Shot Placement

[raribnyar]

#4233

Hi Folks,

From my firearms experience, I know that there is a chart of possible errors that the shooter makes based on the shot placement. Is there a similar chart or explanations for traditional archery?

I’m a novice shooter with a 50# recurve bow and wood arrows. I’m noticing that my shot placement is consistently to the upper left of the center of the target. Is there a rememdy for this or is the cure simply more practice?

Thanks

[David Petersen]

#28531

Hi Rash and welcome to Tradbow. We have some great shooting experts here, though I am not one of them. From my experience shots like that result from not canting your bow enough, or canting too much. You might play around with that until someone with more knowledge shows up here. Dave

[Arne Moe]

#28558

Yes there is a chart available but it depends on whether you are left or right handed. IF right handed, generally high AND left is a combination of things. There are reasons for left and there are reasons for high. When you get them both at the same time it will probably be a combination of things. You will need to work on eliminating one error at a time. Start with the left errors.

Be sure your arrow nock is under your eye. Be sure your string hand is tight on your face each shot. Be sure your string hand isn’t “flipping” out from your face as you release. Be sure your bow hand stays on target. That’s 4 things to work on ONE AT A TIME!!! and see if you can get the “lefts corrected.

One way to do this is to place a vertical length of blue masking tape on the target and work to center your shots on the tape. ONE ITEM AT A TIME!!!!

Once you get that figured out, then work on elevation. Check that you are holding the bow correctly. Don’t “peek” (lift your head to watch the arrow). This time, place the blue masking tape horizontally on the target. and only work on that.

Finally, place both a vertical and horizontal tape on the target and work on both.

I would be remiss IF I didn’t add the standard coach caveat of “50# is a LOT to start with!!”

Welcome to Tradbow and Have fun!!

Arne

[hrhodes]

#28604

Shooting high could mean that you are nocking your arrow too low on the string and you may fix it by raising your nock point. Arrows striking to the left might mean that your arrows are spined too stiff. You can add a heavier point and see if that moves your group closer to center. I saw a chart and a good explanation of trad bow tuning on OL Adcock’s site a couple of years ago. I don’t know if it is still up or not. I cant my bow slightly and that seems to help with my right/left accuracy a great deal. Good luck with it and welcome to real archery. Stay with it, if you shoot enough arrows it will all come together. 😉

[Arne Moe]

#28619

Sorry Howard, I’m going to respectfully disagree. When NEW shooters are having left, right, up and down errors is is SELDOM equipment. TOO many folks immediately blame spine for left and right hits when 95% of the time it is “what they are doing” (FOR NEW SHOOTERS!!). Arrow spine ONLY becomes important AFTER the NEW shooter has learned to shoot and truly control their shot. Until they can do that they have NO way to determine whether the problem is them or the equipment. 95% of the time it is them and 5% of the time it MIGHT be equipment. We need to start with the most likely problem!

A shooter that has developed a decently repeatable form, can accurately shoot arrows that are 2 or 3 spine groups off, either higher or lower. Especially wood as the OP said he uses.

Arne

[hrhodes]

#28712

I believe that he said he “consistently” hit high and left. You are correct in that accuracy problems can’t be diagnosed until one achieves a repeatable form.

[rferdinand]

#46977

Moebow wrote: Yes there is a chart available but it depends on whether you are left or right handed. IF right handed, generally high AND left is a combination of things. There are reasons for left and there are reasons for high. When you get them both at the same time it will probably be a combination of things. You will need to work on eliminating one error at a time. Start with the left errors.

Be sure your arrow nock is under your eye. Be sure your string hand is tight on your face each shot. Be sure your string hand isn’t “flipping” out from your face as you release. Be sure your bow hand stays on target. That’s 4 things to work on ONE AT A TIME!!! and see if you can get the “lefts corrected.

One way to do this is to place a vertical length of blue masking tape on the target and work to center your shots on the tape. ONE ITEM AT A TIME!!!!

Once you get that figured out, then work on elevation. Check that you are holding the bow correctly. Don’t “peek” (lift your head to watch the arrow). This time, place the blue masking tape horizontally on the target. and only work on that.

Finally, place both a vertical and horizontal tape on the target and work on both.

I would be remiss IF I didn’t add the standard coach caveat of “50# is a LOT to start with!!”

Welcome to Tradbow and Have fun!!

Arne

I’m new to traditional acrhery about one month, but I know that until I have good form, my arrows will always go high/low or right/left where I’m aiming at. Thank You.

[James Harvey]

#47708

Arne knows his stuff. The vertical/horizontal lines tool is a good one. I’ve used it successfully.

Another tool you may consider if you have an Iphone is a free coaching app (I use one called ubersense) that you can use to record yourself shooting. I call out the the fall of shot before firing the next arrow, which allows me to watch my form on the video playback and see what impacts my failures in form have on the fall of shot.

Good luck with your shooting 😀

Jim

[Stephen Graf]

#48591

Another thumbs up for Arne.

consistently hitting the wrong place doesn’t mean you have good form.

Consistently hitting the right place does…

In my case, hitting left is usually the bow arm being lazy. But plucking the string don’t help either 😕

[Ralph]

#48802

My wife, darling she is, helps me out when I start shooting left (I be right handed)”Keep your hand to your face dummy” she offers. OK, it works. 😉

[Mark Turton]

#49652

Hi Rash and welcome.

Coincidence may be but Ive had the same problem on an off recently, took me a while to figure it out but it was just me being sloppy, needed a ‘Little Arne’ on my shoulder to put me straight.

Mark.

[Wolfshead]

#49724

ausjim wrote: Arne knows his stuff. The vertical/horizontal lines tool is a good one. I’ve used it successfully.

Another tool you may consider if you have an Iphone is a free coaching app (I use one called ubersense) that you can use to record yourself shooting. I call out the the fall of shot before firing the next arrow, which allows me to watch my form on the video playback and see what impacts my failures in form have on the fall of shot.

Good luck with your shooting 😀

Jim

I agree with Jim

Ubersense is a great tool!

There was a great article in Trad Bowhunter mag that really helped with the video tool too

Cant remember when or the title…..:shock:

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