grouping

[Arrowcraft]

what aspect of shooting would lend itself too shooting tighter groups , I am aware that all are important but what single part could possibly lead to consistency in grouping ? And yes i am aware that lots of shooting helps !  Thank You

[moebow]

Repeatable and consistent form/execution. The better your form, the better and more consistent the execution of the shot.

Arne

[hart2hart]

"Steady" bow arm through a natural followthrough.

[McDave]

What Arne says is absolutely correct.  However, "repeatable and consistent form/execution" includes many individual components, all of which have to be done correctly in order to shoot tight groups.

Then there is concentration, a mental skill that needs to be developed.

Then there is equipment, which also must be consistent and tuned in order to shoot tight groups.

I'm sure that if we added everything up, we would find that shooting a bow accurately is as difficult, if not as dangerous, as racing a motorcycle or flying a helicopter.

My life in learning to shoot a bow has been a continuous learning process.  And a relearning process, as I repeat old mistakes.  It is rewarding to me that now, when I miss a shot, I usually know why.  But it has taken a long time to get there.  If this had not been the case, I would probably have long ago gotten bored with it and taken up motorcycle racing or helicopter flying instead.

[Jock Whisky]

What works for me more than anything is a combination of a few things. Every part of the shot sequence is important but these are key for me.

Pulling the string doesn't mean I have to shoot. If it doesn't feel right I try to let down. (don't always succeed but I'm better than I was.

Back tension, back tension, back tension. For me, this immediately shrinks my groups significantly.

When it feels right, I turn the shot over to my subconscious. The release is almost immediate.

[jackdaw]

Concentration.....

[tracker12]

I don't think any one thing will. Need to do all facets of the shot correct and repeatable. Now my bad shots come from peaking which causes me to drop the bow arm and pull my release had away from my face

[Bobaru]

"Repeatable and consistent form/execution. The better your form, the better and more consistent the execution of the shot." Arne

I've come to learn this is absolutely true.  My New Year's resolution is to apply what Arne says.

hart2hart says, ""Steady" bow arm through a natural followthrough."

G. Fred Asbell says in his book, and I've found it to be true, that when your groups open up, it's usually caused by your bow arm. Without going back and reading his book, I'm guessing he's saying this given that you already generally have good form.

I know that's often true with myself.  When I have a bad release, my groups don't "open up" like they do with a tired bow arm.  Instead, I tend to get "fliers," which would consist of a good group with one odd ball arrow.

I enjoy Jackdaw's comment too: "Concentration."  When I was learning to shoot skeet, Lee Braun said that you only shoot one bird at a time, and you have no idea of your misses until you're told by the score keeper.  That's because focus and concentration are so important.

I hope to bring that concentration to my archery shooting.  "Concentration" is my second New Year's Resolution.  Here's how it works:  My flier is often the fifth arrow in a 5 arrow group.  Why?  Because I get all excited about the "string" I'm running.  That string is *should be* irrelevant to the arrow you are shooting. Concentration/ focus allows one to calm the mind for the only thing that matters in the world, the proper execution of the shot at hand.      

This is a good thread.  I hope to follow on advise from the Shooters forum this year, especially from Arne because I believe sloppy, inconsistant form when executing a shot on deer has been responsible for some of my misses.

[JARRETT]

Some great tips on this thread so far!!!  I have just started to take my recurve seriously and have been shooting video of my form.  The biggest thing I noticed is exactly what Tracker12 said.  I was dropping my bow arm, but instead of peaking I was ogling!!!

[WVbowhunter]

Don't death grip your bow, to tight of a grip creates torque which leads to inconsistent groups. Relax your hand a bit and your groups will tighten.

[flyguysc]

Bobaru you are so spot on. that fifth arrow is a brain fart for me as well.I often mumble to myself(you just cannot stand success)Tuff habit to break, but lots of determined fun tiring.