How can you define the heart of archery? Does it not feel splendid waking up on a sunny morning only to shoot a bow? Of course, it does.
The heart of archery has been used for ages to indicate tingles and sparkles of love. That is the reputation and power of bow and arrow. Maybe you have archery. Do I really need to explain how much the sport is interesting?
Many people love archery but it is so unfortunate some of them don’t know how to shoot a bow. This should not bother you anymore. This guide will teach you how to shoot the bullseye accurately without much struggle.
Learn How To Shoot A Bow
Archery is interesting. Isn’t it? You want to shoot perfectly but you don’t have the skills? Just relax. The art of archery is something that takes time to learn but this guide will give the basic essentials needed to master each move. The sweetest thing with archery is that the sport is easily accessible and even as a beginner you can hit quickly the center of the target.
There are several written ancient books explaining how to shoot a bow. The key thing is not just firing an arrow but of importance is how you make your stance, hold the bow and your aim. These are the skills you need to practice most and maintain.
What you should consider
- Form
- Equipment
- Stance
- Grip
- The position of the finger
- Nock the arrow
- Draw and anchor the bow
- Aim
- Releasing the arrow
- Analysis of follow-through
How To Shoot A Bow- Step To Step
You may be asking yourself, “Why do I need to consider all these steps? I’ve watched archery and the archers shoot arrows swiftly and so quick. Do they on earth follow all these steps?” Yes, these steps may seem like a lot. The best thing is that following these steps is really easy. You are a beginner and you may be thinking, “How can I shoot a traditional bow and arrow?” Mastering the art of archery isn’t hard. These are the most important steps that every archer needs to think about.
a. Form
Just like any other game, archery also needs some consistency of form. You have seen footballers spending hours in the pitch just to ensure that they are in the right form before the real match. You need to practice each day to ensure that you are at the top of your physical ability. This will make your upper body flexible and free you from unnecessary injuries like the twisting of your joints. Just make sure you perform simple exercises which will give you the confidence to completely venture in archery.
b. Types of equipment
Once you have ensured that you have consistency in your form, you can confidently choose your equipment. For beginners, I would highly recommend you choose the simple bow. A longbow or a self simple bow can work. Longbows will give you an aiming allowance if you are a beginner hence giving you more courage to try the more complex bows like a compound bow.
c. The Stance
Typically, this is the basic step of learning how to shoot a bow instinctively. The archery stance is similar to that of martial art. It is very vital because if you get it wrong you may find yourself having problems on how to draw bows well. Stance gives you balance. So how do you do a stance? Stand with your feet, shoulder-width apart and with your non-dormant leg somewhat forward. Make sure your back is straight and remain in a relaxed position. Maintaining this position is very important as it will allow you to draw the bow fully.
d. Grip
Griping the bow too tight is a mistake as this may influence your accuracy due to tension. Keeping a relaxed grip on the handle of the bow will give you a better chance of hitting your target.
e. Nock the arrow
Once you achieve a relaxed grip, you can place the arrow underneath the nock point. The bowstring usually has a nock bead which you should when connecting to the bowstring. Once you have connected you should hear a click. By doing this, it means the arrow is perfectly placed.
f. Finger or hand position
The finger position is very important. In other words, you should position your index finger above the arrow and three other fingers on the grip of the string. Some archers shoot with the pointer finger holding the string above the arrow and two more fingers below the grip, of which is okay.
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g. Drawing and anchoring the bow–how to draw a bow
Make sure you can handle the weight in order to draw a bow. You cannot shoot accurately if the handle is too heavy for you. Never grip the arrow with your fingers. You should pull back the string using your front muscles. Let your index finger fall directly under your chin. Your nose and lips should at least touch the upper side of the string. To draw your bow accurately you should consider the following;
- Keep your head straight.
- Use your back as well as your arm to draw the bow.
- Make sure your shoulders are relaxed.
- Your wrist should be flat.
- Your draw should be in continuous motion and keep it smooth.
h. Aiming–how to aim your bow
Align your arrow with the target. For correct alignment, you should use your dormant eye to look down to the arrow towards the target you are purposing to shot. If the target is close then you will have to have a close aim. If it is away then it means you will have to aim a bit higher. Make sure you have a close view of your target.
i. Releasing the arrow
Once you have a proper visual of your target, relax your grip on the string then trigger a mechanical release in a smooth way. Make sure your body is intact.
j. Follow-through
Make you follow through by maintaining the picture you saw immediately before the shot.
In case you find struggling to follow these steps, don’t tense. Archery is all about learning to mean after a couple of hours you will soon get used to aiming and shooting accurately.
How To Shoot A Compound Bow More Accurately
Compound bows can give you the real fun you need in archery. There is one thing you should put into consideration before using any bow of this type. Never choose a bow that is heavier for you. You can draw a heavier bow, but this can be unsafe and very tiresome.
What is the fundamental way of drawing a compound bow more accurately? Now that you know the basic view on how to shoot a bow, we can now discuss a few ways on how to increase our accuracy in shooting a compound bow.
- Always hold the bow at a right angle facing the target-This will help you to be firm before releasing an arrow hence improving your shooting accuracy.
- Make sure that you are always pointing on your target. Since a compound bow has a focus lens like that of a gun you should always treat it like a loaded gun ready to shoot.
- Always use your arm to draw the bow- This means you should never use the back of your muscles while drawing. This is to reduce tension in your shoulders that may lead to injuries.
- Only draw a compound bow at the required set of distance-Extending it more than the maximum distance means you are likely to miss your target due to engineering set up of the bow.
- Always rotate the lower part of your back before drawing a compound bow-This will give you the required stamina needed to initiate the mechanical energy for releasing the bow.
How To Shoot Recurve Bow Properly
Aiming perfectly the recurve bow is not that easy. It involves a series of practice and patience. For a recurve bow, if you don’t follow the certain procedures closely then it means you will face problems in the shooting. Surprisingly, most shooters are adopting the traditional way of aiming the recurve bow.
In order to master the required skills of shooting the recurve bow, you need to firmly follow the 10 steps of shooting we previously discussed. Specifically, you need to have;
- Right stance
- Proper grip
- Good position of the finger
- Proper drawing of the bow
- Good aiming
- Perfect release of the bow
Conclusion
For many years human beings have used the bow and arrow for protection, hunting and maintaining the reputation of a community. Ancient archers needed to train hard to master the skills.
Today, archery is taken as a sport. You can equip yourself with sophisticated bows that can help you hit a bull’s eye accurately within a short period of time. That is the heart of archery. It will always be fun and easy to learn, practice and shoot.