Help with anchor and form

tryptaview

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I decided to start archery to open up my hunting opportunities and give me something to do after work when i cant shoot. Due to a mix up at bass pro i received 2 bear archery species at 70#. Now both bows have the same issue but im not sure if the issue is with the bows or myself. I have a 72" wing span and put the draw at 28". Ive tried up to an 1.5" shorter and 1.5" longer but no matter what i do i cant get my anchor to line up with what all the info points to as a perfect line up which is string at tip of nose and corner of mouth anchoring index knuckle under ear (i use a tru wrist release) my nock point ends up way behind my mouth and half way back from my nose ( though i got a big one haha). If i adjust the string to hit those points my peep lands way too low on both bows so is it me or the peep sights? Id appreciate any help so i can finally get to really practicing. Thanks!

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I am far from an expert as well, that being said I agree with middlefork. Your best bet maybe be to find the best archery shop that is reasonably close to you and have them help with the adjustments. Those formulas for draw lengths are guidelines and not always exact for your body/anchor point. I would also get a different peep and lose the surgical tubing. At 70 lbs it is unnecessary and just something else that can go wrong.
 
Your left arm is to straight. That allows for more side by side movement. Need a bend in your left arm to help anchor you. Also your left hand grip should not be fully gripped. That allows for more movement and major jerks. Open that hand up
Here is a picture that my wife took several years ago. Red arrow notice the bend. Left hand my anchor is between my thumb and finger.

By starting with that your groups will increase and probably shorten your draw. A proper bow shop should be able to help with your draw.

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I also agree on a different peep. Those rubber tubes rot very easy and break at the worst time..

Also your string loop. Thats another deal that can break or screw vibrate out. If you decide to keep that lock tite those screws ASAP. That plastic loop also decreases a few FPS.

Be sure to check your stance. Lots of people shoot different. Just keep it consistent is the key..
 
If your wingspan is 72" from the tip of one middle finger to the other, then you're really closer to 29" than 28" as far as DL. I find that a swing of 1/2" either way is enough. 1.5" plus/minus is too extreme in my humble opinion.

By and large, most folks tend to anchor with their wrist just under the ear lobe when using wrist releases. However, this is just a general rule. As long as you can consistently anchor with good form and a stable stance, you'll be fine.

The others above also posted great suggestions. That peep sight is very fickle and I would change it out to a standard ring sight if possible. Your left hand, at least in your picture angle looks really close to the string stop. Like nfh said, put a little bend in your arm and that should fix it.

Other points - definitely loosen your grip as others stated. At full draw, your left palm is all you need for stability. There's so much force and weight imposed on it that all you need your fingers to do is just gently rest on the grip or keep it open (whichever is comfortable for you). Be careful if your arrows are cut short. You don't want your fingers in the way.

That wrist strap on your left hand appears to be tight. It should not be used for stability when drawing/shooting as it may cause you to cant the bow.

Also, before adjusting your draw length, try shortening your wrist release. You should be able to adjust it so that when you hold your palms up, the 'claw' should be sitting inside your palm versus extending out to your fingers. At full draw, your trigger finger should be sitting on the trigger with a slight bend, similar to the position of your finger on a firearm trigger.

What is the length and spine of your arrows? Also, what is the weight of your inserts and tip/broadhead?

Good Lord, this is a lengthy post. I'm sorry. There's just so many variables to consider that I just wanted to lay it all out there. By no means do I consider myself an authority. I'm just passionate about the subject.

Good luck! Archery is a fun hobby :)
 
Tryptaview, Good advice above. I noticed the same things. The best compound shooters will tell you a bow set at a shorter draw length is way better then a longer, that will automatically bend that elbow slightly.
The grip, as stated above open it up but Relax. the bow should sit in the pocket between your thumb and index finger. Put your left hand up like your going to shoot, relax your hand, put your right index finger in that pocket on your left hand and pull back. You'll see your index finger move in and when a bow is in your hand it will wrap around slightly and relaxed. The bow will not fall out of your hand when shooting. You know that phrase " for every reaction , there is an equal and opposite reaction" . When you release the string it is going away from you, well , the bow is now trying to come towards you, staying in your hand. relax and youll be fine.

Welcome to archery brother!
 
One thing to add also. I shot bare bow for nearly 35 yrs, hence my handle "Nocwalker". even with compounds I walked the nock up and down my face, no common anchor point.
In 2002 I decided I needed a challenge, so, I put sights on and grabbed a release. Holy cow,what a bizarre feel it had, took a couple of years to fully feel comfortable with it. people thought it should be easy for me it wasn't after shooting a trad style all my life.
I struggled at first with anchor point as you are or as you are trying to figure out. One thing I did was to add a Kisser Button just above my string loop. It goes right to the corner of my mouth and hopefully I anchor exactly the same spot each time.
I am lucky that my closest friend and hunting partner is a bow tech and worked for a great shop. The advice above about working with a bow shop may be the best advice you could get.

Agian Good luck man.
 
Well first thing out of the box, BassPro. Find a regular “real“ archery shop and start over. They will measure you and set up your bow properly.
 
Your draw length for a 72" wingspan should be 28.5" to 29" as was said. Two different methods almost every coach or instructor uses to determine proper draw length. Wingspan divided by 2.5 or wingspan - 15" divided by 2. Err on the shorter side for hunting set ups to give better clearance for colder weather clothing. 28 to 28.5 should be perfect.

From there check out some of Randy Ulmer's videos on shooting. Not only is he one of the best hunters in the game, he has also won the worlds most prestigious target tournament, the Vegas Shoot back in the day.

Here's one of his on anchor point and form -

Keep at it and come back with how things are going. Remember the fun part is the getting there. You don't have to be the best shooter right off, just believe you can be a little better every day, you never know where the little bit better will end up :)

Cheers,
Pete
 
Get on YouTube and watch some of John Dudleys....nockon archery videos. He has a lot of really good instructional videos. John is about as good an archer as there is.
 
Others have covered it, but also lower your elbow on the arm holding the release. nfh posted a very good pic above showing this being done correctly.
 
Get the string and your hand in all three anchor points and then have someone move the peep to where it feels natural for you to look through
 

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