***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***

Draw Length

I am 6’3” while my wife is only 5’2”. Imagine my discomfort when I try to cram myself behind the wheel of the family roadster after my wife has driven it….and she didn’t re-adjust the seat. IF I am able to get in, I must adjust the seat way back so that my knees are out of my ears, adjust both side mirrors, the rearview mirror, the steering wheel, and even sometimes the radio. I would not even attempt to drive that vehicle until it was adjusted to fit me because it would be very unsafe, very uncomfortable, and very unproductive.

The same concept should be applied to our bows. Our bow should be adjusted to fit us instead of us trying to cram ourselves into impossible positions to fit the bow.

In my youth instructional program last week, a young shooter was getting frustrated because she couldn’t hit the target consistently. I hadn’t had a chance to work with her before. I watched her shoot three arrows and could plainly see her problem. First, the draw length of the bow was too short and this caused her bow arm to be bent too much. Her entire shooting side was tensed up and quivering. Second, her peep sight was way too high. She was struggling at keeping the kisser button where it was supposed to be and trying to see through the peep. I gave the bow about another inch of draw length and moved her peep sight down. At full draw, her body now looked relaxed and she put her next two arrows in the bulls-eye and the third one just outside the bulls-eye. I wish you could have seen the look of joy on her face.

I am an advocate of having your bow elbow “locked” when at full draw. If your body is properly aligned and your stance is correct, this will give you a direct line from your grip to your front shoulder. If your elbow is bent, you will be using forearm and upper arm muscle groups to hold your bow at full draw. Small muscle groups like these will tire quickly and cause inconsistency in your groupings. Also, if your elbow is bent, you can not ensure that you are bending it at the same angle every single time at full draw. You will come to full draw, put the kisser button where it’s
supposed to go, and THEN adjust your bow elbow angle accordingly.

And remember, a draw length that is too long can cause its own set of problems. So get to an archery pro shop and have a technician take a look at your draw length at full draw. A slight bow adjustment can make a world of difference.

And mom and dad….remember….your kids are growing. That bow that may have perfectly fit your child last year may need to have some adjustments made this year. Pay attention to your child’s shooting form.