Draw THEN Anchor | Archery Tips

A discussion on separating the Draw and Anchor steps in an archery shot sequence, rather than "mushing" them together.
Bow: Harvey Raptor 40#
Arrows: Gold Tip Traditionals
Quiver: Mandarin Duck Ranger
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Twitter: / nu_sensei
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[@sebastienraymond3648]

👉 Repeat with an exercise rubber band. You can find these rubber bands at any archery store or supercenters. The huge advantage is that you can practice anywhere. I have improved and fixed many inconsistencies in my shooting cycle thanks to this. And increase your muscles involved in the shooting cycle. 👉 Then do a lot of blank bale shooting. I mean a lot. Focus on what NUSensei just talk about when doing rubber band and blank bale shooting and you will correct many things. Nice week to all and take care !!

[@rfdsrd]

Better yet to run the stretch band or tubing around a riser grip, which will allow to practice proper bow hand pressure point and angled grip.

[@MrNutmeghunter]

I know this is an old video and I watch your videos often, frankly, because they are very good. How this one I never saw until now I don't know. Well, I am a trad hunter for many years and shoot well enough for those purposes. I have always drew to anchor then expand and released. I today started following this cycle of drawing feeling my bck.muscles settle in. Then anchor and then expand and release. I can't say how much this separation of the two has improved my shot and added consistency across a lot more arrows before falling off from fatigue. When I am in my stand I draw my bow every hour or I have touch pain in my shoulders if I don't warm up. I can't wait till I have a four leg target. Thanks!

[@NUSensei]

This is great to hear. Drawing straight to anchor can certainly work, but we inherently tend to smash different steps together, so we end up letting the process get ahead of ourselves. Making each step deliberate can help with building awareness of what you are doing.

[@melvynhunt304]

I have to say,I’m brand new to Archery and I’ve been watching your back catalogue and find your teaching videos and methods very easy to understand please keep it up there awsome

[@annmd1735]

Same here!

[@TreeRingsExploration]

Yay! Nusensei upload!

[@arbaazsharif0628]

I've visted so many Archery channels yet I've always learned the most on this one. Thanks NuSensei! You just know what problems we're facing.

[@ConnallTara]

this has actually been my bugbear problem for a long time. when shooting well I can consistently get into anchor but with a recent bout of target panic and getting tired as I push into longer sessions of shooting at the field course it becomes easy to fall into bad habits and, intentionally or unintentionally, rush through these steps. been working at it for years and still finding it probably the hardest part of my shooting cycle to get consistent.

[@abacusgeek7903]

This is exactly the reminder I needed today. Thanks Nu.

[@daveinthemicrowave]

My last 2 sessions were really poor, looking back this is definitely one of the reasons perhaps even the main one. Thank you.

[@rfdsrd]

Absolutely crucial to first draw to alignment (hopefully linear = bone-on-bone from wrist to shoulders) and then make the anchor fit the alignment.

[@MyFriendsAreElectric]

Thanks man. During COVID, my indoor range closed (and stayed closed), so I switched to more field compound... On going back to a little trad, I'm FULL of target panic, draw blocks, drawing with my arm, instant loosing on the anchor touch.... It's a mess in my head. So going back to basics has really helped.

[@colinmitchell3213]

You definitely have a gift for teaching. Sometimes I don't think you realise what a good teacher/coach you are. I have only recently returned to archery after a 30 year absence and have been going through your videos in preparation. This video is my pertinent to my practice today and explains why I was inconsistent. You have a very clear and easy to understand teaching method. Thank you.

[@samiam6436]

This is exactly what I was looking for. I can't wait to try. I have not seen anyone explain this step as clearly as you have. This process will help to keep the back tension. Thanks a bunch for sharing the insights.

[@abdelsattarissa3201]

Very Important video, discovered the importance of the sequence by myself two days ago, wish I saw this video earlier , would have avoided me 2 years of frustration. Thanks man.

