Little Tweaks That Led to Big Gains

[BoilerBowHunter]

Here's one very few seem to grasp... get your bow dialed and don't change anything, for years.

Yeah, this right here. I shoot Hoyts. Once I have them dialed and have a few hundred arrows through them, they are solid. Might take me a month or two of constant shooting and fine tuning.

A lot of guys are constantly screwing around with their zero. Minor left right adjustments or vertical.

Removing back bars, changing their weights or lengths, different releases etc. All these make a difference. Shoot the same equipment, with the same release. Everything will be the same . Consistency is they key to shooting a bow well.

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This approach certainly makes sense if you're happy with your accuracy. But I also don't see the harm in chasing improvements. Granted, I do think a lot of this stuff is splitting hairs and likely doesn't impact success in the field. Theoretically tightening a group by a 1/4" shouldn't be the difference between success and failure assuming the variables of shot placement, etc. are managed properly.

For many I think it comes down to archery being a hobby, and many just enjoy tinkering with stuff.

 

[ddd-shooter]

This approach certainly makes sense if you're happy with your accuracy. But I also don't see the harm in chasing improvements. Granted, I do think a lot of this stuff is splitting hairs and likely doesn't impact success in the field. Theoretically tightening a group by a 1/4" shouldn't be the difference between success and failure assuming the variables of shot placement, etc. are managed properly.

For many I think it comes down to archery being a hobby, and many just enjoy tinkering with stuff.

You’re missing the point. You’re still attributing accuracy to the equipment. Accuracy is from YOU.
What we’re saying is there’s FAR more room to improve YOU than the equipment.
If you’re always tinkering, you have no baseline, you blame the equipment or the change. Leave it alone and focus on you!!

 

[Clay2272]

Does anyone have experience changing grips on bows? I currently have a hoyt with a more rounded grip and I wonder if a defined grip would make any difference.

 

[3forks]

Yeah, this right here. I shoot Hoyts. Once I have them dialed and have a few hundred arrows through them, they are solid. Might take me a month or two of constant shooting and fine tuning.

A lot of guys are constantly screwing around with their zero. Minor left right adjustments or vertical.

Removing back bars, changing their weights or lengths, different releases etc. All these make a difference. Shoot the same equipment, with the same release. Everything will be the same . Consistency is they key to shooting a bow well.

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I’m not in complete disagreement with you on this, and agree that someone’s form or shot execution is the most likely the cause for guys who think they need to make an adjustment to their sight when their arrows aren’t hitting where they were previously. But, if you are able to shoot well consistently - I think you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment.

I think some guys get hyper fixated on not trying anything different because they’re afraid they’ll somehow become inaccurate and they’ll never get it back.

If you’ve got solid form and shot execution, you can confidently make changes or try different equipment. Sometimes you may find an improvement, or sometimes the change isn’t what you want, but I think being afraid to experiment or being too fixated on your setup is similar to target panic in that it’s a mental issue.

Take measurements of your bow so you have a baseline to get back to in case you don’t like the change, but shoot your shot like you always do, and I think it’s possible to find improvement through experimenting.

 

[3forks]

Does anyone have experience changing grips on bows? I currently have a hoyt with a more rounded grip and I wonder if a defined grip would make any difference.

Depends on what Hoyt you’ve got, but Hoyt is generally considered to have a very consistent and shootable grip. In fact, the current grip is something that a lot of other manufacturers have tried to emulate.

For a long time, Mathews used to have very round grips and they were pretty bad. If you think a rounded grip isn’t for you - lots of others think the same thing.

Pulling the grip off and just shooting off the bare riser or wrapping it with tape may give you an idea of where to start.

 

[Marble]

I’m not in complete disagreement with you on this, and agree that someone’s form or shot execution is the most likely the cause for guys who think they need to make an adjustment to their sight when their arrows aren’t hitting where they were previously. But, if you are able to shoot well consistently - I think you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment.

I think some guys get hyper fixated on not trying anything different because they’re afraid they’ll somehow become inaccurate and they’ll never get it back.

If you’ve got solid form and shot execution, you can confidently make changes or try different equipment. Sometimes you may find an improvement, or sometimes the change isn’t what you want, but I think being afraid to experiment or being too fixated on your setup is similar to target panic in that it’s a mental issue.

Take measurements of your bow so you have a baseline to get back to in case you don’t like the change, but shoot your shot like you always do, and I think it’s possible to find improvement through experimenting.

I agree with you.

I am not good enough to really know what sort of small adjustments would help or hurt in a fine-tuning sense. But my hunting partner is, and he can pick a bow up and feel what needs to happen to that bow to get it to shoot for him. Why is this? 40 years of competition shooting, 25 of it being for Hoyt. He can watch me shoot, ask some questions, and then make minor adjustments to my bow that make it so much more comfortable and consistent to shoot. It is nothing short of amazing.

I think if more guys could shoot with very talented people and ask questions and listen, they would learn not only what they need to do differently in their process, but what may need to change in their set up.

I'm in the camp of keeping everything very simple. The less my little brain has to think about during the shot, the better will shoot.

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[3forks]

I agree with you.

I am not good enough to really know what sort of small adjustments would help or hurt in a fine-tuning sense. But my hunting partner is, and he can pick a bow up and feel what needs to happen to that bow to get it to shoot for him. Why is this? 40 years of competition shooting, 25 of it being for Hoyt. He can watch me shoot, ask some questions, and then make minor adjustments to my bow that make it so much more comfortable and consistent to shoot. It is nothing short of amazing.

I think if more guys could shoot with very talented people and ask questions and listen, they would learn not only what they need to do differently in their process, but what may need to change in their set up.

I'm in the camp of keeping everything very simple. The less my little brain has to think about during the shot, the better will shoot.

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Agreed. Simplicity usually equals consistency.

 

[The grunt]

I've shot recurve for 10 years but compound only for about a year and I have no claim to being expert.. one thing I find helpful tho and I'm sure you do it if you've been shooting this long, but is to shoot past fatigue..it seems like hit a point with fatigue where nothing works and I'm shooting all over.. but if I keeps shooting it forces me to focus and that fatigue exacerbates flaws in my form that are that much easier to identify.. it seems like some of my best "aha thats what I need to do different" moments come after fatigue sets in.. I try to do it once a week at least during peak practice season. If shooting like that causes target panic tho or other bad symptoms it pry wouldn't work. It's great to shoot one one or three arrows day but I can sometimes have a great shot and I'm not even sure what I did to hit dead center that time.. (I think that shows my ineptitude!)