Taking my shooting to the next level?

[GroundHunter]

Great  thread. This fine-tuning and getting the groove is what I'm working on, too.

So, SHOOTO8S:

Is the "increasing back tension to release" your way of pulling through the release?

Is "letting down" getting your anchor and draw length precise?

[jcsnapshot]

GH, here is a link to a form vid thread that Rod started. If you want to see perfect form ya gotta see this  Rod Jenkins form Video thread

Rod's form is probably what makes him so damn good    

[Double Creek]

Good stuff for sure......  This thread just motivated me to get serious again about my practice routine..  I've been lazy and not shooting much the last 6 weeks....


Rod,  how did you do in the Worlds?

[cjones]

Swampy, Your not stealing a thing! This advice helps all of us.

Rod, Thanks for all your help!

[jdupre]

Once you have gotten the basics down, the rest is  mostly concentration. Some people are naturally gifted in that department(not me!). I had the pleasure to have supper with Byron Fergusen  a couple of years back when he came to shoot at a local sports show. A few of the members of our archery club took Byron and his wife out to a local seafood resturant. I talked to him for a few minutes and what impressed me was his very intense ,laser-like stare. No doubt, that intensity can be used in his shooting. And if I were a deer, I would not want him to look at me that way!      jdupre'

[Al Kidner]

...by grooving each part of your shot into the subconscious and allowing the conscious mind to only aim.

 I like this! I've been working through a "slump" of late and am starting over again from scratch.

 ......if you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to get what you have always got.

 This is good also! Plan on getting my thick head around the whole mental idea of the perfect shooting form and Shot (to me anyway) so as to get on the next level.

 Thanks, alan in Oz.

[GroundHunter]

Yep, I watch Rod's video a lot.
Trick is to get the "feel" of the coordinated elements of the form and timing.

Great thread!

[SHOOTO8S]

Originally posted by GroundHunter:


So, SHOOTO8S:

Is the "increasing back tension to release" your way of pulling through the release?

GH....yes....if you stop pulling at any stage of a shot...due to the elasticity of muscles, your creeping, so for me a shot consists of coming to a "stand off" at anchor,where I'm pulling a little harder than the bow is trying to move the string foreward... then while the conscious mind is AIMING, the subconscious is expanding the draw, without moving off anchor to the point the drawing elbow is in alignment with the arrow, then the release occurs, while still exerting back tension .

Sorry guys...I suck at explaining  

[kawika b]

not wanting to hijack the thread but,,,rod,,,where the heck do you put your thumb? i can't find a comfortable position for mines. i find the best position for me,now anyways,is up and fixed to my temple w/middle finger in the corner of my mouth. sounds weird and looks weirder.

[cjones]

Kawika, I have my thumb forward towards the bowstring, bent at the first knuckle so that it sits behind my jaw bone at anchor. Dunno if it is right but it's the only way i have ever done it. Maybe Rod will know a better way.

Rod, Your doing a fine job explaing things. Thanks for taking the time.

[kawika b]

i've heard about alot of guys positioning their thumbs like that chad,,,i just find it kinda akward for me,,,but then again i'm an akward kinda guys to begin with. okay now,for the thumb/knuckle in the jaw bone or behind it,,,do you guys let down pressure from the draw to seat it there,pause,then continue the draw/backtension to release?

[cjones]

When my hand is at anchor and tight against my face the wat it should be, the knuckle just sits behind the jawbone. I don't let down pressure i just feel that it is behing the jaw bone. I don't try to anchor it in tight or anything. But if i feel it there i know that i'm achored in tight against my face. As long as my bow arm doesn't move i know i shouldn't have any trouble with my left and right, just have to worry about my elevation!

[Double Creek]

It's strange in trad archery how you can struggle with things and then one comment from another shooter can change your entire thought process and shooting routine.  And when you hear it, it is so simple and makes so much sense......Let me explain....

I've been so concerned and caught up with having perfect form, that during my shot, I have been concentrating more on my form than on aiming!!  Then Rod, a WORLD CHAMPION mind you, casually drops a line about aiming being the only thing you should be doing during the shot!!!  That one little phrase hit me like a ton of bricks!!  I went outside yesterday, after not having pulled the string in a month and started implementing Rod's advice......  IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!  I was shooting as good or better than I ever have!!

I now have a game plan....work on form weekly and while shooting for accuracy ONLY CONCENTRATE ON AIMING!!!!!

It's amazing how if you totally concentrate on aiming, the release is totally subconscience!!  Heck guys, that is what we are striving for!!

Thanks Rod!

[swampbuck]

I anchor with my middle finger in the corner of my mouth ,index finger actaully touchs my check bone as a 2nd referance and I use my thumb to hold down my pinky....kinda gives me somethin to do with the fingers I,m not useing to draw.If I,m really payin attention my fingers are touchin my face during the entire process including after the release when they slid back along my neck below my ear.

Thanks again guys

[SHOOTO8S]

Originally posted by Double Creek:

I've been so concerned and caught up with having perfect form, that during my shot, I have been concentrating more on my form than on aiming!!  

Joel....thats the reason you work on form without aiming, working on each part of a shot...one part at a time, until its ingrained into the subconscious.

Its inronic that the conscious can only do one thing at a time, but it can train the subconscious to do many tasks, pefectly, all at once.

 Kawika....... My thumb is pretty much in the same location as Chad described, but thumb up shouldn't be a problem, if its 100% repeatable.

A question ? how many achor in a certain spot(such as corner of the mouth) simply because you think your supposed to? I anchored at the corner of the mouth for years, but found due to my body shape...that wasn't conductive to getting that all important straight line from my draw elbow to the arrow point.....many folks can anchor at the corner of mouth and get a good line, but I'm wondering how many (like me)use or have used that anchor, without any real reason.

[Double Creek]

I never could get comfortable with a mouth anchor...  I anchor pretty much the same as you.

[swampbuck]

I started with my index finger in the corner of my mouth basically because thats what I thought everybody did LOL It didn,t take long to get in the habit of useing my middle finger there and my index as a 2nd referance against the cheek bone.Tried 3 under a few times but could never really get used to it,maybe I was doing it wrong or it's just me.Some folks use their eye tooth which I could not figure out at all LOL

[cjones]

Rod, After watching your form video several times, I still thought you were anchoring in the corner of your mouth. Would you care to explain how you anchor?

[SHOOTO8S]

Chad some of the clips in the 1st vid, I was still anchoring at the corner of the mouth...but I was constantly struggling to maintain a good line.. I got to thinking about why I was anchoring in a place that caused a struggle....couldn't think of a reason why...so I moved my anchor back and use my thumb behind the jawbone and middle finger on the back molar tooth, as shown on the last vid with the red Apogee.

[Patience]

Shooto8s,

When I started, I did just what you mentioned, because of the need to have a consistent anchor. As years have gone by my anchor, out of comfort has changed. I have noticed that when I anchor tight in the corner of mouth, it pulls my head in and down. In essance it moves my head. I have been working on this, so my head doesn't move on the draw. Any advice or tips to help would be good.