Ask Kisik (FAQs)

I have heard comments about the “Hold” section of the shooting cycle. Many here are interpreting that as a “stop” and consequently are a bit critical as we have all been taught that the draw must be continuous. I have said that it isn’t a Stop but the movement becomes imperceptible as the transfer goes on to the back. Can you give me any pointers to help explain it?

Those are great photos of David on the website! In particular, I've been wondering what he does with the thumb of his string hand when he draws; the first photo in the sequence seems to show it tensed or pulled back, but it is hard to see for sure. I have been trying to find my optimal thumb position and it would be interesting to know what he does.

I would like to just ask a more general question on how to develop the back muscles and how to learn to feel that everything is in the right place. Also should one use a drawing band or bow with Formaster attached as part of warming up before a tournament (or practice) as the muscles take a while to tell you which ones are working?

Bow Arm -For the first few years as an archer I accepted the advice that shooting is the best way to develop archery muscles. However, last October I visited an archery shop at which a member of the UK squad works and he advised me to use a rubber band to develop bow arm posture (the vertical elbow crease). Previously I had thought that this was largely a knack as my arm would always rotate away from the vertical as I drew. He also adapted my built up (epoxy wood filter is excellent for this) Hoyt grip to look more like the Hoyt Ergo grip with the result that it is now easier to maintain the correct bow hand/arm posture.   Having read many leading books in the hope of mastering this skill, it seems the solution is to gradually build up the back muscles that stabilize the bow arm scapula using a rubber band to begin with (as mentioned on page 131 of TA) and to practice drawing and holding the bow (10 reps of up to 1 minute as endurance improves - TA page 145). Any comments you have on the best way to proceed would be very useful. Also advice on how to customize bow hand grips would be very useful.

There is a lot of discussion about the draw side scapulae. What happens with the bow side scapulae? Does it lower straight down as the bow shoulder is pulled down, is it drawn in toward the spine, or is it held where ever it is after setup is completed? The various photos in the book and on the form photo page appears to not support moving it in toward the spine but I'm not sure. Please help!! Thanks.

In your discussion regarding the question about the "Hold" section of the shooting cycle, you briefly mentioned "expansion of the chest". What is chest expansion and how is it done? I can increase the tension in my scapulae with no apparent movement of my chest or I can do it by also allowing my chest to slightly expand or move toward the bow/string. The latter is actually much easier so is this what you mean? I have also heard some folks describe it by saying one should relax the chest to get the clicker to drop. The latter doesn't seem to make any since because as I do that, the arrow moves further away from the clicker. (my shot collapses) What is chest expansion and how is it done? Thanks.

Your answer to question 6, has made me now fully understand what is meant by expansion and how to achieve it. However, could you please clarify what you mean by, “Meanwhile, the bow arm continues to reach out towards the target, assisting the bow arm to stay down”. Refer TA page 60, third paragraph. If I reach out I have troubles bringing my drawing scapula in. Thank you.

I had looked at the Scapulae Positioning pictures on page 105 many times without fully seeing the movement that is so obviously presented through the use of lines, arrows and ovals on those same pictures in Form Photos of your web site. That Form Photos picture is truly worth a thousand words! Which brings me to my question: are those Scapulae pictures that utilize the lines, arrows and ovals available in TA 2nd edition? Are there other clarifications, improvements or corrections provided in 2nd edition? If so, would you please post them on this website for us 1st edition owners to see? Thank you.

At our club there seems to be a difference of opinion amongst coaches as to the draw hand position on the face. Some of the older coaches say that the back of the draw hand should be vertical, parallel to the string, and others say that the top of the draw hand should make a solid and as much contact with the jaw as possible, which means a slightly angled back of the draw hand. Could we please have your views on this?

As an archer improves overall alignment and form, including keeping the crease of the inside of the bow arm elbow close to vertical, should the coach use "buzz" (of the bowstring humming against the armguard as it vibrates at the end of the shot) on the armguard as a evaluation tool? In other words can slight string contact with the arm guard be considered either a positive thing or an unavoidable result of good alignment?

I have purchased the book and thank you for the information. Whilst browsing through the KSL web site I could find a FAQ section for this book. Incidentally, I would like to post a question over here.   The setup is the positioning the draw shoulder and scapulae to align them toward the target. How do the archer achieved this without twisting his waist ? At this stage , what is the relation between the waist and the upper body ? What do you meant by the "Hip Open to the target"?   Please elaborate on the questions above.