[@etiennelawrence2589]

Good to see you again, feels like it's been a while! And what an important concept! I really wish this had been made clear to me when I started out. Ironically enough, I accidentally 'discovered' this idea by myself only a month or so ago, and it's helped improve my shots. I think the idea of focusing on the draw separately becomes even more important when shooting higher poundage bows. I feel it helps with establishing proper back tension, and also with anchor consistency. Thank you for this, as it seems to indicate I'm not completely inept 😅! Cheers,

[@Deadsmple]

Thank you Sensei. Best explanation of keeping them separate steps. Thanks for sharing. God bless.

[@kenmare16]

The most valuable archery video on KZbin. Been watching Brady Ellison and Mike Schloesser in action. Noticed what you just explained so well. The main reason why they so frequently shoot perfect scores?

[@darinbaker3205]

Hello and thanks for another great instructional video.....my son has been having a hard time drawing all the way because of his elbow not fully locking in until now. But after dealing with target panic we used your method for this as well. The only thing is at home he does very very well but once he is at a competition he freezes and looses all mobility. He totally does everything wrong and acts like he just wants to get out of there as fast as he can. Have you ever had to deal with this or known someone that has and what they did to break the panic. Because to us he doesn't have target panic but competition panic. He also does very well at practice it is only when he is competing even for fun. Thanks again and hopefully you know what or how to help

[@chasee1563]

your tips have helped me so much in just a few days of practice. Very well explained, thank you!

[@riccoratzo]

Thats one of the most important things in archery

[@cgd1037]

NUSensei, I find you videos very helpful and often revisit them as I experience more. Like many new archers I am struggling with my anchor. I believe that part of the issue is that we are taught to anchor on a fixed position. In my case the jaw anchor meant that I was not at full draw, therefore did not have consistent power and a wrist that was cocked to compensate for the my elbow sticking out. I am wondering whether the focus should be on getting to full draw, relaxed wrist and leading with the elbow, then applying those back muscles and then finding the anchor points that match that draw. (KZbin has numerous videos saying this is the "correct anchor"!) We are all anatomically different and in my case long-arms and good shoulder rotation means that my full draw anchor point is by my ear. I am interested in hearing your view.

[@NUSensei]

I do agree that everyone has a different body, so there isn't necessarily a universal optimal position. However, I'm also not of the opinion that someone with longer arms needs to draw further. Alignment is done with elbow position, and often an overdraw can mask the problem. What you gain from an overdraw is lost from anchor-point consistency. This is more common with Eastern styles of archery and Western European martial archery, but not preferred with target shooting and hunting due to the need for precision.

[@TakalBrothers]

This is brilliant.

[@brucenunez01]

Thank you Nu Sensei, perfect timing just what I needed to learn!

[@anubis3]

I anchor more with the joint/knuckle off my thumb at the point where the upper and lower jaw is connected, that has a certain feeling when done correct for me at least. So in order to get that feeling what i do is just like Nusensei talked about here, i draw THEN i put my thumb-joint in the spot i mentioned and it has helped quite alot with getting my arrows on target.

[@brovold72]

This is a very helpful reminder for me right now

[@parentalguidancerecommended251]

Can't wait to shoot again. You may of just fixed my alignment issue but that means my draw length has increased and my anchor will have changed too. I'm a para recurve archer (wheelchair) thanks for your video.

[@cav89-]

I have been into recreational archery for a few years now, and dare I say I was getting quite good at backyard shooting, and even planning to attend an archery event. But then a slight mishap (dry fire, the bow has light draw weight, but it was scary nonetheless) and a target miss (I always follow proper safety procedures for shooting. But I hit a brick wall. The arrow stuck in it) and all of a sudden I just couldn’t shoot anymore. I was shooting comfortably a 40lb bow. After this, even 30lb was impossible for me to draw to my anchor, always releasing early and low. I feel bad just reading the words “target panic”. This video gave me some courage to dust off my bow and fling a few shafts down my backyard. Let’s see how it goes

[@AutisticArcher]

Yaaaaaaaay Glad to see you again, Nu

[@Ziegen_]

I have quite a bit of horizontal variation further than 15 meters. I have a suspicion that I'm drawing to anchor. I practice alone, so I'm going to set up a camera in the "coach view" so I can see what my arm is doing.

[@Ricksterrrrrrr]

I realized I slipped into this fault over time. Thanks for the clear reminder

[@Ricksterrrrrrr]

I shot much more consistently today.

