@ anchor points

[Jackpine Boyz]

Hi, I am attempting my first video up load.  I am working on a better anchor this offseason.  After tweaking I found 2 that I like.  The one on my bottom tooth is a little more comfortable because it is most similar to the one I've used the last year or so.  The one on my zygomatic arch is something I found experimenting that fits my face well but is a little new to me yet.  My question is what are obvious pros and cons to consider with these two specific anchors.  With the higher anchor the arrow is closer to my eye for example.  Any big red flags?  I am really just focused on the anchor currently.  Please forgive the right elbow, It creeps up sometimes and I usually realize it after the shot.  The high elbow also causes me to put a little twist on the string, so I will be defiantly working on this on the bale as well.  Since I am moving my anchor I want to get that sorted out first though.  

Fyi I previously anchored with my 1 st thumb joint over the mastoid.  I found that this causes me to swing the  bow out and in which messed me up at times and wasn't always solid.


 

 

 

If I am in the wrong spot, please let me know.

[moebow]

Jackpine,

I believe you are getting the cart before the horse a little.  You seem to be trying to artificially choose an "anchor" point and then drawing to that artificial position.  In your videos, your head is moving all over the place, usually first back, then forward and down.  You get it into a different place each shot.

One video shows your string hand thumb under your jaw, a position I strongly support and recommend!  In other videos you have it sticking straight up on the side of your face.  That position for the thumb places huge amounts of tension in the string hand and I have found that that position basically is you volunteering to have a less than great release. It also moves the arrow nock OUT from under your eye.

By artificially CHOOSING your "anchor" and using that as a "target" of your draw, you tend to ignore the body structure for the shot and consequently end up with the string arm elbow problem you mention.

So... Hold your head still, don't "cuddle" up to the string; DRAW TO YOUR STILL/UNMOVING head.  Set your arms, shoulders (bone on bone) during the draw THEN!! set or identify your facial references.  Keep your string hand thumb rolled down and hanging over your palm.  Then once at full draw lift your string hand to facial references.  You MAY get a tooth, a bone, whatever but it will be a RESULT of your full draw position and NOT an artificial target of the draw.

YOUR FACIAL REFERENCES ARE A RESULT OF THE DRAW, NOT A TARGET FOR THE DRAW.

Arne

[Jackpine Boyz]

moebow,
Thanks for the feedback. You're reasoning makes sense for sure.  I will stick with the lower anchor I think to avoid the thumb up issues and this is the area that my hand wants to go.  I need to avoid forcing the anchor as I was last night though.  I will focus on a more natural anchor with my head straight.  I had been pretty good with head movement before, just need to get something more stable than my previous anchor.

I'll repost a video after dialing this in.  Thanks for the feedback.

[Jackpine Boyz]

So here is another video.  This seems to be where my hand likes to go. Pretty much the same as my old anchor but I noticed a tooth that seems a little more reliable than before.  I see a few other tweaks needed but I think I have a good anchor to start working on everything else.

I do like to bring my head in a smidge still, but it feels odd if I don't.  Is this reasonable or is it part of an old habit that feels comfortable?  I've tried not moving at all, but feel that I get my eye over the arrow better this way. Thanks for the feedback.
 

[highlow]

I'll get back to you after I figure out where my zygomatic arch is. Google sure comes in handy on occasion.

[moebow]

That's a nice and smooth looking shot overall.  Where you are having the problem of having to lay your head over to the arrow is caused by how far back you are drawing.  Look closely, see how far behind your eye the arrow nock is?  This is due to (most likely) an "arm" draw using the biceps.

If this is what you are going to do, then draw to your head/anchor then bend forward at the waist a little.  This will put the eye over the arrow nock without changing the relationship between the string and head.

New techniques will ALWAYS feel strange and uncomfortable for a while so don't reject a change in a practice or two, give a change a month or two.

PM sent in response to your PM.

Arne

[Jackpine Boyz]

Moebow,

Thanks for the feedback and the PM.

I will look at how far I draw back.  My first couple years of longbow had me anchoring similar to yours.  However my Right elbow always stuck way out in front of me rather than in line with the arrow.  I really started to FEEL the proper use of back tension over the last year (and continue to develop it), I will revisit this.  It may have been more of shoulder/rotator cuff draw that was making it difficult to get lined up. I had always blamed it on my monkey arms before.

This anchor is very comfortable for me, but as an aside I finished a hickory self bow last Saturday.  Given my last 2 blew up at the final tillering stages I shot it rather gingerly the first couple times and found that I short drew to my original longbow anchor (similar to yours) rather than my current (learned during my compound days) anchor.