Flappy loose

[Murray]

Doesn't look so much like a problem with your elbow height to me, but more a case of "too much arm and not enough back" - often a symptom of being slightly overbowed. Focus on relaxing the biceps and forearm and transferring power into the lower back muscles. Best to do this up close/blank bale with Video until it's right, then go back to target.

hehe - cool. Looks like I posted the reply before you posted the question. DAMN I'm good

[Schme1440]

Now as you will see from these vids I have a slightly flappy loose. This is partly to do with my high elbow. Now to lower said elbow It causes the elbow to be out of line on the horizontal line when a full draw. Any advise on solving this high elbow and flappy loose would be greatly appreciated. My loose is and has always been my biggest problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjPrWQ0aO0c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3UI5sdTeSY

P.S. The vids loaded a bit wrong so just manually adjust the slider to get the picture moving again. Oh and yes the vids are slowed down for the purpose of a better look at my technique.

[Jimster71]

Murray, do you have the winning lottery numbers for Saturday?

[Schme1440]

Cheers for the advise Murray. I will give that a try Tomorrow night. What your saying is im too arm'y and not enough back. Think I know what I need to do. Will bring the camera along to watch the progress.

How did you do that Murray? I was off getting my breakfast whilst I was posting. Wow that multy tasking.

[Little Miss Purple]

Originally Posted by Murray

hehe - cool. Looks like I posted the reply before you posted the question. DAMN I'm good

There's always one!!!

[Ffish]

This is something that I'm working on, on my own form at the moment. My loose is similar to yours, and I tend to go out, rather than back with my follow-through. Something that Joe Tapley has advised me recently is "think bicycle chain" and keep everything in a straight line as you come through the clicker. Easier said than done, I know, but it made sense to me.

I've also bought myself a new tab, which I've faced with OB's Oberon material, which apparently will help less hooking of the wrist, which contributes to the above problem. I haven't shot with it yet, but I'll be trying it at the weekend.

[Duss]

I have just come out of a phase where I was using too much arm and almost no back. Everything was REALLY BAD. I even was getting a really bad trapezius pain in the neck and the top of the shoulder. OUCH!

My drawing arm was so contracted and rigid that I was losing all pleasure in shooting. Especially that I also had let my string go to my finger ends. YECCH!

I first re-started drawing with my back muscles, focusing on the scapula and shoulder down. It was then easy to get the arm relaxed.

Relaxing the "bicycle chain" really is the way to achieve a consistent and smooth release. Everything in line and the fingers well and effortlessly crooked.

I can then draw smoothly, anchor easily, aim calmly and let the arrow fly just as if it were a ripe fruit falling from the tree limb.

[Ffish]

Originally Posted by Duss

I have just come out of a phase where I was using too much arm and almost no back. Everything was REALLY BAD. I even was getting a really bad trapezius pain in the neck and the top of the shoulder. OUCH!

I've been there! I've had a very similar pain for the past week in the base of my neck and shoulder, and now that I know what its called (thank you!) I've found some great sites on the web about how it's caused. Archery may have been a contributory factor, but spending 8-10 hours a day sat in front of a PC screen with little or no exercise will certainly be a cause.

I'm glad to say that after a week's massage from the wife with pain killing cream and lots of stretching exercises has pretty much got rid of the problem now.

[Duss]

TO : Ffish

Yes I actually forgot to mention other recognized causes for trapezius pain :

- Mouse arm position (for computer addicts)
- Sleeping position (for sleep addicts)

In the end it all affects your shooting ease

[geoffretired]

It may be the camera angle but it does look like the bow shoulder is well back, away from the string line and the draw elbow is well to the right of the draw hand. It looks as though you have learnt to flap the hand at the point of release rather than do what could be more natural, and just let the hand relax and move back as a reaction to letting go all the draw weight.To unlearn the flapping movement is difficult, it would be easier to start by learning to do something different with that hand.You could try, for example, to get the hand to hit your shoulder.Later, that can be allowed to happen more naturally.