Frustrated beginner

[PrettyInPinkCamo]

Got my bow about two weeks ago. Been shooting every couple of afternoons and keep ending up with the same scenerio, all my arrows are grouped but to the left.. any idea on what I need to work on? Seems like we have tried everything. Its def not the bow, but something I am doing.

I appreciate any and all suggestions!

 

[bobthebowhunter]

make sure your elbow is straight behind you.
try a different grip on the bow you could be torquing or canting the bow

if you are that consistant move the sight

could also be center shot or clearance issues



or underspined arrow.

that's all I can think of

 

[NateUK]

I had basically the same issue. I was hitting left so I moved the pins, but I was still hitting left. It turns out I was torquing my bow with my grip hand which caused me to pull left upon release. I just had to change the way I gripped the bow, and I was fine.

 

[ShaneHallum]

Yeah I think it's the grip as well. Hold your bow. and squeeze your hand around the grip. it will prolly turn to the left.

 

[Bowdacious]

Are all of them always to the left?If so, you may just need to adjust the sight.My vision changes and I have to adjust to how I am seeing on a particular day.If they are only doing it sometimes,it could be as the others said and be in how you grip the bow or too much push,not enough pull.
Just remember to have fun.

 

[Hoss]

Could be torque, could be your anchor, could be your sights need adjusting. First off how big is your group, at what yardage? Do the arrow fly well or do they wobble? Are you a left or right handed shooter? Is your right or left eye your dominant eye? Is there an archery shop near you?

 

[Radar]

I would suggest walk back tuning , then adjust your sights.

 

[PrettyInPinkCamo]

Seems like the majority says grip.. so I am going to try that a bit, Dave was able to shoot it on target every time so it lead me to think it was less likely the bow and more likely me. I'll play with my grip a bit today and see what happens. Thanks for all the help!

 

[TN RDG RNR]

Sounds like a eye dominance problem to me. Heres a link that can explain it much better than I can.

I have the same problem shoot right handed left eye dominant. I have to keep my left eye closed. Some people go as far as to put a patch over their dominant eye.

If that is your problem and you have just began shooting a bow I would suggest swapping hands cause its imposible to change eyes and it will plauge you from now on

Good Luck.

http://www.huntersfriend.com/eye-dominance-issues.htm

 

[PrettyInPinkCamo]

I am still having a hard time trying to figure out which eye is dominant. the first time i did it, it was left, and then from there on out sometimes it seems left and others right (doing the whole triangle with the hands thing).

 

[Radar]

I would also recommend having someone who is an experienced archer watch your form and check your bow setup to help you get started the right way .
It's hard to solve these issues on a forum without seeing you shoot or your bow setup . There are too many variables .

 

[Bowdacious]

Try closing the left eye and see what happens.
When you take a picture with a camera which eye do you hold it up to?

 

[Hoss]

Try this. Have Dave stand about 10 yards away. Face each other. With both eyes open reach out and point to his nose. As soon as your finger covers his nose in your vision, put your hand back down. Do this three times. Ask him which eye your finger lined up with from his perspective.

Another way is to point at a target (smaller is better) 10 yards away. As soon as you finger covers the target freeze. Close one eye then the other. The eye that is pointing the finger will be your dominant eye.

 

[PrettyInPinkCamo]

That is exactly what I did yesterday and worked great, not as much to the left as it had been, but still a little.. I can shoot in a grouping about the size of an apple.. but still to the left. Just gonna move the site and see what happens. When I figure this out I am going to have one hell of a shot.. show the bf up a bit!

 

[CoastieHunter]

<----- DAVE

I am gradually remembering everything I learned as a kid. It all still applies and for the majority I think it's a combonation of issues.
1. Trigger squeeze
2. Grip

Her followthrough is perfect. Her stance is great. And she's one hell of a shooter for only putting about a hundered arrows in flight.

It could be her actual vision because she's like I am. I'm right handed but left eye dominant. BUT I can't shoot right handed. SO... I deal with it.

