Over-drawing

[Friend]

What are some possible symptons for over-drawing?

[McDave]

You have come to full draw when your forearm is in line with the arrow.  You won't be able to draw much beyond that point if you're drawing with your back muscles, because your elbow will be rotating back toward your spine, as if you were trying to close a door behind you with your elbow, you will feel your shoulder blade move toward your backbone, and there will quickly come a point when you can draw no further.

If you are drawing with your arm muscles rather than your back muscles, I suppose it is possible to continue to haul back on the arrow after your have come to full draw, and I don't suppose this would result in an accurate shot.  Maybe this is what you mean by overdrawing.

Perhaps a symptom of overdrawing is that you don't feel the sensation of your shoulder blade moving toward your backbone and coming to the place where it can move no further.

[Stumpkiller]

If you are catching your clothing that may be a symptom of over-drawing.

[Wapiti Bowman]

I'll throw out a couple not listed above: Hitting your nose, lip, face with the string by turning your head towards your string hand,or by continuing to draw your bowstring past your aiming eye, so that the nock and string end up behind your eye. Additionally, leaning to the rear from the waist, so that your spine is not straight, or leaning your head to the rear, so that your neck is not in alignment with your 'straight' spine.

SK mentioned hitting your clothing: that can often happen if you've locked the elbow on your bow arm.  

[trick00]

I had the problem once of turning my head toward the string hand resulting in overdraw and would keep a raw bottom right lip. Also couldnt hit squat!

[longbowguy]

Better to worry about underdrawing. Longer is better, generally- more power, more speed, more stable alignment. If you hurt your nose or lip, move them. If your clothing interferes, wear tighter clothing. Try to get your string arm nearly in line with the arrow, by a rotational movement as McDave describes. Expanding your chest as you draw may help. - lbg