Can't figure out why string is hitting my nose.

[rogers]

I switched to using my recurve all the time this year instead of alternating between that and a compound. I never really got serious with a recurve until this year. I recently bought a martin hatfield and love it, but the string is tearing the flesh off my nose. Half the time the string clears my nose just fine, but i have no clue what i did to keep it from hitting me. I anchor with my middle finger in the corner of my mouth, i dont know if that has anything to do with it. I use a recurve to bowfish with and iv never had this problem.  If anyone has a clue or advice on what might be wrong please let me know.  Thank yall

[McDave]

Very simply, the bowstring is hitting your nose because you are putting your nose in the path of the string.  The answer is to keep your nose facing forward, and to tilt you head to get your eye over the arrow.  If you rotate your head, rather than tilt it, you will rotate your nose into the string.

[D. Devall]

yup. that sounds like it.

[A.S.]

I've had this problem a number of times. I finally figured out that when I do hit my nose, I have been drawing too far, wheich in turn causes me to turn my head just enough to get my nose in the way.

Also, I have to bend over and cant my bow, or I'll whack my nose every time. No vertical bow for me.....just doesn't work.

[rogers]

Thanks alot fellas, yal have seemed to cure this simple problem for the most part.  Hopefully i can get the head position burned into my brain before that big buck walks under me this season.

[Windwalker2]

Very simply, the bowstring is hitting your nose because you are putting your nose in the path of the string.

LOL!

Another common cause of the string making contact with the nose, face, etc, and not being able to shoot from a standard vertical body position without similar strange things happening, is commonly a result of being over-bowed and/or bow is stacking badly.

When a person is over-bowed and/or bow stacks, you will scrunch your head and shoulders and end up assuming all kinds of incorrect and strange shooting forms.

If you "scrunch" your head and lift your shoulders/arm just to reach your anchor, you will, without fail, turn your face/head into the path of the strng.

[otis.drum]

nose is too big?  

[snag]

I talked with Rod Jenkins about this when going through his shooting clinic recently. I was leaning my head into the path of the string while trying to look down the arrow shaft. He had me start my shot by standing upright and then drawing the arrow to THAT head position. In other words, draw the arrow to your anchor, not draw and then move your head to the arrow. I lengthened my draw by 1/2" through this clinic. I am now anchoring with my thumb joint in the hollow behind the jawbone. Even though this is the case I still don't get any string rash. I hope this is as helpful to you as it has been for me.

[Boneyard Bowhunter]

I agree With A.S. You are drawing too far.Drawing too far makes you turn your head to the right.

[BigCnyn]

I was at the same school, Rod Jenkins.
What I found is that I, in attempt to "pull Through". I seem to snatch the back tension, or to pull real quick, instead of smoothly. This caused the oscillation of the string to really amplify, and thus smack the tar out of my nose and lip. I am still working on this. Have the mark on the end of my nose to prove it. Slow and steady, do not turn into the bowstring. Set your head, draw anchor, pull through. try it.

[Walt Francis]

Hi Snag and Brian    

Both problems, drawing to far and a big nose, were causing me to hit both my nose and cheek with the string.  After watching video from above, I discovered when rotating/pulling my elbow though conclusion I was not releasing the string until my hand had rotated back and around putting my check in the way.  It took a couple of weeks using a clicker to shorten my draw length down from 29 ½” to 28 ¾” but now the string does not hit me often; when it does it tells me I am doing something wrong.  One other thing, I started touching my chin to my shoulder then raising it straight up as part of my pre shot sequence, this helped rotate the cheek and nose out of the strings path.

[Killdeer]

I never did hit my nose with the string until I watched that Masters of the Barebow CD with Rod Jenkins in it. He had a Band-Aid on his nose.
I thought to myself, "Self... do you want to keep shooting like ratty old Killdeer or shoot like Rod Jenkins?"      
I bought a box of Band-Aids and didn't look back!

Killdeer  

[zetabow]

I had a nightmare last month, just tore my nose to bits, shot our National Field champs which I won with two new Field\\Hunter records, it was so bad I was forced to take a break for a week to heal which I didn't want to do as I had European champs to shoot the following week.

When I shot European Field champs I had no problems hitting nose (wore a plaster just in case)and went on to win and shoot another record. I still cant quite figure what I was doing to hit my nose but suspect I was drawing too deep and pulling my head to the side.

The timing was really bad, I didn't really want to take a break and didn't want to change anything like Anchor or my form as I was shooting so well.