Occasional Erratic Arrow Flight...Release problems?

[Landlocked Pirate]

Hey y'all,

I'm having one major problem that's bugging the life out of me: Not regularly, but occasionally, I'll feel like I've done everything right but then when I loose the arrow it flops (porpoises) wildly and nosedives a foot or two below the target and sometimes even into the ground. I'm convinced it's not an equipment or tuning issue because most arrows will fly as straight as a bullet, but still it happens, some times more than others.
My first guess is that I'm on occasion badly botching my release, and I do know that my release needs to be a main focus area right now, but I don't know if a bad release can cause such a dramatically bad arrow flight as I've described.  Do y'all know of anything else that could be causing this, or does it indeed sound like a release problem? Thanks.

[moebow]

LLP,  It sounds to me that you are rushing for results a little.  On your other post, you talk about finding, loosing and rediscovering back tension.  These form changes will cause other parts of your shot to "screw" up every once in a while. I do agree that what you describe sounds like a form problem and NOT equipment.

Work on just ONE thing at a time.  Get your rotational/angular draw working consistently then move on to your release but don't loose the BT again.  As you become more consistent with your relaxed forearm/ wrist you will find the release becomes more consistent too.

NONE of this happens in a "couple" practice sessions!!!  Plan on working this project for a couple MONTHS at least.  This is also why we use the often repeated caution to shoot at a blank bale at SHORT distance (2 or 3 yards max).   You can get distracted by arrow flight and other things shooting at longer distances and that will slow your progress!

Arne

[Landlocked Pirate]

Great advice moebow, and I'll certainly take it to heart, thanks. I wish I had found this forum before my son and I just bought bows and went-a-shootin'. Things actually worked out pretty well for us but most of it was by accident. Having some up-front understanding of what the heck we were doing would have been great.

In my now embarassingly titled "EPIPHANY" post I told about something that had indeed worked my first time out, but what I didn't realize at the time is that I was undoubtedly doing other things subconsciously that were also a factor. Susequently, I concentrated so much on the one thing I had "learned" that I screwed everything else up and my form tanked. That's when I found your video. My natural draw was already similar to your rotational demonstration, but it was the relaxed wrist/arm factor that made the big difference. Results since then have been positive and consistent.

Thanks particularly for the advice about the bale, I see how that could be an invaluable learning tool. We'll work on that.

[McDave]

Just to cover the basics, do you really mean the arrow is porpoising (curving more than a natural arc) into the ground, or is it just a low shot?  Have you checked all your arrows to see that they are the same weight and spine and that they are all straight?  I would suggest marking your arrows, so you can see if it usually occurs with one particular arrow.

Other than equipment, one thing that can cause unexpected high or low shots is changing the up-down angle of your string forearm at full draw.  Another thing is changing the relative pressure of your string fingers. If you use a split fingered grip, pressing down on the nock with your index finger will cause erratic arrow flight. Dropping your bow arm before the arrow hits the target is probably the main cause of missing low.

Think of your release as being a symptom of other things rather than a cause in itself. If you continue to pull throughout the shot, and don't tense the muscles in your arm and hand, then you will have a good release.

[Landlocked Pirate]

I appreciate the input McDave. Yes, the shots I'm talking about actually porpoise pretty severely causing a really eratic flight. Sometimes I can shoot every arrow I have and they will all fit within a pie plate at 27 yards with a perfectly straight flight, and then at other times I'll have several of the bad shots such as I've described. Your comments as to specific (possible) causes are very helpful and are the kind of info I was hoping to get here. Actually, the pressing down on the nock at the release seems like something I could very possibly be doing. I may be slightly overbowed and I know my bow's draw length is a little short, so it's easy to let my form slip. Thanks!