What do you check first when your shooting badly?

[Rhys]

Generally as soon as i start thinking about what might be going wrong things keep going badly.

The other day i was shooting ends of 48-52 at 70m, but then started putting arrows to the left in the blue/black. For a few ends i tried to work out what was up and it just got worse.

As soon as I started concentrating on "the plan" and shooting arrows properly back to the red/gold.

[addo]

Originally Posted by not dead yet

committing to the shot maybe, but by the time you've thought about it your lactic acid is starting to build up and you go low..???????

Thats a very very interesting point,from my point of view.I've only been doing archery 14 months,and up until 2 months ago i was quicker than Billy the Kid.When i got my new shiny toys,i decided to do things "properly",and as a result i now tend to hold full draw a bit longer.Since i started shooting this way i've noticed that if i have a poor scoring arrow,its always low.

I always check my grip if this starts to happen because sometimes i used to "heel" the bow.I've pretty well eliminated this now though so i'm at a loss as to why these low arrows occur.My draw length,anchor and release are reasonably constant(although i don't use a clicker yet).When i shot with my old bow,vertical spread was never a real problem.

Looking at all the responses so far to this thread,its obvious that there isn't one single aspect that is more important than the other.I guess i'll just have to be methodical and go through everything one by one until i find what i'm doing wrong.I'm thinking maybe i'll stop shooting rounds and concentrate on my form.

I don't suppose there is one single thing that i could pay attention to in regards to my issues is there?A poor scoring arrow at 60y is either low or slightly high and right

[felixity]

im a newbie, i finished my beginners course 7 weeks ago and my handicap is low 50's. i dont seem to have many bad days, more like wayward arrows, but then i guess 'bad' is a relative term. for me not bad is all inside the red up to 50yds and 60yds inside the blue although this is much more affected by the wind. for reference i use allys and no clicker

stance shouldn't be an issue because i make sure its right eveytime i come to the line. i also try not to think about my release as im shooting because immedately i do i start dead releasing. same with gripping the bow on release.

i guess the things i check are equally my anchor and string picture, although i have a tendancy to forget the latter as i get tired - hey im still learning!

[Furface]

I have been in a "bad" trough for several years now, mainly due to health. Some times I can cope, more often not. However, I do feel that, on the whole, I can trust my routine - certainly well enough to be able to tell what has gone wrong without too much analysis. So, what I "listen" to first is what my body is telling me. Tired? Weak? Need food? This usually relates to the mistake I have made - released too soon, dropped the bow arm, didn't concentrate enough on alignment. Makes shooting fun, and it REALLY REALLY feels good when it all comes together.

[bimble]

First thing I do is to check that nothing has come loose. Then I check my grip and anchor.

Of course, sometimes it just seems to be going wrong... last week was managing 100+ dozens at 90m, came down to 70m and could barely hit the red!!

[not dead yet]

Originally Posted by bimble

First thing I do is to check that nothing has come loose. Then I check my grip and anchor.

Of course, sometimes it just seems to be going wrong... last week was managing 100+ dozens at 90m, came down to 70m and could barely hit the red!!

probably because at 70 you were thinking all the time about....well i had 100 dozens at 90......

[Robin the Hood]

Originally Posted by not dead yet

probably because at 70 you were thinking all the time about....well i had 100 dozens at 90......

Cheeky Peter...........I didn't think age had anything to do with it....

Paul....

[bimble]

If I could still shoot 100+ dozens at 90m when I'm seventy I would be more than happy unless by then all the super-dooper equipment means that the 'old' Gents FITA is a junior round and I should be shooting 100+ dozens at 160m!!!

[Good Sir Pete]

depends on the shot. every time.

if i know what's going wrong i (hopefully) stop doing it.

if i don't, i check the bow first, then my bow arm - front shoulder down, hand relaxed and so on - then it'd be anchor.

normally if i have a problem it's energy levels or equipment. sometimes it's just muppetry

[Compoundking]

Depending on what your inconsistancy is. If your arrows are in a vertical line it is your release/anchor that needs to improve.