Need Help - Holding Low

[fatlander]

Disclaimer, I’m no expert. I do run a small archery shop out of my garage.

It sounds like there’s two issues here:

1.) You’re trying to aim before you’re anchored. Anchor first then aim.

2.) You’ve got target panic. Blank baling a hinge is the only thing that saved archery for me. I shoot so well with a hinge that I own nothing but hinge releases.


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[chasewild]

To me, "the second my nose touches the string" says that either (1) your process is mixed up; or (2) you have target panic. Both are fixable.

Process: Draw, anchor, aim, execute. If you are aiming, then anchoring, your aiming point will change.

Panic: If you draw, anchor, aim, and execute but your bow just sinks, that is 100% a form of panic.

Test: Go outside, draw, anchor, aim and don't execute the shot (tell yourself in advance you're not going to shoot). If your bow dips after you anchor properly when you are aiming, then probably a subconscious thing.

 

[Tilzbow]

Let me see if I can explain it a little better what's happening. I'm 6'2". Basically, everytime I go out to shoot, I am shooting down at a target. Both of the steps above Ryals mentions above, I do already as they just kind of feel natural to me. My issue is that as I go to adjust down to the target, gravity takes over and I end up completely blowing through the center and locking low. As mentioned at 20 yards, not a huge deal as I can muscle it back up as I only end up an inch or so low. But at 60 yards, I'm now 1.5 feet low and it becomes a real challenge to get it back to the center, much less hold it steady.

Are you sure your draw length isn’t too long? Too long of a draw can create all sorts of problems including over extending your bow arm and shoulder along with poor head positioning.

I’m 6’6” with normal arm length and shoot 30.5” draw length. At 6’2” you should only need 31.5” if you’ve got wide shoulders and long arms but the majority of people your height are going to have a shorter draw length.

 

[Shooter Mike]

Hoyt Rx7 Ultra, bought new 2 years ago. Draw length is 31.5, draw weight is just a hair under 60lbs.

For 2 years, same issue. When I draw and anchor, I go through the same process - level, located target in scope, nose to string. And for 2 years, the second I go nose to string, my holding point drops. At 20 yards, it's fairly easy for me to correct by lifting my shoulder a little. However, the farther back I go in distance, the worse it gets. AT 60 yards, I'm holding almost a foot to foot and a half low.

I've consulted Google and found a number of videos of archery pros talking about this and suggesting moving the d-loop point up higher. Basic geometry - d-loop higher, pull angle tilts the bow back from the top while lifting the bow fro the bottom. I had my local store move my d-loop and it helped, but only a little (that said, they only moved it a little too).

What's my next move? Move the d-loop up a significant amount? Torque the limbs unevenly with the top having more torque?

How do you aim? Do you focus on the target or the pin? Most in archery focus on the target. If that’s you too, try to switch to focusing on the pin, and holding it over the dot. Trust your float, learn your execution timing and then start executing when you’re in your normal float. All in all, shot execution. Shouldn’t take more than 3-4 seconds from starting to draw to shot release.


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[bergie]

Have you tired aiming where you want to hit? Joking of course. Check out shot iq from Joel turner. I punched the trigger as hard as anyone when pressure was high before watching his course (multiple times). Best $250 I’ve ever spent on my archery journey. If the issue truly is target panic he has nuggets in there that are immensely helpful.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Sure sounds like target panic. You have to separate aim from shot execution. Joel Turner has the dope to fix this. The first skill you need to learn is how to use speech to stay in the correct stage of your shot. The stage/job of aiming has nothing to do with the stage/job of working slowly through a trigger. It sounds like you're using the aim to punch a trigger right now.

Try this out for starters:

 

[tracknrackz]

I would shorten draw length by 1/4" or 1/2". Might be over extended and lifting your rear arm when dropping your nose on the string.

 

[bipock]

I swung by the local bow shop today to have them take a look. Their analysis was that my DL is correct, my form is correct and very solid, I'm holding strong in the back wall. They aren't seeing anything in the form that's a problem.

That said, they are also seeing me shoot about 6 inches under the target - which is where my pin is settling. No shoulder drop, no crazy release. If I point at the target and draw straight back, I am almost immediately holding 6 inches low. We found if I do that at 20 yards with my sight set at 30 yards, when I release an arrow, I'll almost always hit dead center. They couldn't come up with anything other than maybe my shoulders aren't strong enough to support weight of the bow.

Per them, it was one of the craziest things they've ever seen.

 

[darrenk75b]

Sounds like you don't want to acknowledge it could be target panic.

I was doing something similar, always low once settled. Kept telling myself it was something other than target panic. Tweaked my bow, release, all the things, and it was still there.

Only after conceding it was something happening between my ears, and working on that, did I begin to see improvement. Lots of aiming with a letdown; no released shot. As I gained control over the sight picture that was acceptable to shoot, and stopped shooting on poor sight pictures, the pin started fi ding rhe center more and more. Still a work in progress, but major gains being seen.

 

[cwitt]

Yeah not to beat a dead horse or kick you when you’re down here but that’s target panic. Every single thing you described. Straight up, textbook, good old fashioned target panic. Whether you want to admit it or not. It’s not your form or set up, as you have already ruled out. It is a subconscious response to avoid the “explosion” that is the shot going off, even if our conscious brain doesn’t believe that a bow going off is violent. It manifests in several ways but for me, and you, it’s through holding low.

All of the above suggestions are worth looking at — switching to a hinge, blank bailing, time off, Joel’s course or others, etc. or a combination. But you’re going to have to work through it in your own way. It sucks. Welcome to the club

 

[Shooter Mike]

I swung by the local bow shop today to have them take a look. Their analysis was that my DL is correct, my form is correct and very solid, I'm holding strong in the back wall. They aren't seeing anything in the form that's a problem.

That said, they are also seeing me shoot about 6 inches under the target - which is where my pin is settling. No shoulder drop, no crazy release. If I point at the target and draw straight back, I am almost immediately holding 6 inches low. We found if I do that at 20 yards with my sight set at 30 yards, when I release an arrow, I'll almost always hit dead center. They couldn't come up with anything other than maybe my shoulders aren't strong enough to support weight of the bow.

Per them, it was one of the craziest things they've ever seen.

Shift your weight to your back foot, lower your rear elbow straight back to help pull the bow up. That’s what I do on the days I tend to settle low on the target.


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[Jethro]

Get a release aid that can’t be fired. Practice floating pin on target and then let down. Continuing to release arrows when your pin isn’t where you want to hit isn’t helping you.

 

[Marble]

I read the first post and thought target panic...

There are people better suited on here besides me to guide the OP in the right direction.

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