dshale10

Yes i'm just not starting to get back into bow hunting. And sence i have been shooting i noticed that i'm having a terrible time holding my bow steedy. shooting around 25 yards at a 3 inch circle lets jus say i'm not doing very well. PLEASE anyone that can help me or give me tips or reccomend anything please do!!!

ldial1973

try to relax your holding arm and use open hand that works for me

peashooter

It's hard to go through everything you can do to make yourself hold better. I think the most important things to holding steady are using good form, so your back muscles take the weight rather than your arms, and not trying to hold steady so much. If you try to hold the pin rock solid on an object, you'll waver all over the place. But, if you have solid form, and a weight you can handle, you'll hold well as long as you let everything do it's thing. Let the bow float and aim itself. Don't aim the bow! Just look at the target, focus on it, and let your hand eye coordination bring the pin to the target and let it float. When your pin drifts off the dot, or the aim point on a deer, don't try to force it back, just let it naturally drift back.
Be calm, mentally and physically, use good form, and you will hold well.

NOTICE: I have a great head cold going on, and it's 12:30AM. If this made no sense, I appologize.

peashooter

skeeter 7MM

First off a bow should not be gripped and the weight should not be held with your arms persay. Open up the bow hand to prevent torque and keep your bow hand slightly bend at the elbow with your wrist parrellel to the bow. If you can not do this then the draw length is to long and should be adjusted. It also may be possible that you haven't built up the strength in the muscles required to hold or pull a bow's weight. An excerise is to sit on the ground, with your legs straight out then draw your bow if you can't or it is terribly hard it is to much weight right now for you to accurately handle. (please be sure to nock an arrow and have a target positioned in a safe direction to stop the arrow in the event you have to release). Are you concentrating on the pin on the target, never try and hold the pin on the bull let it hover and release. If you find your shaking stop, relax and start over. I would also suggest you try shooting at 10 or 15 yards to get confidence and the feel of the mechanics involved in the release. If possible ask another archer to watch you shoot and point out what you may or may not be doing.

Keep practicing, remember the basics and if frustrated stop to regain composure.

Good Luck

Rob/PA Bowyer

First off, no offense to the above posts but you should not open your hand, the bow hand should be relaxed, not gripping the bow but not forced open either. When your bow hand is relaxed, the fingers will naturally curl around the bow but not grip the bow. Forcing your hand open is unnatural. Second, no one can hold dead on steady. It's natural for the pin to float on the intended target. The key to consistant accuracy is a combination of form, muscle rememberance, concentration, consistancy and follow through.

Form: Proper form is essential. Improperly holding a bow can throw you off and consistancy comes into play within this equation as well. When you learn proper form, and you consitantly hold the bow the same way, shot after shot after shot within the muscle rememberance, you can practically close your eyes and hit your mark. That's why golfers take a practice swing prior to a shot, the muscles will remember what just happened and rerun that same swing. I showed this recently at a pro shop open house. I consistantly hit a 1" circle on a video target with several new bows without sights. When asked how, I simply answered muscle rememberance. My first shot, with proper form and relaxed shooting position created the target. All the other shots where simply shot the same way, without aiming. My body simply repeated the same process on each shot.

Now when throwing sights on a bow and aiming, concentration comes into play. Your body already knows what to do, now you need to make your mind control where the shot is suppose to go. That's why in ZEN archery, you'll learn mechanically how to shoot bow and never worry about the target. A good way to practice this is remove your sights, get up close and let your body learn the mechanics of shooting. Once you think your body is ready, put your sights back on and see if your mind will allow your body to do it's thing and your mind simply points the bow in the right direction. Once your pin is on a target, don't fret that it moves around the target, simply allow your body to trigger the bow all the while your mind is concentrating on the target. Allow the shot to be a surprise, don't force the shot, even if your floating, you'll be surprised how many times your pin will be off when you think the bow goes off and the arrow will find it's mark.

Follow through....again this comes in not forcing the shot. You can't hold dead on, the pin is going to float and when the shot goes off, allow the bow to freely jump. Don't force it still.

When you find consistancy through good form and concentration, your groups will come.

legacy22

Good answer Rob. And to think, i'm actually doing something right lol