Now to the point, the reason I am writing today is to have a few questions answered dealing with the SPT exercises. Do you advise doing the SPT exercised before or after shooting. Such as SPT in the morning and target shooting in the evening? Do you recommend doing the SPT exercises in the order A, then B, then C, then D. or can these be shifted. Also what repetitions do you recommend for C and D I have been unable to find any. As an ex gymnast of 15 years I have some concerns with the effects of shooting and doing SPT exercises on one side of the body. I have for some time done as much as I can to balance my shooting. Such as - If I shot 10 Arrows I will shift the bow and pull it 10 times on the other side, it is not exact but it is an attempt to keep my body more balanced. Recently when I began doing the SPT exercises I have also made attempts to keep it balanced by repeating all exercises and hold times on the other side. However I have been advised that it may be best to stick with just my shooting side. One, that it may not be necessary as you have not advised it. Two, its just more work and fatigue that may not be beneficial to my shooting. How do you feel about this? Thank you in advance for any insight you may give.

Could you please send me information on Coach Lee's camps and seminars?

Dear Coach Lee,  I hope that you are well and enjoying your move to the USA.   It was good to see you again and listen to your talk on B.E.S.T. I have been looking over the notes I made from your talk.  I hope that you do not mind me asking.   One of the points you made was that you wished to see the draw elbow, beyond the centre line of the arrow. This seems to break the line of force from the elbow to the fingers on the string. It was my understanding that the elbow joint should be directly behind the arrow - taking into account body proportions. This would seem to give more consistency if you use the analogy of the fingers are like hooks, attached by chains to the elbow.  Thank you for your time.

Coach Lee - I have been studying your book religiously since purchasing it this past winter. Thanks for putting together such a great piece of work!  Here's my question. I have just begun shooting recurve archery after shooting a compound for approx 20 years. I think my form is technically strong. However, one issue that I continue to deal with is that I consistently scrape my chin with the string (receive a burn mark on my chin from the string).   Here are some specifics on my form: My stance is open as you suggest in Total Archery. My anchor is slightly off to the side of my chin. If I were to make it any less of a side anchor, I would be anchoring in the middle of my chin.   Are there any elements of my form that I can check to help eliminate this issue?  Thanks a lot for your help!

Dear Mr.Lee,   I am coming from relatively small archery society, I am a member of AC «Kalemegdan» from Belgrade, Serbia. Archery society to which I belong is, as I said, relatively small, consisted about 100 archers, divided in 10 archery clubs, mostly recreate archers and just a few persons seriously involved in this sport, within the boundaries of their own capabilities. Unfortunately Serbia doesn't have certified coaches or other experts approved by FITA.   On the other hand by the summer of 2009. Belgrade is a host of UNIVERSIADE and we hope that the Archery shall be a part of the official program to this event. For that reason I strongly believe that in the near future Serbian archery will grow in large steps.   I am not going to say anything new when I state that yours «TOTAL ARCHERY» helped me, as well as many more archery worldwide, and that it is surely one of the most (or the most) useful books in this particular field, specially in situations where other professional help or assistance is not available.   For that reason I came to an idea to translate «Total Archery» from English to Serbian language, hoping that this should be one step in creating environment for significant progress of serious archery in Serbia.   Here I emphasize that this should be the first book about archery in Serbian (excluding Eugen Herrigel «Zen in der Kunst des Bogenschiessens» which doesn't have anything similar with the concept of your book).   Of course I am aware that there are certain legal aspects of this idea and some Copyright issues since I am a lawyer myself (specialized in Commercial law). I hope that you will find some time to inform me about your opinion about this idea and if you are attending Croatian «Grand Prix», Porec 9-13.05. it will be my pleasure to meet you in person, and maybe discuss about the details.  With respect

Hello,   I am an archer from Italy and would like to know what the shoes are called on photo 64, page 126 of Total Archery.  Thanks

Hi,  Could you put me on the email list for any coaching that Mr. Lee may do at the end of the year. Much appreciated.  Also, I am interested in Mr. Lee's testimony - his faith seems very real to him. I would like to read about his journey has he written it down?   Kindest regards.

