Anchor point woes

[Robinofdahood]

Hey all.  I'm just getting back into this after a three or four year hiatus and I'm trying to get my form back down.  I spent some time at the range today(second time back out) and fooled around a bit with my anchor point.  Here's the deal, I'm sure I'm suffering from some form of target panic and need to practice(I bought a bag target yesterday) but when I anchor with my thumb joint on my chin, I can stack 'em at 10 yards.  When I anchor with my middle finger to the corner of my mouth, my groups open up, I get fliers, and I'm tending to short draw.  I know this takes lots of form practice, but I guess my question is, do I learn to shoot with a corner mouth anchor or practice with my thumb joint laying on my chin as its working?  I don't want to develop bad habits and want to get my form down.  Thanks for your help.  Man, I missed this.  I'm going to start making some new arrows tonight.  LOL.
-Dave

[arkiewoodsman]

im on this site for shooting advice too so im defiately not a guru on form but i do know i had a problem with short draw for a while. no matter how much id try to dicipline myself i kept doing it. a friend told me to start training my muscles by drawing to full draw and holding for 30 sec, 10 reps. it helped me a lot. i was also shooting too strong of a bow. a lesser draw wieght is great to work on form.

[jhansen]

Everybody is different.  It matters far less where you anchor than that you anchor in that same place consistently.  I can't make a sure statement without seeing you shoot but I'd guess that you are losing some draw length with the anchor you are using.  Does this matter?  Not really.  If you are drawing less than the "standard" 28" you aren't getting the draw weight specified for your bow.  Just keep that in mind when buying bows.  I have a 27" draw.  I just assume that if I buy a bow rated as 55#@28" I'm really shooting a 52# bow.  The most important thing in archery is putting the darned arrow where you want it to go.  Everything else is negotiable.

John

[Robinofdahood]

Thanks mmaman and John.  I'm going to keep a bow in the corner of the living room for a few weeks, much to my wife's dismay(LOL) and practice reaching anchor and holding.  That's gotta be one of the best excercises for strengthening your draw, cause...well...you're drawing.  Yeah, John, I loose an inch and a half if I anchor with my thumb to my chin and because my draw with my middle finger to the corner of my mouth is only 25", I suppose that's substantial.  I'll keep plugging away at it.  Its all fun and good, IMHO.  Thanks again!
-Dave

[jhansen]

You can figure that you lose 2-3# of draw weight per inch of draw length less than 28".  That's assuming that the bow was tillered for a 28" draw.  Some custom bows are tillered for a specific draw weight at a "non-standard" draw length.  You might find one rated at 50#@26" for example.

The practice you are planning is a good idea.  Nobody can shoot well unless they can come to full draw and hold for several seconds comfortably.  And you are right, it's fun.  If it ever stops being fun I'll find something else to waste my time on.

John

[Robinofdahood]

The practice is coming along.  Yay!  It is amazing though, how I'll tell myself that "this time I'm going to hold on target for a five count before releasing" and end up letting go.  What a mind game!  Anyhew, I have a question.  What do most of you do with your thumb?  I'm anchoring middle finger to corner of my mouth and it seems comfortable and natural to touch my thumb to my jaw joint.  Is this an acceptable "second" anchor point?  Sorry, I need to get a good book on this stuff, but its nice hearing all of this advice.  Thanks again.
-Dave

[BigCnyn]

Ok hate to barge in, but me too... I am re-learning anchor, 3 under and this happened to my fingers any one help me...Shoot great but, wow on the fingers..
 

[cvarcher]

Whoa, hold on guys . You all need a littlew advice here. OK those are blood blisters and thats not enjoyable shooting . So either you dont have enough glove thickness protection or your bow is a heavy weight and very short length thereby pinching of the fingers froma  severely angled string. Answer-- get a good hill or shultz glove.And if the bow is too short and heavy ,get another thats a little lighter and longer. Now for the anchor . Yes you dont want to anchor with just a tumb knuckle hanging on the chin especially since you have a 25 " draw using the right draw. (like me).So go back to the middle finger to mouth and start with a lowwr wqeight bow. All of us have to realize that you need sveral bows becasue you will get stronger or have injuries or just plain getting old. So have several weighted bows, say one or two for big game hunting and at least one for training and going over your form. 40-45lbs is perfect for that.

[jhansen]

Dave...nothing at all wrong with a "second anchor point".  Anything that works, is comfortable, and repeatable is okay.

BigCnyn...I can think of three possible reasons.  One, you aren't using a glove or tab.  Two, you need a thicker glove or tab.  Three, you are yanking your fingers off the string without relaxing them and causing the glove or tab to abrade your skin.

John

[BigCnyn]

dave , sorry again--

John, 62", MA2 65@29,  getting real cloce to 29,neet glove, it is real thin.. One weekend of shooting..Here is my anchor?

 

[Robinofdahood]

Thanks everyone.  Dang, so that's what 29 inches looks like.  LOL!  BigCnyn, no need to apologise, the more I hear, the more I learn.  That's what it seems this Shooter's Forum's all about.  I will add, that I was fooling around with different stuff yesterday and I had read someone say to try pulling the string with more of the crease of your first finger joints instead of the pads.  I tried this and it seemed to have no adverse effect on my release and seemed to minimise nock rubbing or torque(I'm shooting split).  I'm not saying its good form because I don't know my backside from a hole in the ground, but I tried it and liked it.  It definitely was easier on my pads.  Please, I don't want to disseminate bad information, its just something I tried.  Thanks again everyone!
-Dave

[BigCnyn]

That picture is after the fingers were good and sore... The edge of the point is 29.5, the clicker goes off at 29...

[Bill Turner]

Check out Terry Green's piece on the double anchor technique and his form clock. The best I've ever seen. Helped me greatly.