[@jamesstrength5405]

How do you stop smashing them together. Well I think you answered that question in the target panic video you previously did. Max Hold 2,3 push. Except I say... Load, Anchor, Hold 2,3 Push.

[@joshuamyers4690]

My archery coach pointed the drawing for anchor problem instead of drawing before anchoring a couple of weeks ago. Ever since then my consistency has been much better.

[@kennylainhart7148]

Thanks 👍👍👍👍

[@gizmonomono]

I'll have to give this a try. Never thought about it before

[@st97ification]

Thank you for uploading this video❤

[@sextquint]

I've noticed that your head moves at 9:20 towards the right a little bit, and pretty much every time as you anchor, while in the checklist video you say your head should stay still. Perhaps it has to do with the way your whole torso reacts when you draw, I don't know, but there must be something I'm missing here so could you please elaborate on how much head movement is okay? Thanks a lot in advance, your videos are amazing!

[@NUSensei]

The head isn't moving. The shoulders are going into alignment.

[@Jason608]

I'm shooting Olympic recurve style and if I draw first then anchor, my clicker goes off early. I wonder if my clicker is set too far forward, or if I'm just drawing incorrectly?

[@Barak50cal]

Potentially your clicker is slightly too far, it shouldn't click until you expand from anchor.

[@NUSensei]

Likely your clicker is too far forward. How did you set the length in the first place? It's common for archers to set their clicker length based on the "wrong" form, so they might not be at correct alignment. If you're activating the clicker without reaching full tension, you're introducing a large degree of variation in the shot. You don't want to have 5% "extra" space to expand through because that's 5% variation in each shot - which in turn means 5% variation on horizontal drift because of excess movement.

[@allanjgray1]

Thanks mate

[@cre5524]

Thank you

[@carcharhinus_555]

Nice video, as always! However, it does lead to an issue I have since the very beginning, and maybe somebody here can give me tips (because my local archery teacher - who admittedly, isn't at the level of Nu - couldn't): "by default", my elbow isn't aligned, it's sticking out to the side quite a bit. If I try to align it, I either have to move my shoulder blades "together" behind the back (making any not really light bow impossible to hold steady), move my shoulders up a lot (not advisable either) or draw quite a bit behind my ear, anchoring at least at the end of the jawbone (not helping my string alignment and aiming). Any tips on this? Would be very much appreciated.

[@TheScarvig]

i have a similar problem: when i draw until my elbow is in line with the arrow instead of sticking out like a "chicken wing" i kinda have to anchor with my thumb knuckle where my ear meets my jawbone. i think i kinda manage to hold this anchor fairly steadily and repeatable, but the problem is that this puts my arrowtip almost 3 target widths to the right of a 50m target. which is not really ideal when i try to shoot barebow and try to aim over the tip of my arrow... finding a repeatable aim point in the grass beside the target has me barely hitting the bale of the target. i started out shooting instinctively and switched to aiming with the arrow tip because i was even less consistent and i also tried shooting with sights, but they would have to reach all the way over and through my arrow to point at a 50m target....

[@NUSensei]

You don't have to over draw to reach max tension. The biggest contributing factor is whether your wrist is RELAXED and STRAIGHT. Locking the wrist prevents the elbow coming all the way back.

[@nlua129]

​@@TheScarvig I'm a RH barebow recurve shooter that has been suffering with TP issues (freezing low) and always hitting left for some reason. I have done blank bale and blind bale shooting before, but I recently experimented with a different drill which was initially meant to help with freezing low. This was because I found that I'm able to pivot at the hips to adjust for elevation while my eyes are closed. Don't ask me why... My initial attempt went as follows: Addressing the target, I close my eyes while coming to full draw - keeping a "snapshot" in my mind. I try to really feel the deliberate motion of the draw arm, the back tension progressively building up as my elbow is getting to alignment. I then anchor and hold for a second as I open my eyes. I then saw that my arrow point was off to the right. I then realized that I have been forcing my bow arm to go left ever so slightly as I was drawing back instead of pushing straight towards the target. I then tried the same drill but with now a slightly more open stance - arrow point is vertically in line with the target and arrows no longer hitting left. Hope this helps! Now on to the freezing low problem... 😅

[@UTxTheArchangel]

I'd say I have one smooth transition, I honestly never think about the thought of draw and then anchor. My anchor has always been when I feel my thumb touch under my ear when shooting asiatic, or when i feel my thumb touch the side of my cheek. So my anchor has always just feel a feel more than anything else, and then I'm just drawing to that point. Its interesting to actually now think about it in the way you speak of it.

