Bridge Woods Field Archery Club

Good Style / Technique

Consistency

Overall Consistency is key: even if your style is not ‘textbook’, consistency will improve your scores (or at least mean more arrows on target and not lost in the undergrowth).Nevertheless, there is much to be said for good technique: archery becomes easier with the bow doing the really hard work. Good technique is difficult to put into words in such a small space, but here are some hints:

Stance

Where terrain/obstacles allow, for stability and consistency, stand ‘tall’ sideways to the target, feet just less than shoulder width apart, weight balanced evenly, legs straight but not rigid, and feet firmly on the ground (never on your toes). 

Bow Hand

The pressure of the bow when shooting should be on the pad of muscle at the base of the thumb between thumb and first finger, as this gives the best ‘line of pressure’ along the arm. If you need more string clearance along your arm rotate the wrist slightly. When shooting the wrist should remain firm throughout the shot, but your grip on the bow should be ‘loose’ as too firm a grip can cause muscle tension, affecting the bow and causing inaccuracy. However, do not ‘grab’ the bow when you release the string, as this affects arrow flight, (a bow-sling removes any fear of dropping the bow).

String Fingers And Release

Hold the string in the top crease of the first three fingers, but do not hook your fingers round the string: hold it as far towards the fingertips as practicable, with the 1st finger above the arrow, and the 2nd and 3rd below. Do not squeeze the arrow nock. When you draw the bow all 3 fingers should take an equal load (more consistent, and more comfortable in the long-term). When you release, the string should be able to pull itself off your fingers as soon as they relax sufficiently: you release the arrow more by relaxing your hand, not by consciously letting go the string by unhooking your fingers. After the arrow has been loosed, try to hold yourself and the bow up in the shooting position, while keeping your eyes on the target until the arrow lands: this prevents premature movement either of the bow or you – resist watching the arrow: if you do, you may move and affect its flight.

Bow Shoulder / Arm And The Draw

At full draw the bow shoulder should be down and in line with the other shoulder. The bow-arm should be extended, slightly bent at the elbow, and may be rotated outwards slightly to prevent the string hitting the arm. The drawing arm elbow should be pulled back as far as possible to get the forearm in line with the arrow – when correctly done there will be a straight line from the drawing arm’s elbow, through the wrist and the length of the arrow, so when the arrow is shot the force exerted by the string is in a direct line, so the arrow flies straight from the bow. When you are at full draw, the ‘load’ of the bow should be transferred to your back muscles, so when you release, your draw elbow moves back behind your head in line with the arrow.

Anchor Point

A consistent anchor point must be used, as it locates the string (and therefore the rear of the arrow) consistently relative to the bow for every shot. This must be done for both ‘left and right’ and ‘vertically’: ‘Left and right’ by always lining up the bowstring against the same line on the bow, or along the line of the arrow; ‘vertically’, by ensuring consistent hand contact with your face, either under the chin, or to the side of the face (more about this next time, along with aiming techniques). You should also try and always draw the arrow to the same length before release: the edge of the bow nearest the target is a useful guide (‘freestyle’ archers only may use a mechanical device such as a ‘clicker’).

Face Anchor Point As previously stated, a consistent face anchor point is a must for accurate archery. In addition, NFAS rules do not allow ‘face-walking’ or ‘string-walking’ techniques (IE where you use different anchor points to aid sighting at different distances), so you must find a consistent face anchor point that works for you: however, ‘where?’ is up to you.

Commonly used is the ‘freestyle’ or ‘centre’ anchor point, of under the chin, with head tilted sideways, and string touching centre of chin and nose. This can give better long distance ‘sight marks’ for those with low poundage bows, but does not feel comfortable for everyone, and may not suit spectacle wearers.

Alternatives are various ‘side of face’ anchor points, utilising the side of the chin, mouth or nose: whichever method you use, keep it simple and easy to do, and use it consistently: common variants are:

full ‘side of face’, with the head turned, the string to the side of the chin, the string touching the corner of the mouth, and the tip of the first finger under the jawbone.

otherwise, locating the tip of the forefinger at the corner of the mouth or nose may be comfortable.

Compound bow archers shooting with release aids must also have a consistent anchor point. Again, ‘where?’ is up to you, although your equipment (eg style of release aid, or use of peep sight may both dictate and/or simplify your choices).

Site updated by Alan White on 16/2/08