Shooting to the right (RH shooter)

[heli]

I’m a right hand shooter. I’m observing that when I screw up a shot, I usually shoot to the right and maybe sometimes to the right and high as well.
What are the form problems that would contribute to such results? I’d like to be able to identify and fix the issues, but it is a little hard when you don’t know what the problem is.

Thanks in advance.

[McDave]

Creeping or plucking can cause right misses. Plucking has a different feel to it and is usually pretty easy to self-diagnose. Creeping can be hard to self diagnose. If you can video yourself from the side, look closely at your string elbow and see if it moves forward as you are releasing the shot.  Creeping or plucking is caused because it can be hard to maintain back tension while relaxing your fingers. It is cured by learning to keep pulling through the shot.

Sometimes in an effort to maintain back tension while relaxing the fingers, we might force the fingers open rather than relaxing them.  This would also be an error that might also cause a right miss.  You have to learn to maintain back tension while relaxing the fingers.

If you find that you are creeping, it is useful to continue to video yourself as you work on the problem.  You might think you aren't creeping anymore, but the video might show that you still are.

[heli]

Thanks McDave. I'm currently working on back tension, so it is possible that is making me pluck or creep. I was also thinking that maybe while trying to get that back tension, I push the string hand deeper into my face. That would generate the same issue, correct?
I'll take a video and review what is going on.

[McDave]

If you changed your alignment so the arrow was to the left of your dominant eye, perhaps by pushing the string hand further into your face, this could cause right misses.  This seems somewhat unlikely, although possible, I guess, depending on your facial structure.  Mostly people seem to have the opposite problem: their normal side of the face anchor puts the arrow outside the dominant eye causing left misses.

I think the main problem with pushing the string hand hard into the face would be that the sideways force needed to hold the string hand against the face might deflect the arrow on release, or possibly cause the string to hit your face or nose.  However, I have seen good shooters who like to plant their string hand firmly against their face.  I prefer a light touch of my string hand to my face.  You should be able to sight down the full length of the arrow at full draw and imagine the path it will take.  If it deflects from that path to the right or left on release, that generally means there was some movement of the release hand other than just relaxing the fingers and letting the string go.

[AndreasLundin]

I ran into the same issue when changing bows. I found it was my string hand which was pushed deeper into my face as I changed from anchoring with long finger instead of index finger in an attempt to get a better point on. Relearn a lighter anchor was the solution for me.

[Sam McMichael]

I have a tendency to pluck the string. When I do, I miss high and right. Back tension and smooth release is the cure. Now, if I can just follow my own advice...

[heli]

Thanks again guys!  I will work on form and pay attention to the points you brought up. I found that sometimes I don't align the arrow under my eye properly. I believe the arrow alignment problem comes from the fact that I'm overextending while fixating on the back tension. I probably over do it and cause missalignment. As McDave suggested, video would help.

[McDave]

You might find that string blur helps with arrow alignment problems.  My slight cant puts the string blur to the right side of my vision.  It has become automatic to get the the string blur in the same place in my vision every time.  It is possible that my arrow alignment is a tiny bit to the outside, but since it is consistent, it doesn't affect POI, or if it did, it was something I took care of in tuning.

[heli]

Thanks again, McDave. Same here, string blur to the right, but i don't notice it unless i look for it.