[@NUSensei]

The tricky bit is that drawing to that _point_ doesn't mean that you have drawn to that _length._ The anchor point isn't a physical limitation of how far you you align your shoulders. If the wrist is locked and the arm is bent out of line, you're drawing short even though you've reached your anchor. You may be unconsciously reaching full draw and full alignment on the "good" shot, but you go down the mental confusion of why arrows drift left/right on a "bad" - and that's because you didn't reach the correct _alignment._ When I teach thumb shooters, I challenge them to recognise when they have reached full draw (i.e. their maximum range of motion). They will reach the same anchor, but their elbow is 10-15 degrees off because they weren't paying attention to their alignment.

[@bradlauber9097]

What make of longbow is that? Great video, I will try your technique and wisdom !!!

[@UncleDanBand64]

Hmm, very well explained sir.

[@sambo170a]

Thank you mate

[@nair.127]

Cheers Nu

[@vincentlesconnec8185]

ty for this video, could you make another video with an "asiatic" bow and thumb release?

[@Liboo52]

I tied a string between my draw hand and my septum piercing, that way I always know for sure when I hit full draw

[@marctull3596]

Thank you Nu Sensei. This is something that my archery bud and I work on constantly. He tends to “creep” before release and I suffer from “chicken wing syndrome.” Have you tried watching your release at .25x speed? To me, it looks like a static release and then a pull through, rather than pulling through the shot. Of course, I could be wrong about this - but am interested in your response. Also - those are very impressive string silencers! What are they made from? Any advantages over yarn puff balls?

[@NUSensei]

I'm not shooting a closed trigger system in this sequence, so I'm making a conscious decision to release. It's not going to be as clean - but slow down any finger release enough and it's going to look "static". An external trigger will prompt a more automatic and clean release. The silencers came with the Harvey Raptor. They're just yarn.

[@marctull3596]

Thank you for the helpful explanation

[@nlua129]

​@@marctull3596you should try making your own dynapuffs from dyneema rope. According to some, it has its advantages over yarn and cat whiskers albeit more expensive.

[@TomasPruzina-uw9ql]

What if you overdrawn and to get back to your anchor you need to go forward? Do you just abort the shot and draw again?

[@NUSensei]

You can still do the shot as long as you don't collapse after anchor. However, it does mean that your draw action is not ideal, and you will need address it, as the loss of back tension is unavoidable if you have to go forward.

[@mccarthy86]

I draw and anchor too, always have, infact I thought noobs do this while pros do it all in one go. Also that dreaded point rattle 😄

[@kirkglundal4289]

A small dab of blue thread locker will take care of that. It's not as convenient if changing points frequently but if you get the right amount, maybe coverage on half of the threads, you can still spin them off w your fingers.

[@norm7312]

yooo new upload lets goooooooooo

[@troyfleeman9186]

Off topic, but what is the target on the right made of?

[@NUSensei]

Stramit board.

[@mboehm69]

Think a lot of ppl "snap shoot" in archery because ther'ye trying drawing back to heavier poundage to comfortable hold back at full draw. With a bad lower back, I can comfortably draw and hold back 35lb, I have a 45 lb bow when I try an use that one, I find myself snap shooting more often than not.

[@Galkac]

cool next do the armband quiver on each arm looking like eagle wings

[@drewmorg.]

New archer here, at full draw I am nearly behind my jawbone, so going to the lips actually shortens my draw by probably 2" .. anyone else have this problem?

[@McDeezEater]

hi nu

[@McDeezEater]

delete the scam bots

[@mortenjacobsen5673]

Ksl

[@Australian_Made]

👀 👅 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@daveterra4778]

love your videos man