I shot her bow and everything was dead center.

With practice she's getting WAY WAY better though and I'm pretty damn impressed.

One thing I noticed from when I was younger is the set up is typically 20-30-40 for pins. (on my bow) I kept shooting high on EVERYTHING. (Had our bows pre-tuned before shipment). But now I'm dead on. Even got my first robinhood after about 5 arrows!

 

[pjridge]

As Scott said, lots of variables to consider over the net. If it is hand torque you can tuck your bottom two fingers inside your palm when you grip. With a relaxed grip this will lesson the tenancy to torque or grab the grip at release. If you are shooting good groups but just not on target your are doing something consistently which is usually easy to diagnose. Good luck.

 

[Hoss]

PnP Do you have a wrist sling? If not I recommend one. They are not expensive or you can make one from a length of rope. Attach it to the base of your stabilizer or to the riser just below the grip. adjust it so it is just starting to snug on your wrist at full draw. You don't want it so tight that it pulls on your hand because that will be a source of torque.

Then learn to shoot with a relaxed bow hand. The fingers should be loose and flexible. The finger tips will naturally wrap around the grip toward you thumb. Just let this happen don't make it happen and don't prevent it from happening. The pressure from the bow grip will flex the tendons in your fingers and make it happen. Upon release DO NOT grab the bow. Let the wrist sling catch the bow. Grabbing the bow is the most common type of torque and a major blockage for accuaracy.

 

[PrettyInPinkCamo]

PnP Do you have a wrist sling? If not I recommend one. They are not expensive or you can make one from a length of rope. Attach it to the base of your stabilizer or to the riser just below the grip. adjust it so it is just starting to snug on your wrist at full draw. You don't want it so tight that it pulls on your hand because that will be a source of torque.

Then learn to shoot with a relaxed bow hand. The fingers should be loose and flexible. The finger tips will naturally wrap around the grip toward you thumb. Just let this happen don't make it happen and don't prevent it from happening. The pressure from the bow grip will flex the tendons in your fingers and make it happen. Upon release DO NOT grab the bow. Let the wrist sling catch the bow. Grabbing the bow is the most common type of torque and a major blockage for accuaracy.

I do, but it may be too loose, I have been meaning to shorten it a bit. Finally shooting on target.. after trying everything we could think of, we went to the local archery range and just played with the sites until i was shooting on target. After all of that I was putting a good grouping in the center with a few strays here and there and thats all me. I am pretty happy with the progress considering I am only three weeks in of ever picking up a bow. Thanks for all of the help and suggestions!

 

[CoastieHunter]

PnP Do you have a wrist sling? If not I recommend one. They are not expensive or you can make one from a length of rope. Attach it to the base of your stabilizer or to the riser just below the grip. adjust it so it is just starting to snug on your wrist at full draw. You don't want it so tight that it pulls on your hand because that will be a source of torque.

Then learn to shoot with a relaxed bow hand. The fingers should be loose and flexible. The finger tips will naturally wrap around the grip toward you thumb. Just let this happen don't make it happen and don't prevent it from happening. The pressure from the bow grip will flex the tendons in your fingers and make it happen. Upon release DO NOT grab the bow. Let the wrist sling catch the bow. Grabbing the bow is the most common type of torque and a major blockage for accuaracy.

I do, but it may be too loose, I have been meaning to shorten it a bit. Finally shooting on target.. after trying everything we could think of, we went to the local archery range and just played with the sites until i was shooting on target. After all of that I was putting a good grouping in the center with a few strays here and there and thats all me. I am pretty happy with the progress considering I am only three weeks in of ever picking up a bow. Thanks for all of the help and suggestions!

She actually scares me with how good she shoots. She'll take down any animal that walks in her path for sure!
That's what I love about local archery shops. The old timers really know EVERYTHING about bows.

NOTE: A kid shooting there last night had an issue with his release hand. He was shooting with his mouth! And everything was dead on! I was highly highly impressed with his shooting. Funny seeing the 4' long stablizers though.

