A bit overwhelmed

[gudspelr]

I'm having fun shooting and I know I need to be realistic and give myself a break-I've only shot a few hundred arrows, after all.  BUT, I really want to be good at this, both for my own satisfaction as well as proficient and ethical hunting this fall.  I've read Byron's "Become the Arros" and a LOT on this site, watched many videos posted, and am trying to copy the infamous "clock" for proper alignment.

I tried going to 3 under just to see and surprisingly, my groups became less erratic right away.  Was thinking the bow I made might be liking that better?

Anyway, what are the things for a newbie to really focus on?  I keep thinking about the following-in no particular order:
Proper cant, anchor point, focus on the point I want to hit, release, elbow at the right position, stance, and on and on....

Shockingly, I start thinking of a few, forget the others, and then get a little frustrated.  I started trying to keep my bow arm locked today thinking that might be a consistency thing, but then I started doing weird things with that shoulder because it felt funny.

Am I over-analyzing it all?  I'm not sending arrows WAY off somewhere-is this all just normal and I need more repetition for it to fall together?  I don't want to focus on a few things and not the 'important' ones and develop bad habits.  Your advice is very appreciated.

Jeremy

[Eugene Slagle]

In my basement I have up to 15 yards "if I go out to the driveway" to shoot & I have a few marks on the floor as reference for distance at 5' 10' 20'.
Those along with Blind Bale & Watch The Arrow help make most if not all my Form become second nature to where I just think of aiming & then follow through after the shot.

Canting the bow is something that I personally wait on till my shooting is proficient with a Verticle bow, primarily because Verticle is easier to reproduce than a proper consistent cant.

My suggestion is to have a blind bale to shoot at & work on your form like your bow arm position & maybe perform watch the arrow to see if you are creeping or over pulling "some new shooters will do this" to help in consistent anchor & head position & bow arm position.

[chrisg]

Hi Jeremy, you ask questions that face most new archers. All relevant. One hears of 'form' and anchor points and angles and it gets over technical, something you picked up on. tHe easiest way to describe the 'aiming and hitting what you aimed at' is to use the analogy of throwing a baseball or hitting a tennis ball. These are learned hand-eye skills, the imprinting of the process is the same with a tradbow. You learn by doing it. If the bow is 'heavy' to draw you will develop poor form. Not saying you have and will do so, but an easy way to relax and shoot freely is to use a light bow, really light like 25-30#. I am serious, borrow one for  a week and get used to shooting pipsqueak light arrows at a bare bale and then at a small target of arbitrary objects, one can stick price tags all over the butt surface and try to hit them in no particular order. Just get used to shooting and making adjustments. Then when you shoot a bigger bow it will not need repair of bad faults in your form. Try to do this exercise with an experienced shooter watching for some of it so that they can steer you clear of glaring errors. Eugene is correct, once one shoot the bow with ease then start building tighter form and muscle memory, and have no 'target' to score on, bare bales are perfect. One learns to do stuff when there is no major extra effort, like skiing there is a beginners slope for a reason.
chrisg

[moebow]

Blank bale and form, blank bale and form!  Practice only this for 20 practice sessions.  That's how long it will take most folks to "groove in"  new or changed physical mechanics.  Don't even try a target until you are absolutely comfortable with the mechanics of the shot.  A couple days or a week WON'T do it.  You will discover your most comfortable positions such as cant and anchor points.  Then and only then try a target at close range 7 or ten yards.  When you get most of your shots in an 8" circle at one range then move back 3 yards for your next practice.  Try this:  shoot a twenty arrow practice at an 8" circle.  You can move back 3 yards when you have put 18 out of twenty in the circle -- not before.  Again the target comes after all that practice at the blank bale.

A good coach will make you do something similar to the above.  Don't get impatient, follow the above routine or something like it and you will get to where you say you want to be faster than just muddling around without a plan.  Even better, Find a coach!

[BobCo 1965]

This idea was given to me from Jake Kaminski. It is very simple but is part of the essence of the shot. Think of the shot sequence as a mathematical equal equation. The solution on one side of the equal side must match the other side or the equation is off. Now think of the equal sign as being in the middle of your chest, or on the spine. The forces (what you are putting into the shot) on one side of equal sign must match the other or the shot is off. Other things will help you get to that point, but being able to "step inside the bow" is the feeling that you should look for.

[canshooter]

I only started archery seriously just over 18 months ago. I went through all the questions that you are asking yourself.

I played with string walking face walking Point of Aim Gap Instinctive three under and split. I tried various anchor an reference points. Its all part of narrowing down and weeding out until you find what works for you.

I found the Masters of the Barebow videos invaluable. The fact that the shooters had distinct differences made me feel better about my shooting. There is room for variation and what works for one shooter doesn't for another and that is okay.

[Joshua Lee]

Hey Jeremy
As you know I'm a newbie as well, but here is something I just tried in the back yard that really tightened up my groups. Earlier today I was shooting like crap. I tried adjusting all the form stuff but I was still pretty eradic and realized I needed a new focus for my shot.  I was using the thought process of picking a spot, however trying to pick a spot is hard when your overbowed (shooting 71#s) I never feel like My aim is dead on and inevitably my muscle begin to fail before I feel dead on.  So here is today's change... instead of picking a spot I tried to focus on shooting through a six inch circle around the spot. I'm shooting at the doughnut and not the hole. Unbelievable difference, I was able to draw back and just shoot. I think, at least for me I'm to much of a perfectionist to shoot at a tiny dot, and never feel as if my aim is dead on. But shooting through a circle around the dot allows a little leeway for my release. I was was nailing the dot.  
I may have a different way to focus tomorrow but worked great today.
Josh
By the way, thanks for the link to your bow, It looks fantastic.

[gudspelr]

Thanks for all the input guys-I really appreciate it.  I think I might try the blank bale routine mentioned.  By the way, for the blank bale, I'm assuming the point is that I'm just shooting, getting used to the whole routine and not necessarily trying to hit the little dot like on a target?


Jeremy

[Eugene Slagle]

Originally posted by gudspelr:
Thanks for all the input guys-I really appreciate it.  I think I might try the blank bale routine mentioned.  By the way, for the blank bale, I'm assuming the point is that I'm just shooting, getting used to the whole routine and not necessarily trying to hit the little dot like on a target?


Jeremy

Exactly, I usually just have 1 arrow & just be about 6 feet from the bale.
Shoulder hight this way you get the proper form from the beginning.
Close your eyes & follow the shot sequence from start to follow through then repeat.

Watch the arrow technique is similar to blank bale but you watch the tip of the arrow in relation to your risor to see if you are creeping forawrd & what not while at full draw.

[gudspelr]

Thanks for the clarification, Eugene.


Jeremy

[Chuck Hoopes]

MAINTAINING YOUR FOCUS DOWN RANGE  thru out the draw,  release, and arrow strike.  Any  shift to a nearer focus, any where in the process, results ultimately in poor results, particularily in hunting situations--where the only thing that matters is a group of ONE, that must be accomplised in a situation, with variables that simiply do not exist in just pounding groups over and over again at the same range, elevations, lighting conditions etc. Practicing at variable dist., varible conditions and positions -- shooting only one, at most two arrows AND MAINTAINING DOWN RANGE FOCUS, is the way to prepare for hunting.  On the other hand, there are ways to shift your focus around some, if you want to restrict yourself to target archery, and pound bulleyes, over and over again, under constant and stable conditions.