Arrow is falling off the shelf

[RYankFan]

I need some help.  I am new with bow hunting and just invested into a new Long Bow.  about 90% of the arrows I shoot fall off the shelf so I am pulling back the arrow 2 or 3 times before I get a shot off.  This happens even when i cant the bow, and lean forward.  I have some help from a friend who knows what he is doing but it is just frustrating that I need to pull back 3 times before a shot and I really don't want to release the arrow and have it fall off at the wrong time because that could definitely be a problem so please help!

[RYankFan]

and by the way it falls off the shelf to the side not off the back....just to eliminate the factor that some might think the arrows were cut too short

[BigRonHuntAlot]

You may be pinching the arrow at the nock during draw or not canting the bow enough. Are you drawing slowly and smoothly or struggling to get it back?

[The Vanilla Gorilla]

I had the same problem when I went to a VERY non centershot longbow.

Part of my problem was I was rolling my fingertips during my draw. Just gotta concentrate and make sure you keep your fingers in check and not rolling them. Mine usually rolled when my forearms got tired from shooting.

If you aren't shooting with a tab, give one a shot. When I shot with a glove, I was always having arrows drop off the side, then after switching to a tab, it took cured me of it.

It may not have cured my finger rolling problem, but at least I can come to full draw without having to keep a finger on my arrow until I'm drawed back.

Last months Traditional Bowhunter I think has a good article by Asbell on this issue. May wanna check it out myself. I usually just look at the pictures.

Cam

[NoCams]

The Gorilla nailed it for you ! Please read the Asbell article in last month's issue, it is a great article. What poundage is your new bow ? I would just about bet it is too much and you are using your forearm and bicep to help pull the bow back, again, just like the Gorilla said above. The reason I know this is I am a recovering overbowed shooter myself !!! I never, and I mean never curled an arrow off the shelf, UNTIL I bought two new non-center shot HIGHER poundage bows. I am now a firm believer that if you want to shoot over 50lbs that you must shoot at least 3 times a week minimum to keep fit and eliminate problems like arrows falling off the shelf. It has and still does drive me crazy  !!!

nocams

[Terry Green]

Simple Simon.......

The most common mistake made by those starting out...

They grip the string with their finger tips pointed to the left(opposite if you are left handed)...and as they draw the bow, the draw force gets heavier, and they roll their fingers back toward them  to get a better grip to handle the weight carrying the arrow away from the shelf.

Point your finger tips back at you from the start, and when the draw force get heavier, your fingers will naturally  roll back slightly opening up, and hold the arrow on the shelf.

A heavier bow is no problem if you follow the same directions.  Actually, if you grip the string in the 1st joints and not on the pads and follow the same directions, you can handle heavier weights much easier.  You might still be over bowed, but the arrow should not leave the shelf just because you increased bow weight.

The arrow leaving the shelf comes from an improper grip on the string, not bow wieght.

[jmack]

I had the exact same problem when I first started shooting, and have to agree with both Nocams and Terry. My form was bad (unbeknownst to me), and I was gripping the string with the very tips of my fingers. I thought that I would get a cleaner release the less finger I had on the string. Boy was I wrong! I started having alot of pain in my hand from all the strain holding with just fingertips, and that only compounded the problem. I was also pulling with my arm, and didn't know I was doing wrong until I read otherwise here on TRADGANG. You don't pull the string directly rearward when you pull with your arm, and it causes torque in the string that will pull the arrow off the shelf. With both of these problems working against me, I could never keep my arrow on the shelf. Try a deeper hook, and pull with your back, and I'm certain you'll see this problem disappear. You'll be alot more accurate too!

[Bow Nut]

I had this problem when I first started shooting. The more I tried to solve this problem, the worse my shooting got. It got so bad that I nearly quit shooting. Then, I noticed that I was making a fist when drawing. This caused a pinching of the arrow nock and a rolling of the string making the arrow come off the shelf. I practiced starting my draw with the string in my second knuckle groove and letting the string roll into the first knuckle groove as I was drawing (this torques the string toward the riser but doesn't seem to have any adverse affect on arrow flight). I also make sure to keep the back of my drawing hand flat instead of making a fist. I practiced these 2 things until they became ingrained in my form. I can actually shoot my bow canted upside down to the left (I'm a right handed shooter) and the arrow won't fall away from the shelf even at full draw. My shooting improved dramatically in the process because I have absolute confidence that my arrow can't come off the shelf. This makes it much easier to concentrate on the spot I want to hit which I believe is the single most important part of good instinctive shooting. I also agree that pulling with the back is important. There is less tendency to make a fist when you use your back instead of your arm. I would also like to caution against using the index finger of your bow hand to hold the arrow on the shelf. I've seen feathers and even an arrow in fingers from doing that. I hope this is helpful. Shooting is much more enjoyable when you can just relax and do it.