loose and follow through

[geoffretired]

"I'm having problems with my loose, I've been told that I'm doing this(mime) and don't seems to be able to stop it. I didn't know I was doing it to be honest."
I think I hear that most weeks from different people. It certainly gets written about on the forum by those who are trying to improve their form by working at it.
More often than not, the problem is not just the loose. The loose may be the most visible aspect of the problem but the real one is the follow through. By trying to solve the apparent problem with the loose, focus goes to the string hand and the bow arm gets ignored.The focus on the string hand also detracts from the work still to be done by the drawing elbow.
Launching the arrow correctly has always seemed to be a two handed affair. It's like pulling a cracker;when it breaks both hands fly in opposite directions(even when the hands belong to different people)
Working on a two handed and natural follow through will, more often than not, cure a poor loose, as that was probably the cause in the first place.

[clickerati]

That's one of my problems, Geoff. I've found my anchor point, but I'm dead loosing more often than not. I'll keep that cracker image in my head next time I shoot and see how I get on.

[geoffretired]

Clickerati,if you imagine the follow through as a two handed action, that will help.
If you see, in your mind's eye, the string hand starting from its reference position; and the bow hand starting from the bow grip;those positions will change as the follow through takes its course. Find out what each hand's NATURAL ending position will be. When shooting, try to get the hands to reach those final references.

[Schme1440]

One method I was told in my ealier days was to imagine nocking a parrot off your sholder. It worked for me.

[Jerry Tee]

I think Clicks that you have concentrated some much on a solid anchor that your anchor has become just that ,solid. So just your fingers move, the cracker thing should help

[clickerati]

You're right, Jerry. But sometimes when I'm feeling and not thinking, I get it right and it feels perfect. It's when I think about it that I fail to do it.

[compkiller]

Clicky stop thinking. I started thinking at last w/ends comp and my 2nd doz went right out the window(not literally tho').

I think therefore I screw up!

if i didn't read that somewhere else its mine from now on



Darren

[clickerati]

Originally Posted by compkiller

Clicky stop thinking. I started thinking at last w/ends comp and my 2nd doz went right out the window(not literally tho').

I think therefore I screw up!

if i didn't read that somewhere else its mine from now on



Darren

Feeling is so much better than thinking!!

[Greyghost]

Hi Darren,
Couldn't agree more!
I had two major problems that I was working on, firstly my bowhand - which was cured by switching from a wrist sling to a finger sling (more a confidence thing I think). But my biggest problem is the release. For a long time I "dead" released and shot with varying degrees of success. The problem was that I would draw until the clicker went, then I'd stop to release and then continue back with my hand. At the time, I didn't realise I was doing anything wrong as my hand was ending up on my shoulder. It was spotted by a fellow club mate and I worked on it since. The results, I started shooting Portsmouths in the 560 -570 region (and feel theres more to come) from 540's the previous year.
BUT! I shot a competition a couple of weeks ago and I concentrated too much on what I was doing and it all went to pot - a 528 with 3 misses. It was pointed out by a fellow competitor on the same target that my old bad habits had come back. The misses, well the shots did feel wallowy (the only way to describe it), but at the time I was excusing it as I was placing my arrows on top of the plunger withouth realising it (strange because, this was one of the things I checked as part of my shot routine). It was pointed out that, when the clicker went, I stopped, the arrow fell off the rest and those three arrows were shot off the shelf on the riser.
My only solution is to keep practicing!
Apologies for waffling, but the release is one of my bugbears.
Best wishes,
Steve

[geoffretired]

Grey ghost, perhaps it's the follow through that is the problem.
So often the loose is "seen" and the follow through gets drowned out. A dead loose is so often a stifled follow through.