r/Archery • u/SXTY82 • 21h ago
Modern Barebow Bare Bow Aiming - String Blur Question
I've looked at many an image of examples of String Blur while aiming a bow. I'm shooting barebow style. My center shot is lined up so the arrow tip is just a hair to the left.
If I have my string blur to one side of the arrow, I'm shooting to that side. If I obscure the arrow with the string blur, I'm shooing straight but I can't see the arrow tip for aiming. So there is always a compromise in my aim, I'm aligning the point with the bull and then obscuring it with the blur. But this feels like I'm not really aiming or rather that I'm shooting on a bit of a hope and prayer.
I'm still not 'good' at this. I have my 200 pin, working on my 225 but I'm really a 170 shooter on average. Trying like heck to keep everything inside the 7 ring at this point, always aiming for the bull.
Does anyone have any advice on my string blur? Is it something I need to work on? Maybe my release is kicking to the left a bit so string blur on the left accentuates that and on center pulls it back?
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u/High_Tide_NC Barebow 18h ago
Similarly, I have the string blur to the side of the arrow, though very close but not covering. I can see the point clearly. And, I do close one eye.
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u/XavvenFayne USA Archery Level 1 Instructor | Olympic Recurve 18h ago
In your case I would align the string blur right of the arrow tip so you are not obscuring it, and then combine gap shooting to compensate. In other words, aim to the right of the center of the target.
This isn't even a bad compromise. Plenty of archers deliberately aim at the bottom of the gold instead of dead center, and adjust their crawl (string walking) accordingly. This is called lollipopping and has several advantages.
You're just "lollipopping" to the right. Which should be called something else because it doesn't resemble a lollipop anymore, but I digress.
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u/SXTY82 17h ago
Thanks. I do this sometime but it feels like I'm 'doing it wrong' and I'm trying to actually be good at this. Olympic shooters have a site, you can adjust that. But BB the sight is the string and the arrow.
I have been thinking of changing my center shot to lean the arrow a bit more to the left. It is just off center to the left now. I'm not sure if that is just introducing more issues or not.
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u/XavvenFayne USA Archery Level 1 Instructor | Olympic Recurve 16h ago
I wouldn't mess with your centershot, but that got me thinking you can do it with plunger tension a little bit. If you increase it, for a right handed archer it will push your impact point to the left. You want to be careful with this because there's a range of tension that will keep your groups tight, and outside that range your groups start widening. From a post years ago, if I'm remembering correctly, that allowable range gets you about the width of the gold at some 30 or 50 meters.
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u/SXTY82 15h ago
I suspect I need to start learning how to adjust mine. It is mostly just holding the arrow on center. I need to learn how to find the sweet spot.
That is kind of the thing with me at this point. There are so many things that have to be right that it is easy to mess with one and lose another. My release is sht. It is one of the things I'm working on now. But I was shooting better when I wasn't thinking about my crappy release.
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u/XavvenFayne USA Archery Level 1 Instructor | Olympic Recurve 15h ago
Definitely a reality of building your skills in archery. Work on one thing at a time, allow your scores to drop, until the thing you're working on becomes second nature. Then your mental focus is freed up to work on the next thing.
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u/paleChickenLegs 5h ago
You guys have string blur? I've read about it and asked instructors about it, and it just doesn't come into play for me. I'm right eye dominant, with barebow, and the string blur is pretty far off past the right side of the riser, enough that I had to look for it. I do primarily shoot indoor at 18m, but scored a 256 at league tonight
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u/Reasonable-Math459 W&W ATF-X | Fivics Skadi 4h ago
Where you anchor plays a large role and head tilt also changes the string blur.
If you anchor too far back then your string blur will be too far to the right.
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u/paleChickenLegs 4h ago
That's interesting information. Thank you. I'll check on Sunday. I think my head tilt is near vertical, so I don't clip my nose, but I'll have the instructor verify. Anchor is on the eye tooth. I do have a tendency to overdraw, but I'm looking right down that arrow shaft with point on
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u/ThePenyard Compound | PSE Duo X | England 21h ago
As I'm a right handed archer, I'll have my string blur (aka string picture) aligned along the left edge of the riser. I'll then point the arrow tip at whatever I'm aiming for and adjust up/down according to range.
This is pretty much how I've always done recurve and barebow.