This bugged my in Oblivion and the screenshots of a character using a bow and arrow show the same thing in Skyrim. The guy holding the bow with his left hand but nocking the arrow on the left side of the bow...just a minor annoyance.

I think it's because of the first person view, so the bow won't obstruct your entire view.

the windmill is also going backwards

meh

Pretty sure this is actually how it's done, especially when you value accuracy over distance. Nocking on the left allows you to rotate your wrist clockwise and have the arrow partially held in place by gravity. Rotating your wrist counter clockwise is not as comfortable.

I'm not an archery expert, but isn't this the correct way?

Yes actually, that is the correct way to do it. I used to use my bow all the time. OP have you ever fired a real bow?

That's how I shoot in real life. It helps when I shoot straight.

Pretty much. If you hold the bow perfectly vertical, your being a noob at archery. You tip the bow slightly inward (clockwise for left handed, counter for right) so the nocked arrow can rest on it, held by gravity.

Whenever I've done archery (not very well, it has to be said) that is how it's done.

You do not use a bow do you ?

When the bowmen is righthanded he knock the arrow making it cross the bow at the left of it, so when he realease grip the cord won t twist outward of the bow and send the arrow to the right.

Where's the problem? Holding the bow in the left hand and nocking the arrow on the left side is precisely the way I was taught to shoot and have be doing so for over thirty years. How do you think you are supposed to do it?

Possibly the OP is one of those people who basically learn a subject matter through the internet or another source and comment on it without any prior firsthand experience.

Wrong.
If you do NOT hold your bow perfectly straight, your the noob!!!
If you hold the bow perfectly straight and the arrow fall your stance is wrong. If you hold your bow falling outward to maintain the arrow from falling, your pretty much will imput some random vectoring due to the cord push which will bring you unacurrate long range shots. (over 50 meters).

Something is wrong with your stance, try to correct it, asking someone to see you shooting.

this is how its supposed to be done. you draw the arrow with your stronger hand, it takes real strength to draw a real bow.

Really, because I can hit stuff with that stance. Of course im talking like a 1-5 degree slant of the bow. Incredibly minor. Don't think I mean like 30 or something because that would be rediculous. I was taught that you slant the bow inward every so slightly. Maybe its a beginners thing somewhat like training wheels, and once I get better I would have been told to no longer do that. I dunno, I'm not expert. I have little experience with bows, but in that little time that's what I was taught.

Yep, OP is wrong, it's actually how you hold a bow, IF you've shot a bow before (which clearly you have not.)

/thread

The correct way does look somewhat wrong, viewed out of the context of actually holding a bow in reality. But yeah, Bethesda have got it right.

I wouldn't be surprised if they actually spoke to a real archer at some point when designing the bows, and they'll at least have looked at plenty of references. The bow in the http://cms.elderscrolls.com/sites/default/files/tes/screenshots/KhajiitTemple.jpg is rather accurately detailed; look at the bowstring and how it's attached.

Yeppers, that's how it is done. If you hold the bow with your left hand, the arrow groove in the grip is indented on the left side, so you have to knock the arrow on the left. Of course, there are grips where the groove is to the right, if you hold the bow with the right hand. Choosing a bow with leftedness or rightedness depends on which of your two eyes is your "dominant" eye.

I feel Bethesda could really open up archery by adding on accessories and having well-crafted bows. All of Beth's bows - in Oblivion, in Morrowind - look like crap. The screenshot of the khajiit with the bow - that bow also looks like a piece of crap. No one makes bows like that, not even back in premodern times. I can see compound bows being a Dwemer technology, since the pully system requires precision to manufacture/craft the wheels. Other than that - I'd like to see some recurve and compound bows, please!\

Any of you use Nicoroshi's bow mods for TESIV? Those are what kickass fantasy bows should look like. And Phijama's TESIII bows are great, too (recurve, etc. modern design). http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/fms/Image.php?id=26867. http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/fms/Image.php?id=26871 in game - notice how the groove is to the right, since the bow is held in the right hand.

EDIT: Right, I mentioned accessories. Silencers and aiming devices spring to mind.

.......................................try firing a bow with the arrow on the right side of it, you won't hit a $%^& thing, this is not something bethesda has screwed up, now stop the flamewar

What you mean "backwards"? You mean counter clockwise? This is right from Bethesda, I guess, not wrong (unless you are in Ireland, where the windmills turn clockwise)...

it was a joke, people are just nit picking today

Oh, I'm sorry ... LOL... Nice one!

I'm left handed.

LOL you think this is a flamewar? All I see is a friendly discussion about archery. Sorry I couldn't help but find that amusing, most of the sites I've visited today have made the worst moments of this site look like a polite dinner party - lots of bored folks on the internet today I guess.