{"id":1322,"date":"2019-12-30T20:32:36","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T20:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archerymind.com\/?p=1322"},"modified":"2022-05-07T22:28:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-07T19:28:09","slug":"how-to-shoot-a-bow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archerymind.com\/how-to-shoot-a-bow\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Shoot A Bow | A 7 Step Shot Sequence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every experienced archer will tell you this: your shot process is one of the most essential things to need to form to be accurate<\/strong>. I think that good posture combined with a proper shot sequence is the best recipe for success. In this post, I’m going to detail what a good shot process should include.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following a shot process is important because it will enable you to give full attention <\/strong>to different aspects of your shot. It will also help with remembering everything. It all becomes automatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Books have been written about proper shot processes, but let me try to make a concise guide to help you out. There are a few key points you need to know, while other things are more nuanced and shouldn’t concern you as a beginner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you’re just starting out with archery and aren’t sure how to start, or you’re more experienced and need refreshment, this post is for you. I’m going to discuss every essential step of a good shot process, and detail everything you actually need to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key steps of a standard archery shot sequence<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Assume your stance<\/strong>
    Choose either the square, open or closed stance. Have your feet at shoulder width, and equally spread your weight between them. <\/li>
  2. Set your grip<\/strong>
    Light grip on the bow, using the meaty part of your hand, under your thumb. You shoulder “grab” the bow with your fingers but let it rest on your hand. <\/li>
  3. Nock an arrow and draw the bow<\/strong>
    Properly position your arrow and pull the bowstring with your fingers or release aid. <\/li>
  4. Anchor<\/strong>
    Anchor using a consistent spot. You can use the bowstring to face anchor or hand to jaw, for consistency and easy aim. <\/li>
  5. Aim to the target<\/strong>
    Float the pin around the center of the target. Try to relax and put more focus on the target than on aiming, and don’t time the shot. <\/li>
  6. Release<\/strong>
    Press the release aid, or simply relax your grip on the bowstring. <\/li>
  7. Follow-through<\/strong>
    Keep the bow up until you hear the arrow hitting the target.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Though I consider these steps to be the bare essentials, every archer is a bit different, and there’s a lot of room to play around and see what fits you<\/strong>. Many archers add, combine, and leave out some of the steps, but as a general guideline, I think these will fit most archers out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’ve actually discussed many of these steps in great detail in previous posts, which I’m going to link to. Be sure to read them if you want to dive deeper into a topic, or hear a different aspect to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So without much more introduction, let’s go over the steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Assume your stance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The first thing you should do while preparing to shoot at your target is to position yourself and stand correctly<\/strong>. Before you even pick an arrow up, you will be set up to a good shot. To assume your stance, you’ll need to position your feet correctly and distribute your weight on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It may surprise some beginners, but the positioning of your feet is really important for your accuracy. Since they’re the base of your body, planting your feet correctly in the ground will help you be more balanced throughout the shot process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’ve actually covered how to perfect your archery stance in my post about archery form that you should consider reading<\/a>. It will help you avoid the common pitfalls that archers fall into regarding their stance. But let’s discuss the basics here as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The main 3 stance positions are the square stance, open stance and closed stance. They all have different pros and cons, but in the end, deciding which to use is up to your preference. Most archers use the square stance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The basics are the same for all of them though. You should stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, spreading the weight equally to both feet. You shouldn’t learn to either direction and should feel comfortable and grounded in your position. Your bow hand’s side should be directed at the target, while you’re facing 90 degrees from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The square stance<\/strong> is the most common type and for a good reason. It’s pretty easy to learn and can help you achieve great results. Both your feet should be faced forward, perpendicular to the shooting line. The target should be closer to your front foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Almost as common as the square stance, many archers are using the open stance.<\/strong> People usually say it feels more natural to them, because it’s basically the way many people naturally stand. In the stance, your back foot will be perpendicular to the shooting line, while your front foot will be slightly directed at the target. Most archers turn it about 30 degrees from its position in the square stance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A less common position is the closed stance<\/strong>. It should be discussed because many archers find that they’re able to put much more force into their shots with it, and have great results while using it. Here, you’ll have your front foot lined up with the shooting line, while your back foot will be turned away from the target. The easiest way to think of it is by mirroring the open stance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By using the correct stance for you, you’ll find that you have a good base to shoot from. Try them all and see which one fits you best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Set your grip<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    After you’ve assumed a proper stance and balanced yourself, you should correctly grip the bow. This step is really important because even small things can mess your grip up and reduce your accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The main issue with most archer’s grip is that they hold the bow too tightly. The correct way to hold the bow is light, without clenching or using too much force. The other thing to notice is the position and orientation of your hand – you should feel stable without introducing torque to the bow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’ve actually detailed a great process for correctly gripping your bow in my post about archery form<\/a>. Following this process will enable you to easily set your grip without thinking about it too much and continue with the sequence. But here we’ll dive a bit deeper and explain the principles of proper grip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The proper positioning of your hand on the bow is where the bow contacts the heel of the thumb<\/strong>. It’s the meaty part of your palm, located under your thumb. Your thumb should create a 10 degrees angle with the bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like I mentioned before, you should avoid forcefully grabbing your bow<\/strong>. Your fingers should just rest on it. This doesn’t feel very stable when the bow isn’t pulled, but at full draw, the force of the bow will push your hand back, creating a stable base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When you position your hand correctly, this force will push through your hand into the upper parts of your arm. A bow’s weight can be pretty significant, and you won’t be able to shoot a high draw weight with improper grip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After you have your grip correctly set, you can shift gears to the next step, and begin nocking and positioning your arrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Nock an arrow and draw the bow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This step seems simple, but it does involve a lot of different movements combined, which makes it a bit harder. In this step, you’ll simply take an arrow and position it in the correct location. If you’re using a release aid, you’ll now clip it, and if you’re finger shooting you’ll position your fingers. Then you’ll draw the bow.