Lately I have been shooting the best I have ever shot. However, occasionally I'll have a group that is 3-4" left of the bullseye. Tight groups just a little left. I know a RH shooter can miss left from stiff arrows, not getting eye over the arrow, and grabbing the bow upon release. I know my arrows aren't stiff as the bare shafts and fletched shafts fly excellent when I do my part correctly.
My question is, are there other reasons a Rh shooter can miss left? Can anyone chime in and help me? I'm trying to diagnose what I'm doing wrong and have videoed myself and can not identify the exact cause that is making this happen. It doesn't happen all the time but maybe if I shoot 15 arrows (5 groups of 3) 1 of the 5 groups will be left.
For myself, I will miss left if I don't get my index finger knuckle under my cheek bone.
It can also happen if your trying to watch the arrow in flight, you unconsciously will pull your hand away from your face to see.
I am interested in this, as the same thing happens to me. My guess it has to do with my poor release.
I know I peek at times. Trying to see where the arrow is going. If I stay concentrated on the mark I don't have the issue.
The biggest reason I do it is not maintaining follow through with my "bow arm". You have to have a rock solid front sight, and that means a solid bow arm. Simple as that. You have tension on both bow arm and string hand. When you release the tendency is for the drawing hand to move back, and the bow hand to swing away to the left. :saywhat:
A quiver mounted on the bow
for me its anchor drifting slightly right. 1/2"
I have a three point anchor; tip of finger in corner of mouth, string tucked along nose, and thumb hooked behind jaw. If I pull my hand off my face that can send arrows left. All 3 points locked in and I'll wear out the ten ring.
:campfire:
x2 on elk nailer
Not tucking in anchor and waiting for the arrow to settle and/or not engaging back muscles. I did it on a couple of targets this morning while I was still cold but then everything straightened out.
Letting your form collapse will cause it. Push thru with your bow arm and pull your string hand back to the tip of your shoulder.
Poor allignment from not getting quite to full draw causes me to hit left mostly.Your probably close.But not quite getting the elbow back and around that last little bit to get all things aligned correctly.Also Possible a little loss of back tension and or not enough back tension is a component as well.
Those 2 things can often be related to each other.
A pluck can pull you left.Try and keep the all parts of the drawing arm as relaxed as possible.Its easy to have too much tension their and not be aware of it.A relaxed hand,wrist,biceps and as relaxed fingers as you can without losing control of bow poundage.The Most tension should be at the finger tips.Because you have to hold the bowstring with enough strength or tension to secure it.Everything above the fingertips up to the rear (posterior) deltoid should be as relaxed as possible.Easier said than done.The draw will be done with the rear deltoid and back muscles.
If I do these things well my windage is pretty consistent as far as staying down the middle.
On right hits if I am doing these other things right I am usually choking the grip too much.Typically with the bow I am shooting now.Its right and high when I grip to hard or my bow hand pressure is not quite in the right spot for this bow and its grip style.The sweet spot can very from bow to bow
If you are not getting the magic T this can happen easily. If your elbow is not at 6 o'clock, i.e proper alignment is not present. When your elbow is pointing say 5 o'clock you are forcing your bow arm to engage pressure to compensate, and when you drop the string, your bow immediately goes left throwing the arrow left as well.....if you are right handed, shooting left handed you will throw it right.
Check out the Form Clock thread stickied to the top of the Shooter Forum for more info on the Magic T and Proper alignment.
So sorry guys, it was unstickied somehow....
It's now at the very top of the shooter's forum ...
http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=109531.0
Could be as simple as you are moving your head to the string instead of drawing straight back to your anchor point. Watch your head position, when your form is off so will be your shot.
for me its the same as M60, I catch myself looking for the arrow. Usually when trying new arrows. Once I go back to good followthrough and focus back on target, the arrows go back on target.................YMMV
It's amazing if we use good consistent, repetitive form the arrows go where they are supposed to.
:bigsmyl:
This happens to me from time to time and I find when I follow through it eliminates it. Makes me think I have to tendency to pull away as I try to watch the arrow.
Aside from an alignment issue, a pluck makes me shoot right and a collapse makes me shoot left.
Sometimes I move my bow arm to the left on release and that is where the arrow goes. :) Jawge
A lot of things mentioned above can cause the problem, but for me it is a different issue. When I start shooting left, it is usually because I am overdrawing the bow and turning my head away from a normal alignment to meet the anchor. This usually happens when i am focusing on back tension at the expense of other things.
Same thing was happening to me and I can tell you what helped me tremendously. I reviewed the video of John Schulz in Hitting Em Like Howard Hill and his explanation of a "soft release" is what I was doing. As crazy as it sounds, when I held back my pinky tip with my thumb, it was a game changer! Seriously! Tradcat
This may sound pretty simple, but when I find myself shooting a little left, it is because I am gripping the bow tight. Seems to torque the bow upon release. When I shoot left, on the next shot I relax my bow hand and the arrow moves back to the right. I always know what my problem is with left shooting - not saying this is your problem, but you might give it a try. Relax your bow hand and don't put a death grip on it. Seems the more we try the tighter the grip gets on the bow.
What Gregg D. said... over drawing/turning my head into the string will cause this..
Lot of reasons here, wow, good info guys! :notworthy: