Compounders! You’re Aiming Too Early!

One of the most common issues I see with compound archers is that they begin aiming before they’ve finished building the shot.

Before you worry about the target, focus on proper set-up, draw, and skeletal support.

If the bow shoulder isn’t properly set during the set-up position - before you draw - you’ll often find yourself fishing for skeletal support after load.

I’ve watched compound archers shift their bow arm, change their elbow position, or move their anchor after reaching full draw. Often, this happens because the bow shoulder wasn’t fully set and supported before the draw began. Instead of arriving at anchor with a stable structure, the archer has to search for that structure while already holding the bow.

The result? An unstable holding position and difficulty executing the shot - especially when trying to pull through a trigger release or execute a resistance release.

If you’re simply punching the trigger, that’s a different post entirely.

Find Your Natural Bow-Arm Position

Every archer’s bow-arm and elbow position will look a little different. Ideally, if your bow arm has some bend, it should be your natural anatomical bend, not something you’re consciously manufacturing.

Here’s a simple way to find it:

Take your normal stance on the shooting line without the bow. Raise your bow arm as though you were holding the bow, with your hand positioned at the same angle it would have against the grip. Think of the structure as extending from the shoulder socket through the arm and into the bow hand.

Don’t deliberately straighten the elbow. Don’t deliberately bend it.

Let your anatomy determine the position.

That natural position - whether your elbow appears straight or has a slight bend - is generally going to be more consistent and repeatable than forcing the arm into a position that doesn’t match your skeletal structure.

When you draw the bow, the pressure coming back through the belly of the grip should be supported by the structure you established through the bow shoulder and arm.

You shouldn’t have to go looking for that structure once you reach full draw.

Now Check Your Draw Length

Once you reach anchor with that structure intact, evaluate whether the bow’s draw length actually fits your natural anchor position.

If the draw length feels obviously short, adjust it.

But even if it doesn’t feel too short, it may still be worth experimenting with the next draw-length setting - typically another half inch on many bows.

The goal isn’t to make the draw length as long as possible. The goal is to find the setting that allows you to reach your natural anchor with proper skeletal alignment without reaching, collapsing, or manipulating your bow arm to make the bow fit you.

From there, increase back tension by tucking the draw-side scapula toward the spine, engaging the lower trapezius. Think of yourself as reaching roughly 90% of your final holding tension.

And here’s the important part:

You are not aiming yet!

Transfer, Hold, Then Aim

Once you’re anchored and structurally supported, transfer the holding weight - the weight remaining after the cams roll into let-off - into the back (scapula toward spine).

Back tension builds from roughly 90% toward 95%.

At this point, your draw-side elbow and forearm should align with the direction of the arrow, with your release hand and release connection integrated into that line.

Now you’re holding through the back rather than simply hanging on the release or trying to hold the bow still with your arms.

From this position, you make the conscious decision to execute the shot through expansion and into follow-through.

Only after that decision is made should you begin aiming.

The order of steps matters.

Set the structure.

Draw.

Load.

Anchor.

Transfer.

Commit to execution.

Then aim.

For many compound archers, aiming too early turns the entire shot into an attempt to hold the pin still while everything else is still being assembled - resulting in increased pin movement.

Build the shot first.

Then let the sight picture become part of an already-established shot process - not the thing that controls it.