You don’t shoot the arrow, you shoot the bow, and the bow shoots the arrow. This may sound like a strange distinction to make, but it is critical. You don’t have to do anything but hold the bow relatively steady and squeeze the trigger. You don’t have to guide the arrow or flip it toward the bulls-eye with a twitch of your wrist or time the release. Just aim and squeeze, if your body positions are correct, the bow will do everything else.

Shooting with a flexed bow arm is one of the most important steps you can take toward allowing the bow to shoot the arrow properly without any interference from you.

A locked bow arm can be a source of tension that may lead to spastic aiming and built-in torque. When you release the string, a tense bow arm and bow hand (or if you are trying to shoot a bow with a draw length that is too long) will cause the bow to jump to the side rather than straight forward. Your bow should jump straight toward the target (after it has pushed back against your hand).

If the bow does anything but jump straight at the target, you have applied torque to the handle and reduced your accuracy. You have to eliminate this torque or you will never shoot to your potential. Torque-free accuracy is the result of a relaxed hand and a relaxed bow arm. The best way to soften your bow arm is to unlock the elbow and shorten your draw length slightly. There are also other reasons to shorten your draw length. In this month’s column, I’ll tell you how to fine-tune your draw length for better accuracy.

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU BEND YOUR ELBOW?

Some archery teachers urge their students to bend their bow arms several inches and then aggressively push the bow forward as they pull through the shot with their back muscles controlling their release arm. They advocate squeezing the trigger to create an abrupt and dramatic explosion of the upper body on release. This style of shooting is called the push-pull method.

With all due respect to these instructors, I don’t recommend the push-pull method for the majority of archers shooting release aids. I agree that you must squeeze the trigger to produce a surprise release, but the push-pull style is too easy to get wrong and when you do it wrong, you create tension. As I’ve already mentioned, tension destroys accuracy.

Simply unlock your elbow at full draw; that’s all the bend you need. This simple action will shorten your draw length by roughly 1/2 inch, at the most. You’ll feel the difference in your shooting immediately. As soon as you unlock your elbow, your arm will relax and will act like a shock absorber.

CLOTHING CONSIDERATIONS

Hunting clothing can get in the way of your bowstring if you stretch out and try to achieve an artificially long draw length. I know many people who have missed big animals because their bowstring snagged a chest pocket or a loose fold of fabric on their sleeve. This is an even bigger problem when hunting in the late season when clothing is bulkier.

For this reason, I like to shorten my draw length an additional half inch so it is easier to hit full draw without stretching. In other words, my draw length is actually a full inch shorter than it would be if I locked my bow arm and at least 1 1/2 inches shorter than it would be if I also stretched my upper body to its maximum.

Shortening your draw length in this way permits you to keep your bow arm and shoulder away from the path of the string. You will still likely need something to compress the insulation in the forearm of your winter jacket, but you will reduce the risk of catching the sleeve farther up your arm.

BETTER TOO SHORT THAN TOO LONG

It is much easier to shoot a bow accurately that has a draw length that is two inches too short than one that is even a half inch too long. This is why I tell bowhunters that if they are going to err they should err on the side of being too short. The ideal draw length for you is the one that permits you to anchor in a comfortable location (typically at the back of your jawbone) with your bow arm unlocked and your release arm elbow and forearm pointing straight away from the target. If your elbow points left or right, your draw length is too long or too short.

CONCLUSION

There are tradeoffs when you shorten your draw length. You won’t store as much energy in the bow and therefore your arrow speed and penetration energy will decrease. However, with today’s sophisticated bows and carbon arrows you probably have some speed and energy to give. It is much better to shoot a bow that is set up for accuracy, with the correct draw length for practical hunting accuracy, than to shoot one that is set up primarily for speed with a draw length that is too long.

Experiment by shortening your draw length a little at a time until you reach the point where your bow arm is unlocked and your aim is solid. The bow should also jump straight toward the target when you release the string. This is your perfect draw length for hunting accuracy.