Basic Archery Instructions

Whistle Commands 1 Whistle Blow = You may nock and Shoot your arrow

2 Whistle Blows = The next person behind the waiting line can get their bow and proceed to the shooting line

3 Whistle Blows = Everyone who was shooting should put their bows away and retrieve their arrows

5 Whistle Blows = EMERGENCY: do not shoot, put your arrows back in the quiver

11 Steps to Archery Success 1. Stance

Stance is the first thing you think about when you approach your target. You should have your feet at a comfortable distance apart and your weight evenly distributive between both legs. Just last summer I would shoot with my hip out relying on only my left leg for balance. This shooting form was one of the many things that caused my arrows to land all over the target.

2. Nock

Nocking the arrow is important too! Of course it is important to nock your arrow! How are you supposed to shoot without doing that? Such a simple task can lead into a huge mess. Always be sure that you hear the nock snap when it goes on and that the arrow is placed in the arrow rest. Your bow should be vertical at your side and pointing toward the ground between you and the target. I have heard of even champion archers who have drawn back in competition and as the archer released, the arrow dropped not only causing the bow damage from dryfireing but that shot was counted against them.

3. Draw Hand Set

Attach your release to the bow string and set your hand in the release or if you shoot with fingers put your fingers on the string the same way each time. I always like to keep my release and bow hand comfortable and relaxed while shooting.

4. Bow Hand Set

Place your bow hand in the bow grip. Your hand should be set firmly into the grip and relaxed. Your grip should only be hard enough to stop the bow from dropping. Once again it is very important to have your bow hand set the same way every time. Before I knew the correct way to hold my fingers in the bow grip I would grip the bow tightly and always had trouble with dropping it before the shot was finished, causing my arrows to hit low.

5. Pre-draw

Raise your bow arm. The bow should be raised slightly pointing to the target.

6. Draw

Draw the bow straight back to your face. Continue to point the bow to the target as you come to full draw.

7. Anchor

Keeping your bow arm extended and your elbow slightly bent, you anchor your release hand snug to the side of your face or jaw as your anchor point. It is very important to anchor in the same place every time for accuracy. Before working with Coach Dee I never paid attention to where I anchored. Sometimes my hand was close to my face and sometimes not touching my face at all! I would shoot two or three good arrows and on my fourth would be somewhere way off to the side if I was lucky enough to hit the target at all! This was frustrating for me because I had no clue why my last arrow was off to the side somewhere while all my others looked good.

8. Aim

Aim at the target. There will be some movement of sight. Once you are “on target” you are ready to begin your release sequence.

9. Shot set-up

The shot set up is the part of the release sequence. Apply a little extra tension to the bow string by using your back muscles as the string begins to move make your release.

10. Release

While pushing the bow to the target with your bow hand and pulling the string back with your release hand, begin to slowly activate your release. I would aim and as soon as I got the pin into the bull I would jerk the release making another reason for my arrows to land all over the place. When you release it should be all one smooth movement. 11. Follow through and reflect

Let your release hand come back naturally as the bow moves forward on it’s own. Keep your eyes on the target as your whole body relaxes and follow through. After each shot it is good to reflect on your shot. See what you did well on so you can repeat those actions in your next shot. Also see what you need to improve on so you can concentrate on them in your next shot.