How do you draw?

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#5503

This may seem like a rudimentary topic, but I think it’s good to periodically revisit the basics, no matter how long you’ve been shooting. And for newer shooters, this may turn into an informative and useful thread.

I’ve been hanging out in a mild climate this past week, which has allowed me to shoot as much as I want, and it’s had me thinking about various ways of drawing the bow, and what seems to work best for me. And, on a deeper level, how the biomechanics of drawing may come into play with different ways of drawing.

So before I go into detail about how I tend to do it, I’d love to hear from others. How do you draw?

• Do you ‘swing’ draw, starting with the bow at a lowered position and bring it up while drawing?

• Do you start with your bow already pointing straight at the target, and drawing straight back?

• Do you find that your draw style is related to other aspects of your shooting and/or style, such as whether you shoot split, 3-under, gap, instinctive, etc?

• When was the last time you purposely tried drawing your bow differently than you normally do? Did it affect your accuracy? Did you notice anything by doing it differently?

* Do you cant your bow?

* What is your overall body position when shooting? Standing straight up? Crouching? Foot placement?

[Doc Nock]

#41645

I’ll play along… but not in you guys league I don’t think…

I shoot to hunt better.

I ease my arm up level toward my target and then draw straight back to make the LEAST amount of motion possible in the presence of game…so I shoot that way consistently.

I try to shoot instinctively. 40 yrs ago I gun barreled or “gap” shot, then did that with compounds w/ fingers for years…

Started all over 25 yrs ago with sticks and do split finger (most tension on middle and ring below and just let the pointer ride on top of arrow for most part

I’m subconsciously aware there is an arrow somewhere in my peripheral vision, but when game is there, I never see it as the animal takes over total focus.

I do can’t my bow. Read long ago to let your arms hang relaxed at your side, then come up and point at something…what angle your hand is in is your natural posture, so that is how much my bow is canted.

Foot stance is my bow shoulder pointed at my target so I’m bone-on-bone at anchor… feet shoulder width apart and slight bend to knees for most stability and ability to rotate into a shot.

Wow…that’s more thought than I give to my shooting in a year!

[skifrk]

#41725

I like to practice both the swing draw and draw straight back. After all if I am hunting bunny’s the swing works better and if I am sitting on a waterhole for elk the straight back works better. I shoot instinctively and found that split finger is most comfortable for me with my long draw. I try and build a platform from the ground up. However I focus on my upper body more so I can have my legs in odd positions like stepping over a log and being able to draw.

[ChumpMcgee]

#41734

I like it!

When I am out practicing standing X amount of yards away from the target I am focused on trying to get a good grouping. I wish I would bring my hunting seat with me to the range more for practicing my hunting shots thou. When I do practice I do try to explore many ways to draw the bow back, using the push pull method, holding the bow arm straight out and drawing back, changing my feet angles towards the target, etc. I do find myself after I nock an arrow that my bow arm is relativly stright pointing at the ground and as a draw back I am pushing with my bow arm and pulling the string to my anchor once I get to my anchor I will relax and a moment or two later I let’er rip.

[Etter1]

#41759

Exact same as doc nock.

[Ralph]

#41766

It’s draw, aim, release, anchor ain’t it? 😀

I’m shooting three under these days and doing way better. Why after 30+ years????

I usually use the swing draw, mostly finishing my draw as my bow arm is raised, all the while staring down what I want to hit. I have a lean face with high cheekbones and when my finger touches the bottom of my nose, that’s my split second of collecting thoughts, I then pull another inch or so and when my hand is cupped around my cheekbone I release.

The last year or so I’ve been struggling some though and I finally figured out that when I think on it I screw it up.

I don’t know why some people think if you’re shooting three under that you’re looking at the point of your arrow. Peripherally it’s there I know, like pointing your finger, a ghost image. If I ever consciously look at the point of my arrow I’m screwed. That’s when the draw, aim, release, anchor happens.

I’m so dang far sighted I have to really work on seeing the tip of my arrow anyway so no sense in checking it out.

There are times when one has to extend one’s arm then draw and anchor, usually due to obstructions that prevent the swing draw or as Doc says, not to attract attention by movement. So I practice that way also.

[David Petersen]

#41860

How do I draw? I prefer pencils, but sometimes use chalk.

(Sorry, but just thinking about happy hour to come makes me into a comedian, or as my wife has it, an idiot. No intent to diss your good question.)

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#41891

David Petersen wrote: How do I draw? I prefer pencils, but sometimes use chalk.

Ha – I should have seen that one coming! 😀

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#41894

Two good videos on the draw, and two somewhat different styles:

http://youtu.be/6c8_-96h6BY

[archer38]

#41936

I guess mine is very much like Smithhammer’s first video only I tend to lean into the shot somewhat. Feet slightly apart, I sometimes use a tree stand so I try to keep my feet no further than they would be on the platform.I occasionally practice swing draw while I do what I call trow back shooting. As I walk back from the target I randomly throw my arrows different directions and distances and then shoot from where they land. I watched one of Jeff Kavanaugh’s videos on drawing up on your target in a straight vertical line but I had a hard time doing it. Also occasionally shoot off a chair or from my knees or from a crouch raising up. Its always good to practice any shot you might need to make in the wild !!

[Ralph]

#41944

Yep Hammer, wished I’d have been a bit quicker on the draw myself:D

[tailfeather]

#41946

I start with the bow pointed at the target and fingers on the string, focus on where I want the arrow to go, and start the draw. Years ago I tried swing shooting like Asbell demonstrates in Instinctive Shooting, but just never felt settled shooting that way.

