I think I identified a problem

[razorback]

Well I have been having this problem of hitting to the left of the spot I cover with the tip of the arrow. Been thinking it was too stiff arrows but even arrows I thought should still be a little weak they were grouping left. I tried three under the other day and somewhere in the process I moved the string in front of my eye and realized I have been aiming without looking directly down the arrow. Seems this would have the arrow pointing left of the spot I picked.
Does this seem sound reasoning to you guys. Got to do a bunch of shooting to test it and probably retune my arrow set up. I hope it works as I often forget to compensate for the leftist attitude of my arrows and don't want to do that on another deer, yep hit a shoulder last year.

[moebow]

This is VERY common Razorback!  That string hand not getting the arrow under your eye and /or not having the string bisect your vision is the most common cause of left hits (right hander)-- that along with a string hand that flies away from your face upon release.  Frankly, until you have your "rear sight" working correctly, arrow spine really doesn't matter.  Get your rear sight working right then and only then worry about your spine!!  FWIW.

[McDave]

I think you've identified one important cause of hitting left, but don't be surprised if you start hitting left again sometimes, as this has a number of different causes.

I find that the first few shots I shoot in the morning typically hit left, and again after I get tired.  I think the cause is not coming to full draw.  With my string forearm at an angle to the arrow (viewed from above), it is easy to pull the arrow a little to the left on release, since my forearm is not pulling straight back in line with the arrow.  It is easy to see this, as I can see the arrow in my peripheral vision pointing toward the target, but then it veers off to the left when I shoot it.  It causes me to have 4-6" misses to the left until I correct the problem.  This is exaggerated if I have any tightness in my string arm muscles or hand; in fact, I can get away with not coming to full draw if my string arm and hand is completely relaxed, but the slightest tension in my string arm combined with not coming to full draw guarantees a left hit.

[razorback]

Thanks guys. I think I need to go back to basics and work on my form a whole bunch. I also realised my right elbow wasn't coming all the way back so have started concentrating on squeezing the blades together. Lots to get right before I hit the deer woods.Wish I had hit on this at the beginning of the summer instead of teh fall.

[beetlebailey1977]

When I 1st started back in 2006 I was doing the same thing....very common problem but easy to fix.

Howard Hill in "Hunting The Hard Way" said his arrows flew up and left of where his arrow point was.  When I was a kid, I thought there was something wrong with me because my arrows were directly under the target until I was point on. When I shoot my self bow I just let it be off to the side. It seems that I have developed a separate program when I get that bow in my hand.  Of course canting the bow more and tilting the head more will get any arrow/bow combination shooting in line.