Learning to Shoot

[Dark-Velvet]

Ok i recently became interested in bow shooting more for personal training than anything. I'm a good shot with guns however I really hate the noise so I felt this would be a nice much quieter thing to learn. I recently bought a Recurve bow and have most everything purchased I am just waiting on the bow stringer. However I was wondering if there are any tips anyone might have about learning how to shoot bow. I talked to a sales person who said you can't keep your pinky finger on the bow string and I was trying to figure out just where to put it then because when i curve my pinky it just feels weird if the ring finger doesn't curve. I also tried putting the pinky on top of the other three fingers is that a good idea or no? I have yet to shoot mind you I'm just wondering whats the best way to shoot.

Any other advice for a novice Recurve bow shooter would be great thanks.

 

[Carl Levitian]

Try to get G.Fred Asbell's DVD or book 'Instinctive Shooting. It's a wealth of good info for learning to shoot a recurve. Also, Don't over bow yourself to where it interferes with form. You will need to shoot a lot, and the form and techniques need to be just as the name implies, instinctive. You need to disconnect your brain because most people think too much.

Get some judo points and just walk through the woods, and stump shoot at odd objects like a pine cone on the ground, a rotten stump, a leaf. I'll do this with my 'practice' bow that is a Martin X-200 in 35 pounds. Then the next time I'll use my regular bow, a Martin X-200 in 40 pounds. A little lighter pull makes a difference when shooting a hundred arrows a day. Don't get into the macho thing of thinking you need 50 pounds or over. Most deer are shot at close range, and I've taken deer with my 40 pound with clean kills at less than 25 yards. Asbell wrote that the practice bow should feel like you're pulling rubber bands, so you can hold and really concentrate on form.

Carl.

 

[R H Clark]

Sorry,but I am just not a fan of G.Fred Asbell.Some of the worst shots I have ever seen were his disciples.Maby it's not all his fault but whenever I am at a 3-D shoot and I see someone squat to shoot, 90% of the time we will be looking for an arrow.

Take a look at Masters of the Barebow series sold at 3Rivers.

 

[glistam]

Now, I am n00b to traditional archery so don't take me as any kind of expert, but I can offer a few tips on the fingers you were asking about. The reason you don't want the pinky on the string is the muscles are too weak to clear the string fast enough. Best case is you (without even realizing it) nudge your shot off course a bit. Worst is you snag your finger and get hurt. When you're getting started, maybe try to gently hold your pinky down with your thumb. Don't press hard; just enough to keep it out of the way. This might work itself out with practice. It's also possible you have an oddly shaped phalanges (it's genetic in most cases) and for that I'm afraid I don't have a solution for.

Here's some random tips of shooting a wood bow I learned from my instructor:
1. Never dry-fire (shoot with no arrow). You can break your bow.
2. Corollary to above, learn to ease a drawn arrow back down again. Often archers at a full draw will start getting fatigued/shaky and will just let the shot fly impatiently. Instead, ease it back down, rest, and try again.
3. Use the right arrows for your bow. Arrows have lots of stats than just length and tip type. There is also "spine" (how stiff the arrow is), tip weight, shaft diameter, fletching shape and twist (such as left or right helix). Also use all the same arrow, not a mix.