What is the best way to approach the B.E.S.T system. I understand core strength is paramount to being able to support a lot of the movements? Should core strength be the first to achieve and then train after with the rest of the technique building? Or is there a way to build technique without having the most efficient core strength. Until you've built your core strength? Best Regards.

Where can I buy a copy of Total Archery in the USA?

Dear Coach Lee,   You mentioned in Total Archery the use of a 'variable delayed video box" in conjunction with a video camera and monitor for use in coaching and self analysis. I have not been able to locate a retailer here in the US that stocks such an item. Do you have an internet source that one of these units can be purchased?   Thanks.

Dear Coach Lee,   I have a 12 year old daughter (of a good athletic build for her age) who represents her county on a regular basis shooting the recurve bow. As she is now starting to move up to the next level of her archery. For example, better quality limbs and arrows and increased coaching without making her become bored and turning her away from the sport.   I was wondering how you approach the subject of improving the strength and endurance of a young archer without building increased visible muscle mass that would not be acceptable to see on a young archer or child. Are the techniques employed in the book suitable for juniors? I would say not. Any improvement would I believe allow for a more constant and consistent draw and her 'anchor' to be maintained. Her coach has noticed that the draw may not be being carried out correctly at the moment, i.e. too much weight on her top finger and not spreading the load to the index and lower fingers. I believe we can iron this out from sections of your book and the photographs that go with it.   We also have the problem that she does not really like to eat or drink in the mornings. Which is awkward when it comes to an early start for a competition. Although she will readily drink 'Lucozade' type products and cereal bars. Could hydration in the morning be a substitute for solid food until she or other archers are ready to eat properly? For her it is probably nerves which is something we will have to overcome by mental training before she can reach her true potential.   If you are able to give me any advice for my daughter which I may also pass on to other club members both junior and senior I would be most grateful.   Are you doing any seminars or coaching sessions in the UK that we or other club members could attend as it would be most beneficial?   Many thanks for your time.

Since 2 weeks I am studying your wonderful and convincing view/book on archery. As I am a common-style archer the question arises of how to change to the KSL-style shooting technique. As in our club there are no coaches that studied your approach and still teach the common-style approach Ii find it difficult to get myself started in changing my style to the KSL-style. Is there a way to start changing my style in a gradual manner or would it be preferred to start all over again? Kind regards.

Dear KSL,  I agree with everything you have said in your reply, however is it true that training in Korea is different to anywhere else in the world? If a young person were on a training program in Korea at what ages and poundage would they be expected to cope with, also would the training program support these demands.   Thank you.

Many thanks for the wonderful website and book!   My question regards the set-up. Should an archer turn shoulders into line before or after raising the bow. My current procedure is as follows. I raise the bow, turn the bow shoulder into line at the same time pulling the draw scapula down into the set-up position. Then I start the draw. I have tried to turn into line before raising the bow and have found that the set-up position does not feel consistent.   Thank you.

I've been trying to find out if, when aiming, you should focus on the target and blur the sight or vise-versa. Is there a best way or is it personal preference? Thank you.

Dear Coach Lee,   I've had a great time reading and using the KSL shot cycle on the website and have put it to good use. I do however have a major problem, I don't seem to be able to get good clearance on the string as it hits the forearm hard and occasionally get caught under the guard (OUCH!). Must the bow arm and hand be in a straight line with the shoulders? Or would it be a good idea for me to tilt my bow arm forward to allow more clearance, if so by how much should I tilt? Please help me out, appreciate it.   Best regards.

A couple of questions on the Endurance SPT that weren't made totally clear by your website: Exactly how far through the shot cycle is one supposed to go? Do you just come to anchor and hold, or do you fully expand and hold? Where can I find rubber bands that can stretch to a full draw length?

To be able to get maximum speed for my arrows I have turned my 46# limbs in as hard as I can. Even though I'm shooting very well I am getting a lot of limb tip flutter. Will this affect the accuracy of the arrow? Many Thanks.

Hello,  I am a Spanish medicine doctor interested in bow shooting.   With the help of other bow shooters, we are trying to translate your article of the angular movement into Spanish, but we have some difficulties with the anatomical concepts you write in the article. I would like to know the scientific names of the following: chest bones chest joint When you describe the movement of the scapula to the backbone you say that it is a micro movement(and it looks like it were smaller than the movement of the chest bone to the chest joint, I can't understand that.

