Topic: Draw length Question?

I know that this question has been posted before, but decided to start a new thread as my question is a little different from the inital thread.

Say a person's draw length is 33", measured from grip to shoulder, when drawing the bow, bowstring actually comes into contact and presses against chest at around 32" and this actually makes it much harder for the bowstring to be drawn any further back.

My question is should one stop right there at 32", or should one just ignore the string against chest and continue drawing back until the full 33" has been reached?

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Re: Draw length Question?

I could be wrong but you might be standing too sideways. Try to square up a little bit and you might get the extra inch you are looking for.

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Re: Draw length Question?

The way I am standing is with my left foot at around 1 o'clock and my right foot around 2 o'clock just slightly behind my left, i.e I am standing about 30-45 degress to the target face, not totally sideways.

Both feet are shoulder width apart.

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Re: Draw length Question?

gpang788 wrote:

The way I am standing is with my left foot at around 1 o'clock and my right foot around 2 o'clock just slightly behind my left, i.e I am standing about 30-45 degress to the target face, not totally sideways.

Both feet are shoulder width apart.

In Korean archery, you would want your left foot pointed directly at the target; the right foot shoulder width apart from the left, as you mentioned above.

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Re: Draw length Question?

You could try something I learned from shooting English warbows:
Lean forward slightly and arc your back so your glutes stick out. What you do with your legs is a matter of preference.

It helps for pulling heavy bows and it sure does increase the clearance between chest and string.

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Re: Draw length Question?

bluelake wrote:
gpang788 wrote:

The way I am standing is with my left foot at around 1 o'clock and my right foot around 2 o'clock just slightly behind my left, i.e I am standing about 30-45 degress to the target face, not totally sideways.

Both feet are shoulder width apart.

In Korean archery, you would want your left foot pointed directly at the target; the right foot shoulder width apart from the left, as you mentioned above.

Do you mean pointed directly perpendicular to target? Or slightly rotated inwards but still facing the target?

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Re: Draw length Question?

front foot 12 back foot 2 close to what you have all ready. I stand like you but left handed with my shoulders maybe a little more square. I have gone back and looked at pics of me shooting and see the string touching my clothes but not making enough contact to stop me from drawing further. My draw length is about 32" right now, I was trying to pull a little further last night but that seems to be where my bow is stacking and I don't have too much arm left either.

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Re: Draw length Question?

gpang788 wrote:
bluelake wrote:
gpang788 wrote:

The way I am standing is with my left foot at around 1 o'clock and my right foot around 2 o'clock just slightly behind my left, i.e I am standing about 30-45 degress to the target face, not totally sideways.

Both feet are shoulder width apart.

In Korean archery, you would want your left foot pointed directly at the target; the right foot shoulder width apart from the left, as you mentioned above.

Do you mean pointed directly perpendicular to target? Or slightly rotated inwards but still facing the target?

Pretty much as Chadwck mentioned.  Yes, the foot should be pointed directly at (perpendicular to) the target. 

Amaru--in Korean traditional archery, you want to keep your body straight when shooting (It's part of the precept, "jeongshim jeonggi"--정심정기--Straight Mind, Straight Body).

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Re: Draw length Question?

So at 12 will the left foot be pointed directly at bullseye or to the left of the target?

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Re: Draw length Question?

gpang788 wrote:

So at 12 will the left foot be pointed directly at bullseye or to the left of the target?

Directly at...

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11 (edited by Chadwck 2013-06-06 02:35:01)

Re: Draw length Question?

I noticed today that if I draw below my chin I feel the string on my chest but if I draw to the base of my ear which I was doing before there seems to be plenty of room. Maybe that is why you are hitting your chest. I have seen both pics of people with an eye level draw and people with there draw well below there chins. Keep in mind that shooting 149m would likely cause you draw draw lower than closer distances, I hope that made sense.

A question of my own, how do I stop cutting the first knuckle on my thumb with the fletchings on my arrow? Or do I just wait for the callus that will soon form?

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12 (edited by gpang788 2013-06-06 10:21:31)

Re: Draw length Question?

Typically in Korean trad archery, the fletchings are glued a little further away from the nocks then on arrows meant for a finger release such that they hardly come into contact with the thumb and index fingers of the drawing hand.

I noticed this in a lot of korean archery videos on youtube and replicated that on my own arrows. Have never had a problem with the fletchings cutting my fingers as there is hardly any contact at all to begin with.

Take a look at this picture for a clearer explanation (be sure to expand the picture fully in your browser by clicking on it) : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c … on_Kim.jpg


As for the draw, do you mean raising the bow arm for a distance shot vs a straight on shot for shorter distances?

Referencing ymjang007's videos on youtube, he is able to draw to shoulder or even at times 2-3 inches beyond the ear lobe no matter what the shot distance is. Not sure now he achieves that though?

So assuming he has:

1) shorter arms then mine, that just simply means the string hitting his chest sooner? But that doesn't happen in his case.

2) longer arms then mine, that may also mean difficulty drawing way past the ear lobe due to severe stacking past 32-33" (at least in my own limited experience smile ) but he seems able to do it with complete ease?

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Re: Draw length Question?

Ok just got back from some archery practice last night. Changed my feet position to 12 - 2 as mentioned above.

Was able to draw the string back a little more put still could not quite reach the 33" mark without the string contacting my chest.

Am I doing something wrong here? BTW was shooting at a distance of 18m with the bow and draw hand pretty much level, if that gives you a more complete picture. ( Sorry I do not have any pics as I was shooting alone. )

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Re: Draw length Question?

For most people, they will draw back only about 31" (unless someone has long arms).

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Re: Draw length Question?

bluelake wrote:

For most people, they will draw back only about 31" (unless someone has long arms).

Thanks for this. I was thinking i have very short hands, i can draw max 30".
Well, it is long for me, with lb or compound dl is only 26".

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Re: Draw length Question?

In other words, the way to determine correct draw length is not just simply to measure from grip to shoulder but rather, take into consideration the string as well?

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