Archery is a fun hobby and sport that can be enjoyed by anyone. Whether you are going to a range with your friends for a night out, or are looking to take up a new hobby, there are a few things you might want to know before grabbing a bow and arrow. Here are a few tips for archery beginners to consider.
Stance
One of the most important tips to help anyone that is new to archery is to prioritize and consider their stance and posture. Establishing a routine and habit to maintain proper technique in your stance and posture will translate as you improve and continue to compete in archery competitions. It is easiest to start with a square stance, as it is simpler and more straightforward to help keep posture and get everything else correct. As you continue to shoot, you may then experiment with other stances. You will do this by keeping your feet parallel to the shooting line, square with your shoulders to give you balance. The earlier you prioritize this and make a habit of being aware of your stance, the more it will become second nature and you won’t think about it as much later on.
Purchase A Bow
One piece of advice that you should consider as you get more serious with archery is the purchase of equipment, mainly your bow. Like many sports, you want to have your own equipment. The archers from Bear archery will inform you that you should see this as an investment. You want to buy and use your own bow because you will be able to create consistency by understanding exactly how the bow works with your shooting mechanics. If you go to ranges and have to rent or use others’ equipment, you will not have that same consistency.
Be Confident When Handling Your Bow
When new archers first begin shooting, there is a hesitation they deal with. Much like having fears with anything that you are new to, archery is no different. Most of the fears and hesitation occur when handling the bow, drawing the string back, as it is meant to be extremely close to your face. Many new archers may be cautious of keeping their face in such close proximity that they alter their stance and shooting posture. This could lead to poor accuracy, but also potential injury to yourself. It is important that you understand the bow string does not act like a rubber band that will spring back towards you, but moves in a predictable manner that will not harm you if handled correctly. The more you shoot, the greater your confidence and skill will be to match the most famous archers. Relax and settle into correct shooting form, and you will see improvements in your performance quickly.
Correcting Your Aim And Accuracy
As a beginner, one common error made is that you often aim too high when shooting. This is attributed to where you are aiming from your perspective to where you are holding the bow in relation to your eye level. When you are aiming and shooting, depending on your stance and form, you will typically have the arrow drawn back below the eye around your cheek level. Now if you measure that against where you are looking down your bow towards the end of the arrow, this will create a path above where you are actually aiming. A good tip is to aim lower than you initially expect the arrow to hit. Of course, with practice, you will be able to adjust your heights and get used to the proper aiming mechanics.
Fingers On String
The optimal amount of fingers you want to use on your bow string when you are drawing back is three. It is not uncommon for beginners to use all four fingers or even two fingers to pull back their bow string. The reason three is optimal is that the pinky can often snag on your string on release, causing you to mess up your shot. The more fingers that you use, the higher the likelihood of you getting caught on the release. Even when being taught this, sometimes new archers may mistakenly forget their pinky is resting on the string. Additionally, the third finger helps provide extra support.
Everyone has to start from scratch and spend some time learning when it comes to taking up new hobbies, and archery is no different. The right techniques and practice over time will have you handling the bow like your favorite archers. Keep in mind a few different tips to help you get comfortable and hitting your targets.