Becoming the best Archer that you can be.

[HUNT 24/7]

Originally posted by cch:
[QBI shot 4 groups of 4 arrows at 40yds in a 4" circle.[/QB]

Damn! I'm happy when I do that in the 15yd range haha! But I'm still learning.

Nice shooting  

[52Mag]

I always shoot 2 or three arrows when I practice. I have been holding 6 inch groups at 30 yards with 8 out of ten. When I switch from the 55# bow to the 60# bow my groups are tighter because the string follows a straighter line to the bow. Of coarse my release is also cleaner.

[52Mag]

Bill good to see your still around, I still can replay that antelope video your wife took of your arrow going through the lunges of that antelope at 27 yards. I really found a great thing yesterday while I was shooting that can help you not drop your bow arm and thus improve your shooting. You should try this at 15 then 20 then 25 yards. After I shoot my arrow I hold my bow arm out there and i look to see were the bag target is in relation to my site window. What I found is that the deer on the target is standing on my arrow shelf. I will pay attention to this for 5 or 6 arrows then I go back to my regular shooting. 20 arrows or so latter I will again check to see if the buck is still standing on my arrow shelf for a shot or two. This routine helps me to not drop my bow arm ever. Check it out.

[RocketDog]

Once you know the theory of good form, learn a sequence that will take you from pre-shot breathing to watching the arrow hit the spot you wanted!

If you practice enough, that sequence will become automatic.

[SpencerL]

What books would anyone suggest about good form?

[52Mag]

Any book by Al Henderson the US archery coach or the little book by Us Open champion Dave Keagy are great. Hear is the thing they are written for Olympic archers to put arrow after arrow in the gold at 100 yards. That dosn't mean that you can not use some of the pointers to help you shoot better. Under standing what a archer has to do to shoot tighter groups will help you. Learning is learning. When ever you read a book on how to shoot you do not incorporate all of the authors pointers into your style you only use bits and pieces.

[sputterman]

Shooting blind and running my shot sequence through my mind helped me improve alot. If you do something enough the right way you will know when and what is wrong if something is wrong. Im to the point now if my arrow doesnt hit where im looking i can tell why. grip, anchor, release and so on. Im not by any means the best shot but this helped me improve 10fold.

[Cherry Tree]

sputterman do you shoot instinctive? or gap? ect....

[GREATBROWNKNOCKEMDOWN]

thinkin of trying a clicker cuz i know i dont always get to full draw is there one that is better than the other ? if so what would anyone recommend?

[sputterman]

Cherry Tree, I cant really tell you what i shoot. I pick a spot and dont take my eyes off it. with that said I do notice my arrow in my sight picture. I know I have a point on of 20yds but i never really think about yardage it just happens. I guess i subcontiously gap shoot or something, maybe split vision instintive, The main thing i do is stare at a spot and practise my form.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by GREATBROWNKNOCKEMDOWN:
thinkin of trying a clicker cuz i know i dont always get to full draw is there one that is better than the other ? if so what would anyone recommend?

Personally, I like the Crick-It because it has a shorter base than the other one.

[Cherry Tree]

what would you guys do to help hold the bow back once you hit full draw? i shoot instinctive and i think i always get to full draw but i like it to be held for a little bit then let go but once i hit my mouth iits gone! anyway to help keep it held back?

Thanks!

This afternoon was just not my day.  At first, I could group fairly well with a three second rhythm from beginning of the the draw to release with just a slight hesitation at anchor. holding for any amount of time, for some reason i was dumping one arrow out of the six 8 to 10 inches to the right, with another 6 inches up and left.  With my wife coaching and checking my form with the faster rhythm, she spotted me dropping my tension if I stopped the draw for more than a 1/2 of a second. It was hot, my cotton wood tree was blowing a cotton blizzard in my face, there were a lot of cars and my furnace fan gave up being able to start on its own without trying to burn the  house down first.  So I over did it again trying to fix what amounts to nothing more than a lack of clear concentration, I am going to take a week off and hope for cooler weather.  Can't win 'em all and I need to forgive myself for having an off day.

[cch]

Well I went back to snap shooting. I shot with the clicker for several months. I would have some great days and then some terrible days. On most days with the clicker I would shoot a few good arrows but then some would miss my target by a foot and a half. I went back to snap shooting and my group average has improved. I don't have as many wild shots. I don't shoot as good of groups at 40 yds but at 30yds I can keep a good 6-8 in group.

[RocketDog]

I have been trying to improve at longer yardage just because it is fun to shoot.  The two main form concerns I have noticed is consistent draw length and bow arm stability.  My personal biggest problem at longer yardage is bow arm/hand stability.  If you are shooting 30 yards or more, your bow arm/hand have to be rock solid, shock free, movement free after the shot.  Takes lots of awareness and focus and a bow that does not have hand shock or too much draw weight.

[RocketDog]

A definite sequence you can learn and practice until it is automatic will help every part of your form.  If you aren't holding long enough to get a good sight picture or to steady your shot, try blinking or closing your eyes during the draw, or just making a longer hold a big part of your sequence.

For myself at longer targets, I am better off getting very deliberate on the draw.  Holding longer than one second does not help me much, and usually just a slight hesitation and tightening through the release gets my best accuracy at 30 to 64 yards. Once its on its on, no amount of time makes it more accurate. If holding time is required to get it on target or to get a good release, that is another matter.

[cch]

A big problem I have noticed while holding more than a second or two is my vision blurs. When I snap shoot I can focus and usually hit real close to my spot. I just don't see a real need for me to hold for a long period of time. I shoot with two guy's that hold for a couple of seconds and I wish I could shoot like that but I do quite well the way I am doing it now. I will probably try it again sometime but for now I am staying with the snap shooting.

[Mike Vines]

I go to the gym every night, or atleast every other night.  Keeps my upper body in shooting shape.

[Paul WA]

If I could shoot like CCH I would snap shoot too...PR