Is it possible to overdraw the bow and have an anchor that is to far back.

[Bob L.]

How do you tell if your overdrawing the bow? If you overdraw can that mess up your alignment? I changed my form and have better posture etc.and am anchoring far (farther) back, like on my neck under the ear. Can that cause string slap to your bow arm or misalingment? Plus I get tired quicker because of this gain in extra draw obviously I'm pulling more poundage is there a happy medium, how does anyone know what their full draw is and then settle on their anchor point, cause I dont want to pick my anchor point first?
Thanks
Bob

[Bowwild]

Bob,
I'll address your question from a form point of view. It is vital in archery to use back motion to execute your release. If you are under or over-drawn you can't use back motion, you will eventually anticipate the release, and target panic will result. TB ends the archey careers of about 70% of archers. If you are shooting with fingers. Anchor with the tip of the index finger at the corner of your mouth. Extend the drawing arm elbow back (towards behind your ear) until: if you draw a line from your bow grip, through your anchor this drawing arm elbow should be slightly in front of the line (away from you). Slightly would be about 1/2 inch in front of.  This allows room for your drawing arm elbow to begin to move rearward as you think about executing the release. This rearward movement is called back motion. I know this is complicated and a picture would help you. I can't stress the importance of it. If you are willing to spend $20 go to the National Archery in the Schools Program website and buy the DVD "Beyond NASP" it explains this and more. 1.2 million students were taught this way this year alone. NASP is a non-profit.  By the way, I've been in archery 46 years -- I only learned this information in 2005.  Most archers don't know this yet and their shooting and fun is being negatively impacted. I just want to help.

[xtrema312]

Yes it is possible for me anyway.  There is a point where I rotate my shoulder past alignment with the back, or I use my arm/shoulder to pull out and back.  I don't know exactly which or if it is a combination.  I learned my limit by concentrating only on the back and really getting the arm and hand relaxed.  Then I fine tuned by paying attention to the release, follow-through, and arrow flight.  If I get kind of a pluck I know I have gone past because I am not releasing in line with good follow through going straight back, and I get a weak direction arrow just like short drawings and plucking.  

After all my form changes I was over drawings by as much as ½” for a little while.  Then I settled back in to a little shorter draw.  I am still playing with the last ¼” trying to settle, but most times I just shoot and don’t work about it.  

You will feel the extra weight with the longer draw.  Plus if you are really using your back and were not before, you will feel that a lot.  If you feel tired in the arm and shoulder, I would guess you are overdrawing and pulling out and around with you arm/shoulder.

[dragon rider]

If you can, get hold of Rick Welch's The Accuracy Factory and Rod Jenkin's portion of Masters of the Barebow III.  They have different anchors, but they both use and explain the same fundamentals.  At least for me there's no better way to learn than to watch somebody who really knows what he's doing and is explaining it as he goes.  

String slap is usually either too low a brace height or you're holding the bow in a way that turns your wrist in toward the riser - often by locking your elbow out.  If you're trying to pull too far, your wrist may be rolling in, oryour elbow locking out, to help compensate for the weight and you will get bitten by the string doing that.

[xtrema312]

I think you can also pull out on the string like in a pluck and shoot the string into your arm.

[rickshot]

Howdy…I just tried drawing to the same anchor point. With my fingers on my neck I looked behind me and my elbow was coming around the other side…this is way out of alignment. If you look at the shot clock above you may notice the elbow points straight away from the target…this is a very advantageous position relative to the workload and a consistently smooth release. Good Luck. Rick.

[Bob L.]

Thanks everyone for the advise. I messed around with it last night and found an anchor that was a little farther forward that feels like I can make it rock solid. index finger on the corner of my mouth, index finger on my cheekbone with my thumb on my jaw. It feels solid kind of like you would rest your face on a gun stock. Once I hit solid anchor I pulled through the shot to my conclusion of touching my shoulder and I didnt hit my arm with the string so that was cool.

[xtrema312]

Originally posted by Bob L.:
 It feels solid kind of like you would rest your face on a gun stock. .

That is exactly the feel I use.  I also try and feel the arm in line with the arrow.  If you really pay attention to this you can feel the tension get in line.  If you anchor too hard into your face you can pull around with the sting arm pulling around the face, but if you keep it light and concentrate on the feel of the tension in the arm, when it is in line it can help you set your draw length and trigger the release.

[Bowwild]

Sounds like you're in a good place -- figuratively and literally BobL.!  Here's how I set-up the shot. Once I'm at anchor -- see the bowstring, see the arrow point, refernce the target. Then think paint the face and thumb to the shoulder. Get's you thinking about the "back of the shot" instead of the result.

[Bob L.]

Bowwild,
You know what was helping me with a conclusion, I don't know if anyone else does this was I kept saying deep hook, feel anchor, set gap or (sight picture) touch shoulder and it was working. like a count sequense I have read about and it allowed my release to happen sub consciously (spelling). I think i am going to just spend hrs at the bale doing that and check what happens when I walk out to the LONGER ranges.