lined up

[nhbuck1]

how do you know your stance is lined up corectly to the target? this has a big factor in our shooting and was wondering how to do this correctly

[McDave]

Your feet can be anywhere from perpendicular to the target to maybe 15-20 degrees open to the target; however, it's probably easier to learn if your feet are perpendicular to the target.  To test if your feet are perpendicular to the target, place an arrow on the ground touching your toes.  Walk around behind the arrow and see where it's pointing.  It should be pointing at the target.  If it's not, then move it until it is pointing at the target, and stand with your toes touching the arrow, about shoulder width apart.  This will align your feet perpendicular to the target.

Your shoulders should be perpendicular to the target too, regardless of whether your feet are perpendicular or not.  Have someone stand behind you and place an arrow on your shoulder blades.  The arrow should be pointing at the target when you are at full draw.  If it is not, then pivot at the waist until the arrow is pointing at the target.

[nhbuck1]

thanks alot dave, now can shooting alot change grip pressure? seems my first few shots always go right before warmed up i dont want this to happen in a hunting situation is this common?

[McDave]

Usually, people shoot better after they are warmed up.  That's fine if you're shooting targets.  When you hunt, even if you get a chance to shoot a few arrows before you leave in the morning, the chances are that when you get a shot opportunity at an animal, you will be cold and stiff and won't have shot an arrow for hours, at least.

Therefore that's what you have to train for.  You have to pull everything together on the first shot of the day, which may be the only shot you get.  In your case, you have to figure out why you're missing to the right on the first shot, which I have no idea, and stop doing it.

The way you do this is to increase your physical awareness of what's going on when you shoot an arrow.  Mastery of any hand-eye coordination sport is achieved through learning about your own body, so you can answer the question you just asked, and thousands of others that will occur to you.  So start paying attention to your body, and try to feel a difference when you shoot an arrow straight and when you shoot one to the right.  This is the same thing I do, and thousands of other archers do, every time we take a shot.

[nhbuck1]

it almost seems a release or grip pressure issue, then aain i think on a live animal you are more focused anyways then targets

[McDave]

I think you're on the right track.  It may or may not be a grip pressure issue, but that's the way it feels to you right now.  Obviously, you want the same grip pressure every shot, so focus more of your attention on your grip for a while, and see if that helps.  If it does, fine, you've learned something.  If not, then start trying to be aware of something else that changes when you miss right.  You'll eventually figure it out.

Archery is formula driven at a very basic level.  If someone is doing something obviously wrong, then someone who sees what's going on can tell him how to do it right.  But beyond the basic level, we will only progress if we are sufficiently aware of our own bodies to be able to feel the difference when we do something differently.