Hello Mr. Lee,  I'll be glad if you will answer me couple of questions.  The first one:  I'm trying to shoot like the you recommend (KSL shooting cycle) and my problem is that as I am starting to draw the bow my chin goes up and it is very hard for me to keep it in it's place. How should I fix it?   Second question - currently I'm shooting with W&W limbs and someone said they are too short for me, is it true? my draw is 29", and the power of the bow is 36 pounds. The length of the bow is 66". should I get new limbs? (the riser length is 25")   Thank you very much.

Coach, I appreciate that the bare shaft shooting selection process should weed out any rogue shafts, but how important do you consider spine matching to be in a competition set of arrows for recurve archers. Have any tests been carried out to measure spine consistency of the shafts selected using this process? Might you be able to put a figure on it, e.g. +/- 0.005", or some such other figure. Many thanks.

Coach, I am interested in all your comments about keeping the bow shoulder low, but when viewing the archer on your home page demonstrating the shot sequence, it seems like he is leaning his bow shoulder inwards to get in line, has he got it wrong or should I attempt to do this.

Hi,   Coach Lee introduces a 'transfer' stage where you transfer the load to your back.   Question is, where do you transfer it FROM? Perhaps there is tension in your forearm during the draw that is totally relaxed after hitting anchor? Maybe your forearm is NOT like a bicycle chain during DRAW, but SHOULD become like a bicycle chain AFTER reaching anchor? And it is the relaxing of the forearm that starts the transfer stage?

Dear Coach,   I am a club archer and appreciate that my level of archery is way below those you normally teach and like many archers I get to shoot once or twice a week yet I still put in some asonable scores (around 550 25M indoors and 1150 FITA).   I find that before a tournament I am able to do some warm up exercises and try to get myself in to the right frame of mind with some visionary exercises, but for most competitions in the UK we only get to shoot six sighters before scoring takes place yet despite the body warm up with a stretch band, I am finding that I sometimes need the first 6-18 arrows to get in to my proper shooting routine which translates in to quite a few lost points (and possibly my 1200 star).   Tournaments tend to start in the morning and family commitments mean I drive to the shoot the same day getting there about an hour before the start. Can you recommend some exercises I can do easily behind the shooting line to get me better prepared? Best regards.

Hallo,   I have two more questions, if it is ok. As you said, a harmful corn could develop": it developed on my index finger (of the drawing arm).What should I do? should I keep training with the pain?   My second question: "The tip of the elbow, when viewed from the side, should either be in line with the arrow or just a touch higher". The structure of my jaw doesn't allow me to do this, my elbow is high, to high.how can I get it down? After I anchor, I can't move it down.   Thank you very much for your help.

Dear Coach,   There is one thing that you could help us, if you have few moments. We saw all the elements of the KSL Shot Cycle, but there is one thing that puzzle us: During the High Performance Coaches Seminar (Colorado Springs) it was said (chapter 12) as follows 12. Release the arrow. Once the clicker falls, then the release is made. Just let the string go by relaxing the string hand. The string hand will slide off the string and then spring back into the hook made when the string hand was positioned on the string. At the same time as the release is being made, actively drop the bow hand as if telling a dog to sit. Keep the tension in the back throughout the release.   This bolded sentence is not quite clear to us, since we can see this maneuver from the video clips of Korean National Team training session, but it is not emphasized in Shot Cycle. Would you be so kind to explain me the effect of this maneuver with the bow hand?   Best regards.

Dear Coach Lee:   The KSL Shot Cycle II clearly shows the sequence of steps and where there is overlap (for example, between drawing and load/transfer). My question -- is there a correlation between the size of the ovals or steps and the relative amount of time each requires? That is, can I conclude that loading/transfer takes about as long as drawing, that expansion takes longer than any other step, and that follow through is a major step, taking as much time as load/transfer or drawing?   Thanks.

Dear Coach Lee,   As a male archer I've never had this particular problem myself and I didn't find any answer to it in the book either. The question is: what can female archers do to counter the problem of bowstring pushing against the bust while drawing? I've seen this numerous times and it seems to cause major problems such as incorrect drawing arm alignment and bow tilting. I also suspect it creates harmful pressure to the string in release. Sport bra and a tight chest guard seem to help a bit but could the problem be better solved by a change in the stance?   Best regards.

