Draw Length - Bow shops seem to set compound DL too long?

Felix40

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For me, it's because I'm a) new, and b) curious and trying to learn good habits now vs. correcting bad ones later. I'm also looking to get the most consistent shot and one day have an MER of 60 with a broadhead. This year my goal is 40 (bullseye/kill zone first arrow of the day). Right now I'm at about 30 MER with a broadhead.
You will absolutely get there. I think a lot of these internet and YouTube experts try to make things too complicated because they want to produce content. Once you have the basics you just have to be consistent and let the bow shoot.
 
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There's a right way and a way people make work. Some have a natural ability to do things that overcomes many of the wrong things.

I wish I had formal coaching when I was young. I have spent a decade overcoming bad things once I decided I wanted to really pursue archery. Killed animals the whole time, if that's your goal that's fine.


I have this argument with my better half. She insists on using foot controls in a loader with her toe rather than heel/toe. She just does toe/toe. I can't get her to understand how much it's handicapping her, she says as long as she gets the same results why does it matter. I keep telling her it's cause she needs to concentrate on her toe placement rather than paying attention to what she is doing, she doesn't get it. But yeah, she still gets shit in a pile. So there's that.
 

TX_Diver

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I've got a thread over there right now that he was chiming in on.

It's on pause through Turkey season but I was going to mess with it over the next few weeks after because I have nothing to lose. His initial suggestion was to shorten DL but after adjusting some other things it hasn't been brought up again.

I may shorten it a 1/2" just for comparison after the cold bow challenge and turkey season.

Not sure if it's okay to link other forums but search the below on AT. It's on page 1 of general discussion as of this writing.

Tuning Help! - Bareshaft vs Field Point vs Broadhead​

 
OP
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I've got a thread over there right now that he was chiming in on.

It's on pause through Turkey season but I was going to mess with it over the next few weeks after because I have nothing to lose. His initial suggestion was to shorten DL but after adjusting some other things it hasn't been brought up again.

I may shorten it a 1/2" just for comparison after the cold bow challenge and turkey season.

Not sure if it's okay to link other forums but search the below on AT. It's on page 1 of general discussion as of this writing.

Tuning Help! - Bareshaft vs Field Point vs Broadhead​


so from your pics on AT, your form looked alot like mine used to. What poundage are you pulling? And are you arching your back? If so you may be pulling too heavy of poundage... im not the expert here, but my wife is a physical therapist and gave me hell for my old form that looked like that because i wasnt usinng my core to stabilize. I fixed that and my T form was solid after, and less of a backwards 7 form.

i do a lot more planks, squats, and bird dogs now.
 
OP
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so from your pics on AT, your form looked alot like mine used to. What poundage are you pulling? And are you arching your back? If so you may be pulling too heavy of poundage... im not the expert here, but my wife is a physical therapist and gave me hell for my old form that looked like that because i wasnt usinng my core to stabilize. I fixed that and my T form was solid after, and less of a backwards 7 form.

i do a lot more planks, squats, and bird dogs now.
Btw thanks for sharing it is an interesting thread - how you like that NTN? I also saw you use the nock 2 it. Another person told me those arent forgiving. I have one and for sure can get punished with left or right misses if i am not perfect with my release hand. It literally twists my string and rotates the arrow slightly.
 

TX_Diver

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so from your pics on AT, your form looked alot like mine used to. What poundage are you pulling? And are you arching your back? If so you may be pulling too heavy of poundage... im not the expert here, but my wife is a physical therapist and gave me hell for my old form that looked like that because i wasnt usinng my core to stabilize. I fixed that and my T form was solid after, and less of a backwards 7 form.

i do a lot more planks, squats, and bird dogs now.

Btw thanks for sharing it is an interesting thread - how you like that NTN? I also saw you use the nock 2 it. Another person told me those arent forgiving. I have one and for sure can get punished with left or right misses if i am not perfect with my release hand. It literally twists my string and rotates the arrow slightly.

Right now just 60lbs. I'll go back to 70 in summer though. Don't think I'm arching my back during the draw, 60 is pretty easy after I get back into it.

I like the NTN. I think next year I'll go back to a longer ATA bow though. Will probably stick with PSE or Prime just to get a little better fit though. Love the nock 2 it. I have a silverback too, don't shoot it much. Think once I get my bow tuned I'm going to lock the nock 2 it up for a month and give the tension release a fair shot. Left/right misses are a real thing (so are high/low for me), the angle that you hold the release at makes a huge difference and needs to be consistent.

When you say twist your string and rotate the arrow, is that when the bow is at rest? If so I'd definitely consider new nocks or redoing the center serving to fix that.

Cheers!
 
OP
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Right now just 60lbs. I'll go back to 70 in summer though. Don't think I'm arching my back during the draw, 60 is pretty easy after I get back into it.

