I need some help ! Ive been putting in to much practice and shooting to good for this to start going on now !
Here is my problem. This is my first year hunting with traditional equipment. After Im done hunting I always take a shot from my treestand at a stump,leaf, clump of grass and ect. just for practice. Im hitting 12-14" low and 6-8" to the right at 15 yds, so I know I would not make a good shot on a deer ! Ive shot alot all summer both on the ground and out of a tree and have shot very well, needless to say Ive had great confidence untill now ! CONFIDENCE LOST ! What am I doing ?
BTW,Im right handed.
try shooting a judo every hour
Do you think while in the stand your muscles and body are tight from not being able to move around?
Dropping your bow arm maybe, to watch the arrow? Just a thought. My POI is similar when I'm not paying attention and my bow arm starts dropping at the shot.
Something to look at.
Mike
That's what I was meaning Jeff, we are on the page.
Are you watching your broadhead as you pull back? When I started I payed more attention to my arrow than I thought I did. When a large visible broadhead was switched out from a field point I would shoot low right.
Rob
When my arrows go low and left I'm losing back tension or collapsing (same thing?) when I release. I'm right handed.
JW
bend at the waist, solid anker, fallow through
Bill
First practice with the clothes you wear when hunting(including head gear),make sure you hit anchor, and bend at the waist, and forget about the tree behind you your arm wont hit it. Make sure you still have the same cant on the bow(if you cant it) and as mentioned dont watch the arrow you end up lifting your head.
You have to go through the same mental checks as you would when practicing.JMHO
Put a stand up at home and practice from it.
Slightly bend at the waist and cant your bow. Should be around "1 or 2 O'clock" on the cant.
Hitting low is just not practicing enough from an elevated stand. You'll be fine with a few shooting sessions.
Sounds like part of the problem might be that you are plucking the string, the other part of the problem is you might not be bending at the waist, pretty much what other people here have said.
Same as Zipper...Pluse, Make sure you are reaching full draw.
Do you have a quiver mounted on your bow? And if you do,,do you practice shooting with the quiver on and arrows in it like you hunt? Its not unusual for a quiver full of arrows to shoot way diffrent than without it.
Yep lay that Bow down when shooting from an elevated position also bend at the waist.
Bill said it, your probably not bending at the waist, happen to me!
Sounds like you did your prep. If you have been practicing from a stand have you had a harness and all your other stuff on? A tight harness can mess up stuff. I would also guess maybe a pluck and peak. I really try to make sure I draw with a high bow to better get myself in line for the shot and pull in line of the shot. Try a few full draws and holds on stand to warm up and keep loose. Then try a shot to see if that helps. Also shoot an arrow or two early in an AM hunt so you don't have to pull a cold shot when you need to make a shot on game. In the PM I always shoot some on the way to the stand or before heading out.
First, in my opinion, you should stop hunting deer until you get that sorted out. Post a video of you shooting in the Shooter's Forum and get some good feedback. Hopefully it'll be something simple. It will still take you a little time to ingrain the motion, though.
How long will it take? It depends. Test yourself to see how you're progressing. Do some extensive stumping sessions. Shoot at different distances from different body positions and shoot one arrow at a time. You want to be hitting within a feather's length of your target. When you can do that regularly, you're ready to deer hunt again. When I say regularly, I mean 9 of 10 should be close to where you want them to be.
Another good test is to go squirrel hunting. Don't rush yourself. You've chosen a difficult shooting method and it takes time to develop the consistency needed to hunt.
I definatly do my prep ! I practice like I hunt in every detail, Ive been a very sucessful bowhunter for nearly 29 years,but not with trad equipment.I shoot nearly every day both 3D and blank bale,from a tree often and some stump shooting and I shoot very well. I cant my bow both on the ground and while in a tree. I also draw my bow probably every 30 min while setting on stand trying to stay limber. I really think my problem is related to being "stiff" and cold even though I draw my bow often. I think I could be collapsing at the shot but not sure and Im not sure of how to keep this from happening when shooting at a animal. Ive also shot after ive gotten down from the stand and I have the same problem untill I have shot a few arrows, yet at home My first shot is always as good as any other shot !
Thanks for all the info, keep it comming !
try my method,,,,,, make sure you come to full draw and if you feel your not going to then let it down and don't shoot it,, when you do come to full draw push your bow hand (the hand thats holding the bow directly at the kill spot and push it hard.. this part is very very important,,,, do not move anything until the deer reacts or you hear the hit/miss.. DO NOT try to watch the arrow, it will come up into your vision and then drop out back out behind your bow hand.
SO I draw back and make sure I hit anchor while pushing my bow hand directly at the spot,, simple and effective!
I would say you nailed the problem right at the start, Confidence is gone and so is the shot.
Confidence is key in almost all things, if you don't have it everything falls apart. You need to believe you can make the shot, and it sounds like you can.
As many would tell you traditional archery is a mental game.
Shooting practice on stand is important!
It is also my first year with a stickbow, I put a shot or two in the ground every hunt and usually learn something. Most go pretty well (still hitting a hair high, which is why I will be aiming for heart). BUT, yesterday when I shot I heard horrible noise, got jerked forward and my arrow went fluttering away. I saw something dangling from my bow and thought the worst. Then realaized my hands free grunter pinned to my jacket (which I thought was clear to the offside), got caught in the string and tore clean off my jacket. Just glad that didn't happen on live game!
Good luck on figuring it out. Can you jack up in a tree at your house or practice from an elevated position?
Sounds like your prep has been spot on. One thing I didnt see mentioned- is it possible you're short-drawing? Not getting fully to anchor with good back tension? I found with me if I make a bad shot thats usually the cuprit. I have a mental check list when I draw on game- pick a spot, draw,squeeze( back muscles) anchor, release follow through. I run the steps through my head before I draw.
I do the same, I shoot a judo every morning before I get out of my stand. So far, every one has been within an inch of my target.
Confidence is a big facor in the mental game of archery. It doesnt take much to rattle it, but again it doesnt take much to get it back.
Single arrow cold shot practice is the best. you'll get it straightened out, just relax and let the shot happen. Dont over think it.
Like Joe said: bend at the waist. Your upper body should be the same configuration whether on the ground or in a stand. If you try and curve your back or bend your neck to accomidate the angle you do wierd things with your anchor and probably also vary your normal draw length.
Do you have a back deck, garage roof or ladder to practice from? If you try and out-think the angle you will screw up your instinctive brain. Hitting a tad low is actually not a bad thing. 14", however, is a bad thing. Take some blunts and a plastic gallon jug and find a high bank or elevated spot t shoot down at the jug from.
Try hunting from the ground, that will keep you warmed up as you spot and stalk.
Good luck.
Nathan, just curious; do you hunt with a bow quiver on your bow and if so do you also practice with the quiver and arrows on your bow? That can also make a difference in your shooting. Several other Trad hunters have run into that same issue.
You didn't happen to do something like I don't know, say add a bow quiver to your bow for the season without tuning to it? Almost sounds like the case... :saywhat:
I agree with Kituwa a bow quiver will affect your shooting. You gotta practice how you hunt. Once you've got your form down, practice with or without your quiver, and if you shoot good on the ground, practice from an elevated position. Sitting on top of a ladder is usually a good method. It helped my brother.... he was shooting horrible from the tree stand until he started doing that.