do you shoot sitting down?

[dutch the deadly]

i would like to know what trad members think about shooting from a sitting position, especially fron a tree stand.  does form just go out the window?  can you reach full drawto anchor?  is there a tendency to shoot high or low?  just your experiences and thoughts...thanks

[moebow]

dutch,  There are three parts of the body in the archery shot.  The most important is the power unit.  That is the part that draws the bow to anchor, maintaining bow arm and string arm at roughly 90 degrees to the spine.  The second part is the support structure which is basically below the waist.  Whether you are standing, kneeling, sitting or hanging by your toes, all it does is support the power unit.  The third part is the control unit -- head and eyes.

We teach a standing straight up and down posture just to help get the power unit in the correct position and lined up correctly.  Once you have that and know what you need for alignment in the power unit, the support unit becomes far less important and can be adjusted as necessary.  

SO! Get the power unit correct in your tree stand and use whatever you need to remain in a stable shooting position.  FORM SHOULD NOT GO OUT THE WINDOW, form is really the power unit not the support or control unit.  Support and control simply make getting the power unit lined up easier.

[Roy Steele]

Sence 06 I only ground hunt.Yes I practice 95% from a stool.But I stand hunted for over 30 years.And I had stands that were set down stands.I exspecially liked to set down in those ceder tree stands.For the camo.But prefered to stand up in straight trees with out cover.For the simple fact I felt more camo in.And exspecially I liked to stand in those peek hours.

[Don Stokes]

All it takes it practice. I sit all the time while hunting from a ladder stand. One factor is the seat height. It's easier from a higher seat than from a lower one, which can get your legs in the way.

[Stinger]

Dutch,
Moebow's advice is spot on.  I don't practice a lot from a sitting position, but on occasion I do.  If you keep the alignment the same and bend at the waist rather than just dropping your bow arm, you should be fine.  Make sure you do a few test runs to ensure your lower limb clears the stand when sitting.  It paid off big for me a week ago when a doe snuck in on me from behind.  I didn't have time to stand and only a small shooting lane, so I took her sitting down.  The shot felt easy.

[smoke1953]

I shoot better because of the stable lower core. I do cant a bit more which I personally love to do anyway. Maintaining alignment with eye over arrow is most important for me and then sitting or kneeling becomes a preferred position. In the tree stand it does limit my right and left and I need to make sure to move my lead foot back thereby dropping my knee to create increased clearance.

[TRAD101]

I have always shot from a sitting position for no other reason then the reduced movement. you just need to practice from the sitting position a lot so as to get used to the things you need to do to make it work,(canting the bow a little more,bending at the waste from the sitting position, ect.). I can't say it will work for everybody but I think it is worth some effort.

[Terry Green]

Form is from the waist up......form should never 'go out the window'.  Review the form clock thread....and I recommend you get The Bowhunters of Trad Gang DVD that is still a deal at $12.  There's shooting info on there ...including taking your form with you to various shooting positions.

[Betterluckytg]

Since I have to shoot from either a wheelchair or the ATV, I suspect that I have no form recognizable as such. It's simply a matter of holding the bow so that it doesn't hit the ground, a wheel, or something on the ATV and still being able to draw. As you might guess, it's a bit touchy to find just the right angle to park the ATV to cover any given area, and the area covered is "somewhat limited". Shooting 70" longbows and 32 1/2" arrows makes every good shot very gratifying.

[Wile E. Coyote]

I shoot from a sitting position and find it more stable and secure. You definitely need to bend from the waist even if you feel that you are in line without doing so or you will shoot high.

[Ravenhood]

Dont like shooting sitting, I am afraid of losing to much mobility.

[ncsaknech1ydh]

I have a few tripod stands with swivel chairs and as stated above, just bend at the waist and your form and alignment should stay identical as if you were standing or kneeling. Like anything else, just take a chair out and shoot down hill, or hang a treestand, and practice, you will soon get the hang of it. DK.

[TSP]

I find it harder to shoot 'comfortably' from sitting or kneeling positions, and much prefer standing.  But, it's something that NEEDS to be learned and practiced if used when hunting.  Regardless of what the shooting position is, if you've not practiced it the shot will be a crapshoot.

[Wishbone]

I practice shooting sitting and kneeling for those days that I ground hunt, which is seldom. I've been fortunate to have been able( so far) to get to my feet to shoot from the treestand.

[Swamp Preacher]

Dutch,
I may have mentioned to you before, I live in an old house that is in down town Charleston.  The second floor has a porch on which I have set up a range and do most of my shooting.  Have a tall bucket that held chlorine tablets (5 gal is too short for my old knees) that I practice my sitting shots.  Like Terry Green says, get the DVD, and study the form clock.  It works.
Haden+

[beetlebailey1977]

Yes I do it is important to practice in different position even awkward positions to be good at shooting.  You never know how a shot can present itself.

[HARRY CARRY]

At the homeclub of Strictly Sticks Traditional Archers in Alverton, PA, a DART system is set up.  One of the shooting positions we use is sitting down, and it is often "looked forward to" as the shooting position where everyone does well.

We all practice at the bales mostly by standing, but, we do bring out the chairs for some sitting.  If you have achieved a good, workable shooting form whilst standing, we've found that it easily translates to the sitting position.  

I shoot a 69" Vigilante, and have NO PROBLEMS with whacking the floor.  I'm 5'10", and believe that my adequate shooting style allows for sitting with no ill shooting effects.

Try it:  if it works for you, you now have opened countless shooting possibilities and opportunities.  But, ENJOY IT, FIRST!!

[bowslinger]

Dutch,

I recommend shooting, sitting, kneeling, laying down, bending over, reaching around a tree, and shooting up and downhill on uneven slopes while sitting or standing.  You will find that if you maintain proper form, you can shoot many of these positions fairly well.  For some of these, I still struggle to be consistent at all, but it has taught me my limitations when actually hunting.

[rick7]

i practice shooting sitting, on one knee and on both knees. it pays to practice, practice, practice

[mambashooter]

Sometimes