Bow Miss

Form and anchor point consistency is key. Both of which are difficult to maintain in the heat of a shot. A kisser button can help you get the right anchor spot every time which will help consistency. That alone has help me go from missing my first 4 shots on deer to killing 3 straight. Form and comfortability comes with practice. Don’t beat your self up becoming inaccurate with fatigue it happens. Once I start noticing my accuracy failing with fatigue during practice I stop. It really is as much of a mental state as physical I’ve found.

Also the follow through is important. Hold as if your taking another shot after you release. That will help reduce any premature movement you may have when you release.

I feel like my anchor and form are pretty solid as I have a nose button and when i go from anchor to nose on the string its in the same spot every time.

Do a blind draw. Draw back and settle in then open your eyes. Everything should line up and it helps with muscle memory. Another thing that could be happening is dropping your bow arm to see that arrow impact. Repeatability is everything.

A few years ago I was having a similar issue. Talked to a tournament guy and he said to just practice shooting 1-3 arrows a session. My problem was I was shooting good in the beginning then after a while my form would break down and I would shoot terrible. Then I would start messing with my sight or rest and end up all messed up. The tournament guy told me to quit over thinking it and relax.

Well in practice and i missed a deer doing the same exact thing this year. I feel like I am creating a bad habit and would like to identify it so I can maybe figure some things out. Anyone around the industry do online lessons/look at video that could diagnose what's going on?

Video yourself in slowmo on your phone.

Go to archerytalk dot com and post some pictures of your form and ask for some to look at it. There's some real helpful people on there.

If it’s something that is happening as you fatigue, it’s likely you dropping your bow early. Don’t develop that habit. Are you shooting well for your first ten shots? If so, that’s how many you should shoot. Don’t shoot until you shoot bad.
For the deer though, that’s not good. Are you fighting you bubble level or fighting your peep? If you draw with your eyes closed and open them is your bubble level and peep centered?

My peep and bubble are fine for what I can tell. I never have to adjust anything out of the ordinary.

I really would like to know what goes wrong when I fatigue tho so I can fight through this and avoid it entirely.

Well fatigue and making a bad shot on deer are different. When you say you shoot back tension, you have a hinge? It sounds you you are collapsing early as you get tired or when you aren’t thinking about fighting it in the stand.

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This is great advice but I'd like to be able to shoot more.

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I was just throwing out round numbers, and that’s part of shooting daily. I shoot a shorter ata solocam, not the smoothest draw cycle or stable bow to hold. Daily repetition is the trick to it not beating me up, keeping the tension in the bigger back/shoulder muscles versus on the joints and arms. Once the muscle memory is there to not just hold with good form, but draw it properly, fatigue takes a lot longer to set in.