# Diagnosing shooting issue.



## SHD (Dec 31, 2014)

So I received my Pocket Predator SS and other than the rubberized coating coming off almost immediatley in places, it has been great. I watched some of the Hays videos on shooting along with Charles' two videos on avoiding hand/fork hits. I'm using basically the Hays shooting style with a sideways pouch grip, thumb on the bottom. I found a place on my cheek for an anchor point that is high enough to stay out of my beard but low enough that the top of the fork doesn't obscure my target at 10 yards. I've put maybe 100 shots down range and am getting maybe 9/10 in a softball sized area at 10 yards and am hitting the target or juuuust missing it pretty regularly. Not there yet, but it is actually coming together quicker than I had expected.

The thing is, the 1/10 outliers are almost all 6-8" right of the target at the correct elevation. It is like I have a second grouping to the right. I know I'm doing something wrong but I've yet to be able to catch myself at it. I've been focussing on my anchor point and release and nothing is standing out on the outlier shots. One thing I have considered is that I am shooting square nuts because I had those on hand -- possible I'm catching a corner or something and causing the flyers. I'm going to switch to ball bearings and see if that helps. If this is ringing any bells with those in the know, however, please let me know. Is there something obvious that causes this type of error?

Cheers,
Dave


----------



## honorary pie (Feb 12, 2015)

Hmmmm, perhaps your pouch grip is periodically misaligned somehow.. Which tends to happen to me if I get into a rhythm of shooting and loading my pouch, at which point I stop focusing so much on my pouch grip and every now and again I notice my shots slip.. If you notice it happening after taking a few shots rather than right off the hop.. Maybe you're too zoned in and should take a second to reexamine your fundamentals, this is also advice from a relative novice. I'm sure more people here will have better info. But it stands for most anything we tend to practice...


----------



## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

How hard are you gripping your slingshot?

This is more based in archery than anything, but a really hard grip can torque your slingshot after release, resulting in a left or right skew. Ideally you want a loose grip that is more a brace than a death hold. A HTS should be pretty easy to combat this as it's a pinch grip, if this is the case, I would focus on not gripping the slingshot, but more pivot the slingshot between your index and thumb and using the rest of your fingers to counter act the band pressure.

That make sense?


----------



## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

Right or left grouping would indicate you are bending the the pouch. In your description I would guess you are bending it to your cheek bone which would make it stray right  Just a shot in the darkness of discovery  Good luck and be safe 

If you have a quality issue with your slingshot you should let Bill Hays know he will make it right


----------



## SHD (Dec 31, 2014)

Can-Opener said:


> If you have a quality issue with your slingshot you should let Bill Hays know he will make it right


Meh. It is such a small issue in the grand scheme of things. If more of the rubber comes off I'll sand it and spray it camo or something when I have to change band sets.

Anyhow, good suggestions from everyone on things to examine. I'll see if I can't get out this afternoon for another round of shooting. Only six months until squirrel season opens so I have to get it squared away. :-D

Cheers,
Dave


----------



## Mr. P (Feb 1, 2015)

For me, I have noticed that when I have a "flyer" I will be very conscience of my pouch release on the next shot. Whenever I do this I'm back on target.

I slightly pull rearward (away from target) and try to feel the pouch "slip" evenly through my fingers instead of trying to simultaneously "open" them. Not necessarily pulling the bands back, but rather my fingers. I pinch the ball in front (not directly on the ball) so there is an opening when I draw back. I make sure that the pouch (top & bottom) does not touch when bands are drawn.

This has helped me substantially.

Sounds like you are well on your way already


----------



## SHD (Dec 31, 2014)

I think that everyone who put money down on "pouch hold" can call their bookie and collect.

I had mentioned I was shooting with square nuts as ammo. I put up a steel building in '06 ago and since then I've had the leftover 5/16" hardware floating around -- including these square nuts. So my hold has basically been thumb and finger compressing the nut between the leather, with one flat side pressed against the back of the pouch. The rest of the hand is sipping tea with the Queen as per Charles' suggesiton. Then I just pull with my back as I would with an archery release, which lets my fingers slip over the pouch and away it goes.

So this time I paid extra attention to just that hold and on maybe my 5th shot I just felt the knot where the band was tied to the pouch with the edge of my thumb. I think that without realizing it, my hand had been grabbing further forward when my grip strength waned a bit so that I didn't have to hold the pouch as hard. Rather than adjust my grip, I let if fly and sure enough it hit to the right where all the flyers go (and a bit down as well, to be fair, in this instance). Made sure not to do that again and the rest of the group of 30ish nuts clustered around the target. No more flyers. Not conclusive, but pretty promising.

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

Cheers,
Dave


----------



## honorary pie (Feb 12, 2015)

Excellent.. Glad you got it figured out. Its always sweet when we correct that little bug seems to plague us .


----------