KERI - love ya!

 

[Radar]

Glad to see you are getting the bow dialed in and shooting good . :cool:

 

[stik]

NOTE: A kid shooting there last night had an issue with his release hand. He was shooting with his mouth! And everything was dead on! I was highly highly impressed with his shooting.

i watched a boy with a broken arm shoot an ASA pro/am a few years ago with a broken arm. he had a wrist release attached above his elbow. he would draw and anchor then hit the release with his chin! and he placed SECOND!!

 

[jchurch]

It sounds to me like you just need to move the sight pins. You can't assume that because Dave is hitting dead center with your bow that you should be. A bow is one of the most personal pieces of equipment you will ever own and although it may shoot great in your hands it may be off by several feet in another archer's hands. There are many variables that come into play including face width, eye dominance, etc. It sounds like you are able to shoot a tight group so you are doing nothing wrong you just need to adjust your sights accordingly. My fiance has a bow as well and when it is sighted in for her I shoot several inches low and to the right with the same bow.

 

[CoastieHunter]

It sounds to me like you just need to move the sight pins. You can't assume that because Dave is hitting dead center with your bow that you should be. A bow is one of the most personal pieces of equipment you will ever own and although it may shoot great in your hands it may be off by several feet in another archer's hands. There are many variables that come into play including face width, eye dominance, etc. It sounds like you are able to shoot a tight group so you are doing nothing wrong you just need to adjust your sights accordingly. My fiance has a bow as well and when it is sighted in for her I shoot several inches low and to the right with the same bow.

I moved her entire site a tad to the left and the 20 pin about a pins length down. She's a dead eye now. She's right on on all of her shots.

 

[Buck_fever]

this is an easy way to see which eye is dominant. Hold one finger up in front of your face. look at it wiht both eyes. close one eye and look at it. Then close the other and look at it. you will notice your finger moves to the side. Which ever eye you are looking out of when your finger doesnt move is your dominant eye. Most likely it is the wrist torque deal. I had the same problem. Make sure you are not holding it so tightly that you can move the bow when you release. When you shoot, shoot with an open hand and let it swing when you release. This will ensure no wrist torque.

 

[4onaside]

It sounds to me as if everyone is trying to make the solution of the problem more complicated than it actually is. If you are a right handed shooter, unless you really focus on follow-thru, it is the most natural thing in the world for your left hand/arm to start to fall away to the left when you release. Particularly as a new shooter, make a real effort to hold your position of both arms until the arrow hits the target. See if that will help. I know that I get loosey goosey with my shooting when I am not consentrating, and inevitably my arrows start to hit left.

 

[PrettyInPinkCamo]

It sounds to me as if everyone is trying to make the solution of the problem more complicated than it actually is. If you are a right handed shooter, unless you really focus on follow-thru, it is the most natural thing in the world for your left hand/arm to start to fall away to the left when you release. Particularly as a new shooter, make a real effort to hold your position of both arms until the arrow hits the target. See if that will help. I know that I get loosey goosey with my shooting when I am not consentrating, and inevitably my arrows start to hit left.

I def think that added to it, I started getting lazy after I got my form down and got comfortable. Now if it would stop raining I would get out and practice!

 

[CoastieHunter]

Do people not ever read some of the post?

I moved the site, she shot left, I moved the pin and she's dead on every shot now.

 

[4onaside]

Do people not ever read some of the post?

I moved the site, she shot left, I moved the pin and she's dead on every shot now.

Congratulations.lol

 

[PrettyInPinkCamo]

Do people not ever read some of the post?

I moved the site, she shot left, I moved the pin and she's dead on every shot now.

Jeeze babe, panties in a bunch? Even i only read the first few and the last few posts of a longer thread..

 

[CoastieHunter]

Do people not ever read some of the post?

I moved the site, she shot left, I moved the pin and she's dead on every shot now.

Jeeze babe, panties in a bunch? Even i only read the first few and the last few posts of a longer thread..

Oh cummon babe, you know I go COMMANDO!