[McDave]

You will get different opinions on this from different experts.  Rick Welch favors the bent bow arm; Rod Jenkins favors the straight bow arm.  But I don't believe either one of them feel it is a significant enough form issue to recommend that you change whatever you're doing if it's working for you.  If you find yourself hitting to the left (RH shooter), and it's not being caused by torqueing the string, you might be able to correct it by keeping a slight bend in your bow arm.

I like to shoot with a slightly bent bow arm.  As far as keeping a consistent bend from shot to shot, I don't think about it, but after shooting enough shots, the bend is probably about the same from shot to shot.

[cbCrow]

I keep a slight bend in my bow arm. It just seems to happen naturally and is set in my head. However a friend shot with a locked elbow and as he got older his shoulder gave him a fit. He nows shoots with a bent arm.

[Dawnpatrol]

cbCrow brings up an interesting point that I've been curious about. Is one style more likely to result in injury to the shoulder than another? Does anyone have an info?

[dragon rider]

Because of what sounded like a conflict between what Rick Welch was teaching and what it appeared Rod Jenkins was endorsing in another thread, I asked Rod about the difference.  His view was the arm should be fully extended, but that you should not go the extra step of engaging muscle to lock the elbow.  

Rod's view and Rick's differ, if at all, by a matter of a very few degrees of elbow bend.  So, in my opinion McDave is right - stay with what works for you because the difference among the experts doesn't amount to much.

On the issue of shoulder damage, I'd be willing to bet a substantial amount that far more shoulder problems are caused by being over-bowed than by elbow angle.  I'd also be willing to be that if you are over-bowed, a locked elbow will do more shoulder damage than a bent elbow, just because there's no place other than the shoulder for the force to go.

[Don Stokes]

It all depends on your personal geometry. If I lock my elbow, I have to use an armguard and still burn myself at times. I don't lock it, but I don't really "bend" it either. I extend my arm as far as possible without locking it up. Females particularly have to avoid locking their elbows, since their arms are made differently from men's.

[PastorSteveHill]

Good stuff fellas.  Thanks much.

I learned to shoot from Rick, great guy and teacher. But, I'm way more consistent with a straight arm. Not hyper extended, or engaging muscles to it, but just straight...  Thanks guys...

[champ38]

I know if I fully lock my bow arm, In miss left alot, therfore i keep a slight bend.

[Bruce Martin]

For me, I have to consciously make sure I don't lock my left arm straight or I will shoot left. It is tempting to extend that arm going to full draw, but I get much better results when I get back tension using the draw arm and imagine touching someone behind me with the elbow of the drawing arm. I still struggle with keeping the bow arm still after the shot, and I suppose more blank bale work would help that aspect.

[Bunny buster]

for a hunter the best way would be to bend the elbow. that eliminates the problem of snapping the string on your baggy hunting clothes. Also you have a less chance of jerking your bowarm when it is not locked.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

As I coach my boys (6 and 10 years old) in their shooting I constantly have to remind them "bent but ridged", I have to do it or I catch my arm with the string all the time.

[eric-thor]

i recomend turned slightly out for the elbow i flex me bicep and tricep and relax my forarm and hand this keeps my arm out of the way and makes for a ridged bow arm.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

I believe that is what I do, though like too many things about my shooting I just don't think about it much anymore.  I tried shooting left handed a few years back (someone convinced me I was left eye dominant) and I nearly lost my right arm at the elbow (that is a slight exaggeration).

[stickbowmaniac]

slight bend for me .