# Fork hand not steady, any advice?



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Hey Guys,

First of all I want to say I tried several searches like "hand shaking" "hand not steady" etc. But I could have missed something and if I did I apologise.

The biggest thing holding my shooting back at this point is my fork hand micro movements. At 10m these movements are enough to make me miss a Coke can.

It doesn't seem to make much of a difference what band strength I use. (Right now straight 1" Gold's green.)

I have my anchor point, my reference point, and everything else is consistent. This is the only thing taking pleasure away from my shooting right now.

The only thing that seems to help so far is to shoot as soon as I am at extension.

Any exercises/ techniques/ advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## CornDawg (Sep 27, 2015)

fatigue, too much rubber, too much coffee, age related yips, cerebral palsy, earthquakes, frigid temperatures, needing to urinate/defecate, thunderous bass from overdriven speakers, needing three consecutive hits to win a $10 bet when you've got just $6 in your pocket, sedentary and pathetically weak hands, freakishly aggressive hummingbirds... we'd need a vid to be sure.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

A lot depends on how you are holding your frame. If I try hammer grip, I shake all over the place. So personally, I prefer a finger hook and thumb brace up near the band ties in order to reduce torque on my wrist. Also, pointing the fork tips forward as far as you can will help ... and it reduces the tendency to move the forks when you release the tension on the bands. But, everyone is different, so these tips may not work for you.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Charles said:


> A lot depends on how you are holding your frame. If I try hammer grip, I shake all over the place. So personally, I prefer a finger hook and thumb brace up near the band ties in order to reduce torque on my wrist. Also, pointing the fork tips forward as far as you can will help ... and it reduces the tendency to move the forks when you release the tension on the bands. But, everyone is different, so these tips may not work for you.
> 
> Cheers ..... Charles


 Charles,

Now that you mention it, when I shoot my PFS I lean it way forward and get less shake. Now that I have "regular" slingshot I'm going to try that. Thanks a lot.

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## bread (Apr 11, 2016)

Inconvenience, is this your new Torque that you are having the shakes with? Maybe all you need is more time using the Torque. I know the more I shoot on a given day, the shakier I become. I shot about half my recent volume today and my hands feel better and stronger.


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## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

bread said:


> Inconvenience, is this your new Torque that you are having the shakes with? Maybe all you need is more time using the Torque. I know the more I shoot on a given day, the shakier I become. I shot about half my recent volume today and my hands feel better and stronger.


I don't think it has anything to do with the slingshot. Even when I hold my arm out straight with nothing in it it's doing it. It could be as simple as all the manual labor I've been having to do at work. I normally work IT. But I'm working gigs right now taking anything I can get from setting up stages Audio Visual whatever and a lot of the stuff is heavy. That's what's got my carpal tunnel acting up too.

I'm glad you mentioned that though because it made me think about the basics, like fatigue.


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

Some people just shake more than others. My retired navy bud who is 10 years older than I, shakes like a leaf but doesn't have Parkinson's. My dad couldn't hole a pistol without shaking but he hit the target fine. So far I've got a rock steady hand IF I don't exceed pull too much. The more pull the more muscular contractions each second. Muscles don't contract as a whole, rather a percentage of the muscle cells contract...fatigue after a few seconds and others contract and so on. Few people know this. You can test this by listening to a muscle contract. Place your ear on your bicep muscle and contract it..you will hear a roar as millions of muscle cells contract, release and others take over.

If trying the things mentioned by posters above doesn't help much, frankly just accept the fact you shake and shoot the best you can. I knew a retired Army colonel who shook like a leaf when pistol shooting and a second before the shot, stopped dead and had no shakes...then he commenced shaking again after the shot. I guess this was the ultimate in mental control.

Your body is your body. If you go comparing aspects of it to others' bodies you'll always be dissatisfied for there will always be someone else's body you deem better than yours. Forget that. Your body is yours, something to enjoy life with. It's your own privately owned Earth suit. It brings you joy and fun. Honor it and just do the best you can and be happy with it.

Today I'm taking a break to soak myself in the natural hot springs steam room. Increased circulation does two things for me...1. to rejuvenate sore joints and muscles (construction work here on the farm HURTS) and 2, I can think twice as much and twice as clearly with lots of blood charging through my brain due to increased heart rate in the hot steam room. I emerge in three or four hours of cooking myself with a clear head and relaxed physique...then it's lunch in their fantastic restaurant with wifey who's meeting me there. All in all, relaxation and heat really feel good to the average person...especially like you who works hard constantly. I drink a few liters of lime aid laced with a little sea salt to make sure all my electrolytes are in line and the vitamin C is good for me too.

I usually come home and shoot a little after a good steam, I am steadier and better.


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## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Chuck Daehler said:


> Some people just shake more than others. My retired navy bud who is 10 years older than I, shakes like a leaf but doesn't have Parkinson's. My dad couldn't hole a pistol without shaking but he hit the target fine. So far I've got a rock steady hand IF I don't exceed pull too much. The more pull the more muscular contractions each second. Muscles don't contract as a whole, rather a percentage of the muscle cells contract...fatigue after a few seconds and others contract and so on. Few people know this. You can test this by listening to a muscle contract. Place your ear on your bicep muscle and contract it..you will hear a roar as millions of muscle cells contract, release and others take over.
> 
> If trying the things mentioned by posters above doesn't help much, frankly just accept the fact you shake and shoot the best you can. I knew a retired Army colonel who shook like a leaf when pistol shooting and a second before the shot, stopped dead and had no shakes...then he commenced shaking again after the shot. I guess this was the ultimate in mental control.
> 
> ...


Thanks Chuck.

I think what's going on is I've simply been putting in a lot of manual labor.

If it does continue I just need to learn to shoot right away or lower the weapon and try again. I seem to have a 2 second window before it starts.

I love your scientific posts B.T.W. Your every post is like a small NOVA episode 

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## pult421 (Aug 13, 2015)

Ive had the same issue.. what works for me is a planned out sway of the fork and then when its in line.. i release.. sort of how you shoot a rifle.. (ive only shot air rifles) also i find that if held too long i shake.. so i pick up the ss and pouch in the air and as i come back down i set anchor and reference and release within a second or two. Try that. Then again im practicing with a ttf.. ott i often stretch out the fork with my thumb and finger braced.. i have a red dot on the corner of my ss so i put that directly on it.


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