Ozbow

hi fellas.i shoot longbow with 3 fingers under and like getting string right under my eye but now string hits nose, hurts and affects arrow flight any suggestions how to remedy this ? thanks.

I have much the same problem, but shooting split finger. Hitting the nose doesn't seem to affect my arrow flight much, but it does hurt. No idea how to stop it happening - I just put a bit of tape on my nose to lessen the pain.

See a plastic surgeon!

I think the best and most obvious thing to do is to learn to shoot the bow a little differently so you don't hit your nose. It might feel strange at first but I don't think it would take long to adjust.

Jeff

I had that problem when I first started, look at olympic archers and com pound shooters and you will see they have the string in front of their nose. It doesn't take long to change and you will shoot more accurately without the intermittent contact of the nose hitting the string. Steve

Would certainly help to have a consistent draw if you are fully engaged and the string just touches your nose.

Kevin

I would assume that you need to rotate your head away from where it is at full draw, giving more space between your nose and string path. You should still be able to get your eye in line with the arrow.

Scuzz

I gave myself a fat lip on Sunday at my club shoot with my recurve string
and its still a bit zingy, four days later. Have you watched the Legends of the Barebow DVD
there is a guy on there called Rod who puts a bandaid on his nose to stop it getting cut by
the string.
Matt

Hi I used to do that too; it is a wee bit disconcerting and painful to boot.
I changed to anchoring with my longest finger (dont know what its called thinks its indez) to the corner of my mouth and looking to the left a bit which turned my head and schnoz out of the way.
Hope ity helps .
Cheers
IAn

This might be the problem

You could possibly try a few things, depending on where the problem is originating from.

Open you stance up a little more ie. more towards standing 22-45 degress to the target. This could help rotate your head more to the target without craning it right around when standing in-line with the target.

Use the creases of your fingers to hold the string at full draw, instead of on the tips of your fingers. The tips of your fingers release forces the string to move towards you face more that when using the creases. I find that my arrow flight is far cleaner when I use the creases.

Still using the corner of your mouth as an anchor, you could see if putting the top finger just in the crook of your nose - this could help move the string plane away from hitting it.

Like someone said - target archers anchor point is just touching the front of the nose, generally with the anchor under the chin or jaw - ideal when using a sighting system with bow held vertical. Another reason to use an anchor under the chin is to get a cleaner finger release, harder to do when the fingers are touching the face. An under the chin anchor however is hard to shoot instinctive with, and not so easy for gap shooters as the lower anchor point makes the 'gap' to big to judge.

Without actually seeing you shot, and I could be wrong, - it sounds like you are holding your bow fairly vertical, tilting your head over to get the string and arrow in-line as favored by gap or point of aim shooters. One of the reasons that instinctive longbowers tilt the bow and head over, is too still get the arrow in-line with the eye and target, but so the string plane is out of the way.

I did see one longbow shooter who tilted his longbow over, but still stood upright by using an anchor half way between that of hunter and target. He sort of rested and pivoted between the top and middle fingers on his jaw-line, directly under the corner of his mouth. But if you like to get the arrow right under close to your eye, this isnt going to work.

I switched to 3under and hit my nose now a fair bit ...

If you watch the best IBO Trad 3d shooters, John Demmer, Matt Potter, Rod Jenkins and even Ben Rodgers ... They all shoot with a small bandage on their nose

Id be more worried about my eye when the first knock parts from an arrow and returns on the string heading towards your eye at warp speed. Yes I hate shooting with three under, sight, gap, walkers why? because they always beet me.

He He.
Cheers Wayno

Having played with different anchor points from time to time, and have also hit my nose with the string on occasion, I wonder if this is one of the reasons that Howard Hill used an anchor not at the corner of his mouth, but back a little further, with his finger pressing against his cheek onto a rear tooth. Better string clearance was indeed achieved, but for my face shape, a little harder to get the arrow under my eye. I get the the impression that Howard 'gapped' to the right a bit too.

A lot of shooters try three under and hit their nose because when they anchor at the corner of their mouth, they put their forefinger at the corner of their mouth not their index finger which puts the nock in exactly the same position as it would be with split finger... no gain.
My mate did that and we just about had to ring the blood bank as he was leaking that much claret. He ended up looking like the little Aussie bleeder by the end of an ABA round have to give him a ten for stubbornness thou.
Matt

For those hitting their nose do you hold the bow vertically or cant the bow to varying degrees?

When shooting do you stand bolt upright as in target shooting or lean into the bow as in a hunting style?

Daryl.

Hmm, I've got a decent size nose and have never hit my nose. When I anchor I place my index finger in the corner of my mouth and line the string up with my eye. I can feel the string touching my nose but it doesn't hurt it or cause any discomfort.
I would suggest to move your face a a bit. Doesn't have to be much.

ok i have to say I have loved this thread this is how I do it(3 under the only way to go)
with your drawing hand form a "c " lock it in at the back of your Jaw so the "c" formed by your thumb & index finger locks in behind it ,the knuckle of you index finger should be pushing up onto your earlobe,this is your first anchor.
Double anchor(easier if you use left wing featherssheild cut) if your righthanded oposite if your a lefty)the fletch touches the tip of your nose:Double anchor!
VIOLA no sore nose & a double anchor.