pull through the clicker

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wintellect
Apprentice Bowman

Posts: 116
No Commercial Interest

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:38 am Post subject: pull through the clicker

I want to confirm the correct way of pulling through the clicker. What should it feel like? I draw my bow and anchor - how do I pull through the clicker correctly? I've read that it's done by pulling the shoulder blades together. If I pull my two shoulder blades together wont this cause my left arm to move left of target? (I'm right handed) How do I ensure that I am pulling my shoulders together correctly? What should it feel like? Thanks _________________ It was an 'X' when it left the bow! I'm not responsible for where it chooses to land!

Club: Malden Bowmen
Bow: Hoyt Nexus (Inferno) - Hoyt Stratix limbs
Sight: Cartel K-sight
Arrows: Easton ACC 3L-18/620
Accesories: Beiter stabalisers and everything else

geoffretired
Junior Poster

Posts: 64
No Commercial Interest

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:23 am Post subject:

I wish I had a £1 for every time that question was asked. Imagine you are looking down from directly above an archer who has reached their references. There is a line that goes from the bow hand, along the arrow to the draw hand and extends as far as the draw elbow, yes? That line will be directed towards the gold, if the aim has started. If the archer(you) keeps looking at the gold, the movements required to get through the clicker, will keep that line aimed at the gold, it just gets a little longer as the draw increases slightly. If you drew a full scale picture of that line, with your bow arm , shoulders, and draw arm in place, as well, you would see how a few mm of extra draw would be produced by extremely small movements of the arms. I don't think an arrow landing 2mm away from the X would be a bad shot!! How to get through the clicker? That depends on who you ask. Some push with the bow hand, some pull with the draw arm/elbow; some do a bit of both. I think, that in reality, it is impossible to do an extra pull without the bow hand/arm resisting with a bit more push. If you imagine this as a tug of war, if the draw hand pulled harder the bow arm would be pulled closer to your face if it didn't add a bit of push. What I believe is that some think about pulling others think about pushing while others think about both. Later when they are used to it, they don't need to think it just happens the way they planned it. What does it feel like? A difficult question to answer, I've asked this several times and had mixed responses. To me, for what it's worth, it feels like the muscles near the spine are getting bunched up. There's no feeling of strain as you would if you lifted something that was too heavy to control. There is also a feeling in the draw forearm, of relaxation as those muscles are used less when the elbow comes more into line. For me,one of the most important aspects of coming through the clicker is in the mental approach. I like to feel that I am going to pull one more inch after I start the aim. When I do that, the clicker always goes before I get anywhere near the end of that inch. The clicker is set to about 1/4" behind the reference position so that isn't surprising is it? Thinking that I am going to pull just to the clicker and no further, leads to hesitation for me. and then there's a struggle to get through.

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Chedawan
Grand Master Bowman

Posts: 1494
Club Committee Member
Location: Derbyshire

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:39 am Post subject:

Theoretically, the whole draw should be done with the back muscles, as opposed to the bicep muscle (see 99% of new starters on their first day draw with their elbow out 45 degrees in front of the chest so they can bring that big muscle into play). The way I see it then is that the pull through the clicker is just an extention of this (the last little bit if you like). Draw your bow normally, but think about your back... you'll notice that when you draw your shoulder blades do come closer together, and the further you draw the more so they do. So I always think it's easier to think of the clicker draw through as a continuation of the draw. As you say if you try and make your body do something unnatural, it's going to kick your bow arm amongst a host of other problems. _________________ :: Sig courtesy of CamdogXIII of EMP ::

Club: Forest Bowmen (Field) Greenwood Archers (Target)
Bow: Winact riser (Yellow Gold) SF Super carbon limbs (Black) 43Lb on the fingers.
Sight: Cartel Activa (Black)... Yes I use a sight! You can stop booing now!
Arrows: Yes, ACC's fletched black and yellow.
Accesories: Many, mostly black and yellow, I try wherever possible to look like an angry wasp.

Also shooting KG Cobra Deluxe, with big wooden arrows, there's also a stave of wood in my loft with a longbow hiding in it, going looking for it soon!