Stickbow Target Archery Forums

I want a straight release with no torquing -- so I figured the best draw was straight back to anchor.

But ... turns out that a looping draw can set you up for a cleaner release. That is, rather than draw straight back to your anchor, draw a bit to the side, then pull the string in against the side of your face.

Some people loop with both the bow hand AND the string hand -- that is, start the bow at about 2 o'clock, and pull down and sideways to the target.

Any opinions on these non-intuitive approaches?

I am not sure what you mean by a "looping draw." I do notice the as I reach full draw the shoulder rotates and the shoulder blades come closer together. I do draw keeping the arrow aligned with the target as I draw.

I don't think it matters how you get to anchor......the important thing is to come straight off the string or stay absolutely dead at the loose. Which ever is you favorite.

Art

"Looping" is a new term I picked up Wednesday at the local club. Turns out it describes what I have stumbled on by accident.
My long-time draw was straight to my nose and chin. My new 'looping' draw is a little longer, into open air beside my chin -- after I reach full draw, I pull the elbow in line, the string follows until it touches my nose and my chin. So, I come into my anchor from the side instead of from the front.

I really like it. At first, I thought it was my own weird invention -- but, Wednesday, I heard it described as 'looping' and as 'old style'. So I figured I'd post a note and see what else I could find out about it.

Shot a two-day FITA this weekend -- loaded myself up with sunscreen so I could survive the sun -- and surprise surprise -- found out that sun screen is sticky, and I couldn't slide along my jaw to my anchor. So, I wound up pulling to the SIDE of my anchor, then, from full draw, pulling sideways into my anchor. And that sideways way of getting into anchor seems to engage the back muscles a lot more than pulling straight back -- wondering why everyone doesn't use it.

ArcCaster, thank you for giving it a name, It is a method I use to get my pupils to use as soon as I can, it helps to get the shoulders where they belong, & also encourages a natural follow-through. Once they get that sorted, They can then develope their own style, but it is important they learn ASAP the correct muscles to use.

Arc - what you're describing is pretty much against everything I've learned as a target recurve archer. As I understand it, the best approach (for target recurve anyway) is to set yourself up in line to the target and to draw as close as possible to the line all the way through the shot. As someone once said - "Find a line and shoot down it".

Maybe if you aren't in line to begin with, a "looping" draw may help you bring yourself into line as you approach full draw, but I prefer to try to find a shot sequence and pre-draw that allow me to get there. I'm not saying I do it myself, but I'm getting there (I think)

Right on John.

John,n
I think your reply highlights the value of this forum.
I am thinking that you are describing what you learned from Olympic-style coaching. (I learned the same thing). The goal there is continuous motion. A looping draw has an interrupt in it (that little sideways motion), and thus is less than optimum for Olympic-style shooting.

When I look at barebow shooters (for example, at the tape sent out by Harold), I do not see continuous motion. I see most of the aiming taking place AFTER reaching full draw. Yet, it is advantageous to use back tension to complete the shot. So the question is how do you easily use back tension when you have a long hold just before it. I think the answer may be different that what our NAA (the local FITA organization) teaches, where the archers have a very short (sometimes only a second or so) hold just before release.

So, in a nutshell, the question I wrestle with is do I blindly try to shoot just like an Olympic-style archer? Or do I modify it for barebow shooting? And if I modify it, will I shoot myself in the foot? Or will I make a good choice?

Bill - thanks. Nice to have confirmation that I make sense occasionally.
Arc - and thank you too.
As for your question, I have done relatively little barebow shooting compared to target. However, I can say that in my experience the best barebow shots feel something like this:n
1. Align body to the target and raise the bow arm.

2. Draw back positively and in line, but in a quite relaxed state of mind. Hard to describe I'm afraid. I think I can best describe it as keeping this as part of the shot rather than the final part of the shot.

3. When at full draw, I find I am usually aiming too high. So I pivot downwards slowly and smoothly, maintaining tension in my drawing arm but not trying to draw any further.

4. When the sight picture looks good, my attention switches to pushing and pulling, and the release just happens 2-3 seconds later.

What I think I'm saying here is that I don't focus on drawing continuously or even to full extension before step 4, but I do seem to move continuously between 2 and 4 in one way or another. There is no pause between 2, 3 and 4, but neither am I rushing it.

Of course, the main problem I face is that I don't really understand how this works or how to reproduce it. I don't have enough time to shoot barebow very much, and nor can I remember how to gap shoot consistently. The first time this "happened" to me, I put an arrow in the centre of the kill zone of an unfortunate groundhog target 20 yards down a 45 degree slope. The rest of the time, it's sheer luck whether I hit the target or shoot over or under. The arrows are nearly always in a vertical line above the bit I want to hit though
I hope this makes a little sense and is of some use.

Good shooting.