These tips will put you on the right track to shooting your bow more accurately and confidently
Archery is a blend of precision, patience, and skill. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced archer, refining the basics is key to becoming better. In this article, I’ll highlight essential tips and techniques that I have found to work best when it comes to improving your archery skills.
Though it might appear straightforward, gripping your bow correctly is crucial for accuracy. There's a right and a wrong way to do it and it can impact your shots downrange. If you’ve had a hard time with paper tuning, broadhead tuning or you seem to have a lot of arrows flying erratically, your issue may be due to improper grip. When you examine the palm of your shooting hand, you'll see a line dividing it in the middle, known as the lifeline. Your bow grip needs to be on the thumb side half of the lifeline, which leaves the other half of your palm off the bow grip, reducing torque. If you are putting too much of your palm on your bow grip, you could have erratic arrow flight due to increased torque. An easy method to check your bow grip's position on your palm is by shooting a few arrows and then examining your palm for pressure marks left by the bow grip.If those marks are on the thumb side of the lifeline, then you are probably gripping your bow correctly. If the marks are on the lifeline or on the right side of the lifeline (left side for left-handed shooters), you are probably gripping your bow improperly by using too much of your palm. Another common mistake in gripping your bow is having tension in your hand. It's important to remember that your bow hand should be in a relaxed position with no tension in your hand or fingers. When getting into your bow grip, it's best to practice setting your hand in the proper grip position and relaxing your hand before you pull back your bow to ensure a correct grip shot after shot. Check out this article for several different ways to improve the grip section of your bow to find something that is repeatable and accurate.
The key to archery is repeatability. Being able to do the exact same thing shot after shot is going to lead to improved accuracy and consistency. One of the main contributors to ensuring repeatability in your shot is by having an established anchor point. An anchor point is a reference that you can feel at full draw, telling you that you’re in the proper position to release an arrow. Everyone's anchor point is different, but it's important that you have an anchor point of some sort established if you want to shoot as accurately as possible. A fundamental anchor point usually consists of three touch points. First, is your release hand touching your face or neck area. The second could be lightly touching the end of your nose on the bowstring. For many, the third is lightly touching the string at the corner of your mouth. Having three points of contact in your anchor point will ensure that your release hand and head are in the exact same position at full draw for every shot. Like I said before, everyone's anchor point can be different; all that matters is you have one established that is repeatable and easy to reference every time you get to full draw.
Having the correct draw length is crucial for maximizing your shooting potential. When you don't have the proper draw length, it negatively affects your shot execution and pin movement, making it tough on you. The most common draw length issue for archers is usually having too short of a draw length, which can be harder to detect than having too long of a draw length. Common indicators of too short of a draw length are a bent front bow arm, raised front shoulder, having to lean your head forward into the string and/or a crunched/hunched-over body position. Common indicators of too long of a draw length are a hyper-extended front bow arm, leaned-back body position at full draw and the string angle contacting your face further back than the corner of your mouth. Having the proper draw length is usually a very comfortable position that is aligned. If you were to stand above yourself at full draw, you should see your bow arm and shoulder perfectly in line with each other, and your back elbow in line with the arrow shaft. The best way to tell if you have the proper draw length is to have an archery professional look at your position when at full draw or to film yourself at full draw to see any indicators of improper draw length.
The saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” rings true in archery as many archers might be unaware of the subtle issues impacting their accuracy. To fix those problems, you first need to be aware of them, which is where filming yourself shooting comes into play. The best way I have found to pinpoint problems in my shot process or shot execution is by filming myself shoot. This allows you to review footage from a different perspective to see breaks in your shot process or shot execution. Being able to identify specific problems, then work on those problems is a great way to increase accuracy. Meaningful practice where you’re intentionally trying to fix a specific problem is going to be much more beneficial to becoming a better archer than just going out and shooting arrows for the sake of it.
Without a doubt, consistent practice is the key to becoming a better archer. None of the above tips will matter if you don’t practice. There is no secret technique or equipment that you can buy that's going to make you a more consistent and accurate shooter. The only way to consistently be more accurate is by putting in the time to build up the repetition and muscle memory needed to accurately shoot, shot after shot. The biggest difference between an average shooter and a good shooter is consistency. An average shooter might have a good shot here and there, but their chance of having a bad shot is much higher, especially in a hunting scenario. Whereas somebody who has practiced a lot is going to be more consistent and have a higher chance of success on a hunt. At the end of the day, it's simple: if you want to become a better shooter, you need to practice more.
Improvement begins with a single step. Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned archer, these tips aim to enhance your skills. Apply them during your next practice session and see the difference for yourself.
