Rick Welch Fletching to nose

[tracker12]

I have been wanting to set up my arrows so that I can have the fletching touch my nose.  I have them currently set back towards the nock pretty far.  When I draw I feel like I am having to overdraw to get the fletch t touch.  Does Rick encourage a certain anchor point to make it work.

[McDave]

Mine are set at 2" from base of quill to valley of the nock.  From my observations, Rick's are set in a position that looks very much like a normal position for someone who doesn't use this anchor, maybe an inch forward of the nock.  I have corresponded with someone who mounts the feathers even further forward than I do, but Rick said that was fine.  The bottom line is, you mount the feathers wherever you have to so that the cock feather touches your nose when you come to full draw.

[McDave]

BTW, Rick recommends a left wing shield cut for RH shooters, as this seems to accommodate the nose anchor pretty well.

[tracker12]

Wow 2"and you are touching.  I think why I am having trouble is that I turn my head and face the target quite a bit.  Might be a difficult proposition for me.  I have been shooting very well and don't want to do anything to mess it up.  I just seemed like my draw length has gotten a little shorter.

[McDave]

Turning your head and facing the target is a good thing.  Just make sure that you're actually coming to full draw.  Many people who use the fingertip in corner of mouth anchor really aren't coming to full draw. Rick recommends the thumb knuckle touching the ear lobe as the secondary anchor.  If you've been shooting very well, I don't blame you for not wanting to change things.

[tracker12]

I am using LW but mine are Parabolic. I pick up some shields and see if that makes a difference.

[Hawk2]

I just spent 2 days with Rick this last week, due to the fact that I where glasses I could not use the thumb to earlobe so he had me use my usual anchor which is middle finger in corner of mouth and web between thumb and index finger behind jaw than he marked where feather should go and refleched my arrow so it touched my nose, works great and the whole experience with Rick was great, something I wanted to do for years.I started to improve immediately. He is truly the master of his craft!!

[britt]

I just started using the feather to nose method also. Iam a lefty, I use left wing parbolic feathers. One inch from nock valley. I'v gotten rid of my clicker using this method.

[tracker12]

Hawk2
What part of the thumb was Rick trying to get to touch the earlobe.

[McDave]

You cock your thumb like you were cocking a revolver and touch the knuckle that is sticking up, the knuckle nearest to the thumbnail, to your earlobe.  Due to differences in facial structure, this is not always possible for people to do, so some people have to look for alternate anchors.

BTW, I didn't notice in your earlier posts whether you were using 3 under or split.  The nose to feather anchor works best with 3 under.  I guess some people have figured out how to use it shooting split, but I've never tried to do that.

[slowbowjoe]

I've been trying the anchors McDave describes, and I shoot split. Seems to work well for me so far.

I didn't intentionally try to use these points as anchor references, but one day when things were clicking, I noticed my thumb knuckle touching my earlobe, and my nose touching the feather now and then. Practicing it now for a month or two.

Never occurred to me this method was more common shooting 3 under. I suppose my facial structure, and being used to a high anchor point already, contribute to its feeling pretty natural for me.

And as for the initial question - I fletch with three 5" shields, and feather placement is what I would call normal; a little over an inch from the throat of the nock. I do think about experimenting with that, if I ever feel like it would help with my alignment &/or sight picture.

[tracker12]

I am shooting three under.

[OP-archer]

Be advised - if you are taking blood thinners, you will need a Band-Aid on your nose (the small square ones).  Learned this the hard way; bleeding on the feathers - never pretty.

Rick

[McDave]

Don't give up on your nose.  At best, the string will barely miss your nose, so it's a matter of really fine tuning to get it to miss. I've had times when the string hits either my nose or my cheek until it bleeds, and then worked my way out of it, but I can't tell you exactly how.  I think it's important to figure something out where it doesn't hit your nose, because it's hard to keep your head still and concentrate on your shot when you know the string is going to hit your nose.  People have said that tabs or gloves that don't fit right can be a cause. I once bought a glove that had rounded cordovan tips that threw the string right into my nose.  Mostly, though, it's just rotating your head enough toward the target that the tip of your nose is out of the way.

[runningbird]

when I nick my nose it is because I am overdrawing.  it's a good reminder for me.

[karrow]

if shooting carbons you might try rotating the shaft on the nock a little bit. shouldn't have to have the fletching that far back

[karrow]

maybe try drawing in front of the mirror to see what needs done

[Scott Barr]

I'm into my second day of a three day training with Rick right now. Had same problem with string slapping my nose. Correction was extending my thumb as someone already said. So the string is not up against your face. fletching should be drawn up to front of nose. Someone mentioned fletchinf slapping the nose. Not possible if it stays in front.

[olddogrib]

I'm a RH shooter and 5" LW shields work the best for me.  Didn't know anybody was recommending them...I had to find out the old fashioned way, trial and error. Inserting the fletch with the quill at the end of my Bitz helical clamp indexes the cock fletch exactly right for my 3U corner-of-mouth anchor.