Shooting left consistently - all bows

[djanko]

Tend to shot left a lot?  Usually a few inches.  When I concentrate real hard on where I'm aligned, if will shoot straighter.  I'm wondering if it's just form and concentration or if I shoot so much to the left is it something else.  Again, tend to do it with numerous bows???  Just seeking some advice??

[moebow]

Sounds like you are not getting to an anchor position that is keeping the nock of your arrow under your eye.  It could be either the position of your anchor on your face or a string pluck that has your string hand flying away from your face upon release.

 This presumes that you are right handed.

Your statement about concentrating real hard leads me to believe this.  Try a few shots where your total concentration is on keeping your string hand in contact with your face upon release.

[champ38]

I tend to shoot left if I over-extend my bow arm

[Doc Pain]

I have to go along with champ38.  99% of the time I shoot left tends to be lack of good form and follow through with my bow arm.

[Bigstick]

Analyzing the same problem, in my shooting, I have found losing back tension results in my bow arm colapsing.  I can shoot great groups in that manner, but they all go left and high.

[Romac]

I'm a lefty and and I have the same issue only my shots group to the right side. I'm working on my anchor point discipline and it seems to help. This is the same issue weather on a longbow and recurve.

[McDave]

It's really easy to shoot to the left, so many things can cause it.  I think I've tried all of them at one time or another.

1.  Keep your eye over the arrow.  If the arrow seems to be flying to the target from the right to the left, your eye is to the left of the arrow.  If your eye is over the arrow, the arrow will seem to fly straight toward the target.

2.  Bend your bow arm slightly; at least, don't lock it out.

3.  Don't torque the bow or bowstring.  At full draw, if you relax the grip on the bow slightly, does the bow want to come to a more vertical position?

4.  Relax your string hand and bow hand (see #3 above).

5.  Pull all the way through the shot using your back muscles, so your string hand recoils back toward your neck when the arrow is released.

6.  You can move the shot more to the right by canting the bow a little more, so long as this doesn't cause you to torque the string.

7.  You can move the shot to the right by shooting a slightly weaker arrow shaft.

8.  You can move the shot to the right by using a softer strike plate (a Martin Rug Rest or female velcro rather than a piece of leather).

[Jim Wright]

Shooting left is a problem I have fought. I received a great deal of help from Dan Toelke and he taught me to concentrate on CONSISTENTLY coming to full draw and to a FIRM, consistent anchor. Other anchors work but I do best with pad of thumb firmly on the middle digit of my little finger, tip of middle finger FIRMLY in corner of my mouth(best if you can contact a particular tooth) and knuckle of my thumb FIRMLY contacting the rear point of my lower jaw. When this is in play my arrows go straight.

[HATCHCHASER]

McDave is spot on.  I would add this to what he said.

Be sure and bring anchor to your face and not your face to the anchor.  When you lean your face to the anchor it will also cause your elbow to fly high resulting in a hot ring finger.  If you are consitently shooting high, left (for a righty) then this is likely the culprit.

That is my worst nemeces.

[Drummer@Home]

I hate to say it but sometimes i shoot left too. I have found that its a cant thing for me. If I'm not canting the bow right and my form is more of a vert bow thing I shoot left. Could be just me, try it?

[statedriller]

Have you checked eye dominance?  I shoot left a fair amount of time and figured it's due to right handed and left eye dominance issues.  If you're right handed, try closing your left eye and see how they line up.

[The Butcher]

I'm same as Drummer.  I have to have a cant of say 2 o'clock-7 O'clock.  Puts the arrow in line for me.  At longer ranges (only three d ) I still shoot left, and more cant is needed.