Head position

[Joshua Lee]

I'm a newbie to the sport, and I've been reading a lot of the shooting posts on form and haven't come across how to properly align my head for the shot.  I noticed that if I tuck my chin it changes the line of sight quite a bit. How do I find a consistent location for my head.  In the terry clock it looks like the archer might be tucking his chin but hard to tell. Any thoughts?

[moebow]

Start with your head square on your shoulders.  Not tilted toward either shoulder.  While in your shooting stance, turn your head to look at the target, draw.  If you shoot with a vertical bow you're there.  If you cant, tilt your head so that a line across your eyes is perpendicular to the string.  That would be a tilt of the head toward your chest.  In all cases, keep your predominate eye over the arrow.  Don't think about "tucking" your chin.  If you do the above, your chin will be in the right place.  Good luck.

[Soilarch]

TTT

I'm curious for input from the rest of the gang on this one.

I'm a newbie too and all I can say is that I stopped thinking about it.  The more I worried about it the worse my shooting got. Seems backwards to "ignore" a part of your form but I can't ignore that fact that when I stopped thinking about it my shooting improved.

[BobCo 1965]

What you need to consider is consistancy. If the bow is completely vertical. Then the tilt in your head (as measured by your eyebrows) should be either perpendicular or slightly tilted (left eyebrow slightly higher then right for a right handed shooter) as compared to the string. This position should be maintained at any canted position.

As mentioned the head should be pointed toward the target in so far that you feel a slight stretch in your neck muscle.

Your head should be pretty much set before you start the draw and should remain in that postion throughout the follow through.

[Chimaster]

When I'm working on form I get just a few feet from the target so I won't miss it. Then I close my eyes as I draw the bow and just feel the shoot go off. This helps me to feel the shot without worrying about hitting the target. I seem to feel all the parts of the shot better that way. Then when I shoot at the targets I try not to think of anything but the spot I want to hit. Also I'd rather stump shoot then shoot at targets. Shooting at different distances keeps me sharp.

[Bunny buster]

When im shooting i cant my bow at about at 45 degrees. Then i match my  head to the cant of my bow .  

[Joshua Lee]

Thanks for all the tips. And I should say that my I'm currently not really having much of a problem shooting but just trying to eliminate variables.  So, I get the canting of the head with the cant of the bow,, the variable I'm interested in is the forward tilt of the head.  When shooting I stare down the target with my head canted with the bow, and for 20 yard not problem. But as with everyone the further I shoot the more inconsistency.  I noticed that a very slight dip forward of my chin makes a big difference in my sight picture.  I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on that. Also, and I haven't tried this but could you use that head tilt to shoot at different distances.  For example, Chin tucked down for shorter distances and head tilted back for longer distances.  I'm sure that I will not be trying this, because I really want to be "instinctive" but again just wanted your thoughts.  One last thought,, It would seem that you could attach something to your chin (like a cord to your shoulder) and say you had a forty yard shot, then you could theoretically tilt your head back until the cord was taught (aim at target same as you do for a 20 yard shot) and know that your arrow trajectory would be set to arc in at forty yards.  Please feel free to mock me for letting my brain get the best of me    
Josh
If anyone develops this idea remember me on Christmas (at least a card)

[Joshua Lee]

TTT
 Somebody has to have thought about this before me, I'm still wet behind the ears and my umbilical cord is still attached, I still have a soft spot on top of my head, stranger anxiety, and love milk from..a bottle? Seriously, I know this is a silly thing to think about.. tilting forward the head or back but somebody knows somthin.
Thanks
Josh

[lpcjon2]

I tilt my head slightness forward. Thats how I learned from Hitten-em like Howard book.It shows good pics.

[longbowguy]

Joshua,
I would be careful about tilting the head forward. A lot of archers follow that with the neck and then the spine and end up with a forward lean. The problem with that is that it shortens the draw length, hence arrow speed. And it can interfere with the proper working of the shoulder and back muscles.

Do tilt it over the arrow so that the eye is over the butt of the arrow or nearly so. You can work on that by drawing while looking into a mirror. - lbg

[Joshua Lee]

Thanks, lbg good tip. I didn't think about the change in draw length or the anatomical changes to the back tension.
Josh

[smoke1953]

For me I've found as long as I don't do anything unnatural.  Stay in a relaxed position because that's where the mind and body will take you in pressure situations anyway therefore you have a better shot at consistency.  Draw the arrow to align with the eye in that natural position and hold the bow and release arm like a statue on release. Simple. Ya sure!