I shoot split fingers, and don’t pay any attention to the arrow…..don’t even notice it in my periphery.

I always cant my bow, and guess I crouch and lean in a little, too.

[James Harvey]

#42479

Smithhammer wrote: • Do you ‘swing’ draw, starting with the bow at a lowered position and bring it up while drawing?

• Do you start with your bow already pointing straight at the target, and drawing straight back?

I do a kind of swing draw when I shoot instinctively and shoot ‘normally’ when I gap.

Smithhammer wrote: • Do you find that your draw style is related to other aspects of your shooting and/or style, such as whether you shoot split, 3-under, gap, instinctive, etc?

It is related directly to how I’m aiming.

Smithhammer wrote: • When was the last time you purposely tried drawing your bow differently than you normally do? Did it affect your accuracy? Did you notice anything by doing it differently?

Over the last 12 months or so I’ve been really trying to give instinctive shooting a fair go. I really dig it and have a lot of confidence out to perhaps 20m with it. The truth is though I shoot tighter groups standing straight up, holding the bow straight out, drawing straight back and gapping. I’ve shot a comp where I’ve done day 1 entirely instinctively without JD’s shooting a C grade score, then day 2 taken care with my JD’s, gapped and shot an A grade score. All courtesy of my failures with instinctive at longer ranges as the comp had targets of unknown distance anywhere from 7-48m.

I did a very interesting test though. I set a CD sized target up at 10m (that exapands to about dinner plate at 20m) and shot 30 arrows at it. All I counted was hits and misses. Over a few days I did this a number of times gapping and shooting instinctively and I always got pretty much the same scores, between I think 25 and 28. It was never the ‘group’ that let me down, it was notable technique failures as I fatigued, like a plucking string hand, swinging bow arm or collapsing core leading to ‘wild’ arrows. Besides illustrating my lack of archery endurance, the vast majority of all those misses occurred after the first 10 arrows which illustrates that while I may group better gapping, I shoot well enough instinctively.

Smithhammer wrote: * Do you cant your bow?

I do when I’m shooting instinctively.

Smithhammer wrote: * What is your overall body position when shooting? Standing straight up? Crouching? Foot placement?

If I am gap shooting I try to emulate an olympic archer. If I’m shooting instincively I try to emulate Asbell.

It must be your turn Bruce 😉

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#42723

Interesting. Thanks for all the responses, folks.

Personally, I tend to swing draw, much like Jeff shows in his video. For some reason, that movement, combined with a deliberate push/pull extension, seems to really maximize my draw power, and it also helps keep my elbow lower at full draw. My feet are generally shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. I cant my bow about 20deg. or so. I cock my head a fair bit to get my eye over the arrow (I’m cross-dominant).

The push/pull has really become huge for me, both in giving me better draw extension, and for whatever reason, it also seems to positively affect my accuracy (well, most of the time… :roll:.

But I also recognize that this style of drawing equates to more movement, which isn’t great for some hunting situations, so I practice drawing straight back with the bow already pointing at the target as well.

I also practice setting up with my feet positioned at various odd angles to the target (45-90 deg) and then just use my upper body to rotate into position and shoot, as well as sitting, kneeling, etc. I think that for practicing hunting, the more I mix it up, the better.

Love to continue hearing others’ input. And whatever happened to MoeBow anyway?

[Col Mike]

#43090

What the hammer said. I use the push pull but try many variations during practice.

However I find that the single most important skill is concentrating on that spot I want to hit. When I can do that it works but let that concentration lag and I’m off target.

Mike

[skinner biscuit]

#43216

Swing draw for me.3 fingers under, corner of mouth anchor.When I got back into trad archery I bought one of those sfr sights from 3 rivers.Was shooting ok at 20 yrds.One day I thought how would I do without it, (I used to bowfish carp with a recurve and do pretty good instintive shooting) shot and completely missed the haybale.That was enough for me.Took the damnable thing off and shot gap(split finger) split eye, then both eyes open.Finger pinch was killing me so went to 3 under ( back to instinctive) and loved it. I practice standing, squatting, and crouching with a cant out to 40 yards.Hunt within 20. Stand on a bank to practice downhill, and below a bank uphill.Sometimes I sit on a cedar planter (no dirt) to simulate stool shooting.I do best picking a spot and concentrating on it.Simplicity and watching a arrow in flight is what I love about trad archery.When you make that shot and It all comes together beats the hell out of wheels.

[Arne Moe]

#43720

I’m here smith hammer, all’s well, just lurking.

Arne

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#43783

Moebow wrote: I’m here smith hammer, all’s well, just lurking.

Arne

Glad to hear it, Arne. I’ve always enjoyed your contributions.

[grumpy]

#43942

I don’t know, and if I think about it I suspect that it will end up like that time someone videotaped my fly casting, and I tried to “correct” my form. If I try to cast with “correct” form I loose distance and accuracy. I know I could do it “right” and it may make me better, but I may not have that much time left. Right now I’m satisfied with my fly casting, and archery. Good enough to have fun, and that is what it is all about. I’ll leave the work to the young guys, that have forever to perfect it.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#43980

grumpy wrote:

I’ll leave the work to the young guys, that have forever to perfect it.

Here’s hoping it doesn’t take me longer than that. 😉

[Stumpkiller]

#44306

I’m the third shooter. Straight arm, feet shoulder width apart. Relatively upright but I lower my head a bit to get my eye over the arrow.

I also practice push-pull, snap shooting and shooting whild kneeling or twisting at the waist. You have to be flexible when bow hunting.

[Author]

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