Split finger anchor points

[nhbuck1]

What's the best anchor points for split finger to get a full draw and what do you use?
Kyle

[CRM_95]

I don't know that it's the best, and it might not work for you. But I anchor with my middle finger at the corner of my mouth, and my thumb knuckle behind my lower jaw bone. Having 2 anchors helps me with getting a more consistent anchor every time.

[CRM_95]

Also when I have it right, my earlobe just barely touches the top of my thumb/hand just behind the thumb knuckle..so maybe it's a 3 part anchor.

[FlintNSteel]

Kyle,

First, I think it's one you are comfortable with and can get the "aim" or view down the arrow you want. It also has to be repeatable/consistent.

For me, I have shot second finger into the corner of the mouth for decades and it has worked very well.  I make sure I bring my hand right along my face and of course my arm is lining up straight back with tension to get a good release.  Problem with the way I did it was it was not a good 3-point anchor for consistency.  It provided pretty good, but not stellar results.


In just the last few weeks I have been experimenting with a very high anchor...index finger right on the top of my cheekbone almost in my eye socket.  It's actually at the edge of my socket. My thumb knuckle kind of locks in right behind my ear.  I tilt my head into the string until the string is just touching above my eye socket.  This gives a good three-point contact for consistency and it greatly reduces gap or the view of the arrow to the target for more consistent aiming.  It felt horribly uncomfortable for the first few sessions, but it was working and now, after a few weeks, it feels more and more natural.

Don't be afraid to spend a little time experimenting with various anchors to see what happens if what you have is not working.  Just be sure it's repeatable.

[Mike Falkner]

FlintnSteel, I use a high anchor like you and find it gives me almost an inch more draw length and has come to feel more natural.  It forces me to use good back tension as well, and limits my tendency to short draw when I rush a shot.

[nhbuck1]

I keep having the problem of short drawing what can I do to help this? No back tension when this happens

[LBR]

My first finger is on a tooth directly under my eye, middle finger in the corner of my mouth, thumb under my jaw bone.

Something I learned at a Rod Jenkin's clinic...everyone has a natural draw length, and you use the correct muscles to draw with you won't vary over a fraction of an inch.

[Rough Run]

I use my index finger at the corner of my mouth.  Found that using the index instead of the middle finger changed the angle of the string near my nose, which let me get the arrow under my eye without getting my nose raked by the string.  That helped me be repeatable.

For good back tension, I envision (visualize) drawing the final 1/3 of the draw, and coming to anchor, using only my shoulder blade (even though it isn't a muscle).  

I took a 25 year hiatus from traditional archery, so I had to relearn everything.  Probably for the best.  But those 2 things, just in the last 6 weeks, have helped my accuracy, consistency, and ability to shoot longer without fatigue than I could describe.

[STICKBENDER98]

I shot 3 under for years and switched to split last year to help me with my longbows, but tried to keep the same anchors.  I still use my middle finger at the corner of my mouth with my thumb hooked behind my jaw and touch the end of my nose to the fletch.  It took a little eye adjustment to get me back to shooting consistent, which was only a couple shooting sessions.

[the rifleman]

I anchor w my thumb joint under my jaw and index finger right under my check bone--- since I use the Toelke split style my index finger is pointing straight ahead resting on top of the arrow.  Recently I have added a third anchor (which will definitely help ensure you get to full draw)-- I touch the feather to my nose.  This has helped my accuracy significantly as it puts my head in exact alignment every time.  In my case I had to move feathers further back toward nock and burn them with a square back as opposed to forward slanted shields I was using.  This has really helped me refine my shooting.  Best of luck.

[Babbling Bob]

'Bout like LBR.

[MnFn]

I used middle finger to corner of mouth for a long time, but to get my back muscles engaged in drawing, I had to continue that draw to my thumb knuckle to just under the jaw line.
My finger ends up past corner of mouth.

[redfish]

My cleanest and most consistent release is with my index finger at the corner of my mouth with bow vertical and me upright. I just started shooting this way again after many, many years of doing it other ways. The results have been impressive, but there were adjustments to make to my range calculator.

[Stumpkiller]

Originally posted by CRM_95:
I don't know that it's the best, and it might not work for you. But I anchor with my middle finger at the corner of my mouth, and my thumb knuckle behind my lower jaw bone. Having 2 anchors helps me with getting a more consistent anchor every time.

Same here.  My right upper canine tooth is a little proud of the others and I put my middle finger tip just on the back of it.

Upper jaw teeth never change in relationship to the eyes.  ;-)

[slowbowjoe]

I have no idea where my fingers are in relation to a tooth or the corner of my mouth, but I do use 2 anchor points.

Second thumb knuckle touches me earlobe, nose touches the cock feather. If I nock cock feather in, it's still the thumb knuckle to ear, but I substitute sign picture for feather to nose.

We're all structured differently, and respond to different signals.