Originally posted by petertschantz:
Thanks Rob! I think I'm finally on the right track, at least until I can get some coaching. I hope to tend to that this fall sometime. I'm afraid I'm going to have to break down and look for a ~40# bow, darn the luck...
Pete
with bow holding weight, there's a limit each of us have that varies with physiology, time and luck.
there's also a low holding weight that if we go below, consistent clean release can be a problem and accuracy will suffer. and there's a good median holding weight that some folks are needless struggling to employ.
however, imho, if you need to go to a lower holding weight to work on form, yer probably overbowed.
if yer current holding weight is just a tad too much (and the word 'tad' is important, because more than a tad may be just too much, and in short order you'll know the difference 'tween 'tad' and 'too much'), begin practicing 'rep drawing' with yer bow 3x daily. that is, without using an arrow, employ what you think is 'good form' and pull the string past yer anchor, to your ear. start off each session easy - pulling just a few times and hold for no more than a second. in
very small increments, increase the reps and holding times a few more every other day. within a few weeks, or months, yer bow will feel SO easy, and yet the release will still be crisp.
i'll tell ya, once you've gone through this rep program, it's pretty much ingrained in yer muscle memory, and barring some serious ailment or quite advanced age, you can lay off pulling string for weeks and then brace up and draw to anchor and it still feels quite easy. iow, for the very most part, once you've made drawing yer bow's weight 'easy' you just don't lose it.
once the holding weight feels easy, then work on form.