Shooting with Jimmy Blackmon a few days ago, I noticed he was shooting neutral stance (perpendicular to target) with his feet pretty close together.

He never suggested that I try it, but when I got home I did. I immediately found it to be easier to be consistent with my alignment and my draw length. It just removed several variables and gave me less to worry about.

At first, I had some string clearance issues... but I realized it was MY mistake with my bow arm causing it and the stance was just causing me to notice it.

I also realized that shooting out of a tree saddle or standing 'twister' shots has always seemed easy to me.

Anyway....I'm going to try it a while at least until I stop making upper body mistakes and then reassess.

If you find yourself having alignment or short draw issues, take a minute and try it.

The key is does it work for you. Stay with it and let us know in a month if it's still working well. Sometimes just doing something different makes old habits fall away. Hopefully it will continue working for you...after the honeymoon is over.

I've used a closed stance for quite some time now. I too feel like it helps with my alignment and extends the draw.

My hero,mentor,coach,smartest guy in the world......Arne Moe says, an open stance and keeping your hips straight is very stable. But"........for us old guys we don't bend like used to so a closed stance works for us!

I will try it. I tend to shoot open stance. I know this- when I shot a few days ago my accuracy was unusually poor. I threw an arrow down perpendicular to the target, aligned my toe to it and I was on track. Funny how foot alignment alone threw me off.

I just grip it and rip it...what is this 'stance' thing you're all going on about?

I've seen folks grip it an rip it Kodiak. LOL. A foundation is pretty important, even grippin and rippin.

Feet close together---- not me.

I use feet shoulder width , semi closed.

I use a closed stance with feet fairly close together and most of my weight on the front leg. It's what works best for me for hunting or shooting outdoors where I shoot from different positions. Indoors shooting a 300 round n such where the bows verticle I use a slightly open stance with feet almost shoulder width. Do what works for you.

Imo your torso should be able to adapt to where ever you feet are. Obviously this is a lifestyle work in progress. For aimers I can see where things need to be the same. Rooty

Footy,

I agree completely and I practice that. But I think you need a consistent precision shot as Your foundation to adapt FROM.

True that

Rooty, I know your name isn't "Footy"...spellcheck...at least it wasn't "Pooty"!

Another detail I picked up on today...the Rotational Draw is more automatic with the closed stance. I have a problem sometimes when I am REALLY only focused on aiming, I will "Rifle" the arrow during the draw and pull it straight back. This puts the load more on my shoulder instead of my back.

That "J Arm Draw" that Jimmy shows in his Form videos just happens naturally for me closed stance. Don't have to think about it. And there is yet ANOTHER thing that I won't have to get distracted with.

On flat and level ground I'm shoulder width apart but perpendicular to the target. On slopes I choose close vs. spread with one leg up hill or down. It's more consistent for me.

Although the science would suggest that with a more open stance, an archer is more stable ... something to do with the biomechanics of dominant planes of motions and orthogonal axes relative to the plane of the target.

I shoot at least half of my deer and all of my small game still hunting and stalking. My legs gotta do what they need to do to keep me from falling over and my upper body needs to do what it needs to do to make the shot. I am typical for many Hill style shooters, in that my shoulders are slightly open.

No wider than shoulder width and closer can be beneficial as others have pointed out. I shot a bear from the side of a mountain. It seemed near vertical at the time. With a closed stance feet shoulder width apart, One foot would have been near 3 feet above the other. Like dean said you gota do what you gota do.>>>----> Ken

When I am shooting out of a Hammock seat, Nif T Seat or from a Tree Saddle, I realized that I try to orient my body perpendicular (neutral) to target to get good extension. From a Tree saddle I really prefer to shoot more closed (twister) for some reason.

If I am kneeling, I will sometimes put my back foot out directly behind me like kickstand.

There's no reason not to keep form, even on quick or fast paced hunting shots. Most of us became better, more productive hunters, as we got better at accuracy and good form.

JSD -

Your optimal stance is dictated by your anatomy. We've discussed how to figure it out more than a few times, and what we do has little baring on what you do.

Viper out.

You mean a close stance like in you have to drop a duce?LOL

Maybe try to shoot whats comfortable to you and perfect that rather than worry what to do maybe would be best.

I'm not suggesting that there is one way or that any one should change if they are happy with their results. I was just surprised that it made my shooting easier

Viper ... you said ... "Your optimal stance is dictated by your anatomy""

Would you care to elaborate on that

Did some research and was reading about how in the open stance, you rotate your torso but keep your hips open. I think that was part of my 'variable' that was moving my shots around.

Any videos on the various stances that any of you recommend? Thanks.

Phil -

Do a little research on "natural point of aim". Rifle guys use it all the time, and it makes sense for archery guys as well.

Basically, you want your aim to settle on the vertical center line of the target. If it's left or right you close or open your stance respectively to correct it.

Viper out.

like Viper said, open or close your stance to move your group slightly. If I'm hitting the right edge of the gold I pull my left foot back ,maybe 1/2 to 1".

To clarify, I don't think Viper was suggesting that you move your feet to correct windage on your shot. Natural Point of Aim or NPOA is a technique used in rifle shooting where you find your balance so the rifle points and stays on target without you constantly correcting it with your hands.

OCCASIONALLY I will find my structure at full draw and everything feels so easy. No fishing around for anchor, adjusting balance or trying to hold the arrow still on target. I just haven't yet gotten to where I can pull to that place every time.

If you move your feet to correct your shot, it is actually moving your elbow

As a hunter, the animal dictates my stance. With that said I practice various positions.

I was a golfer long before I was an archer. Lay a club on the ground pointing toward the hole, then toes align with the club.

When I started shooting a compound I did the same thing. Thirty years of shooting stick bows later, I still have a closed stance, especially on the target range. Probably not so much while stumping or hunting but I never thought about it before.

If animals dictated your stance you'd be home in bed. I plan my shot and I dictate my stance. In 50 years of hunting I can't remember ever having an obstruction that prevented me from shooting a planned shot.

Bowmania

Bowmania,

Thanks for that...I was hoping I wasn't the only one that felt that way (and I have very little experience!).

Messing with this more.....

Closed/Neutral I am still less likely to make windage errors. Open, I my draw feels better and I am less likely to hi my nose! i see the merits in both.

KEY to Open stance for me is to keep my hips aligned to my feet and only coil my torso.

Todd -

Thanks.

Viper out.

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