Cinematography has captured the bowhunting industry by storm. It seems you can hardly find a hunter now that does not have a video camera slung around his neck or stationed on a tripod. But there is one use of a video camera that has seemed to elude bowhunters, the critiquing of the bow form and arrow flight.
Like in all other sports coaches and athletes use film to analyze there opponents, much like hunters do with their game and they also analyze their form such as tackling in football or their technique in pole vaulting. In the time it takes you to shoot 5 arrows you can setup a video camera so you can capture each angle of your shot. If you can’t interpret your film or even if you can have your friends watch it with you, they may catch something you missed. Take it to your local archery shop and have it analyzed, it may cost you a little but it will be worth it!
Back angle check which muscles are drawing the bow, watch for string pull away, and check the placement of your feet.
The first angle is from the back. This angle can help you see if you’re pulling the string out away from your face when releasing for the shot. It also helps to see if you can’t the bow. Some archers prefer to cant their bows but to many it may not be realized and may be affecting you’re shooting in a poor way. Another benefit from filming from the back is that when you take off your shirt you will be able to see what muscles you are using to pull your bow back. If you get tired easily you may be using the wrong muscles to pull your bow and to stabilize yourself at full draw. The deltoids are used but are not your main pulling or stabilizing muscles for holding your shot. The small muscles underneath and over the shoulder blade are used. The last shot you can get with the camera from behind is the placement of your feet; are they parallel, one slightly in front of the other, are the toes facing the target, away from the target?
Front side check for bow straightness, watch for punching of release, ect.
back side check muscles again, grip, check stance width.
The second and third angle is from the side. I’ll use front side and back side to be universal for all hand dominants. The front side is the angle of where the whole bow can be seen, what normally would be the front of the body. At this angle you can tell if your bow is straight up and down upon release, or if you are punching or squeezing the trigger on your release, if you shoot one. You can see if your timing of your rest for those that shot drop-away is correct. Also you can see where your anchor point is, if it changes at all from when you anchor to when you release, and if you move it when aiming farther away. The last thing you can see from the front side is if you are hunching over your bow. Make sure you are standing tall! Not many people do this but I have witnessed a few that have and their shooting ability was grotesque. From the back side you can again tell what muscles you are using for not only your drawing arm but for your stabilizing arm. The triceps should be flexed somewhat but they should not be doing all the work, nor should the deltoids again you are using your stabilizing muscles in your back and shoulders to hold the bow steady. Second you can see if you have a relaxed grip on your bow or not. Some archers even though they start with a relaxed grip close it at the end of their shot not allowing the bow to properly follow through. Third you can take notice how far your feet are apart, are they to narrow, too wide, are they facing the right way?
The last angle is from the front. Here you would be able to see if you again are canting your bow, if your body is leaning to a side, and if your front foot is facing the target. Second you can capture how your bow follows through. Does it rotate perpendicular to the grown, does it cant to one side after the shot, and is it pulled up by you? Does it even move?
Now all the new cameras are equipped with slow motion and most VCR are able to slow video down as well. From all the angles you can capture not only how your arrow and bow react to the release but you can follow their form to the target. This enables you to see if you arrows are bending left-right, if the are bending up-down, or if the seem to be cork screwing. This helps to tell you how you are releasing, how the rest you are using is affecting flight, if your arrow is correct for your bow, if you need to change the fletching, or your broadheads. You can use the cameras to help with tuning, your shooting form from sitting, kneeling, to awkward shoot angles. Along with this information and the information you gather from when your arrow leaves the bow will help tell you if your bow and arrows are truly tuned correctly!