Could these principles be utilized for shooting fingers and a compound bow? I would think that most but maybe not all techniques would apply. I have ordered k Lees book from Lancaster Archery for our recurve instructors for our learn to shoot classes. I want to totally reform my shooting technique and I want to make sure I have the correct system to follow. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I have started with the band and I am already grasping the concept of the stance, breathing, mindset,draw, shoulder placement aiming, follow through etc. If you would not recommend this system could you recommend another one. Thank you!!

My question is on length of sight extension bar – I shoot a 50lb target recurve bow with a sight extension of 15inches. However, over the last year my sight extension has broken some three times and replacements are getting a bit expensive, as the manufacturer won’t replace it free of cost. I am reluctant to change to a more conventional length of 9” or 12”, as I feel that the 15” sight extension gives me greater accuracy. Could I please have your views on this issue? Thank you!!

"Total Archery" is a great interesting read and has been very beneficial to my archery, although I'm a just little confused now when shooting at longer distances.   As my sight is set much lower, I'm wondering when I should pivot the waist to place my sight on the target in the KSL shot cycle.   If I place my sight on the gold (slightly above) this will effect my T-shape and effect my draw length as my bow arm is now placed higher in relation to my draw arm   Many Thanks.

Dear Coach,   I have got a question.   When we are holding the bow at full draw, it is extremely difficult to feel if we are using the right back muscles. Without using a bow is there a way or exercise where you can demonstrate using our back muscles?   Thank You .

Dear Coach Lee,   I’ve been working on the BEST method using Total Archery and then with one of the high performance coaches for around 6 months. My questions are with regard to the pre-draw and setup positions.   I draw a 48lbs recurve bow at 31” draw length. From the mindset I align my shoulders with the target while pre-drawing. When I come to setup position, my draw hand wrist is around 6 inches in front of my face and around 2 inches above my chin/anchor.   What do you think is a good pre-draw compared to an archers draw length?   Is there a benefit of having a higher setup position if so what do you think is a good point of reference?   Thank you.

Dear Mr. Lee, Do the scapulae come down a bit during expansion? Regards.

I can just go through the motions of the exercises. Or, I can do them while focusing on particular aspects of the shot -- for example, what is happening on the bowside of my back when I am pushing to the target during the Flexibility exercise. Or, during the Structure exercise, what motions are my shoulders going through, and what affect does it have on rotating the scapula? My question for Mr. Lee -- he probably designed them with more than exercise in mind. What does he suggest we focus on when doing them?   Thanks.

Dear Coach Lee,   First I want to say, that I am full of respect to your work. Now to my question: I think my technique is ok at the moment, but when shooting on 70 metre target I have a big problem. When clicker going off I can't release the shot (I am afraid of the clicker). Instead of releasing the arrow I let down. Sometimes I force myself to release shot, but in most cases I lose back tension. The only possibility for me to shoot some prober shots is shooting on short distances without a face. What shall I do now? Please help me, I have no idea, how to resolve the problem.   Thank you.

I realize this may seem like a simple question, but I have a disagreement with some of the local coaches on this issue. On release of the arrow my view is that the bow arm should not move to the left, but more in a forward motion toward the target while the release arm moves backward and in a small arc because of the movement of the shoulder blade.  Others say that the bow arm is also supposed to move in an arc on release pushing both shoulder blades together, creating a arc with the body with expansion of the chest in the process. I have watched people shoot using this principal an they always seem to have issues with the shafts going left.   My sense is that the bow arm is already being pushed back where it is supposed to be so that on release the only arcing movement should be in the release arm. In my view the bow arm should be pointed at the target center and pushing gently in that direction.   Could email me some information as to which view is correct.   Thanks Yours, M.M.

Dear Coach Lee,  Lately there has been a lot of talk about the "Sit Down" method you teach and there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation of this movement in the release cycle. I have used it for the last couple of weeks now and after a settling in period it seems to give me more accuracy and consistency in my release. Could you please provide some further information as to the thinking behind this movement?   Thank you, J.M.

I would like to share with you an answer I received from one of my archers who lives some 600 miles away from me and who I coach by video link, photos, telephone and monthly visits. I'm quite fanatic and insistent that my archers keep a Performance Journal and when I, again, asked, "You are keeping your Performance Journal up to date, aren't you?" I received the following answer, which delighted and demonstrated to me the great mental attitude that my archer had developed through keeping a journal.

