I will be getting my first bow soon, and I have a couple of questions regarding shooting form:

1)What do you consider are some of the most important points in proper shooting form?

2)What are some common mistakes made in regards to improper form?

1. Having a consistant shooting form.
2. Having too long of a draw length.

Gman, you didn't state in your post if you would be using a mechanical release or not so I will assume you are. The best advice I can give may not be considered form but here it is anyway. A SURPRISE REALEASE. If you don't know when the bow is going to fire then you won't be able to flinch. There are many releases on the market made just for this (back tension releases) but for hunting the same thing can be acheived with a standard caliper release. Just keep aiming while pulling the trigger very slowly. Don't start out by ''punching'' the trigger or you will develope target panic. When done correctly the bow will go off and surprise you but you will get used to it.
FORM: stand up straight
feet at shoulder width
you should be able to hold pin on target as you draw
string should touch center of nose at full draw
release hand should rest against side of face
don't grip bow tightly
These are things that have helped me. Good luck and I hope you enjoy archery.

What zak wrote!

almost all beginning archers are shooting a bow with too long a draw length. for those of us with a short dl, it's very difficult to find a bow with a dl that fits us. for a couple of years, I thought that my dl was 27", even with imput from two experienced pro's. just recently, i had a chance to go to a weekend with one of the top competition pro's in the country and he changed my dl to 26 1/4". I was amazed at the difference in my consistancy and accuracy. a rule of thumb for release shooters is that at full draw, with your nose on the string, the nock should be at the corner of your mouth. there are several factors that will change this a little, but it is a good starting point.

good luck
Allen

I would like to expand on what Zak said. The one thing about a coupmpound bow is that the drawlength MUST be right (or very close) or nothing else about the bow matters at all. To get very close measure your wingspan and then divide it by 2.5. This may not be right on but it should be close enough to be tweaked later. Do not overbow yourself. 60lbs is enough to kill anything in North America. You should not have to struggle at all to draw a bow.

And what Allen said is OK but what he missed is that not only a lot of beginning shooters have too long a draw, but fully 80% of the people shooting bows today are at least 2" too long. That's why I question how a guy can get someone to help him when those people don't know how to get their own drawlength right.

What is proper form? Join a local archery club and watch who's shooting what. Find the best TARGET shooter you can and see if he'll help you. I say target archer because most bowhunters are just bowhunters. The very best shooters use the very "most repeatable" form. There is always help to be had at local clubs and pro-shops. Some for a fee but most for free. It's how we give a little back to a sport that we love.

There are several factors about the bow that can influence your form and consistancy. Draw length is critical, as mentioned. You also need to consider draw weight. I don't know anything about you physically, but as was mentioned, you should be able to put the pin on the target and slowly draw back to full draw. If you can't keep the bow straight and level or pull it slowly, you are pulling too much weight. Too much weight can lead to bad form. Don't feel you are not a man if you don't pull a 70# bow. The man that drills the X or the gets the deer every time with a 55# bow is the real man.

Also consider the axle to axle (ATA) length of your bow. The more popular shorter bows will physically not allow you to touch the string to your nose AND maintain proper form, the string angle is too severe, making it too far from your face. You should not move your head with good form.

I would also say the most important thing is to have fun.

JMAC

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I checked out this measurement and it looks like my draw length is going to be approximately 27".

Yes I will be using one, which leads to a question about the draw length I just measured. I am looking at using a string loop also. By using a release and string loop, should I actually consider a bow with a draw length slightly shorter than the 27" I measured? Say, 26 1/2"?

Thanks again for all the help.

The best way to really measure drawlenth is with the release you are going to use, and, ideally, the tied on string loop. At a minimum the release will get you very close and then just subtract 1/2" for the loop.
Good luck,
JMAC

Once you establish a drawlength it should not change. A loop does not change the bow. It only extends your anchor point farther back. This can be detrimental to your form. What you might want to do is get a release designed just for loops that move your hand closer to the string (shorter head on the release). True Ball's Short and Sweet is such a release. There are others. In a pinch you can compromise and shorten the bow a tad, and keep the loop as short as possible also. Many guys have too long a loop on the string. So long as your release dows not touch the arrow nock it's long enough.

I've always used a rope release so my "loop" is on the release. Same concept though keep it short so you do not overextend your drawlength.