Chest/shoulder string slap

[tradhunterRN]

Hey gang, was reading some on string slap but most people are talking about hitting their forearms. I developed this problem of hitting my left pec (I am right handed) just where your pec meets your shoulder, kinda at the top of the armpit crease if you held your arm to your side. Haven't quite settled on what might be the problem; my shooting is as accurate as ever, so its hard to pick out what's wrong. Was wondering what your thoughts would be...

[GrayRhino]

Do you stand with both feet perpendicular to your target?  If so, I would try opening up your stance a little.  

Draw an imaginary line from your target to you, put the toe of your left foot on the line, and the heel of your right foot on the line.  It will cause you to open up your shooting stance and give more clearance for your string as it passes across your upper body.

It has helped me to correct some string clearance problems.

[Steelhead]

Possibly open your stance a bit..But your shoulder joint my be being pushed in toward the line of string travel.Try keeping the shoulder joint more outside vs letting it drift in where the string can contact that area where the pectorial muscle attaches to the frontal lobe of the shoulder muscle.I have had that issue a few times and I corrected my shoulder allignment to allow the string to pass without contact.It will pull that area of contact away from the string travel when you get it right.

You can play with that without shooting your bow.just examine the shoulder joint as if you were shooting the bow and get it where its not in the way of the string.The string hitting the shoulder area will cause flyers.Sounds like your shooting great.If you can remedy that you will shoot even better.

[tradhunterRN]

Thanks guys! So Steelhead, are you suggesting I rotate my shoulder back? Looking at it now does seem to bring the shoulder a little further from the string travel

[tradhunterRN]

or maybe flex my left shoulder blade back? That seems to open my chest more...I am looking at it more and I think my shoulder is now in the way because I have rotated it to get my forearm out of the way

[ChuckC]

Or simply don't straighten your bow arm quite so much.  Keep it just slightly bent.

 I am trying to picture how you can hit yourself as you describe and all I can see is your bow arm is hyper extended and your pec (arm pit area) is collapsed inward.

Your arm, your chest and the line of the bow / string / arrow arm should form a bit of a triangle.

Don't do that.
ChuckC

[Jeff Strubberg]

Go to the shooting forum and check out Terry's post where he uses a clock to show alignment.  

It sounds to me like you are using an extremely upright, very stiff arm shooting style.  You can get away with that during the summer at target shoots, but put on winter clothing and it just won't work.

[moebow]

tradhunterRN,  Can you post a video of you shooting?  How much weight are you shooting? The bow shoulder should be held "Down and back"!  If you are rolling the shoulder forward when you draw, that is not only uncomfortable but potentially dangerous ( may cause a shoulder injury).  BUT, it is hard to diagnose without seeing.

Arne