Does excessive pin movement bother you mentally and hinder your shooting accuracy? This is a common problem for many archers; however, it is one that can usually be corrected.

When you tighten your muscles in your bow arm in an attempt to hold the pin on the desired target, this extra tightness often produces excess movement. The author teaches his students that rather than tightening those muscles, they should relax and let the pin float softly on the target. When this happens, the pin no longer jumps around.

To identify what is causing the difficulty, place a large, plain piece of cardboard on a target butt. Then draw the bow and let the pin settle on the cardboard. Note if the pin movement is at an acceptable level. Next, put an orange dot in the middle of the cardboard and shoot an arrow at it. If you encounter too much pin movement, the problem is in the aiming process.

Many archers tighten muscles in their bow arm in an attempt to hold the pin on the desired location. This is an incorrect method of aiming. The extra-tight muscles used to steady the pin produce the excess movement. Instead of tightening the muscles in your bow arm, come to a full draw, anchor, and then wait a few seconds to relax the muscles in your arms and shoulders. At the same time, you must continue to maintain a constant pressure as you pull the bow apart. You should notice a difference as the pin no longer jumps around but rather begins to float softly on the target. When you reach that moment, you are ready for the shot execution.

ARE YOU OVER-AIMING?
Some archers find that they have a steady sight picture until they start to release the arrow. This usually occurs because they are over-aiming the shot. In an attempt to hold the pin on the target, they relax the bow arm and start and stop the release procedure. Instead of doing this, let the pin float on or around the target, add a little forward pressure to the bow arm, and finish the shot.

Years ago I remember when there was little or no movement in my sight pin. Now, with the grey hair invading my scalp, I experience a lot more movement. I reassure myself, "This is about as steady as the pin will get. Put pressure at the target and execute." The movement does not bother me, because I know if I shoot a strong shot, it will hit where I am aiming.

Once, an older gentleman came to me for lessons. As I watched him shoot five shots, his bow arm seemed to be shaking at about a 7.1 on the Richter scale. He said, "See the problem? I have an affliction and the bow arm won't quit shaking."

I replied, "That isn't the problem. The difficulty is that you are worrying about the sight movement and not putting pressure toward the target." Then he tried to ignore the pin movement and executed a strong shot. The arrows hit the mark. Aiming and trying to hold the pin on the bull's-eye is over-rated. This man learned to trust his form and shoot a strong shot. He went on to win a national championship.

TOO MUCH POUNDAGE?
Another common problem that produces a poor sight picture is when an archer attempts to hold more pounds of draw weight than he or she is capable of handling. You can check to see if this is a factor by reducing the draw weight 5 or 6 pounds and releasing a few arrows. If the pin movement subsides, you need to use the lower draw weight. My daughter Sally has taken over 30 deer with her 45-pound bow. She hits the mark at which she is aiming and the arrow passes through the deer. Accuracy is one of the most important attributes for a successful archery hunter.

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