Terry, Rod, anyone else Please help with form

[House]

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This is my first attempt at posting a pic or vid so I hope it works out.  Anyone with advice or feedback it will all be greatly appreciated.  Thanks for all the input

Travis

[House]

Not sure what went wrong, but if you click on the top adress it will take you to one of the vids and you can view the other from there.  The vid with the immage in the post doesn't pull up, but if you watch the first one, then you can watch the second one next to it in upper left.  Not sure if this makes sense, let me know

Travis

[SHOOTO8S]

Good looking quiver!  :D  
Travis...your smooth , fluid and should be banging arrows together...if not, mental focus on target, is the only thing that could be preventing shooting good arrows.
Form wise...I see a slight "softening" at release, so I'd work on a bit more back tension.

Good job!

[Terry Green]

Looks good to me as well...just a bit of release inconsistencies(unsure at execution), maybe that's the 'softening' Rod sees.

  I think you will groove that in in time.

How pleased are you with your accuracy?

Got any issues you are dealing with?

[Guru]

Watched the over head a couple times....

First shot there was a slight collapse, but the remainder of the shots it looked like you "pulled thru" them  pretty well(although the last shot was "quicker" than the others)

Biggest thing I see is your release and follow thru are different on every shot.....

[House]

Rod, Terry, Curt

Thank all three of you for taking the time to look at the vids.  To address some of Terry's questions:
No, to be honest I am not pleased with my accuracy.  Some days are better than others, but I still vary left and right more than I want- especially 25 yards and beyond.
As far as issues, I think you and Curt nailed it- my release.  Struggling with a consistant release that feels 'right'.  Also find myself losing focus on "the spot" at times-never leads to anything good.

[House]

And yes Rod, it is a very nice quiver, I am very pleased with it, will put it through the ringer in about three and a half weeks on an elk hunt.  Thank you three and any others with any feed back, I have had to basically try and teach myself this beautiful thing we call traditional archery and I must admit I struggled mightily for the first 2 and a half years, but since finding this site and reading all the advice Rod, Terry, Curt and all the others gave those who have sent in videos my shooting has gone from questionable at 15 yards to pretty good at 25.  This was the first time I had ever taken video of myself shooting, it showed me some of the same things you all noticed.  

Any advice anyone out there has for me I'm all ears, I want to be the best shot I can possibly be, the critters I chase deserve no less.

[Don Batten]

Travis, I don't claim to be near the shot that Ron, Terry, or Curt is, but I bet that past 25 yds they can't focus on target as well as 15yds either. I know I can't. I made a big leap in my shooting when I didn't think about release. I just hold my bow arm on target and keep pulling till it goes off. When I first started to shoot better, I used a gap system. but after a few years I rarley notice my gap. might be why i shoot a 5 out the bottom from time to time.lol good luck. Don

[SHOOTO8S]

I agree with Don...the sooner you remove "release" from your shot sequance and replace it with pulling or expansion, the better!  The softening I talked about earlier, is the creep at release....always pull! In my clinics I stress....pulling and aiming at the moment the arrow leaves the string!

[snag]

"You can never pull too much!"  Seems I recall that statement. That Formaster really shows how much more you need to pull!

[Terry Green]

OK....here's what I am hearing....colapse/sofening of release and unsure of release due to loosing focus.

I think the lack of focus could be fear of missing or doubt at the moment of execution.

I shoot instinctive, and I don't have a problem focusing on longer shots at all....actually, I think I focus harder on longer shots as the margin for error is greater.  I also draw slower on longer shots...beyond 30.

Gettin rid of the doubt will come with time as well as your form doesn't look that bad.....work on maintaining that back tension through execution.

I'll look again and see if I can find any other reason than the ones above for your windage issues.

Good thread guys....thanks for helping out!

[House]

Yes, thank you all very much for all the input, I'm going to go shoot right now and focus on back tension and release.  I guess my biggest uncertainty is how to "properly" let go of the string, it sounds stupid when I write it, but it is the one aspect of my shot I have continually struggled with.  I tried holding at full draw longer, but that just lead to increased collapse and inconsistency due to anticipation of the release.
Like I said earlier I've pretty much tried learning all this through trial and error (more of the latter).  I just haven't had the opportunity to shoot with other trad shooters or whatch anyone else shoot a trad bow who was proficient, so if there are any tradgangers out there in Northern Idaho who'd like to get together and fling some arrows, I'm always game to have a good time and hopefully learn some things.

[Terry Green]

Yeah....the 'thinking' about release is a concern.  Do you 'think' about letting go of a glass of tea when you return it to the table?   Do you 'think' about letting go of the phone receiver when you hang it up?   Do you 'think' about letting go of a ball when you throw it?  Get my drift?   Don't 'release' it...just stop holding it when the brain says you are on target.

Again, this will come with more time as you gain confidence, and the 'release' will be a non-issue if properly aligned and will be triggered without conscious thought just like the examples I listed above.   When everything is right, you will simple 'let go'.   Kinda hard to grasp with words, but when it happens....you'll know what I mean.

Take care, and stay after it.

[House]

Oh, I am and I will continue to stay after it.  In fact I just got done shooting and I must say there was a definate improvement.  I just concentrated on continuing to try to pull my drawing elbow back and around (back tension?) through the release without even thinking about my release hand and it was like a light bulb went off.  Now if I release without pulling through it I can feel it and subsequently the shot doesn't hit the mark...amazing!!!  I even found I can hold at full draw for a moment and still get a clean release AS LONG AS I CONTINUE TO PULL MY ELBOW BACK AND AROUND.  The little things I had no idea...I love it.
Very good analogy about the letting go of a baseball, it really hit home I played for 16 years.  
Man I'm pumped up, can hardly wait to shoot back home...right now I'm stuck in a motel room.  But I'm still able to get a solid ten yard shot if I open the bathroom door!    

Terry, Rod, Curt, Don, David    Thank you so much.  I'll keep you posted

[Guru]

Nice when the light bulb goes off isn't it!!      

[Terry Green]

Gotta love it!!!

Yes, Light Bulbs are good!!!!!!!!!    

I think you know what I mean now....hammer down!

[House]

I love the lights, especially when they aren't trains.  It's a beautiful thing, and this is a heck of a campfire.  I'm going to do my third round of ten yard shots in my motel room now!  :D

[Terry Green]

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