Dear Coach Lee,   Page 52 in Total Archery – “The string must be drawn back in a straight line from the set-up to approx. 2 – 3 inches (5 – 7.5cm) below the anchor point and not directly to the chin”.   In Germany 99% of all archers are coming directly to their anchor point on their chin.   My question is, why do I have to bring the string 2 – 3 inches (5 – 7.5cm) below the chin and why can I not make a draw direct under the chin?   Thank you.

Dear Coach Lee:   When I check my clicker during the transfer-to-holding phase I notice that my draw gets to a still-stand or even a slight let-go (2-4mm), especially when drawing decisively as recommended in the B.E.S.T. method. Is this OK or does it indicate some flaw in my technique? Do I need to slow down at the end of my draw at the end to avoid this let-go?   Thank you for your advice.

I am 59 years old, and generally in excellent physical condition. I have recently (3 months ago) taken up recurve target archery and have very quickly become addicted. I absolutely love it. I have been pouring over your book, and also getting a few coaching lessons from an experienced teacher very familiar with the B.E.S.T. method. I shoot with some excellent recurve archers who have been helpful and supportive. I have begun to have some irritation and discomfort in my wrists, both of them, but mostly in thedraw arm. I am using 30 lb. limbs (just switched from lower quality 28 lb.)and the draw weight seems not a problem for me at all. So far I have been using moderation, a wrist wrap and the occasional Advil to keep things in check. Do you have any suggestions for what I might do to address this situation-to improve it or at least keep it in check so that it doesn¹t get worse? I know form makes a big difference, and my improving form has helped somewhat (page 52 & 53). I wonder if others have a similar problem? I look forward to your insight into my problem.   Thank you.

Clarification on Question 49: Are muscles used to "flick"?   In your answer to question 49, you wrote, "To prevent any of these movements and ensure that the bow arm is kept still as long as possible, the bow hand must flick down from the wrist. This is a deliberate and quick movement and must be synchronized with the release, as such it is called “RSM50/50”. "   It sounds as if you're saying we should enlist muscles in our wrist to create a flicking motion, as opposed to just "letting" the hand achieve that position by maintaining complete relaxation in the bow hand/wrist throughout the release/follow through. Which way is correct? Use muscles to flick the hand down, or just "relax" and let the hand just achieve the "sit" position through complete relaxation? The book doesn't address the use of muscles to achieve the "sit" position. It just says the bow should be allowed to jump from the hand. Also if we are to enlist muscles to flick the hand down, would you say that it is a vigorous flick, or a light flick in terms of the amount of force exerted? Should I be "throwing" the bow away? How do I gage if I am using too much or too little force?   You also state that this motion is utilized to minimize bow arm movement. Upon release, the "snapping" of the scapulae causes my bow arm to drop about 10-15 degrees. Is this flicking designed to stop that? Should my bow arm be dropping?   Thank you very much for your help.

Mr Lee,   Firstly, I want to say how interesting and helpful Total Archery has been for me. I have used it as the main basis for rebuilding my form after an injury and found it invaluable. However, I have two problems, which I think are connected. If you have time, I would very much appreciate your thoughts on them.   Firstly, in practice and with no target, I can produce very smooth shots. With a target, sometimes I can shoot well but at other times I find it very hard to shoot with good timing. I can set up on the point of the clicker but it can take a lot of effort to pull through. Although my alignment is good (compared with the pictures in your book and on your website) and I clearly use my back muscles, I suspect I am unable to relax my drawing arm muscles to let the back take over completely. In competition especially my release is very bad, with the drawing elbow dropping and the drawing hand coming away from the face. No matter how I try to focus on relaxing my string arm I find at full draw I am either gripping the string very tightly or have a very shallow grip. Both result in a poor release, and my bow sounds very loud because of this.   Secondly, I am very unhappy with my string picture. If I anchor with a slight side anchor, the string is on the left of the sight ring (I am right handed). It is hard for me to keep the string on the left edge of the sight for consistency. If I anchor a little more around the side, the string then aligns over the sight ring and it becomes difficult to see the gold, especially at further distances. I was never shown how to align the string when I started shooting so it is very difficult for me to learn. Only when I shoot barebow with a high side anchor point can I easily align the string on the riser. When I am struggling with the string alignment I become even more tense. It takes my focus away from the feel of the shot and the first problem becomes worse. I am not overbowed, shooting only 40lbs. I am doing reversal training with heavier limbs (about 50lbs) using a formaster. I very much want to shoot better, and would appreciate your advice on what approach I should take to fix this problem. I have a very good coach, but he is very busy and I haven't had much chance to see him lately. I want to be able to sit down with him and put together a solid training plan to get me shooting to my full potential.   Thank you for your time. Regards.

