I'm coming up on the end of my fourth month of archery, and I feel that I'm getting an understanding of what it takes to make a good shot. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle, and I know that if I'm not both relaxed and focused that the arrow is going to slip some random direction away from my target point. Although I can mimic what I see other people do, and read about good form, one thing I'm having trouble with is the motion of my pin over the target. Most of the time it seems to drift back and forth, up and down, and I have to time my shot so that the pin is on or near the target point. This seems totally incompatible with a surprise release. I know some drift is acceptable, but how much (depending on range)? Is the motion of the pin a factor of draw weight, or the weight of the bow? What can I do to keep the pin closer to the target?
I had the same problem when i first got into archery, My first year of shooting was really bad then i got better and noticed less pin float. also make sure that your bow is pretty balanced and your release hand is relaxed against your face. Im still pretty new to archery (2 years of shooting) and there are many more people on this site that can help you.
I would do as Jeff said and learn to trust the float. Don't get into bad habits where your pin drifts over the spot and you punch the trigger. I call them drivebys and you might shoot really well doing this for a while but it will eventually lead into target panic. Trust me, I've been there. Let it float and concentrate on a good solid surprise release. What part of Va do you live in? I live near Roanoke.
I will repeat the good advice you already received...trust your float and just slowly squeeze the release. It will go off and "suprise" you when done correctly...sometimes you will feel like your pin was 3 feet off your target when you finally release, but when you pull your arrow it will be dead center or very close. TRUST YOUR FLOAT!!!
Jeff's correct by using Rick Jame's coined phrase, trust your float. No one, not even the top pros can hold a pin dead steady on a target. Trusting your float causes you to concentrate on your target, not your pin and float your pin on your TARGET and when the bow surprisingly goes off, the arrow will miraculously be on it's mark. You'll get to where you'll know where you pin was when the bow went off and know, you hit exactly where your pin was when the bow went off, assuming you are shooting known distances. Trusting your Float isn't anything new, the term has been thrown around and is sound advice. Coming to understand it and actually trusting your float is another thing. You must do away with punching the trigger, float your pin, concentrate on your target and squeeze unconsciously on your triggering mechanism.
