Shooting from kneeling position

[Gene R]

I as out shooting this morning and when I shot at yardage over 25, I found that if I was kneeling my groups were alot tighter. I am wondering if this is typical for other trad shooters as well. And if not what may be causing my groups to spread out more while standing, especially at greater yardage, over kneeling. Just awonderin?

[Cherry Tree]

What style do you shoot? instinctive,gap,ect....

[Gene R]

I am new to tradtional archery and I always felt I was shooting instinctive, but I may be doing a combination of gap and instinctive, because I do see the arrow in my periperal vision. I can't say I use this as a concious reference but it may be playing a part subconciously. Whatever, method the difference in accuracy is noticeable. I am wondering if I am not using a proper stance and I may be having too much movement in my shot sequence.

[Orion]

If you kneel, you pretty much take your legs and a bunch of muscle groups out of the picture,  i.e. your shooting platform becomes more stable.  That usually leads to more accurate shots.

[fedora]

I shoot better kneeling also.  I think it is because you are closer to the ground and therefore more stable.  That is if you are on both knees.  If I shoot with one leg up I am about as accurate as if standing.

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by fedora:
I shoot better kneeling also.  I think it is because you are closer to the ground and therefore more stable.  That is if you are on both knees.  If I shoot with one leg up I am about as accurate as if standing.

Me too.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

Same here.

[Ragnarok Forge]

Closer to the ground and less likely to turn the hips wrong and mess up your form.  I find I align better when kneeling.

[stevemfwills]

i find when kneeling im so involved in my focus on my spot it just happens like its supposed too

[nightowl1]

I am going to have to try this tomorrow. I don't know why, but I haven't even tried that position. It makes total sense.

Hmmm.... If it works I may look a little funny at the 3D shoots haha.

[Gene R]

Thanks guys for the info. I just happened to be at a rummage sale and I saw one of those little  plastic stool type deals that has an extension angleing downward that has a small platform that has padded areas on both sides. I guess this is a tool used in planting gardens. It is very light weight and only sits about 12 inches of the ground when sitting on the stool part. I used it shooting last night. Wow, you can either sit on the stool with your legs in the kneeling position or you can lean forward and kneel on the pads on both sides. Weighs only about 2 lbs. I think it will make a great blind chair. Or if still hunting from the ground. I tryed it last night and it really is comfortable and makes me really stable. Shot very well with it and lot of support for the back. Just thought I would let the guys who like to shoot kneeling in on this. Might look kind of goofey on the 3 D course but I will sure use it in the blind.

[Gene R]

Just to let you know, the stool chair part angles such that it is very comfortable and easy to move back and forth to kneeling or resting on the stool, Can't say enough about the comfort of this little gadget,really supports the back well and makes it very comfortable to kneelor recling back for a long time. Also so light weight and manuverable that it just can be slid around to whatever direction you want to kneel with no effort! I know I will really like this in the blind!

When I was younger I hunted with a fun guy, but he only shot from his knees, even in my backyard. One day we were sneak hunting on a ridge, I was high he was on the bottom. the idea was if a deer tried to avoid one it could walk into the other. I bumped a fat doe down towards him. It looked like a done deal.  he got ready to shoot, dropped to his knees and scared the doe away before he could shoot.  When we met up again, at first he could not figure out what busted the doe, when the light came on, he said that he was going need to learn to shoot standing up. I find that I am more fluid shooting from my knees than when sitting on my butt,however, my knees are not what they used to be. stones and sticks are harder and sharper than they used to be.

[azhunter]

Gene, I shoot tighter groups consistently when kneeling.  I have always wondered why as well.

[Earthdog]

At most of our 3D comp's there's 2-3 compulsary kneeling shots that are looked at as being penalty shots.

I've never seen the penaly part "even for the compounders" it's simply a more stable platform to shoot off when you take your legs out of the picture.

A 3D I shot last year was in very high blustery winds and most of the compounders dropped 30-40 points on average,,,I shot my usual score,,,not becuase I'm any better,,but because I shot every expoused target off my knees.
Most of those compound shooters had "never" shot off their knees

[tkytrac]

I don't know it to be true w/ others but I have found that once I learned to shoot, all things considered, my feet position is the least important. Having said that I recognize that one can short draw, open up the chest, even hit your arm at the bicep for numerous reasons not the least of which is the feet. Yet I think very little of positioning when shooting.  Sometimes at shoots or roving we'll balance on stumps or logs.  Shoot standing on one leg.  Turn backwards, you name it. It can get pretty ridiculous.  I am not so sure that it is the position as it is the balance.  Just some thoughts I guess.

[Kurt Miller]

Gene,
Any chance of posting pics of such a handy device?  I shoot kneeling a lot and must look for one. thanks.

[knobby]

What Orion said. Increased stability, plus the back muscles come into play a bit more.

[Killdeer]

I have noticed the same thing. I thought it was because my brain was bored. I would be shooting OK, then fall off in the middle of a course. Tired, I thought, and losing concentration. So I would kneel or sit, straddle a log, whatever, just to make it different, freshen my viewpoint and wake up my brain. Whatever the reason, it works... usually.   :rolleyes:

Killdeer

[Gene R]

Hi guys, I have a picture or two of this shooting kneeling stool, I would like to post it for all to see, how do you post a picture on the site? Gene