Bill, this is public response to our private emails about "Archer's Elbow" and the slingshot.
For the rest of you, here's the story. After years away from shooting, in May I picked up an old "Palomino" from Ben Pearson (It says 'experimental' over WT @28" 45XX) and proceeded to induce tennis elbow. I used to call it chainsaw elbow and have learned full-well that resting it is an essential key to the cure. No more shooting. That was in August. In early December I bought a used 43# Wesley Special (my first longbow). I couldn't resist trying it, of course, and undid all the progress I'd made. I was frantic to do some form and aiming practice during the convalescence and made a 20# maple selfbow. That hurt too. So, a few days ago, I picked up a kid's slingshot. I want to share what I'm learning.
First, it works! I can do my best impression of Mr. Hill without pain. Second, it is fun. After a few ranging shots, I put 6 little white marbles in a 2.5" group at 10 paces (and three of the darn things went through the same hole in the cardboard target).
But here is the good part. I noticed I could effectively correct my form, from the ground up. I could attend to and correct several bad habits at a time. Shooting arrows (ingrained form) seems to keep me limited to one problem at a time (e.g. "practice anchor", "whoops forgot follow-through"). It felt like I'd spent days breaking old habits within an hour. Much progress may have resulted from not having to deal with draw weight, but the big advantage seemed to be that it wasn't a bow and arrow. Somehow I was free to practice good form without judging my progress as an archer. Then came a real gift. For the first time I really experienced "boring a hole in the target". It was true, everything blurred out but the spot ('become the marble?"). Happy days!
The best part came this morning when I substituted the slingshot for the bow I usually carry on my morning tour of the property. It is only two acres in town, but it is pretty natural and I don't shoot arrows at the little critters that seem to infest the place, -- just a lot of pointing and a couple of irresistible shots at the "stumps" (milk cartons). But today was different. I found myself HUNTING. My whole perception of this intimate space changed. Faint trails emerged like magic. I noted the slightest movement and sounds around me. Food and nesting areas popped up for evaluation. And on... In fact, I saw so sharply that I retrieved about half of the little white marbles shot. The neighbors won't get anxious about me walking around with a big weapon and back quiver and this $7 pretend bow and ammunition fit in my pocket.
The only downside is feeling anchor. I've been using the drawing thumb on my usual tooth and, if I can gain the strength, I'll hold the pouch between third finger and thumb. That feels pretty close to a split draw. 'Course there's no arrow to see, but I feel the strangeness of the site picture helped break a habit and let me "bore the hole".
I'm sure most archers have picked up the slingshot. But this little baby (called "Hope") is my ticket back to the W.S. (called "My Goodness") and maybe much more.
Richard
Topic: "Archer's Elbow" and the Slingshot (Read 186 times)
