Sore chin

[acehero]

Originally Posted by Furface

While the first priority is "do what works in a comfortable and repeatable way", I have one observation about being unable to touch the string on one's nose and chin. Quite often, to look at a point in the distance, you find people tilting their head back from the neck, which has the result of taking the nose away from the string. Many archers can actually touch both if this is pointed out. Draw to touch nose and chin, then raise the bow to the aim keeping the touch going. Basically a type of unit aim, I suppose.

Thanks, thats actually helped a fair bit. I find this morning that I can touch the nose with the string without drawing down the side of my chin. This is something I can work on and see how it develops. Only had a few shots at close range at a blank boss but its feeling promising. Will get somebody to watch me and make sure im not tilting my head forward too much.

Geoff - yes when I was asked to change the string was just touching the centre of my chin. The main reason for the change was to get the nose reference. Now i acknowledge this doesnt work for all but I'm willing to give it a go first. It was also pointed out that I get into line better by drawing further down the side of my chin, but i realise thats not worth a damn if contact with my chin is throwing the shot every time.

Jerry - I dont use platforms anymore as I get whacked on the neck by them when i release. this happens with any paltform tab more or less depending on the size of the platform. I used the soma platform as a thumb ledge for a while which was comfortable but felt that it affected my hand shape a bit. I'm happy with the lack of platform and feel I can anchor solidly under my jaw without.

Out of interest I strung up my longbow this morning and put on a finger sling and drew it like my recurve. I know its not quite the same, but I had no trouble getting the string on nose and centre of chin with that. I'd guess its the string angle. I'll see if I can borrow some long limbs for the recurve from somebody at the club. My drawlength is a little up in the air at the moment depending on where I draw to on the chin obviously, but its around 29" to the back of the bow.

[buzz lite beer]

if any part of your shooting form involves pain and you can't tolerate it it will lead to you developing a reaction somewhere along the way to reduce the moment the pain is expected to occur. it will most probably lead to very flowery loosing and head movement to some degree either just before or at the moment of loosing which isn't going to help with your consistency in the long run. Get a mirror beside you when you draw and get your anchor and use it to find to optimum position of tip of nose to edge of your chin, some by virtue of the shape of their facial components can't get the nose to touch the string and have a reliable anchor to go with it.

[Old Bloke]

Excellent post Buzz.

[buzz lite beer]

I don't talk shi7e all the time.

[Old Bloke]

No,...not all of the time.

[buzz lite beer]

LOL touché OB

[acehero]

I can get pretty good hand-jaw contact with the tab hand in any of the positions. I'll do a bit more practice tonight and see how my chins faring up. I think I've got a position sorted which doesnt cause pain - just need to shoot a few dozen arrows to see how it feels long term.

[acehero]

Well i think I've cracked it! I clench my teeth and make that inverted half-moon shape with my mouth, or as near as. This pulls the soft fleshy bit of the chin out of the way. I end up looking somewhat like the second archer on here KSL International Archery under section 7 "anchoring". The string contacts my face on the nose end, just right of centre of my chin (on the front though, not trailing off down the side) and also on the lips which are slightly pursed. Theres 3 reference points and the 4th is my index finger on the draw hand nice and tightly under the jaw. Shooting like this causes no chin-scrape at all and its feeling very good!

My draw length is 30" to the back of the bow, quite an increase from this time 10 days ago. We did a bit of video and im getting the string in the right place consistently. I also appear to be in-line more when viewed from the back, getting my draw elbow nicely back and round. the loose feels good and the shot feels good - but this was all done at a blank boss at 4 yards, so I'll have to wait for some nice weather to see if this actually works when shooting for real. In any case its all very exciting!

I got a bit of sore contact on one shot and that was because I'd forgotten to pull my chin and mouth into that shape before anchoring. However the string doesnt contact my lips when I forget to do this, so as long as I remember my shot check-list I should realise that something isnt right and let down. I was also concerned that i wouldnt be able to clench my jaw and chin the same from shot to shot, but it seems that only the fleshy part of the chin moves out of the way (and its the fleshy bit that was getting sore) - the bony bit stays in place and thats what the string contacts. I cant see any obvious flaws in this yet. Oh apart from the fact I now need longer arrows