Dear Coach Lee,   Firstly, thank you for sharing so much technical information on your website, which is a continuing well of information for many archers all over the world and is also followed closely by most of our coaches and club members. I have recently gone from recurve to compound and have used most of the form details described in the KSL Shot Cycle very successfully shooting compound. We recently had a lengthy discussion at our club in view of some recent articles published advocating no string contact with the face at all or at best, very light. Further, recurve archers are advised to centre the string on their chin and not having a side anchor, which seems to fly in the face of your teachings and the successes you have had with your archers. We would appreciate very much to hear your views on this.   Sincerely.

Dear Coach,   Thanks for your kind answer. I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year! and I would like to ask a question.   I would like to know if there is any difference between the one eye aiming and the two eye aiming. I mean what are the pros and cons of each of them, and what do you think is the better for a top archer?   thanks a lot!

Dear Coach,   Nearly each archer in Korea starts his set-up position like shown in the shot sequence gallery on the website, where the draw hand is at the height of the nose.   Here in Germany we show the new archers that the draw hand must be about 10cm lower and in one line with the chin, so that the new archer has do draw in one line - and the archer in Korea has to draw "from the top"   Why you prefer this way "from the top"?   Have a nice day!

Coach Kisik Lee   The Jager archery company makes a grip that is geared for shooting the BEST method. They have two different options, a high and low position. Would you recommend a high wrist position or a low wrist position? Thank you.

Hello mister Lee,   In the French version of TA, I noted that you speak about the concentration on the movement the one towards other one of the shoulder blades towards the spine what according to me means that the shoulder blade of bow also moves towards the spine.   However, you say that the shoulder blade of bow does not get closer to the spine but stays in low position.... Thus, it is fixed?   In front of these two opposite explanations I do not know any more what I have to understand to realize the good technique. Can let me know how I have to interpret these texts. Thank you for your understanding and for your answer.

Coach Kisik Lee,   Sorry to trouble you again but I would be grateful for some advice please. In recurve archery, how far should you turn your head towards the target? I noticed something on my last practice session that may be having an effect on groupings and just wanted to check. This is what I found:   I can turn my head quite far without any discomfort but sometimes noticed that the ledge on my tab was sitting nicely under my jaw whereas at other times I couldn't even locate the ledge because it was outside of my jaw or just connecting with the outside of the jawbone. I was wondering why I was getting these inconsistent anchor points until it dawned on me that it was all due to how far I turned my head. If I turn my head so it is virtually over my bow arm, I can clearly see the target with both eyes open but the muscle down my neck sticks out and I cannot anchor my tab correctly - it either floats outside of my jaw or just on the edge of the drawbone and the connection is not solid. However, if I turn my head slightly, so that it faces 1 O'clock, both my eyes have to be turned left (I am right-handed) towards the target and my neck muscle remains relaxed such that my tab shelf fits nicely under my jaw.   Therefore, I was wondering if I should be turning my head 12 O'clock to directly face the target or 1 O'clock so that my eyes have to look to the left. I'm sure there is a simple answer but my dilemma is the compromise between a nice tab position under my jaw and the target picture. Obviously, if I turn my head 12 O'clock I get a nice complete target picture but a poor tab position. If I turn my head to 1 O'clock I get a nice tab position but a more strained target picture due to moving my eyes to the left. Which one (if any) is correct?

Hello,   i'm an archer from Germany and saw on your website about the "1000-arrow-challenge". Can you describe me a bit more detail how to do this.   Mit freundlichem Gruß - Best regards

Hi,   Your video of Brady Ellison appears to show a 'rotation' of the string wrist upon release, starting with the palm facing Brady, and ending with the palm facing towards the ground. Likewise, the bow wrist appears to rotate, starting with the palm facing the bow, and ending with the palm facing down. That is, the two hands rotate toward each other -- the bow hand clockwise, the string hand counterclockwise. Is there any torque during the shot that causes such a follow through? That is, is the rotation intentional?   Thanks.

