That Old Clicker Magic

[billfrugg]

Dear all,

I hope you all had a good Christmas. I have a question concerning clickers that perhapd you can help me with.

I have been experimenting with a clicker, on and off, for about two months now, and I am becoming frustrated. Regardless of what I do, after a few shots, sometimes as few as three or four, I can no longer draw through the clicker. On the first shot, however, it's easy.

I thought that I might simply have the clicker too close to the riser, but I got my partner to watch my draw length without a clicker, shot adter shot after shot, and it was consistent enough that she was able to measure the length of arrow extending beyond the riser at full draw. This was about half an inch. I therefore set the clicker to just over this distance and tried again. After a few shots, once again, I was unable to draw through the clicker.

Can someone explain what is going on, and how I can put it right?

Many thanks, and Happy New Year to you all.

[geoffretired]

was able to measure the length of arrow extending beyond the riser at full draw. This was about half an inch. I therefore set the clicker to just over this distance and tried again.

Have I understood you here? Is the clicker further away from you, which would shorten your draw length?

[billfrugg]

Originally Posted by sp220

You are anticipating the approach of the click... and as you reach your "anchor" point, you are stopping the fluid motion of the pull in order to achieve an consistent hand placement.

Timing is whats crucial, you shouldnt be waiting any time at all at full draw, just keep pulling all the way through, and do NOT stop when you come to anchor.

Okay. How do I teach myself not to anticipate the click? Is it simply a matter of mindset and practice?

[billfrugg]

Originally Posted by geoffretired

Have I understood you here? Is the clicker further away from you, which would shorten your draw length?

Yes, for the moment. I did this on purpose, knowing that if the clicker shortens my normal draw length, then all else being equal, I should be drawing through the clicker every time. The fact that this didn't work told me that there was some other factor at work. Hence this question!

[geoffretired]

I can follow that reasoning, billfrug.
What could be happening, as a result, is that you are trying too hard not to activate the clicker before you are fully settled into your references with the string and draw hand.That little bit of unease can be enough to upset your form.
You already "know" you can consistently draw to a certain place, as measured by your friend. You will already know, that you can pull a little further should you wish to. If you set the clicker slightly closer to you than the measured position, you will then be able to reach your face with the string and draw hand, and settle.( not stop, just settle down a little)
You will know that there is some more work to be done to activate the clicker, just keep working after the short settle and it will have gone!!
In effect, you will be drawing a little further than normal. The references will be reached as normal but the draw will continue for a slightly longer time. In that extra time, the clicker will have gone!!
That will be a different routine from your normal one and different enough to help with the change over.
My wording is very different from sp220's but in essence we are saying much the same things. Ignore the clicker; get on with your draw, and it will have gone with far less effort.

[Erika]

Because it's mostly in your head, as soon as you stop focusing on the target, you'll be able to draw through easily.

If you've drawn up too many times and still not shot the arrow, try deliberately drawing through the clicker without intending to shoot and draw well past. It doesn't hurt to remind yourself that you can actually do it and it'll loosen up the muscles a touch.

[ASW1973]

The give away to the answer on this one is your ability to perform well to start with and then begin to struggle. Sp220 is taking you down the wrong route and is breaking the first rule of teaching someone by saying "dont do this or that"
Reason for not being able to get thru clicker is front shoulder climbing due to poor posture and concentrating on the clicker. The harder you push with the front end to make the clicker go the more it will ride up and you will be unable to make it go click as you are effectiveley losing draw length. Do as erika has said and also get a coach to look at you and teach you posture

[ASW1973]

nope not a guess. actually read what they wrote (something you rareley seem to do ). Those symptoms strongly imply poor posture and losing the front shoulder (also the most common recurve failing I see).

[rod]

do yourself a favor, read asw1973 blog about clickers.
shame alisters 250 miles from me i would be knocking on his door.

[Random_guy]

Altho alastair is almost certainly right, it is also worth getting someone to check that you are not moving ur head forwards to meet the string. We had one person doing just that last year, and it really confused us, as their front shoulder seemed to still be low and in the right place, but they started off finding the clicker easy to get thru, and then found it progressively harder.

They were in fact effectively shortening their draw, but moving their head forward to reach their reference point in increasingly large amounts as they got tired.

Once again tho, alastair's explanation is the most obvious