I like the NTN. I think next year I'll go back to a longer ATA bow though. Will probably stick with PSE or Prime just to get a little better fit though. Love the nock 2 it. I have a silverback too, don't shoot it much. Think once I get my bow tuned I'm going to lock the nock 2 it up for a month and give the tension release a fair shot. Left/right misses are a real thing (so are high/low for me), the angle that you hold the release at makes a huge difference and needs to be consistent.

When you say twist your string and rotate the arrow, is that when the bow is at rest? If so I'd definitely consider new nocks or redoing the center serving to fix that.

Cheers!

i thought his NTN was like 33” ata?

when i pull the string back and turn and look at my release hand to see what is happening, if i rotate my hand counter clockwise to the position i would anchor with, then twist a little more like a hair, i can see the sting and knock rotate slighlty. So assuming thats how im messing up my releasing when i rotate my wrist too much. But again, only takes a hair.
 

OR Archer

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Having worked in a shop for a long time I can tell you that there’s just some customers who just want what they want. They think they’re a certain draw length even if you tell them otherwise. At that point it’s not worth the headache and you just give them what they want.
 

Rob5589

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Looking at your first pics; bow arm too bent; hips pushed forward and/or upper body leaning back. Subsequent pics are better but, you still appear to be leaning back some and the bow arm still too much bend. You kind of look like there is more weight on the front foot. Keep it even.
 

Warmsy

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I have limited experience, 1 compound and one recurve. I went back to my shop a couple times because I always felt overextended with the compound. I sold the compound- don't need to worry about it anymore!
 

Rob5589

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I have limited experience, 1 compound and one recurve. I went back to my shop a couple times because I always felt overextended with the compound. I sold the compound- don't need to worry about it anymore!
Tad easier to set draw length on a recurve 😁
 

ncavi8tor

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Alan a "Jedi Master" of archery! Now that's funny!

NC

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 

5MilesBack

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Archery form is all about geometry. You can't change an angle and expect all the sides to remain the same length, and you can't change the length of a side and expect the angles to stay the same. That's why a longer bow versus a shorter bow makes a big difference.
 

Brendan

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So I went over and checked the thread @540-Virginian, Alan's giving good advice on form and your latest photo looks a lot better. My one asterisk is that for late season hunting I will consciously drop draw length a half inch and add a little elbow bend back in if I'm having any string clearance issues with heavier clothing. Put on your heaviest hunting gear while it's cold out now, and see how the straight arm works, see how it is taking a steep tree stand shot.

Once you're getting a consistent pattern with your bare shaft / BH, you may still need to tune the bow. So far, he only has you addressing form. Use Gillingham's cheat sheet:

 
OP
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So I went over and checked the thread @540-Virginian, Alan's giving good advice on form and your latest photo looks a lot better. My one asterisk is that for late season hunting I will consciously drop draw length a half inch and add a little elbow bend back in if I'm having any string clearance issues with heavier clothing. Put on your heaviest hunting gear while it's cold out now, and see how the straight arm works, see how it is taking a steep tree stand shot.

Once you're getting a consistent pattern with your bare shaft / BH, you may still need to tune the bow. So far, he only has you addressing form. Use Gillingham's cheat sheet:

I think you are found someone elses photos i didnt post any on AT, just read. But appreciate your advice and i read the thread and saw photos of the person i think you are referring to. he posted on this thread
 
OP
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To add, ive been following dudleys SoN and when i got to the anchor up episode of his 1st season, he called out how the bow may not feel like it fits you now because of form improving. So now my head is wrapped around DL. Ill try to get a pic of my form once i feel confident i ‘think’ im adjusted to right DL.

thanks again all! Love the support on this site!
 

N2TRKYS

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So I went over and checked the thread @540-Virginian, Alan's giving good advice on form and your latest photo looks a lot better. My one asterisk is that for late season hunting I will consciously drop draw length a half inch and add a little elbow bend back in if I'm having any string clearance issues with heavier clothing. Put on your heaviest hunting gear while it's cold out now, and see how the straight arm works, see how it is taking a steep tree stand shot.

Once you're getting a consistent pattern with your bare shaft / BH, you may still need to tune the bow. So far, he only has you addressing form. Use Gillingham's cheat sheet:


Why not shoot it the same all the time?
 

OR Archer

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To add, ive been following dudleys SoN and when i got to the anchor up episode of his 1st season, he called out how the bow may not feel like it fits you now because of form improving. So now my head is wrapped around DL. Ill try to get a pic of my form once i feel confident i ‘think’ im adjusted to right DL.

thanks again all! Love the support on this site!
He’s correct. I always tell new shooters things can and most likely will change as they start figuring form out and get more comfortable with their bow. I can get them set up and started correctly but that doesn’t mean everything will stay the same after a few months. I even just redid my own bow after having it for a year.
 
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