Hello,   I have a grip built with the specs you lay out in Inside the Archer (about 30 degrees from vertical and a 5 degree left-to-right slant). As a right handed archer at full draw, if my bow hand is slightly sweaty (a common occurrence) I find the bow will want to slide to the left so that the grip moves more towards the center of my palm.   I know in that section of the book you mention adding grip tape to the grip itself, but I wonder if in this situation adding tape would increase torque because the bow is trying to slide left. Is it OK to be adding grip tape in this situation? Or should I be looking at something form related to correct this?   Thanks for any help.

Dear Mr. Lee,   I am particularly interesting in your training method. I am just a question about finger tabs. Is it better to use a finger tab with platform or not ?   I am looking forward to receiving a reply from you.

Dear Mr. Lee,   I have just purchased a KSL Gold Tab and with reference to Question 65 I'm a bit confused, as where to put my thumb on the tab The instruction manual shows two pictures with the thumb on top of the shelf, whilst in the answer to Question 65 it states, " The shelf should not be used to rest the thumb on...."   Could you please clarify this apparent contradiction.   Many thanks.

Dear Mr. Lee,   I have just purchased a KSL Gold Tab and with reference to Question 65 I'm a bit confused, as where to put my thumb on the tab The instruction manual shows two pictures with the thumb on top of the shelf, whilst in the answer to Question 65 it states, " The shelf should not be used to rest the thumb on...."   Could you please clarify this apparent contradiction.   Many thanks.

Dear Coach Lee,   In the KSL shot cycle you recommend a visual check of the clicker in the loading / anchoring stage. In the "Inside the Archer" book there is no mention of the clicker check and in the chapter of the Eye Focus its stated that eye focus start at the set position and continue on the target till the follow through. Is it not recommended for high level archers to do the clicker check?   Thank you.

Hello Mr. Lee,   Page 60 of the French version of TA, you ask to concentrate on a spot LAN2 and move and push this spot towards the back.   My question is: which is the place or the anatomical zone of this spot (is it the shoulder) or can be described it.   Then, in which direction must it be this spot moved towards the back, is on-line with shoulders and the shooting plane of bow or towards the perpendicular back in the axis of the arrow. Indeed, when I move closer the shoulder blade towards the spine my draw shoulder moves towards the back and this angular movement makes spread the hand towards the outside of the face at the time of the release instead of leaving on-line towards the back in line.   Thank you very much of the attention which you will wear in my problem.   Very cordially,   P.G.- an old man of France

Good day Coach,   Firstly thank you for 2 superb books - Total Archery and Inside the Archer. I am taking these books chapter by chapter and working gradually on improving my form.   Please can you tell me what the difference in performance of the brass KSL Gold Finger tab as opposed to the aluminium one is and which is the preferable choice?   Many thanks for your time. Kind regards.

Dear Coach,   I have been attempting to follow your techniques as written in your book Total archery. I have slightly shorter length long bones in my arms compared to my torso. This means I have trouble getting good alignment because it is biomechanically not possible. To achieve an anchor I have to either raise my elbow tip up (not recommended on page 56) , or bring my elbow tip “forward of the line” (as described on page 57) or I have to raise my head or lean it backwards. I would like to know which is the lesser of the evils?   Regards.

Dear Mr. Lee,   I have studied your book intensively and rebuild my shooting style within the last year.   I have one question about the transfer and anchor which I do not quite understand.   You explain that in transfer one should take over as much power as possible by the muscles of the back, especially the trapezius region. The muscles of the drawingarm and hand should be as relaxed as possible.   On the other hand you say that one should have a firm anchor point in the face, that you should press the hand tightly into place.   In order to have a tight anchor one has to engage the biceps/brachialis muscle to stabilize the elbow joint. If the biceps is totally relaxed one cannot archieve a tight anchor. Without stabilising the elbow joint it is quite easy to push the hand laterally out of alignment. Therefore no firm anchor is possible.   Would you mind explain to me where I should place the priority? A tight anchor in the face or a relaxed overarm?   Thank you very much.   Kind Regards.

Hi,   I wanna(sic) buy a KSL book to learn his techniques. I asked SAMICK BINGJING, they told me the English edition had 11 chapters, 203 pages and the Chinese edition had 11chapters, 117 pages. Could you please let me know where I can buy the Chinese translation.   Thank you.