Author Topic: Shooting technique  (Read 5422 times)

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Offline Swamp Bow

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Shooting technique
« on: November 12, 2009, 05:01:00 pm »
Hi All,
  After watching the video that Outcast posted (thanks), I noticed that several of the archers "lost" their arrows on the draw and had to abort release, some of them repeatedly.  Is that normal?  I also noticed that there was a decent breeze blowing, was that a(the) contributing factor?  It was coming off of the left shoulder and pushing the arrow onto, not off of the hand though.  I seems that this would not be a good scenario in a battle when everyone is amped and nervous.  Are we missing something?

Swamp
From the middle of a swamp in SW Florida.

Offline outcaste

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Re: Shooting technique
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2009, 05:10:34 pm »
Hi,

It was extremely windy on this day. The wind was right to left over the shooting line and easily over 20mph, very difficult conditions to shoot in.

Alistair

Offline Swamp Bow

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Re: Shooting technique
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2009, 09:03:17 pm »
Looked like you needed make your point of aim way off to one side just to stay in the same county.  :)  Difficult conditions I'm sure.  Not a jab at the archers in the video.  I did notice you weren't among the ones that had to abort. It just made me wonder if archers of old did something to prevent that in the heat of battle or lousy conditions.  I can't imagine any military commander being pleased if a third of his archers said "wait, let me try that again".

Swamp
From the middle of a swamp in SW Florida.

Rod

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Re: Shooting technique
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2009, 09:52:44 am »
I'm don't think I've seen  the video in question, but I do recall a shoot at Pepperstock (a York round if my recollection is correct) being discontinued some years ago due to gusting gale force winds.
The compound shooters wanted to stop for not unreasonable reasons of safety because the wind kept blowing their arrows off their drop away rests at full draw and quite a few of the recurves agreed probably because they were not getting the scores they wanted.

Only the longbows protested because they found the conditions interesting.

If you don't mind telling me where this video is posted I'd like to take a look at it.

Rod.

Offline Swamp Bow

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Re: Shooting technique
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2009, 11:16:36 am »
From the middle of a swamp in SW Florida.

Offline Yeomanbowman

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    • warbowwales
Re: Shooting technique
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2009, 07:41:13 am »
Here's the actual link...

http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk123/leafy_bow/agincourt%20shoot%202009/?action=view&current=Movie.flv

The wind was indeed strongly blowing from right to left  This was the direction to push the arrows off the hand (rather than into the bow) for right handed bowmen.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2009, 07:48:54 am by Yeomanbowman »

Offline Swamp Bow

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Re: Shooting technique
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2009, 08:26:13 am »
Here's the actual link...

http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk123/leafy_bow/agincourt%20shoot%202009/?action=view&current=Movie.flv

The wind was indeed strongly blowing from right to left  This was the direction to push the arrows off the hand (rather than into the bow) for right handed bowmen.

Went back and looked at the video.  You are correct wind was blowing right to left.  The closer flag looked it was moving the opposite direction at the very beginning, probably because it was fouled.  None the less, I assume battles were not canceled due to weather.  In fact I expect enemy commanders probably used weather to their advantage once they learned of the effects of rain and wind on bows strings and arrows respectively.  Again an assumption, but logical.  Can't do much about the rain, but arrow control would be another thing.  I usually shoot with my first finger holding the arrow against the bow with my lower weight bows.  I can hold a #50 draw.  Is this possible or even safe with 100# + bows?

Swamp
From the middle of a swamp in SW Florida.

Rod

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Re: Shooting technique
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2009, 10:21:47 am »
Clearly the wind is swirling due to the proximity to the treeline, which would not be unexpected.
But the lifting off is more due to finger pinch or the angle of the finger beneath the shaft applying pressure to the underside of the shaft.

This is particularly noticeable in the two shots by the bloke in the blue shirt where the finger pressure lifts the shaft off his hand as he comes to his length.
Consider the angle of his fingers as compared to the shaft and the tightness of his grip.

The young chap at the far end of the line has a similar but more obvious version of the same  problem with his first attempt at a draw.

It's definitely a technique issue, no doubt at all.

This is a very common fault and is easily enough cured, though it will be aggravated by a loose nock fit or by tensing of the hand with a higher draw weight or by trying to hold the shaft too firmly.

But it is basically a question of good finger alignment through the draw, so as to not apply exessive pressure to the underside of the shaft, or to reduce excessive pinching which will have a similar effect, though it is easily enough distinguishable from the former cause with a little care and attention.

But first I would look to check and optimise the nock fit so that a literal pinch was not dictated by a loose nock fit, then I would look to the alignment of the fingers (and forearm) through the draw.

A day teaching the fundamentals never goes by without folks asking why the shaft falls off their hand as they draw.

And they are always told the same thing.
The shaft rarely falls off your hand outside of extreme wind conditions, it is almost always a product of the shaft being pushed up by excessive pressure of the finger against the underside of the shaft.
Less commonly by gripping the shaft between your knuckles and waving it about.

In this case, the former is the main culprit here.

Rod.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2009, 10:37:49 am by Rod »

Offline Aries

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Re: Shooting technique
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2009, 10:48:02 pm »
Hi,

It was extremely windy on this day. The wind was right to left over the shooting line and easily over 20mph, very difficult conditions to shoot in.

Alistair
I live on a hill in Oklahoma those are every day conditions lol  :P
"If the only tool you have is a hammer,
                   you tend to see every problem as a nail."
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