The one thing that makes your name in archery is your aim. Mastering your aim demands good technique, full concentration, and a lot of practice. If you have all three qualities mastered, you can hit your target more efficiently and accurately.
If you have just started out and are wanting to improve, we have some tips which can definitely help you master your aim. Click to read more
#1. Perfecting the anchor point
Just like a ship has an anchor to dock and stay at one place no matter the state of the weather, you also need an anchor point for your bows to land those arrows perfectly. An anchor point is a point at which the bowman pulls the arrow near their face. This point differs from person to person. So, do not follow your instructor’s position as it might reduce your chances of getting good at archery. Keep on experimenting and figure out your own anchor point by pulling the bowstring near your jaw, cheekbone, or chin and you will get the idea of perfectly positioning your anchor point.
After you have found your anchor point, it is necessary that you maintain uniformity in your bow holding position. It is advised to stick to one particular bow model and continue practicing on it. If you keep on changing models, it will hamper your learning abilities. After perfecting your position, you must make yourself familiar with one grip. Gripping too hard will change the angles slightly and gripping too light will reduce the power in your shot. Learn to keep your grip modest. When you are pulling the arrow back, the string should not feel tensed or loose, it should be perfectly balanced.
#2. Correct posture
One of the most important aspects of archery is a correct posture which is not often achieved by beginners easily. With the combination of correct posture and perfect anchor point, your aiming will definitely improve. So, your question will be, ‘What is the correct posture?’ When you are shooting, your feet should be perpendicular to the target while making the distance between them lesser than your shoulder width. Before you raise your bow to shoot, make sure you have the correct posture and your anchor point is well placed. Prior to shooting the arrow, improve your posture so that it will help you improve your aim.
#3. Before you shoot
Now that you are holding your bow properly, balanced your grip, found a fine anchor point, and standing in the correct posture you are ready to land some arrows on the target. It is advised to take it slow because keeping so many things makes it difficult to focus on the target and shoot. It will take some time for your mind to master everything happening with your body whilst keeping your eyes on the target. So, take a good look at your aim and concentrate on it for at least ten seconds before you release the arrow. It is very important that you do not rush with your decisions and release only when you are ready. Doing this will improve your decision-making abilities and build confidence over time. If you are new to archery learn to concentrate for ten seconds on your target and while you are at it, be patient.
#4. Maintain Discipline
After releasing the arrow, you might be tempted to take your bow down and leave your stance. But we advise you against it. Even after you have landed the shot keep your bow up and maintain the perfect stance. This might seem irrelevant to you, but if you get habituated to this it will improve your steadiness thereby improving your aim. After releasing the arrow if you lower your bow and leave your stance too quickly, it will hinder your performance and you may start lowering your bow earlier than required. If you want to get a reality check on how you are coping with this, ask your instructor or a friend to observe you as you release arrows.
A camera with good slow-motion recording capabilities can also help you better observe your own movements, plus it will help you improve real-time rather than a friend who might not feel comfortable telling you about your shortcomings to your face.
#5. Rest and have fun
As if daily life was not getting competitive enough our sports and hobbies are too not on losing par. Keep in mind that archery is also a sport that is meant for you to have fun and relieve you of stress. Enjoying and resting will help enhance your senses in turn improving your performance and your aim. Remember, teach your body to be at rest and calm your mind when you are shooting. If you achieve these two things you won’t be facing any trouble. If you are just testing waters with archery, we advise you not to excessively. Unless and until you are planning to enter competitions or summer Olympic Games, don’t go hard on your training sessions. Your performance will improve over time and not overnight. So, rest and have fun.
We hope the above-given tips help you improve your aim and hit the bull’s eye soon. More Help