Possible cause for shooting high

[Jock Whisky]

I'm shooting a 57 lb ChekMate Hunter II recurve, right handed and canted to the right.

Occasionally I get an arrow that hits high and right. I interpret this to be a "high" shot relative to the bow position, not "high and right", keeping in mind that the bow is canted to the right. I haven't been able to pin down the cause of this until perhaps now.

When I grip the string I keep my middle finger immediately under the nock and my index finger about 1/4" above the nock. I have noticed that every once and a while the pressure from my middle finger tends to lift the arrow up off the shelf slightly.

Could this slight lift be the cause of the occasional high hit???

JW

[McDave]

You could be right, but I'll give you another one to think about, that plagued me from time to time.  My intent is to always keep my focus on the target.  But evidently, as I draw the bow and the arrow comes into view in my peripheral vision, my focus must shift at times from the target to the arrow, or perhaps some intermediate spot.  When this happens, I get a high hit and wonder why.  I've "proved" this to myself by shooting a second arrow and making sure my focus stays on the target; the second arrow is on target, within my usual range of error.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Tie a nock or use an eliminator button under the arrow nock and see if that doesn't solve your issue. I think your nock might be slipping down the string on you? Which would cause the arrow to jump off the shelf and simulate a nock low arrow flight. Somebody posted a slow mo video showing this happening, but I can't remember where it was?

[Jock Whisky]

Semo...what is an eliminator button???

JW

[Jock Whisky]

oops, never mind, found one on google. Thanks

JW

[smoke1953]

McDave, what you say rings so true in my case. I find my cant in stand vs. on the ground is definitely increased so I tend to concentrate on the arrows location relative to my eye which changes my anchor slightly and can also take my concentration away from the target.  I'm a bit better at it than I used to be but it continues to cause problems from time to time.

[Wapiti Bowman]

Ditto all the above; and I'd throw in another possible cause: We all know that good grouping is a result of "consistent" form.

Part of consistent form is gripping the string with the same finger pressure for each shot. While the pressure by each finger forming your 'hook' might be different, as a unit, that pressure has to be the same from shot to shot.

If, as you've said, you occasionally lift the arrow off the shelf, this indicates different finger pressure by one or more of your fingers from the times that you don't lift the arrow.

I have purposely applied different pressure with my index finger and have been able to get different vertical impact points, to prove this 'point' to myself!      

Sometimes, too much thought process interferes with what would be our normal, consistent, form that can take place when we are totally focused on the impact point.IMHO

[dcmeckel]

WapitiBowman is right-on! Try shootin three under then split you'll see just what he's talkin about.I believe this even falls under the catagory of "string-walking",right WB?