Shooting with a closed stance?

[trad_in_cali]

hello there, I've been working with my stance, and trying to find my most relaxed alignment.
I closed my eyes, looked behind me, and then turned towards the target, drew and opened my eyes several times. It turns out that my natural stance is several degrees past aligned with the target.
I seem to be able to engage my back much more easily, and my sight picture has stabilized noticeably. Anyone else shoot maybe 10 degrees past alignment? Any problem I should be watching out for?
Thanks!

[McDave]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it....

But, why let that stop you?  The thing that occurs to me is that you may not be coming to full draw.  Imagine yourself pointing your bow arm at the target, and drawing the bow back to maybe 3/4 draw.  At this point, if your drawing forearm and your arrow are lined up, your arrow will be pointing to the left of the target (for a RH shooter).  If you release the arrow at this point, assuming you do everything correctly, your arrow will impact to the left of your mark.

If instead, you continue your draw, your drawing elbow will move in an arc around toward your back, and your drawing forearm and arrow will rotate into alignment with the target.

Now if you consistently release the arrow at 3/4 or 7/8 or 15/16th draw, and get tired of hitting to the left, you can "correct" this problem by closing your stance, so that the arrow is pointing at the target when you stop your draw at some point prior to reaching full draw.

You can test yourself on this by looking at the arrow when you feel like you are at full draw, and then continuing to increase back tension without releasing the arrow.  If you weren't really at full draw, you should be able to see the arrow continue to rotate clockwise as you increase back tension, so the point of impact would move to the right.  If you really were at full draw, then further increases in back tension would not result in any noticeable change in the alignment of the arrow.

Another possibility is that you are letting your shoulders open up during the draw, and by closing your stance, you are bringing them back into alignment with the target.  You can test this by having someone put an arrow across your shoulder blades when you are at full draw.  The arrow should point at your target, not to the left.

I suppose it is possible that you could be doing one or both of these things, and like it better than if you shot with "good" form, so long as you are able to be consistent.  However, since good form has worked out so well for so many people, you probably owe it to yourself to learn to shoot with good form before you begin tweaking things.

[trad_in_cali]

Thanks McDave. I'll take that to the range tomorrow and see.
May bring my video camera as well.
Marco

[benbmore3d]

Please take your Cam.   I would love to see what you come up with.  Thanks!

[trad_in_cali]

I realigned the stance a few inches. All seems well.
The shoulders were aligned, I was doing a rotational draw with a closed stance. My shoulders were perfectly aligned to the target. Now there's less of a rotation, and the alignment remains.
Thanks McDave.
Marco

[trad_in_cali]

Here's what I see in the video. I'm leaning back at full draw. The alignment is right, but the shoulders look 2 inches offset back from being centered on the hips. I can't even feel it so not sure how to address it. Any advice for back-leaning?
Thanks!

[trad_in_cali]

Oh, that is not with a closed stance, but an horizontal one or slightly open.
MF

[McDave]

It might be helpful if you post the video.  It is a little hard to answer in the abstract.