now this is interesting

[Bard1]

Recently I have been strugling with two shooting form problems.  One is an inconsistant anchor point.  The other is colapsing my sholder at the shot.  I have been trying very hard to break these.  Last night I thought I'd try some thing totaly different.  I shoot 3 under and have been achorning up on my cheek bone.  I remember seeing a picture some where of an archery shooting three under, but he ancored under the jaw with the top finger.  So on a whim I thought I'd give it a try.  I noticed immediate imporvment in my group at 20 yards, and more importantly consistant improvement.  Now I have a much more consistant and solid anchor.  I also am seeing that it has greatly reduced the frequency in which I colaps my shoulders at the shot.  I still do it once in a while, but not near as often and mostly when I am getting tired mentaly.  Anchoring lower seems to be helping me get my back muscles more involved.  It's not a total or instant cure to my ails, but it's definatly helping.

[Charlie Lamb]

Many guys recommend this anchor point and that when in fact it is up the the individual to find the perfect anchor point for them.

Dan Quillan wrote several articles about this very issue... bottom line is that each archer has  different physical attributes which can dictate or eliminate different anchor points.

A little experimentation with anchor can open a world of good shooting for the archer by getting muscle alignment to work for him and not against.

The anchor point is not always a one place fits all thing.

[Molson]

Charlie is right on with that.  I shot a middle finger anchor for years and recently switched to index finger.  I've always been stable but that little move made my bow arm and anchor rock solid.  Definitely take the time to experiment if you're not happy with the way things feel.

[razorsharptokill]

Bard1, that must have greatly changed your arrow to target perspective? I noted a big change today when I tried 3 under with a high anchor.

Arrow looked like it was pointing off the target to the left! (R/H shooter)

Did you have trouble at first getting your natural point of aim?

I don't really understand all that stuff about gap, instinctive, point on range stuff. I just look where I want to hit and shoot.

[Bard1]

Thanks for the Input Mr. Lamb.  I'll try to remember to experimant a bit more often when things don't seem to be working for me.

Razor-- I have always shot three under, and yes I was having to aim my arrow to the right of where I wanted it to hit with my high 3 under anchor.  However, since I have changed and lowered my anchor that has gone away.  I now line it right up.  I started as a gap shooter, and can feel me naturaly moving into a more instictive shot.  of course anchoring so low greatly changed my gap.  This has caused me to put a lot of arrows in the wood target frame last week.      
Today however I got it down.  I put more arrows in the ten ring at 20 yards today then I have since I started shooting this Bushwacker in March.  I have noticed that my anchor has come up just slightly on it's own, and I am shooting great. I am now anchoring with my pointer finger on the lower jaw.  Not sure why this is working for me so well, it just is.  Must be something to do with my body shape. My releases are better, my anchor is consistant and I don't colaps on the shot but once in a great while now.  Feeling really good about my shooting!  

[Bard1]

update:
On Sunday my shooting again was doing great and had very few left or right misses at 20 or 30 yards.  I also "re-learned" that for me at least when I am shooting at ranges beyond 20 yards I have to draw my bow as if shooting at 20 yards, lock it in, and elevate at the hips and not with the arms.  By doing it this way I was able to get two out of four arrows in the kill zone of a deer target at 40 yards. I did this for 3 ends.