<\/strong> Pretty straight through. Let’s discuss the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When archers say “nock an arrow” it basically means to position the arrow on the bowstring<\/strong>. Most bows have a string nock, which indicates where to place the arrow. Though it’s just a small piece of metal, it’s really important because it can be hard to consistently and accurately nock every time you shoot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It’s really important that you make sure you’ve properly nocked the arrow. Arrows that aren’t properly nocked are the most common cause of dry firing the bow, which can cause a lot of damage, and is overall dangerous to everyone around you. Read more about how to avoid accidentally dry firing a bow in my post<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now that your arrow is nocked, it’s time to hold the bowstring. Most compound archers use a release aid, while traditional archers finger shoot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let’s discuss finger shooting first.<\/strong> Most traditional archers use either the split-finger style (also known as the Mediterranean method) or three-under style. They’re both pretty simple to use and utilize the three middle fingers in your hand. The only difference between them: with the split-finger style you’ll have your index finger above the arrow, while with the three-under all three fingers will be… well… under the arrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The important thing about both methods is that you place the bowstring in the last crease of your fingers (the joint near the top part of your finger). It will give you a lot of control, while still being able to hold the weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you’re using a release aid, things are a bit less complicated. You need to clip it on the bowstring, properly position your fingers and you’re ready to draw the bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now is the point where you actually draw the bow<\/strong>. The entire process should be with your bow pointed at the direction of the target, right in front of you. Some archers like to start high and draw the bow at a downward motion, but I really suggest you just keep things simple and safe, by pulling the bow with minimal up-down movement. Straight at the target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To properly draw the bow, you’ll need to use your back. You should feel your shoulder blades coming together<\/strong>. If you’ll use too much of your arm muscles, the weight you can put on the bow will be limited and you won’t be able to aim as well. It should be your main concern regarding form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are a few other things you should make sure you’re doing right. Throughout the entire movement, your shoulders should be relaxed<\/strong>. The arm holding the bow should be straight, but without locking the elbow. Your drawing hand will travel from your front all the way to the back wall, where you’ll anchor and hold it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To be able to properly perform the movement, you should make sure that your draw weight is set correctly. Drawing with a high draw weight can completely destroy your form, which can actually hurt you. I’ve made a post about measuring and setting your draw weight, where I outline everything you need to know<\/a>. I recommend reading it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now you know how to nock the arrow, position your hands and draw the bow. But you’ll need to anchor to achieve true consistency. Let’s discuss what anchoring is and how to properly do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Find your anchor point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    When archers discuss anchoring, they’re talking about a consistent reference point where you always draw to<\/strong>. There are a lot of different options for anchor points, like a spot on your nose the bowstring touches, or a point on your chin that your hand touches. The goal is always the same: increasing the archer’s consistency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you draw to a different point every time you shoot, even if you aim to the same point, you won’t hit the same place. It will make it hard to form a tight group. So as a part of your routine, you should choose an anchor point where you alway draw to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I quickly discussed proper anchoring before as one of my top tips to increase archery accuracy<\/a>. This comes to show how essential anchoring is for archery precision. Here, we’ll dive a bit deeper and try to understand the different methods of anchoring and the most important things to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The most common anchor point archers use is the bowstring to the nose<\/strong>. When you’re pulling the bowstring towards your face, you want the string to simply touch the tip of your nose. It should be subtle, where the string isn’t tight against your skin, but just barely touching it, so you don’t disturb the path of the arrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another common anchor is the hand to the jaw<\/strong>. Here you’ll have your index finger touching the side of your jaw, or simply located a bit under it. Your thumb should be under your chin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Using a peep sight can make anchoring much easier<\/strong>. If you have a peep sight installed on your bow, you’ll anchor with one of the methods I described, then before aiming, align the peep sight with the circular mounted sight of your bow. It makes a much more accurate point. If you don’t know what a peep sight is, or want to learn more, I’ve previously made a post about peep sights where I detail all the essential information.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Having the bowstring might be a bit intimidating, but it’s something you’ll eventually get used to. Many archers feel this way at the beginning, but get more comfortable with it after a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With that in mind, every archer has its own anchor point. There’s no one right answer<\/strong>, you just do what’s most comfortable and consistent for you. I suggest you do some trial and error<\/strong> and see which anchor point is the best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another important thing with any anchor is that you both have your body aligned the same way every time you pull a bow. You should also make sure that you’re drawing the string to the anchor point, and not moving the anchor forwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now that you’re properly anchored, you can get to aiming your arrow at the target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Aim to the target<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    When everything is correctly aligned, aiming to the target becomes both easy and natural<\/strong>. Just look through the sight with your dominant eye, and align the proper sight pin with the center of the target. Of course, the sight pin you should use should be the one that was adjusted to distance to the target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you see a consistent error in your shots and suspect that your sight needs a tune, you should definitely read my post about adjusting a bow sight<\/a>. It’s a pretty simple tune you can do yourself, but you should follow a guide to avoid making things worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you’re a beginner, you’ll probably have a hard time holding the pin steady at the center of the target<\/strong>. Letting the pin wander around the center of the target is called floating<\/strong>. You can see a great example of floating in this video I found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yjQGT4NDIDc<\/a>