Is my technique bad?

I am just getting into archery and am shooing consistent groups but high and to the left, while holding on bullseye. I am at most 15 yards away from a foam block target. I am thinking about taking a lesson or two to hopefully point out all the weak areas as I'm sure they are mostly weak areas lol. I went into an archery store that has a range in it in kelowna and the owner was kind enough to watch me shoot a few arrows to check my draw length. He pointed out weak areas right away. I move slightly when I release and am not still enough. Could this be it? My first few shots are within 1 or 2 inches of bullseye at 15 yards but everything after is like 4 or 5 inches high and to the left. I know it's hard to give me advice without seeing me physically shoot but I am hoping for some pointers that I can try to practice and implement on my own.

Sounds like form likely punching the trigger and dropping your arm but without seeing you shoot it’s only a guess.

If you’re a lefty it could be punching the trigger and gripping the bow rather than keeping an open hand

Sounds like form issues either way but it’s hard to pick out what without seeing you shoot

I was slapping trigger before I try to let it happen slowly. And I am a righty. I hold the bow with my left, open fingers.

I take it this is with a long bow or recurve with no sight. If it was a compound with sight, just adjust the pins up and left a little......if not that then my guess is your grip on the bow and twisting it slightly on release of the arrow. Good luck and keep practicing!

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Originally Posted by tinhorse

I take it this is with a long bow or recurve with no sight. If it was a compound with sight, just adjust the pins up and left a little......if not that then my guess is your grip on the bow and twisting it slightly on release of the arrow. Good luck and keep practicing!

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I wish I could say it was a recurve Haha. I'm shooting a bowtech admiral . The archery store owner noticed that one of my cams was leaning slightly too. Not much, but it was leaning.

Best bet is have an experienced knowledgeable archer to watch you shoot so they can pick apart you’re form.

The fact you’re first couple shots are on point I am betting form issues. Possibly your draw weight is a little high and you’re stabilizer muscles lack stamina as well. Could be you just get sloppy and fall back into punching the trigger

In the end no one can give you perfect advice without seeing you shoot so trust me go get someone knowledgeable to what your form when you shoot

sounds like your grouping...move your pins to bullseye...thats how us simple folk do it...once you aim for your own knock and keep grouping a Quarter inch high and right once the third arrow sent breaks your first one sent you will know its tuned.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am going to book a lesson and I'm sure it will help tons. At least give me a lot to practice.

High left for a right handed shooter can often indicate a case of "took-a-look".....which is to say...lifting your head out of the shot so you can watch the arrow fly. Try focusing on watching the arrow flight through your pins.

You state "consistent groups but high and to the left, while holding on bullseye".

Well you want your consistent groups to be sighted in... So adjust your sights

... and your inconsistent groups will then be low and to the right.

He is hitting the mark first few shots then strays to a high left grouping so likely changing his form. If he adjusts sights he will then be off at the start instead

yes if he is consistently grouping it’s a sight adjustment. I have seen new archers change form or get consistently sloppy after a few shots in the past

if the above is wrong I need to work on my reading comprehension but my arrows still fly straight :wink:

are you consistently missing at every distance? or is your missing getting larger and larger the further away you shoot?

I am shooting 6 arrows each time before pulling from target. Trying to strengthen up.
Like Wildone indicated, you might just be getting sloppy.

I'd start by shooting the two and then grabbing them. Ten shoot two different arrows after a rest. If they are missing, try turning the knock on them. Take a rest then shoot again. If they are better shots then it could be just the arrows are little 'off'. Go on to the next two arrows and do the same after a good rest. Basically do you best to make sure your fatigue is not the problem.

Once you think you've got the arrows set up properly then take a day off.

Go back and start shooting them all at say 30 yds (20 might be too close if you are flinging 6 plus arrows because you might damage them). See if they are grouping better. At this point hopefully you've isolated the issue to the sight and not fatigue or badly tuned arrows.

At this point start shooting 5 or 6 arrows at a time and after 10 rounds you'll feel the burn.
I just went through this process and my final issue was my rest. I did walk back tuning and discovered that I did not need to adjust my sight to fix me issues, that my issue was my rest.

Hope the ideas are useful. The good thing with my process is that I shot a lot and I really focused on form to make sure I wasn't the issue. Starting to shoot much better and I'm feeling strong on the draw and hold.

Have fun

Make sure you are anchoring consistently. If it is a newer bow could be some string stretch that could be causing your peep to rotate slightly. Adjust your d loop knot to compensate if it is twisting.

Get lessons, super important...was in hardcore last this weekend and they are great.

Make sure you are anchoring consistently. If it is a newer bow could be some string stretch that could be causing your peep to rotate slightly. Adjust your d loop knot to compensate if it is twisting.

Get lessons, super important...was in hardcore last this weekend and they are great.

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Originally Posted by dapesche

I am shooting 6 arrows each time before pulling from target. Trying to strengthen up.
Like Wildone indicated, you might just be getting sloppy.

I'd start by shooting the two and then grabbing them. Ten shoot two different arrows after a rest. If they are missing, try turning the knock on them. Take a rest then shoot again. If they are better shots then it could be just the arrows are little 'off'. Go on to the next two arrows and do the same after a good rest. Basically do you best to make sure your fatigue is not the problem.

Once you think you've got the arrows set up properly then take a day off.

Go back and start shooting them all at say 30 yds (20 might be too close if you are flinging 6 plus arrows because you might damage them). See if they are grouping better. At this point hopefully you've isolated the issue to the sight and not fatigue or badly tuned arrows.

At this point start shooting 5 or 6 arrows at a time and after 10 rounds you'll feel the burn.
I just went through this process and my final issue was my rest. I did walk back tuning and discovered that I did not need to adjust my sight to fix me issues, that my issue was my rest.

Hope the ideas are useful. The good thing with my process is that I shot a lot and I really focused on form to make sure I wasn't the issue. Starting to shoot much better and I'm feeling strong on the draw and hold.

Have fun

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Thanks for your reply. I will try this. My first few shots at 20 yards are on bullseye. Everything after is high left. Part of it is me slapping the release trigger, but I'm sure it's a lot of different form , anchor point and holding at full draw issues. I'm going to book a lesson at hardcore. I'm sure it will highlight all the weak areas and mistakes. Still fun shooting though.....kind of lol

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Originally Posted by Danny_29

Make sure you are anchoring consistently. If it is a newer bow could be some string stretch that could be causing your peep to rotate slightly. Adjust your d loop knot to compensate if it is twisting.

Get lessons, super important...was in hardcore last this weekend and they are great.

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It's a used bowtech admiral. Probably 10 years old. One of the cans is leaning slightly too.