Form Pics-Find What I Can't!

[Molson]

Something has slipped in my form lately and I can't pinpoint it.  Had my son take some photos and the only thing I noticed was an elevated elbow.  Maybe that's the problem or maybe that's a symptom and I'm missing the problem.  I'd post a video but I can't get it to work.  Take a look and offer me up some suggestions!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time guys.  Hopefully we can identify it.

[Molson]

I should add whatever the error is causes the bow(string) to torque to the right at release.

[wapiti]

Right elbow is not back all the way. Relax the bow arm a bit and get that elbow back and locked in. Maintain the draw and then a SLIGHT push to the target and release. If you can't ollapse the bow arm and push it out several times with out the anchor moving it is not fully drawn back and locked into anchor. I was getting into the exact same thing. Result was too much push and not enough pull causing me to torque the bow.

[Drummer@Home]

Your elbow is up some. I suffer from that as well. Mite be your release? Try getting close and do some blind-bale shooting. Sometimes I can feel it before I can see it.

Luck
(we all go through it brother)

[Molson]

Originally posted by wapiti:
Result was too much push and not enough pull causing me to torque the bow.

Wapiti you got it!  I thought it was in my bow arm and now that you pointed it out, I see it plain as day.  Definitely pushing too much with the bow arm.  My shoulder is turned too far in and shoulder alignment is actually pointed in toward the bow.  No doubt that is causing the torque to the right.  Amazing how quick form errors can creep up on you.

[McDave]

"Relax the bow arm a bit and get that elbow back and locked in. Maintain the draw and then a SLIGHT push to the target and release. If you can't collapse the bow arm and push it out several times with out the anchor moving it is not fully drawn back and locked into anchor."

Thanks Wapiti.  I think your little comment there probably helped me more than anything I've heard or tried in the last year or so.  I know your advice was aimed at getting the string arm back and locked, which isn't my problem, but it is also great advice for the bow arm.  I never considered moving my bow arm in and out while holding at full draw.  It doesn't take much of a movement to really give you the feeling for what it means to "push" with the bow arm.  When I was at a clinic with Fred Asbell, he commented that I don't really seem to be pushing with my bow arm, but am just sort of holding it out there.  Now, I can finally feel the difference between pushing with the bow arm and just holding it out there.  It had an immediate positive effect on my accuracy.

[wapiti]

Your welcome! But I can't take credit for the lesson. You can email Dan Toelke! He has been my shooting coach for over 2 years now. He can pick out a problem with out even watching you half the time. He can stand in front and watch the arrows fly and where they hit and tell you what you are doing! He is amazing.

[Terry Green]

Lookin pretty good........

Can ya get a video clip from those angles?....videos are much better than pics to fine tune.

Your elbow doesn't look 'too' high.

[Terry Green]

BTW.......what is the problem you are having?

[Molson]

The problem I've been having is bow torque to the right occassionally at release. It wasn't happening regularly and it didn't really have any effect on my accuracy.  I could feel it though and couldn't pinpoint what the cause was.  I wanted to identify the problem before I let it become habit. I'm going to jump from my 60-66#ers to 70-75# on my next bow and wanted to make sure all was lined up before I increase the poundage.

Wapiti called it right. I was pushing too much with my bow arm causing my shoulder to turn in slightly toward the bow.  It really is a very subtle error.  All I had to do was quit stretching my bow arm out so much and the torque went away.

Terry your right about the elbow.  There's nothing wrong there. It looked to me like it was high in the photo but when I reviewed the video I took everything was straight back at release. I can't get the video to post from my computer for some reason.

Terry,  How does the rest of the alignment look in the photos?

[wapiti]

Terry I think he stated he "torques the string at release. I take it to mean the string goes around the fingers instead of slipping straight off. By the looks of the pics I'd say he is pulling with his shoulder and not his back. The elbow doesen't look like it is comng around with the shoulder rotating. The string hand won't be relaxed and cups the string causing the string to jump around the fingers. Full draw is acheived by over extending the bow arm. Another malady is it causes the shot to colapase and the anchor moves forward. Sometimes almost an imperceptable amount. None the less consistency and accuracy suffers.

[Molson]

Wapiti you are correct about pushing to reach full draw.  I had been trying out extending my draw from 27" out closer to 28".  In the process, I began referencing the front of the arrow as a draw check and consequently, began pushing out too much to gain that extra inch.  Definitely not a good idea and certainly not worth the risk of forming bad habits.