'Anchor' versus 'Reference'

[robtattoo]

Everyone talks about 'anchor' points. Be it a tooth, corner of the mouth, cheekbone, whatever, it's always referred to as the 'Anchor'
I'd like to mention here something that my old archery coach taught me a few years ago.

"If you think of it as an anchor, that's what it becomes. It'll stop you dead in your tracks."

Instead, if you think of it as a 'reference point' you won't stop there. Ideally we should be looking to reach our 'reference' just as we run out of muscle & need to start correctly applying back tension. If we come to our reference & then expand into the shot/release/follow through sequence of the shot, you'll notice that;

a) the drawlength will inrease slightly
b) the release will be cleaner & smoother
c) the follow through will be straight back
& d) the drawing hand doesn't ever actually stop.

If you watch Terry's videos of him shooting, you'll notice that he never actually stops his draw. He comes up to his refernce & continues to expand until full draw is reached & thenreleases the arrow in one fluid motion. David Sosza demonstrates this very clearly in Masters of the Barebow (Either Vol 1 or 2, I forget which)
If you watch Rod Jenkins shoot, he comes to his reference & then mometarily stops to adjust his gap. He doesn't then just release the string, he continues to expand through the shot.

This final expansion need not be a long haul back, it need only be a fraction of an inch, but the point is, it is a continuation of the draw, after your reference has been reached.

Just an observation.

[HATCHCHASER]

I'm just starting to learn that.  Thanks man you explained it perfectly.

[Over&Under]

Rob

Well stated.  I do agree the thought/concept of an anchor can do just that, cause your mind to stop the draw.  Thinking in terms of a reference point may help some to still reach full draw, but then keep pulling through the shot.

Good post!

[LP Kelley]

Rob,

'Reference point'

Great post! Mighty sage advice!

Should be a sticky to the top.

[Guru]

Good stuff Rob    

[Covey]

I've watched Terry on the Bowhunters of Tradgang, probably 50 times. I started doing this a few month's ago. My shot and form have definitely come around and I actually know exactly what to do every time. If my shot is off, I can fix it purdy quick. Being self taught, this is like a breath of fresh air. Thank's guy's for never ending help!! Jason

[Gene R]

Great Explanation of a perfect release! Thank you. Gene

[freefeet]

Good post Rob!

I do find that i have to stop at my anchor/reference for a moment to ensure i get it consistent, but i do then expand after that.

Hopefully as i get my anchor/reference more ingrained in muscle memory the moment will gradually become shorter and maybe disappear completely, but at the moment it's still not ingrained and i do need that moment else my arrows start going everywhere as i lose consistency.

I would add that i recently switched from a full shot glove to taped fingers and the whole anchor/reference has a very different feel that i'm having to learn from scratch again.

Any constructive criticism would be appreciated.

[robtattoo]

Thanks y'all!  :D

There's absolutey nothing wrong with pausing momentarily at your reference point. The thing to remember is that it's not a stopping point, just an indicator that you need to expand from.
That's exactly how I personally shoot. I never actually stop the draw, I just briefly pause to get my target picture right in my mind (maybe a second) then expand through the release/follow through sequence of my shot.

I also find it really handy to have a very light bow to practice with. I'll often pick up The Wife's 28# target bow, just to run through this sequence. It's just heavy enough that I can correctly feel my alignment & back tension, but light enough that I can do it all day long, slowly, without the chance of over straining myself.

[Terry Green]

Yes, that IS a great tip.....here's my saying on the subject...

'An anchor point should never be a resting place....but instead, an evolution to execution.'

[jacobsladder]

yep...what terry and rob said....my anchor point is where i end up at full draw....then it becomes a starting point to finish off the shot...hope that makes sense....

[owlbait]

Nailed Robtatoo! I find when my shooting starts to scatter that I'm not meeting that reference point before I expand to conclusion. I don't feel the back tension I need. Thanks for a great explanation and reminder.

[Pete Darby]

Very well said.  I tell people that the two worst words in archery are anchor and release.  I tell newbies that they are reference points and relaxing the fingers.  I can hold a solid face anchor and vary the draw length up to three inches and still be at a solid never moving face anchor. I can't vary my draw length at all if at anchor.   And it requires an almost herculean effort to pluck or creep upon release if I am at anchor and do my elbow movement correctly.

[Kevin Winkler]

Right on Rob      
You guys are so right! My shooting really improved last year after I read a post here on Trad Gang that stated when you reach your anchor/reference it is the beginning of the shot not the end!

After I thought about that for a while, It was like...Duh! That's it! It changed my whole shot process and did it ever improve my shooting.
It's only been a little over two years now, since I have come back to shooting Trad. But that one post made a real big difference for me!

I also made up some Formasters from a post here on Trad Gang and use one regularly to help me keep my form in tune.
Thanks to all who contribute to this site.      
It has helped me and I enjoy being part of it.

[BobCo 1965]

Good post Rob!

Personally, my real anchor is in my back. It is the point where linear travel of the arrow stops and expansion begins. All points on the face, neck, nose, jaw, ear, etc are reference points.

[Terry Green]

TTT

[Soilarch]

Thank You!!!


It's amazing how powerful "words" are.  The things we associate with them have a huge impact on how/what we think when we use them

I've never sat down and thought about it, but it certainly is easy (and probably not good) for us to think of it as a "lock-down" point...when in reality it should be just what you describe: a reference to let us know everything is in check and going as planned.

I'll throw the idea out there I'm gonna start using the term "checkpoint".  For me, that means a place you can stop at or move on through, but you must get THERE first before you worry about moving on.

I think those that come from a compound background (like me) are especially susceptible to the anchor=lockdown bug.

[zetabow]

The description of reference point I think is better than Anchor as Anchor implies that it’s fixed and unmoving and lot of people make the mistake of stopping when reaching Anchor, having a solid fixed Anchor does work, I used it in my early days, my experience is that every now and then you have a flier, the more fluid form where you are using an Anchor reference and expanding through the shot is so much more consistent and the only fliers I have is because I was lazy and didn’t expand correctly.

Correct form initially is quite hard disciplined work compared to just holding at Anchor and takes a lot for me to convince my students to make the change, as to them their fixed anchor is giving them respectable results and making the change requires a step backwards in accuracy before they see an improvement, if they get past this they never go back to fixed\\locked Anchor.

As a tourney Longbow shooter I’m not allowed to use a Clicker but I have trained my mind to have a virtual clicker, it allows me to find my reference anchor and keep expanding through the shot, I find this kind of visualization a very powerful tool for good Form. I also use the same visualization techniques to help my aiming.        

[Straight Shootin']

Excellent post, tks all!!

[wapitimike1]

I'd have to say I hang on to my reference point/anchor for close to 3 seconds. I shoot best with a double ref point. The string to my eye lid and ring finger to the corner of my mouth into my choppers.
 I shoot my best coming to full draw locking onto the target.  At the last split second I expand slightly before loosing the arrow.