Critique my form - video

[mrjsl]

Overhead:  

Side:  

I can shoot pretty accurately out to 20-25 yards. I miss to the left more often than the right. Haven't shot much at longer distances

My draw length is only 27 and I am a tall guy - 6'3"

When I try to get my draw elbow back further, it feels like I am badly overdrawn and unstable, so what gives? Your opinions please?

Wonder if the reason you "feel" overdrawn is because you're over-bowed?  It looks to me like you're short-drawing by 3" or more.  You're far from being in alignment.

[mrjsl]

Originally posted by Jim Casto Jr:
Wonder if the reason you "feel" overdrawn is because you're over-bowed?  It looks to me like you're short-drawing by 3" or more.  You're far from being in alignment.

May be - my bow is 59#. I am a strong guy, though.

When I say I feel overdrawn, I mean I feel like the bow string will hit me in the chest if I draw as far back as I can?

I'm not good enough to give you too much advice, but I see three things:

1) Your stance needs opened up some
2) You're short-drawing (a lot), and not getting to alignment
3) You're leaning forward

I would suggest getting a (very) light bow and working on the bale for a while to get the feel of what you need to work on.

[s_mcflurry]

Your string elbow is a little out of alignment but it's not too bad.  When you're at anchor it looks like you still have room in your shoulder to "cock it back" and get into your back.  When you do this, you should feel your scapula move.  Come to anchor and think about closing a door with your elbow. If you do this right, your elbow should fall closer in line with the arrow.

[stickbowhafe]

I don't see a whole lot wrong with what you are doing.  I see you drawing to the corner of your mouth and following through. Maybe you could draw, settle into an anchor for a count of 1 or two second to let your back muscles work and bring your elbo back and down.  Shooting left is likely because you pluck the string away from your face on release every now and then.  

I would say slow down.  Take your time on every shot and relax. You look like you have nice form and if you shoot well at 20-25 yards you are better than most. Have fun, I think you're doing great.  Thanks for posting the video, I need to video myself as I learned this past weekend from a veteran excellent stickbow shooter that he videos himself and has really made improvements over the years with shooting issues using video...great tool!

[mrjsl]

Here's another overhead:  

In this one, I am consciously trying to draw further back.

In doing this, I realized that I need a more consistent anchor. Part of the reason it feels unstable is because I don't have a solid enough anchor point I think.

[s_mcflurry]

Your alignment in the second one looks good but your release in the first is better.  Combine the two and you're good to go.  What anchor are you using?

[mrjsl]

And from the side drawing further back:  

at 0:14 this looks good to me, but it still feels like a less than perfect anchor, so I need to work on that. My arrow is 30" long, so you can see what I am drawing.

As for leaning forward, I am shooting a small bag target sitting on the ground about 12 yards away. If I was level I suppose I would lose all my arrows.

[mrjsl]

Originally posted by s_mcflurry:
 What anchor are you using?

Middle finger to corner of mouth. In the second videos I am drawing past that a little. I also try to get my thumb base under my jaw joint. Right now I am breaking in a new super glove w/ cordovan which is thicker and a lot different from my old damascus one so that may be why it feels funny.

My goal is to get very consistent and accurate at up to 30-35 yards so the 20 and in will feel automatic.

I hunt, and I plan to hunt on the ground a lot this year, which is why I am starting my draw with the bow out in front of me. This does not look cool as a swing draw... It makes me look like a wheelie bow shooter, but it is better in hunting situations.

[mrjsl]

I've had that bow for around 15 years, although I last hunted with it more than ten years ago. It is the only bow I have, so technically I might be underbowed... lol.

I moved ten years ago and had young kids, did not have the time to find new hunting places, etc... so I put the bow down for a long time. I killed multiple deer with this bow several seasons in a row back then.

BUT back then I only knew one guy who shot trad bows, so I kinda watched what he did and made it work for me. He didn't stay at full draw any longer than that, so I just started out shooting that way. That guy could put 2 wood arrows through a coke bottle before I could get one shot off with my stupid compound, which is why I sold the stupid compound in the first place. I shot a 70# compound and killed a lot of deer with it.

However, I am in my mid 40's now, and I absolutely DO wish I had a lightweight bow to work on my form with. I have looked around and determined it's cheaper to get in shape! So that's what I'm working on. I probably will go lighter with my next bow, but I have a kid starting college right now, so I will be sweating it out in the back yard for the time being.

[Mitch-In-NJ]

I took a capture from the overheard video (first one) and drew lines from elbow to draw hand, shoulder to shoulder and of the arrow so you could see how it compares to Terry's form clock.

Hope it helps.

 

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Here's the 2nd overhead.

   

Looks like your shoulders and the arrow are lined up, but you're still a little off with the elbow to wrist alignment.  This is most likely (at least for me) a back tension issue.

Like you, I am a pretty strong guy, but I think that can be a problem.  I tend to muscle the bow and not use the back muscles properly.  Those muscles have to be trained to do their job even though we feel like we can do it all with our arms and shoulders.

Get those shoulder blades to pinch together and your elbow will rotate back more and then you'll be in pretty good shape, I think.

[chopx2]

Watch masters of the barebow 3 and many of the comments here will make a lot more sense to you...I watch again and again.

mrjsl,

Owing to Mitch-in-NJ's post, you may find these clips interesting--or not. Note the placement of the elbow at full draw, and while his shot is either close or down hill, there is no leaning forward, but rather bending at the waist.

 

 

[mrjsl]

Originally posted by Jim Casto Jr:
mrjsl,

Owing to Mitch-in-NJ's post, you may find these clips interesting--or not. Note the placement of the elbow at full draw, and while his shot is either close or down hill, there is no leaning forward, but rather bending at the waist.

     

   

I worked a little today on a consistent anchor and holding at anchor before releasing. If I have to hold as long as he does in that video, I am definitely overbowed for that right now, but I am going to get there.

I shot very well this morning holding for say, a count of two. I don't use any kind of gap or aiming I just look at the spot. The longer I hold, the more I second guess my aim, if that makes sense.

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Keep at it.  Build up your shooting muscles.  You are doing something that is different from other activities and requires different muscle groups working together in ways that they may not be used to.

After my layoff last year due to tendonitis, it took me a long time to get those muscles back in shooting shape.  At least two months of lots of shooting.

My bow felt really heavy but now I feel like I could hold at full draw indefinitely.

[mrjsl]

I had an epiphany. I got a couple new strings today because my serving was coming undone on the string I was using.

In the same batch of stuff, I got a new glove. I was using either a damascus glove or a superglove with cordovan tips.

Turns out, the gloves I was using were a lot of my problem. The new glove is a Big Shot from American Leathers. After shooting it a few times, I went back to the superglove - instant finger pain. It was causing me to do bad things. The Big Shot = no finger pain. Makes everything much better. I didn't realize how much my fingers were hurting on every shot till they weren't.

I am going to take some more video once I get new string broke in.