• Registered: 2012-06-12
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Topic: Forward Creep

Forward creep - when you have trouble locking the pulling arm down so it doesn't creep forward thus thwarting your draw.  Still gets the best of me till this day.

So what is the best way to correct this?  How better should I be thinking of what my pulling arm does?  I'm aware of 'pull the tigers tail, and push for the mountain' plus 'backwards elbow punch' as described in Saracen archery but the problem is sometimes achieving that plane of equilibrium so everything is perfectly balanced and doesn't shake, tremble or creep. How precisely speaking should everything be lined up?

Thanks.

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  • Registered: 2010-10-15
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Re: Forward Creep

It's a common problem beginning Korean archers have (I used to do it back in the day).  The way I combated it was to make sure I could always feel the back of the point of the arrow on my bow-hand thumb on full draw until release.  If it continues to be a problem, it might be from too heavy of a bow (one should be able to hold at full draw without great effort or shaking for five seconds).

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  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Re: Forward Creep

I see.  I was afraid that may be more the reason.  I know with my 50 @ 32 Mariner I can do that well for 5 seconds.  My old Hwarang that was 50 at 28 I could hold easily as well.

My old SMG was rated 55 @ 32 and I wanted the same for my Hwarang this time around.  I do recall similar locking problems with the SMG at that draw weight.  50 is really my max it seems but I had my reasons for putting on the extra 5 pounds.  Its not that big of a deal really.  Now I know just to do more strength training at the gym.  I think I can close that 5 pound gap.

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  • Registered: 2011-11-27
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Re: Forward Creep

Don't be a "he-man", it'll ruin your form!

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5 Reply by geoarcher (edited by geoarcher 2014-01-23 15:50:22)

  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Re: Forward Creep

or will it ruin one's bow rather. tongue  wink

I actually did strength training for longbows back in the day when I was into such.  Its theoretically, if I am not mistaken, a different muscle use ratio, that is comparing thumbring draw to "western/med". draw.  I believe it was more lower back when I was drawing an English traditional longbow using the more traditional methods.  That's what I was targeting more back in the day. 

I think it may be more appropriate to target different muscles this time around.

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  • Registered: 2011-11-27
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Re: Forward Creep

First I've heard of this philosophy /theory.  If you practice it let us know how it goes. sad

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  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Re: Forward Creep

lol, well its certainly not a 'philosophy'. 

But the types of longbows I had to train for certainly required me to target certain areas more then others.  The draw technique for Korean archery is obviously different then English longbow draw techniques. 

So cheer up, nothing to be sad about.  Besides its just 5 pounds to work at getting used to.  There's really no 'he-man' factor here friend.  People do occasionally like to work up to other draw weights eventually anyway.  Nothing really wrong with that.

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  • Registered: 2011-11-27
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Re: Forward Creep

Not unless you're 69 years old with a bad left shoulder.  I used to shoot 72 pounds ..... but not very well, I suppose I just did not "work up" to it.  hmm

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9 Reply by geoarcher (edited by geoarcher 2014-01-25 23:11:01)

  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Re: Forward Creep

I see....

Well, when I did strength training my 60-85 pound bows 'felt like noodles' as the saying goes.  But all those were bows using a med./western style draw.  My 85 at 28 inches English longbow I can still pull back quite easily.  Couldn't have done it though if I didn't target the lower back area appropriately.  50 rated at whatever has really been my optimal draw weight for awhile now, particularly for bows I use the thumb-draw.

In the meantime, for my Hwarang, I'll just have to do some training.

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10 Reply by sissara (edited by sissara 2014-01-28 05:10:31)

  • Registered: 2012-02-01
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Re: Forward Creep

It 's also good idea to get your bow checked for stacking. Although korean bows spec for 32" DL but I found many modern made has large poundage increase on their last inch (like 3 lb from 31" to 32"in #40 bow)  and it could give you creep or uncomfortable feeling. It also give creep,set,yield to bow's limbs in the long run. Large build people should try moderate poundage, long version bow or JangGung and test for their real draw length (which could be 33" or 34" in some people).

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11 Reply by geoarcher (edited by geoarcher 2014-01-28 15:26:35)

  • Registered: 2012-06-12
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Re: Forward Creep

Yes good points  sissara, and I went with jang-gung this time around indeed.  Its definitely more appropriate for me given my arm length.  My draw is just about at 31 inches with a 32 inche arrow.  Its actually easier for me using my old 31 inche SMG arrows.  So drawing more at 30 inches appears a tad more appropriate then 31.

I really couldn't achieve any of this comfortably on the shortest Korean bow that I once owned.  The stack plus my arm length issue just felt completely awkward/uncomfortable.  The hardest, but also perhaps most crucial part of selecting an appropriate bow for oneself does indeed appear to lie in selecting appropriate length of bow in addition to getting arrow length right.

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