DO YOU HAVE BAD SHOOTING FORM?
Summer is here which means deer season is right around the corner. Now is a great time to get outside and work on shooting form. Improving shooting form is not always fun and can take a lot of time overcoming bad habits, but when all is said and done, bowhunters who take the time to perfect their shooting form will be more accurate and potentially kill more critters. Below are a few tips to help bowhunters improve accuracy this fall.
Most bowhunters squeeze the grip of their bow too tightly which can cause all kinds of problems. Often squeezing the grip will make holding steady more difficult because the tighter grip transfers every bit of movement from the arm and hand into the bow. Making it harder to hold steady. I find that when I grip the bow tightly, I tend to drop my arm upon shooting, causing my arrow to miss the mark. A relaxed grip is a must for maximum downrange accuracy.
Professional archers often purchase aftermarket grips. It is amazing how switching a bow grip can make an archer more accurate. Those who are struggling with holding the grip too tightly may want to try using a different grip. Some bowhunters prefer a thick grip; others prefer a slim grip. Playing around with a few different bow grips until the perfect one is found is a great way to increase accuracy.
Another thing to consider when trying to improve accuracy is following through after making the shot. Many bowhunters have a tendency to peek immediately after that shot, causing them to pull the bow out of the way to see where the arrow hit. Instead, bowhunters should shoot and slowly after the shot, let the bow roll forward. This helps the shooting form remain consistent throughout the shot and afterwards. Peeking causes the bow arm to drop which impacts accuracy.
When shooting, it is important to gently hold the release in the hand and slowly squeeze the trigger. Many bowhunters grip the release super tightly in their hand and punch the trigger. Doing this will make make the bow move slightly when the arrow is released, robbing the archer of accuracy. The trigger on a bow release should be gently squeezed, just like snipers gently squeeze the trigger on a rifle.
Sometimes it is difficult to determine if your shooting form is off. Bad habits develop over time and sometimes you don’t even know if you have bad form. The easiest way to determine if your form is off is to have a friend film you with their phone. A short video taken with a smart phone will reveal what you are doing wrong so you can correct it.
Deer season is still several months away so now is the perfect time to fix shooting form problems if you have them.
