I am not a tuning dummy! Let me re-phrase that... I never thought I was a tuning dummy. My recent frustration when my bare shaft "check engine light" came on has been lamented here and I'll merely "top-line" for this plea for an explanation. I switched to 3 under years ago. I arrow tune using multiple methods, but prefer shooting bare shaft mainly as a sanity check for consistent form. I hadn't shot a bare shaft in months until recently and was appalled to get a very nice group... about 18 inches low at 20 yds. I finally had to draw in front of a mirror to recognize the obvious... my draw arm elbow was pointing up at about a 45 degree angle. The cause, I can now safely say, was my anchor point gradually migrating up my face to get that arrow closer to my eye and reduce the sight picture gap. The fletching masked all the bad arrow flight characteristics, but the bare shaft doesn't lie. The cure was to move my anchor back down to the corner of my chin, which restored the correct alignment of both arms. Would somebody who's more knowledgeable than I (read everyone) please explain why a high elbow release can cause an arrow to nose dive to that degree. The only real symptom I observed was that the bare shaft appeared to have a tail-high kick at midrange, but usually entered the target flat (and very low). My first thought was that I must have been loading the lower limb more (relative to the upper)and causing the nock to travel downward instead of horizontally. This might slam the tail of the arrow off the shelf, causing the kick I observed. But I have no rest or fletching wear to support that theory. The return to a lower anchor also quieted the bow immensely. What gives?
Try a second knocking point under the arrow. That may help you. Make sure you leave a little gap so it's not to tight when you draw.
Your assessment is right on the money. Overloading the lower limb definitely throws the timing off. That will cause a lot of excess vibration (noise) for one thing, but it also causes the upper limb to reach brace height before the upper. When the lower limb catches up, a fraction of a second later, it will cause the bow rotate downward. That will throw an arrow low.
Mike,
I've always used two tied-on nock points, the arrow wasn't sliding d0wn the string.
Cheney,
I would think if I'm flexing the lower limb more than the upper, it would have to travel further to reach brace height (relative to the upper) making it get there later?
Try lifting your nock point a little see what happens.
Mike,
I no longer have a problem. My bare shafts started flying perfectly again when I went from anchoring on an incisor tooth (with the associated high elbow) back to anchoring at the corner of my chin (which brought my bow arm and string arm back in horizontal alignment). I merely would like to understand what was causing the arrow to hit low with the high elbow so I can recognize it if I start doing it again. The moral of the story in my case is that consistent form isn't necessarily proper form.
thanks
I kinda use a 2nd Anchoring Point if my Arrows start getting Wild. I stick my Pinky out like a Kickstand :thumbsup: , and that touching my Chin keeps me from "Creeping" upwards. Looks funny, but it works for me! :goldtooth: I shoot 3 Under as well.
QuoteOriginally posted by olddogrib:
Mike,
I've always used two tied-on nock points, the arrow wasn't sliding d0wn the string.
Cheney,
I would think if I'm flexing the lower limb more than the upper, it would have to travel further to reach brace height (relative to the upper) making it get there later?
You're right, I got it backwards.