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Top Six Archery Tips for Novices

archerytips | Dec 13, 2010 |

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Looking forward to practice your newly acquired hobby, you head out to the archery range and start shooting. Your shots are not going where they're supposed to go, frustrating you. This happens to many beginners, and to help, here are some of the best 6 that will allow you to improve your skills and precision:

• Constant anchor points: An anchor point is the area where you draw the string back to every time. This anchor point should be exactly the same all the time for a consistent grouping of shots. The most commonly used one is having the index finger right under your chin with the bowstring barely touching the tip of your nose. It's a good idea to try different anchors and discover the best anchor points for you.
• Bow grip: Your grip on the bow handle should be a soft and relaxed one. Your first instinct might be to grip the bow hard to stabilize it, but it causes the contrary outcome. A strong grip on the bow will cause it to twist and rotate, leading the arrows to lean right or left.
• Follow through: It is important to follow through with the shots by keeping the bow arm up and staying focused on the archery target until the arrow lands. If this is not done, it's common to bring the bow down early causing the arrow flight path to be changed downward, leading missed shots.
• Focus and concentrate: Whether you're shooting at inanimate targets or bow hunting, it is very important to concentrate and focus on one specific point that you want to hit. You will instinctively aim at that specific area. It is hard to keep focus all the time, but in archery, you only need to concentrate on that small area for at most 10 seconds as you aim and shoot.
• Meditate to relax: Easier said than done for most people. Relax and clear your mind before you take a shot. A good way to do this is to take a couple of deep breathes as you're about to aim, then take one last big breath, and let it out gradually right before releasing the string. A deep breath will calm your nerves and allow aim and focus easier. When anxious or nervous, form will worsen and it is more likely for you to suddenly move the bow and lose your aim. Being relaxed will obviously help your focus and concentration on the target.
• Practice followed by practice: Practice is extremely important because it allows you to put in use everything you learned to perfect your technique. You can read all the archery tips you want, but if you don't put in the effort to practice them, and you don't do it consistently, then your abilities will not progress. As George Leonard says in his book "Mastery": "At the heart of it, mastery is practice. Mastery is staying on the path."

These are some basic archery tips for novies. While there is more to archery form and technique, these tips and archery lessons will definitely help you improve your skills with the bow and arrow.